Can I PLEASE just have 13 minutes? 13 measly minutes to myself to listen to The Archers?

[PseudoBadger]

Come and enjoy awkward dinner parties galore!

Yes eastpoint TA were split like the Mners! I agree bluestocking after so many years of cooking she leaves food to burn etc. maybe her periods hadn't stopped properly?

A ghost Nigel sounds like the best idea ever. A pregnant Rooth less so. I'm imaging that it'll be the menopause and we will get public service announcements on how to look after ourselves as we get older.

From NHS:
What are the risks for pregnant women?
Infections that can affect female sheep (ewes) and which could be passed to pregnant women include:
chlamydiosis
toxoplasmosis
listeriosis
Q fever

The risks are low
These infections are uncommon in sheep and very rare in humans. The number of human pregnancies affected by contact with sheep is extremely small.
Although the risks are low, pregnant women should still avoid close contact with sheep during lambing.

Advice for pregnant women
To avoid the risk of infection, if you’re pregnant or think you might be pregnant:
do not help deliver lambs (or calves or kids)
do not milk ewes
avoid contact with aborted (miscarried) or newborn lambs, and with the afterbirth, birthing fluids or contaminated materials, such as bedding
ensure your partner washes thoroughly after contact with ewes that are lambing
clothing worn during lambing should be washed separately from other washing
Farmers are responsible for minimising the risk to pregnant women and members of their family, the public and professional staff who visit their farms.

When to get medical advice
Seek medical advice if you’re pregnant and:
you have a high temperature or flu-like symptoms
you think you may have got an infection from a farm environment

Are there risks from other animals?
Cows and goats that have recently given birth can also carry similar infections. Pregnant women should also be aware that the risk is present at other times of the year, not just during the lambing season.

I remember that cat poo is a risk too. I don't know if there's a Brookfield cat (there should be).

with cats it's also toxoplasmosis - pregnant women should be v careful with litter trays. there probably is at least one barn cat but litter trays unlikely to be a requirement!

she's certainly been in the lambing shed with David a time or two this year & I'm sure she actually got involved at least once

I vaguely remember Shula and/or Lizzie being warned to stay away from Brookfield during lambing while pregnant (agricultural public service announcement)

does David also mention it to the visitors on Open Farm Sunday? although the lambs are quite old by then of course

'Amber' was the name given to Ruth's much anticipated new baby on the old Archers message board. No idea where it comes from - the Am?

Eastpoint - I'm not just talking about people who forgot to use contraception but those who did, including the coil.

Aha, I'm more used to people who thought it was 'safe'.

We never hear about contraceptive choices on TA (or did we in Amex when Alice had that dodgy flatmate) ooh & I've just remembered about Elizabeth's abortion.

True eastpoint and mummytime I always said that all the soap characters missed the contraception class in school. Either that or the S.W.ers use pregnancy as a dramatic device rather than contraception failure IFYSWIM.

What about Annette, Greg's daughter who parked herself on Hellin for far too long a while? She DTD with slimy Leon, Hellin's then-boyfriend, and got pregnant by accident. Can't remember now whether it was contraceptive failure.

Listening to omnibus now - hearing poor Henry cry out - Rob the knob is a good nickname for him !

Yes and the worst part is that Hell didn't ignore Titch and just go up to Henry. "for the 2nd time".

I'm wondering whether this storyline about Ruth was supposed to be 2-3 weeks ago but got put back by all the spurious 'flooding' plotlines

So now she's a lot further on than originally intended (assuming it's a Buda-baby)

???

That is a really interesting point TheOne. Did someone say twelve weeks? I was thinking that was pushing it a bit for a "not wanting the baby" sl.

But surely they would have considered all of this?

Why though TheOneWith? do you reckon that RuthDave only DTD when they're away on hols.? On 2nd thoughts what with milkin' etc. it probably IS the only time !!

Of course

He's 50+, she's mid-40s, his mum is living with them, they have a teenage son & a 12 year old & they both have physically demanding jobs, requiring at least one of them to get up at the crack of dawn.

I reckon they DTD what every other day? Ha ha ha.

Changing the subject but I met David Archer today!
Went to a half marathon and instantly recognised his voice so went to say hello at the end.

He claims to not know what is wrong with Ruth. He said that he hadn't listened today so didn't know what was happening.

Of course he claims not to know! I bet Archers' contracts have tighter confidentiality clauses than MI5

(He does though )

I can't see how he wouldn't know to be honest. Just caught up with Fridays ep and I think she's pregnant, especially after she she mentioned the holiday in December to Shula earlier.

Only thing is that Vicky had Beth in her mid to late 40's and this is very similar.

only similar in that they're both over 40 - otherwise they're completely different! you could just as well say Nic shouldn't have had a baby because Emma did

I guess but it's a lot more usual for woman of Emma/Nic's age.

Anyway, all is meant to be revealed tonight according to the archers addicts Facebook page!

I would also say Emma and Nic's babies being close was relevant to the plot as well.
Sad in a way that we are debating the likelihood of what is wrong with Ruth based on what has already been 'done'.

Hurry up and POAS Rooth, put us out of our misery

Does anyone else feel like 90% of the time when Rooth talks she sounds like she needs to sniff? Or sneeze?