About the case in call the midwife....

[onelittlefish]

I have just finished watching call the midwife. The example they have of the premature baby who stays with his mother and gets breast-fed, against all medical advice and survives is just amazing. Do you think this is an example of the power of breast-feeding or was it luck?

If you don't know what I am talking about because you have not read the book the story is of a baby born 12 weeks prematurely (weighing 2 lbs). The mother fed the baby every 30 mins and then left it between her breasts in between. The baby survived against all the odds.

Thanks, organic. Bit off topic, but some of my fondest memories of the last few months of my mum's life were of her helping me with BF - she sorted my latch out (I'd had a mad midwife who taught us using teddy bears - she'd recommended a really uncomfortable position). Mum also used to hear me getting up to do night feeds (I went on several extended visits when DS was small), and I'd hear a little knock at the door of my room and she'd offer to come in and keep me company and sit and chat while I fed DS. Sadly, BF didn't work in the end (I'm unfortunately one of the 1% with really low milk yield) but I'll never forget mum's help and encouragement.

slightly off topic too but my great-grandmother was born very prematurely in 1904. she was born at home, and weighed less than 2lb.... and she survived!

She then made it to 99 years and never spent a day in hospital in her whole entire life!!!

lurcio that's lovely to hear about your mum and her experiences.

Must say watching the program has led me to think, read about things I wouldn't have otherwise, but only of course as was on here too! Interesting thread, looking forward to bf now in a way, feel much better informed than last time, much inspiration fro this thread too.

just read more of the thread

agree breastmilk was donated in the 50's.... my grandmother was a breastmilk donar back then (and so was my Mum in the 80's and now so am I )

I don't see what the problem was really with using a term baby to represent the preemie. There were very few shots where the baby was actually pictured with other objects or people for the sake of perspective, and using a model would've been ridiculous and insulting. Very few cast members will have been the actual age they were portraying; it's not really a big deal.

Most TV shows/movies have babies that come out smooth, pink and clean. At least the ones on Call the Midwife were a bit vernixy and mucky.

It is only in relation to certain things I am becoming anti-modern medicine. In most cases a baby that size probably would have died. To me the story of Conchita sums up the book in many ways - the story of new life coming into the world and in a society that is particularly hard to live in. I am sure it is also meant to show how precious life is.

I don't think it would have been right without it.

Indeed one have to say this is a dramatisation of a story and don't think it was ever intended to be an educational documentary of some sort. Contrasted with OBEM and comments on here that criticise it I think is fair game, especially as someone who works there but not filmed said on MN last week, I think about the amount of editing that occurs. As this has far greater potential to given a skewed view of childbirth than a dramatised period (?) piece.

But like I said ^ it's still informed me in some ways and prompted a discussion on here.

Sorry one sounds like my whole post is directed at your post, just meant first bit where I agree, sorry poor punctuation. Wanted to add IMO re dramatisation vs documentary, I know this is not what you were getting at.

nannyl Bless you and your amazing Great Grandmother, what an amazing story, what was her name ?

I'm sure Conchita did specifically say about feeding the baby with her milk though...? Will have to go back and watch it again!

In the book the baby gets small frequent feeds of EBM either off a spoon or from a dropper (can't remember which)

Conchita does Kangaroo care at a time when it was unheard of.

Had the baby been taken away it would have had the 'intensive care' of the day - and would likely have died. Mothers were superfluous and Conchita would probably have only been allowed to visit at visiting times

Haven't read all posts but just wanted to say it's not a "drama" it's Jennifer worth's memiors from when she was a midwife in the 50s ao all the stories are true. The baby was assumed o be premature and was fed expressed breastmilk from a dropper type thing every 30 mins so didn't need to latch on.
I personally think it us a testament to kangaroo care and shows how much we rely on medicine these days when in the past we could have gotten by without it.