Call the Midwife, I love Sunday night telly!!

[BrightnessFalls]

well, I will do for the next six weeks

This might be of interest.

I have loved this series SOOOO much it was incredibly acted and directed, the period "feel" was spot on and it took TIME to create the characters. Miranda Hart is a candidate for a best actress BAFTA IMO! Congrats . BBC.!!!

I've only one criticism; it was like bf didn't exist I know that ff was very popular in the 50s but to start off a new born even then they must have encouraged bf.?? I was a 50s' baby and was bf. My mum tells me!!

I find it odd 'cos they nearly showed the babes being born but never showed bf at all weird or what? or have i missed something? Anyone notice something i didn't?

And all the women were so poor they couldn't 've afforded the formula could they?

Oh-I picked up the opposite message. In the one where Mary's baby was taken away, Jenny had to help her with an abscess caused by the milk build up. She must have been bf because the baby was with her for a while. And the one whose baby was snatched also referred to milk. I just assumed that bf wasn't very public in those days. I know my dad used to want to give me privacy to feed to start with. So there might not have been many shots of public bf for that reason.

ppeatfruit I thought there was quite a lot of breastfeeding actually. Both explicit and implied. And I didn't see any formula used.

Mary certainly breastfed Kathleen and was distraught at the thought of her without her milk when she was taken away. Also, the way the fishmarket lady said "are you hungry?" to her newborn in Episode 5 also implied breastfeeding - she'd literally only just given birth.

Would have been nice if they could have arranged a little breast-feeding - maybe more in the next series ?!

Although I suppose it's difficult to act and would require a mother/baby actress combination. Not impossible I'm sure ! Where there's a will there's a way !

Yes I remember that ep. now thanks Mole and Counting it's just last night with the triplets there could've been some encouragement from the M.W. (though how you'd bf triplets successfully I don't know!!)

Juggling IKWYM but just undoing some buttons with the L.O. facing the boob through the dress would've done though? I really hope there's going to be a next series with Miranda in it too!!

Grow another one? Heaven knows.

8 episodes next series apparently!!

The Radio Times is trying to trace the real Chummy. Nobody knows who she is and they haven't been able to find her from clues in the books.

The book has a whole bit on bf, saying despite their medical training on ff, they never recommended ff as they knew women wouldn't be able to prepare it safely. Interesting. And there is a fab fab chapter in the book about Sister Evangelina's mounumental farting and toilet humour - would love to have that in the tv version!

Apparently (according to Chris Evans on the radio this morning) in terms of ratings it has been the most successful drama on the BBC for the past 10 years.

I can believe that, it was brilliant

Was fab. Sad it has finished. Can't wait for series 2. Shanme Chumy won't be in it. Why is that again? Have images of her being married to copper, still being MW, and then having their own baby....ahhh bliss. shame won't happen.

Ooh just saw last episode on sky+. Eyes prickling for chummy's wedding despite having read about it up thread! Roll on series two.

Yep, I was leaking slightly at the end. When the music started, I just went! Bizarrely I'd been listening to the same song earlier, and it was just lovely .

I'm really looking forward to the next series

Is Chummy definitely not reappearing? I'm sure I read somewhere that Jennifer Worth continued to work for some time after her marriage so presumably there was no marriage bar to prevent her coming back.

I wonder if the other two midwives featured (Cynthia and the glamorous blonde one) are still alive in real life.

Apparently Cynthia died of cancer a few years ago (before the books were published). Cynthia is the only character whose real name was used, and apparently she remained friends with Worth for the rest of her life.

From what I've read in the Radio Times articles, it's possible Trixie isn't a real person, just based loosely on someone or a combination of people.

In the books it was stated in a very matter of fact way that of course formula was considered superior to breastfeeding (!) but that the midwives were aware that most women didn't have the money, hygeinic enough surroundings or the intelligence to make it up properly/not leave milk lying around/not stretch it out, water it down etc to save money, so even though a lot of the women were malnourished and had thin breasts* (!!!) they encouraged them to bf because it was safer than the alternative.

• This wouldn't actually make a difference but in the book it sounded like the belief at the time was that it would, and perhaps that Jennifer herself held this view all her life which I suppose is likely as she'd have been retired by the time the newer BF knowledge came in.

I don't remember the triplets story in the book, I must re-read it.

That's very interesting about bf Bertie and trifling I know they were into strict 4 hrly feeding schedules then, based on FF.

My mum said in the early 50s when I was born she bf me but the hospital put me in an airing cupboard 'cos I cried too much I suppose i was hungry!! Things have improved a bit!!

I'm really pleased that Call the Midwife has been so popular it just shows the telly producers that people can still concentrate on SLOW stories without loads of violence and sex (well not the bit that comes before IYSWIM!!).

Good point ppeat about the popularity and pleasure of slower dramas without the violence !

BTW I guess i have fairly "thin" breasts but they've still happily produced gallons of nourishing milk for my little ducklings (took to BF like ducklings to water) over the years! ( That's not TMI is it ? - Surely not for MN ! - I thought it might encourage someone ! )

< ponders ducklings not actually mammals, but then considers post is confusing and tangential enough already ! >

Thanks Juggling Ref. breasts didn't Henry 8th call Anne Boleyn's duckkies? so a good metaphor IMO!! (this is getting a bit unsmumnettily historical isn't it!!!)

Chummy might reappear but if they stay true to the book she becomes a missionary (as she said she wanted to throughout sloth series).

It's a tough call. It's better if they stay true to the book but, they'd be mad if they didn't bring her back. Much as its a lovely programme, I think it's pretty obvious that MH was a major part of its success. Maybe with JW no longer around to overlook the preparations they might feel more able to use a bit of artistic licence.

I've avoided this thread until now for fear of spoilers but I'm just popping in now to say I have bloody loved this series jut I case any of the producers are watching.

It has been brilliant! :( that it has finished now though.