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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:
Mrscaindingle · 10/02/2019 20:18

Oh that was hard to watch, I remember having to have a rectal exam every day in hospital aged 14 when having my appendix out. With a group of mostly male students watching at the end of the bed, no one asked me if it was OK and I would have probably not have had the confidence to say no anyway.

Drookit · 10/02/2019 20:19

So, tonight we have cervical smears.
And the poor woman with the short vagina. That consultation style was all too familiar. Shiver.

nervousbreakdown · 10/02/2019 20:31

That brought back horrendous memories for me too , I’ve had gynae problems since I was 16 ... Too many examinations when I’ve not been offered any dignity or privacy . I remember one day I was having a transvagjnal scab and a doctor and two students barged in, grabbed the probe and carried on without introducing anyone . Operations under sedation with ten people between my legs . Being examined during visiting hour with the doctor shouting about my abnormal/strange vagina and then assaulting me by rubbing local anaesthetic into the wrong place ... horrendous . I’ve never gotten over it all . I can’t believe that 50 years on absolutely nothing has changed in that regard .

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 10/02/2019 20:36

How dreadful . Treating that poor young woman like some kind of side show , Awful .

Toddlerteaplease · 10/02/2019 20:42

I think Dr Smug is about to make a major mistake. There is something seriously wrong with George.

Aridane · 10/02/2019 20:56

How on earth do,,you tell someone you're intersex / genetically male?

Saucery · 10/02/2019 21:01

That was......silly.

derxa · 10/02/2019 21:01

I've never watched a minute of this before but caught last half hour tonight before BAFTAs I'm hooked!!!

ChesterGreySideboard · 10/02/2019 21:05

Why was it silly?

That poor woman when she was being examined like that. Did anyone else actually cry out in her defence?

Drookit · 10/02/2019 21:07

It made me simultaneously want to grab the consultant by the throat and shake him and give her a big hug.

Saucery · 10/02/2019 21:10

Oh, not the examination scene, that was horrific and sadly all too real. I meant the lightening diagnosis of a very rare condition and the total acceptance by her family and fiancé.

GertrudeCB · 10/02/2019 21:11

........but not uncommon for the time unfortunately. My DM was nursing in the late 50's and some of the doctors were treated as gods and could do no wrong Sad

nervousbreakdown · 10/02/2019 21:15

I did actually think that , there’s no way many people would have accepted that . I’m going to have a yap with my gran as her cousin had a similar experience as far as I know ... he had such a hard time that he moved abroad and transitioned in the end . I was shaking my head watching it , there’s no way that it would just have been all , oh right well that’s OK then !!

AppleKatie · 10/02/2019 21:16

Yes, it’s definitely in hospital that we see the kind of empathy bypass that people remember from the time.

I wonder if the district/hospital divide was really as stark as it’s presented on CTMW. I’ve been rewatching on Netflix and it’s a definite recurring theme.

That poor woman’s examination was excruciating to watch.

BestIsWest · 10/02/2019 21:28

DM has told me many times of having to have a vaginal exam as teenager and having a similar experience. It still mortifies her over 60 years on.

Soubriquet · 10/02/2019 21:29

I have heard of couvade syndrome

But the totally blasé way he took that made me Hmm

If I told my dh he was having a phantom pregnancy he would freak

HedgehogStew · 10/02/2019 21:30

I noticed in the preview for next week Lucille said something along the lines of "Cyril wasn't the Man I thought he was" (sorry can't remember the exact wording.) Do you this might be hinting at Lucille being forced and be part of the back street abortion story line?

cheesenpickles · 10/02/2019 21:40

Not ready the thread. Sorry, I really doubt it would have ended like that. Even now in a much more open society I think people would struggle with that.

cheesenpickles · 10/02/2019 21:41

@HedgehogStew Lucille seems slightly highly strung. I'm wondering if it's a misunderstanding. I hope so. He seemed lovely and that bike!

certainlymerry · 10/02/2019 21:43

Some really heartbreaking stories here.
Watching the prog tonight reminded me that during s very traumatic delivery for me when both myself and my baby nearly died, a roomful of male students were brought in to watch.

RedForShort · 10/02/2019 22:25

Of course huge amounts of people wouldn't accept it. But this is CMW the people how count will either immediately or eventually!!

Thought it might be. Turner's Syndrome story at first, when she mentioned no periods. I was wrong, I'm no Dr Smug ☹

RedForShort · 10/02/2019 22:29

(Had to ignore the fact she had boobs for my diagnosis. But hey hum.)

scrappydappydoo · 10/02/2019 22:30

hedgehogstew Actually I wondered if they’re going to carry on the abortion story with the east end midwifes mum being the backstreet abortionist seeing as they seem to be reintroducing her next week.

rosy71 · 10/02/2019 22:36

That's a good idea. I'm convinced Val (?) Is somehow connected to the abortions.

Encyclo · 10/02/2019 23:09

Could it be Vals Mum performing the back street abortions I wonder? I think it will be someone close to home too.