Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

Is there a Call the Midwife thread?

906 replies

Oodbrain · 18/01/2015 20:39

The poor little boySad

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 27/01/2015 07:33

Jenny left midwifery to do different nursing - was it the terminally ill maybe? I think the Worth man was introduced but I didn't think that was why she left.

ILovedYouYesterday · 27/01/2015 09:22

Yes, she nursed Chummys mum when she was dying and decided to go into end of life care - the hospice movement was just starting up. I believe that's what she did in real life.

BertieBotts · 27/01/2015 12:12

Nun college Grin

The episode was really sad. I wasn't expecting there to be a second baby, though, and felt a bit nonplussed. God knows how the poor parents would have felt in those situations.

I think racism was avoided by not showing many scenes with them interacting with others - Nonnatus house seems always to be a little pocket of magical non-bigotry. You'd expect one of the midwives, or the doctor, police officer or vicar to hold some views more typical of the time TBH. It looks like they are tackling racism against Irish people next week.

I wonder if it was common for one twin to die when they were often undiagnosed? You don't hear of it so much now. I'm guessing that we know now about problems which can affect twins which they might not have in the past.

ppeatfruit · 27/01/2015 13:01

Well BertieBotts the other women at the ante natal meeting were not nice to her, and neither was the matron \nurse in the hospital. Though they were known for their strictness to everyone in those days!

Original poster
Oodbrain · 27/01/2015 14:30

I thought the comment at the ante natal class was a bit Daily Mail. Something about 'we can't all get a nice new council house'

I felt the show implied she was lonely too which could have been a race thing,

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 27/01/2015 14:34

Yes I know that, someone above said there wasn't very much racism towards the couple and they were surprised. Those were the only two times that anyone other than the midwives were shown interacting with them. (I agree the matron was probably like that with everyone!)

ppeatfruit · 27/01/2015 15:09

I always remember being scanned early with DD1, due to twins being in dh's family, because I had a 'high fundus".

Ironic because she was 'a singleton' 6 and half pounds and was 10 days overdue.

Though in the light of the history it was good to know.

ppeatfruit · 27/01/2015 15:14

Yes Bertie and from what I've gleaned from dh's early education 'by nuns'. They were not the kind gentle people they should've been.

In reality they would've been like the general population I suppose.

tryingtofindausername · 27/01/2015 15:17

I've only recently found out one of my aunts had a stillborn baby back in the 50s. The baby was tied up in a sheet by the doctor and left in the pram in the hall for three days until someone came and took it away. They never knew if it was a boy or girl or what happened after that. My mum told me the story. She was just a child at the time. They were all very distressed of course (3 generation house) but it was just what happened then, then baby was never mentioned again.

ppeatfruit · 27/01/2015 15:37

tryingto Shock Sad

Sunnymeg · 27/01/2015 18:21

My mum had a baby by caesarian in 1965 who died a few minutes after his birth and she never saw him, as he had been taken away by the time she came round from the general anaesthetic. Mum had irregular periods and was given the caesarian as she was thought to be overdue. When he was born, it was found he was about seven months gestation. It makes me so grateful for dating scans and all the other things we take for granted.

twentyseventh · 27/01/2015 20:57

I've just watched yesterday's episode and it broke me. I had tears pouring down my face because I'm in Abigail's position.

One of my DC was a twin, thanfully due to ultrasound we knew. Unfortunately my little girl died and we only found out when she and her sibling were born.

It was disasterously handled, actually - my waters broke and I'd gone into labour a week before a planned CS due to breech presentation of one twin and monitoring during labour failed to find both heartbeats (like Abigail) but it wasn't actually until my little girl was born silently after her surviving sibling that it became clear.

Her surviving sibling just started Secondary school, so it wasn't that long ago BertieBotts. Sad

"Their" birthday is still very very painful but we were able to hold her and say goodbye. We have photographs, a lock of her hair, hand and footprints and we were able to have a proper funeral.

I NC because my circumstances are very identifiable; I chose today's date.

Love to all of you who have lost babies, siblings and other relatives.Flowers

BertieBotts · 27/01/2015 21:12

Oh twentyseventh, I'm so sorry :( Flowers

twentyseventh · 27/01/2015 21:28

Thank you, BertieBotts. Flowers

BeyondDoesBootcamp · 28/01/2015 10:13

Oh twentyseventh :( Flowers

My nan had eclampsia in the early sixties. Was hospitalised with it in her second pregnancy, after a perfectly fine home birth with her eldest, my dad. She never saw her second child, I dont think she was even told if it was a boy or a girl.

She has Alzheimer's now, and all through mine and my sisters pregnancies she talked about her lost baby :(

callmeyellowmellow · 28/01/2015 12:27

Thanks to this thread and to a previous poster who mentioned SANDS, I have managed to trace the grave of my sibling who was stillborn in the early eighties.

MarthasHarbour · 28/01/2015 14:50

Oh callme that is wonderful.

All of the stories on this thread are so sad. My little boy died at 21 weeks gestation and due to current law he couldn't be recognised as stillborn. This was 2 years ago but I do understand that there has to be a cut off time. I didn't have the emotional strength to hold him but the hospital and bereavement midwives were amazing. I feel lucky to live im these times.

twentyseventh · 28/01/2015 22:58

Thank you also, Beyond Flowers

callmeyellowmellow, that must be such a comfort for you, it's lovely but so sad. Sad I hope that you can visit your sibling's grave. Flowers

MarthasHarbour, my heart breaks for you, I'm so very sorry. I'm pleased that you had such good support.SadFlowers

MarthasHarbour · 29/01/2015 08:36

Thank you twenty but my experience feels minimal compared to all the others on here, yourself included. I couldn't imagine going full term then going through such a loss. Sadly I know a few people who have experienced full term loss.

Abigails experience reminded me of an old colleague many years ago. She would be in her 80s now. She gave birth to twins in the 60s and only her daughter survived. The other twin was a girl. I was in my early 20s when she told me about it and I was tok naive to grasp the enormity. I would love to see her now and give her a hug Sad

Antiopa12 · 01/02/2015 05:51

My mother had twins in a London teaching hospital in the 1950s. The presence of the second baby was only discovered once the first had been born. Not one professional who examined her before the birth detected the second heartbeat . ( My mum however said she knew when she saw two birds alight on the windowsill of the labour ward next to her bed!). Both babies born healthy.

GratefulHead · 01/02/2015 07:55

Oh that's fabulous callme, so pleased you have been able to do that. It was me who mentioned SANDS.

Like I said, my Auntie was overjoyed to find where her baby daughter was buried and she now has a grave she can visit and lay flowers. She doesn't go every month but probably every six months or so and always on her baby's birthday.

iklboo · 01/02/2015 20:24

Anyone watching tonight?

CrumpleHornedSnorkack · 01/02/2015 20:25

Me, called the husband out by the terrible cliche parlour stuff

Vivacia · 01/02/2015 20:27

I don't know how homosexuality remained a crime for so long, given that 99% of the population were so accepting of it. Including nuns. Hmm

iklboo · 01/02/2015 20:34

I'd seen the trailer - but 'ooh he does like to be clean, knows about art - must be gay' is a crashing cliche and a bit lazy.

Loved Trixie saying she'd been a 'diversion'.