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Call The Midwife

964 replies

Homethroughthepuddles · 26/12/2018 11:51

Surprised there's no thread on this. Did anyone watch it last night or has the series reached its natural end and is no longer attracting viewers?

OP posts:
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 06/02/2019 14:48

So sad, Steppe.

SoupDragon · 06/02/2019 16:43

I don't think they can accurately show the level of empathy as it would be too harrowing. I suppose they've brushed on it when the "still born" baby was taken away in the midwife's bag (and then revived) and the thalidomide baby who I think was originally left on a cold windowsill to die.

My grandmother had a baby who died shortly affer birth in the 1930s and no one really talked about him. I'm sure she said once that she believed it to be a botched forceps delivery and he cried for the 2 weeks that he lived for. Sadly there is now no one left who would know.

jessstan2 · 06/02/2019 17:38

I don't get the 'naice' either, When the Rabbits Went Wild. I presume it's a sort of mick take of people who speak RP. Rather snobbish really.

I thought the episode was extremely realistic. In the original books by Jennifer Worth there are various opinions but the Nonnatus nuns never judged, their role was to support. Plenty of doctors, nurses and nuns were in favour of abortion, regardless of religion, because they lived in the real world, and others were not.

It was possible to have a legal abortion if two doctors were prepared to sign a form saying it was necessary for the woman's health. What happened was those who were well off to seek out and find sympathetic doctors had safe abortions in private hospitals.

However Dr Turner & a gynae colleague did organise an NHS abortion in a previous series for a young girl who was diabetic. It was very dangerous for diabetics to have babies in days gone by, medicine has advanced since then.

jessstan2 · 06/02/2019 18:05

sufficiently (well off)

iklboo · 06/02/2019 18:57

I don't get the 'naice' either, When the Rabbits Went Wild. I presume it's a sort of mick take of people who speak RP. Rather snobbish really.

It was actually from a found shopping list years ago. Nothing to do with snobbery or poking fun at people who speak RP.

Clawdy · 06/02/2019 20:16

Yes, I remember, it was "naice ham", and it became a joke.

nervousbreakdown · 07/02/2019 01:48

I did some family tree research a while ago and in some ways wished I hadn't . I knew my father was adopted at birth and I was given the paperwork a few years ago - reading through it discovered his adoptive mother lost a baby just a year prior to the adoption , if that ... the way the letters read it was so ‘matter of fact’ and as if to say , recover from your caesarean and then you can have one of our babies in six months ...

Searched online to see if I could find out more through records ... she had a wee boy , same name as my father . Never had this other wee baby been mentioned to me and to this day I don’t know if my dad or other relatives know about him beyond that there was a baby who died . He lived for several days the wee soul , he had some sort of heart condition . I often wonder how his parents - my granda and his wife - coped . If they kept anything , a blanket or something ... The wife died herself not so long after very sadly , I think she had cervical cancer or something .

Whole thing just dreadfully sad - there is much more to it around the adoption that’s equally depressing but involves living people who might well recognise story .

Soubriquet · 07/02/2019 11:36

I’ve just watched the episode where Lady Browne passes anyway.

I have watched it many times yet I still shed a tear

They have never done an episode like it since really have they?

Soubriquet · 07/02/2019 11:36

Away not anyway Hmm

Thanks autocorrect

Lovingbenidorm · 08/02/2019 13:58

LOVE this programme!
When the theme music starts I get a stupid smile on my face 🤗
I’m still getting over Barbara though 🥺

Soubriquet · 08/02/2019 17:13

I wonder how the nuns get their religious names?

Sister Julienne was Louise
Sister Evangelina was Enid
Sister Bernadette is obviously Shelagh
And Sister Monica Joan was Antonia

The only one I don’t know is Sister Winifred or the new midwives

drspouse · 08/02/2019 17:25

They usually choose them due to their significance to their own religious journey.

Soubriquet · 08/02/2019 17:43

Ooo I didn’t know that. Thank you

FrancisCrawford · 08/02/2019 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ooplesandbanoonoos · 08/02/2019 20:06

I think the interesting thing about the abortion in this episode is that even now those circumstances would often be judged e.g. a young girl who would be a single parent etc many people would accept and understand her choice but may be not all of those people would understand why a married woman with a supportive husband/ financial security etc would want an abortion and may still say 'it'll work out ok you'll cope' etc.

MissEliza · 08/02/2019 23:22

Oh Nervous that's so sad

Soubriquet · 09/02/2019 08:37

I wonder if the babies have normal nappies popped under their terri towelling nappies? Grin

SoupDragon · 09/02/2019 09:21

I suppose it would save on laundry.

Isitmybathtimeyet · 09/02/2019 09:57

Terry nappies ARE normal nappies! My lot all wore washables.

Soubriquet · 09/02/2019 11:55

Yes I should rephrase really.

I meant disposables

The terry nappies now days are not more efficient. Better fitting and usually without a safety pin needing to keep it together

Probably for the best...I would have poked my dc too many times trying to change nappies

DuploRelatedInjury · 10/02/2019 16:55

@Soubriquet I think they do wear disposables under the terry ones for filming - I'm sure I read it in a behind the scenes thing.

Soubriquet · 10/02/2019 17:02

Would make sense really

AnneEyhtMeyer · 10/02/2019 20:12

Oh my goodness Dr Smug is out doing himself tonight. He is insufferable.

SoupDragon · 10/02/2019 20:14

Dear god... that poor young woman! How excruciating that consultation was for her!

StylishMummy · 10/02/2019 20:18

It's awful how there's no clear request for consent to anything - horrific misogyny