Call the midwife questions

[Soubriquet]

Watching call the midwife again

I do love that show

One thing I always wonder is, why do they do enemas?

When did they stop doing them?

[madgerussell1920]

DH was at the birth of all my children. The first was in 1972.
And I did hypnobirthing as did several of my friends. Sheila Kitzinger started it off but I used a book by Erna Wright called 'The New Childbirth'.
It was quite new though and not many midwives knew about it and found it quite strange and amazing.
I lived in Yorkshire and didn't know of any classes but maybe they had them in London.
Epidurals weren't available and I hated the thought of being drugged and not knowing that was happening. That scared me more than the pain.
I also had one of the first Maclaren buggies. Bought it in London before we moved (even then houses were expensive in London compared with wages,and we moved to be able to buy our first house, although nothing like as bad as now. We were living in Islington in the same road as Tony Blair lived later and the run down house we had a very small flat in was being sold for £8,000 which seemed extortionate to us).
It, the buggy not the house, was striped blue and white like a deckchair, you could also get them in red or green.
People used to stop me in the street and ask me what it was.

[Natsku]

They still insist on enemas in Finland - had one in 2011, still thought I poo'd during delivery.

[DMCWelshCakes]

My dad was there when I was born in 1978.

[YoJesse]

I wish I could have had an enema. I was constipated throughout pregnancy and scared to poo during labour!

[sodabreadjam]

DH was present with both of ours - 1982 and 1983. Might have been quite a new thing at that time.

[Soubriquet]

And allowing men in the labour ward too.

[sodabreadjam]

Yes - much better now Soubriquet, especially in terms of mothers having a say in how things happen.

I remember asking if I could have a wedge or even some pillows when in labour and was told "no" as the midwives weren't trained to cope with anything other than the mother flat on her back. I wonder how they would have managed with someone on all fours or a water birth - probably run away or resigned.

Changed days, thank goodness.

[Imnotaslimjim]

Yes, you still get shaved when having a c-section, it's so they can keep the hair out of the wound when they stitch you up. Having itchy stitches AND itchy regrowth is not fun!

[Obliviated]

I was given an enema in 2004. It didn't hurt but it was rather undignified.

[BertieBotts]

I think they still shave if you have a c-section but only the top so they can see where they are cutting.

[Imnotaslimjim]

Little Angela looks very sweet in the photo. I can't wait for it to re-start. It's a shame Chummy won't be back, I did like her.

[Soubriquet]

Least birth is a lot more natural now days

No need to shave if you don't want to and no enemas

I did not keep any dignity with either of my labours with my bowels but tbh I don't really care

[sodabreadjam]

It was uncomfortable as I recall, but not painful. I made numerous trips to the loo - annoying because of my bulk at forty weeks and already having to pee loads.

"Shave and enema" was the thing then - only no-one had told me about it until I was about 35 weeks. I remember being particularly outraged at the thought of the shave. You were never told by any healthcare professionals that any of this was optional - it just happened.

[Soubriquet]

How much has little Angela grown though?

[Soubriquet]

I'm on the call the midwife Facebook page and it looks like it will be good. Strange without sister Evangelina though

It did confirm that Chummy would be back in it only for a few weeks later state that actually no, Chummy won't be back

[Wonderflonium]

They still offer them in Denmark. (I think it's because they think the woman will be inhibited in the pushing stage)

[Imnotaslimjim]

I meant to say - it's going to be very strange watching it at Christmas and after this year without Sr Evangelina. She was the heart of Poplar :(

[Soubriquet]

Feel free to not answer this question but does it hurt?

The girls face when she has one makes it look quite uncomfortable

[Imnotaslimjim]

Yes, they believed it gave baby more room and that if they didn't do it, it would slow labour.

In the episode where Chummy's mum dies and Jenny leaves, Jenny is berated for not doing the enema. Evangelina says "no enema, and you wonder why labour has stalled" poor mum2be was just exhausted!

[sodabreadjam]

I had enemas before both of my DSs who were born in the UK - they are 34 and 32 now.

With DS1 I was in the early stages of labour when it was done and I think it actually dragged the labour out - he had more room.

I was induced with DS2 - taken in and "prepped" the day before. Don't think it made much difference.

[Soubriquet]

She goes to sleep by the fire and doesn't wake up again. Very dignified

[wowbutter]

Oh fucking hell, she was awesome.
Was it a good death? Gonna have to get it on dvd to have a watch. How sad.

[Soubriquet]

Sister Evangelina dies. Stroke if I remember correctly

The funeral is heart breaking to watch

[wowbutter]

I did a history degree module and we stipulated the history of birth. Emptying the bowel is thought to speed up labour as it can give the baby more room when moving down the birth canal, it can speed up labour my forcing the muscles to contract and then it also stops pooing during labour. Which is more sanitary and controlled.

[peaceloveandbiscuits]

Oh god, you're about to ruin Wow's evening