Call the Midwife...or the Turners?

[Maireas]

I noticed that the last thread was full, so I hope no-one minds that I've started a new one!

@theresnoonequitelikegrandma

I had an older brother with DS - born in 1950s and I remember my DM telling me that when he was born (at home) the midwife just wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in the cot, saying 'You won't want to feed this one - kinder not to.' Needless to say, she did not agree! Sadly, he died aged 17 (when I was 7) but I know he had a happy life, despite some of the attitudes of the time.

That's very sad that your other was given that advice. I taught a child with cerebral palsy whose mother was told to 'just take him home and love him' - kinder than your mother's midwife but not much aspiration. He now has a degree and an MA.

There is actually an earlier episode (I can't remember the series) where the lovely Sally is pregnant and Dr Turner calls up the matron of the institution she's been in (St Gideon's?) and says he is horrified that they've allowed an unmarried young woman "with mongolism" to become pregnant and the matron really tears a strip off him and says "we don't use that term any more, we call it Downs Syndrome". And he goes a bit huffy: "Well, in that case I stand corrected." I much preferred Dr Turner when he wasn't so enlightened and saintly. One of the things that makes Sister J such a believable character is the fact that she is mostly all loving and serene, but she's always had these moments of being a bit conservative and judgy (not allowing Sister MJ to have the TV, telling Mrs Turner her biscuits are too fancy, telling off Trixie for posing for disappointing photos in her leotard ...). It makes her that much more believable!

@2old2beamum

Have spoken with several friends who have had the pleasure of parenting a child with Down Syndrome both adopted and birth felt the final episode brilliant and sensitive. On the comments regarding Dr Turner using the term Down Syndrome I can assure you I was training in 1962 and we were told never use the term mongol, it was either DS or trisomy 21. Sorry it was the last episode .

Dr Turner was corrected himself a few series back.

There was a girl with DS that was in a home and had gotten pregnant by her boyfriend (who had cerebral palsy I think) and described her as having "mongolism", to which the home's manager angrily corrected him.

Crosspost with @Jourdain11

@Ravenclawsome

Crosspost with *@Jourdain11*

I'm glad that it's not a figment of my imagination! I almost wondered if it was a reference back to that time.

It was still in use in the 70s because I remember it being used. I don't remember any specific examples but it is definitely a term I remember from that time. I assume it was used purely in a derogatory way rather than by medical professionals by then - it takes a while for the community to catch up I guess.

@SoupDragon

It was still in use in the 70s because I remember it being used. I don't remember any specific examples but it is definitely a term I remember from that time. I assume it was used purely in a derogatory way rather than by medical professionals by then - it takes a while for the community to catch up I guess.

I know Spastic was used as a "proper" term for cerebral palsy right up until at least the 80s. So many of our insults started out as medical diagnoses- retard and moron being another couple of examples.

I'm not sure how many more times they can shoehorn Matthew Aylward into the plot. Will it turn out next week that he's St Raymond Nonnatus reborn?

At least they've managed a meet cute (or meet again cute?) with Trixie, complete with her chucking a urine-stained child's toy at his head! I did enjoy Sister Frances dumping Dead Rat on Mrs Buckle's shop counter too. And Trixie, "I told you to dispose of it, not take it on a grand tour of the borough's retail premises...!"

The Spastics Society only changed its name to Scope in 1994.

I did enjoy this series but the social distancing was so obvious for a lot of it. Lucille gets engaged and she and her fiancé spend every seen on opposite sides of a room or street

*scene

The Turners on the sofa made me laugh. They were so obviously shot in 3 different takes and were doing their best to only sit within their allotted space.

but matthew aylwood needs rebuild the tenement, or rehouse the people

I agree. I was hoping he was going to take immediate action, like putting them all up in more suitable accommodation whilst he rebuilds the place. Hopefully he was also followed home by some bedbugs and had to have all his couture fumigated like poor Trixie. (Although I notice her fur was looking rather well in the final scene).

Maybe there will be some kind of reference about him doing that in a future episode, possibly even the Christmas episode.

I'd really, really love to see Tim tune in, turn on, and drop out, once he gets to Uni.

im going of mrs buckle she seems to be getting a little carried away with her status

@AudreyAnyNews

I'd really, really love to see Tim tune in, turn on, and drop out, once he gets to Uni.

Yes!! And come back with really long hair, tight jeans and smoking a joint......

And declare he’s going to become a homeopath…

PIL still use the term Mongol although they did have the majority of their DC in the 70s. I was really taken aback when MIL used it casually to explain why she had an amniocentesis with DH because she was an older mother. I'd never heard anyone use it before except for kids at school being dicks (and even then I didn't know it referred to Downs' Syndrome, I thought it was just an offensive term for stupid person).

Although I was rolling my eyes through the whole Aylwood storyline I did shed a bit of a tear at the letter, just because I lost my cousin suddenly at the end of last year, she left behind a very young baby and heartbroken partner so there were some similarities there. I was quite struck by her asking for the baby not to be her legacy because I can definitely see that happening in my family and it's been bothering me, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

I recall seeing posters in the 80s explaining that the term mongol shouldn’t be used anymore and that Down’s syndrome is the correct term

Late to it. I quite enjoyed this one. I agree that Sister Julienne's occasional uptightness is plausible and seems like part of her character. Sister MJ was on form this week for once, and I like how you can totally see her as an aristocratic woman who jacked it all in, and who therefore Does Not Give A Shit. She knows her theology; she knows what the order's official line is, but she was quite obviously brought up to expect she would always be deferred to, and then she rebelled so has no particularly fear of being the outcast.

I loved that dad in the Down's storyline, he was so good. That was really lovely.

One question: so, Trixie's entire non-boil-washable wardrobe was be-loused. Where on earth does she suddenly get a massive white-fur-collar coat from, to swan around with Mr Fancypants at the end?

I assumed she'd been shopping at her Italian aunt's expense.

"AudreyAnyNews

I'd really, really love to see Tim tune in, turn on, and drop out, once he gets to Uni."

Yes!! And come back with really long hair, tight jeans and smoking a joint......grin

That would be brilliant!