Call the midwife

[TwinklyFawn]

The call the midwife christmas special is on bbc 1 in 2 parts. The first part will be shown on christmas day at 20:00. The second part will be shown at 19:30 on boxing day. Series 14 will start on 5th January. I am suprised that it has not been renamed as the doctor Turner show.

Has Sister Veronica left the show now?

I’m not ashamed to admit that I wept for that poor wee baby and I judged the hell out of the parents.

Cracking episode all round.

Those kind of men wouldn’t have listened to a woman in those days but they might well listen to a Lady. It still opens a number of doors.

I'm not too fussed on the 70s but really hope they keep it going and show the (true story) of the nuns relocating in the 80s to nurse AIDS victims

Won't the mum's next baby have SB too if she doesn't know to take folic acid? Though maybe Dr Perfect will have figured it out by then.

This was a sad episode, I sometimes look after patients with spins bifida who must have been born around that time 😢 I really thought the nurses were going to convince the parents to step up. Poor baby.

I also thought it was crap nursing not reporting the negligent mother, I think in reality those kids would have been taken into care.

There's a film called Ladybird (I think) where the mum leaves her kids for one evening and there's a fire. She loses custody of all her children and subsequent ones as well.

The coffee percolator definitely channeled Mrs Doyle vibes 😅

I haven't cut onions whilst watching call the midwife in a while

Catheter!

I suppose it could be appropriate for the time, but it seemed as if the parents of the baby with the meningocele were given almost no information.
"It looks as if your baby has something called spina bifida."
"I've heard of that, it's bad, we're not going to keep her."
And that was that, with no sign of any attempt to discuss the little girl's actual outlook before and after surgery or give details about the support that would have been offered to the parents. I'm quite cross about that. Everyone could have done better.

(I thought the Turners and the Buckles might end up fighting to adopt her.)

All rather predictable. Makes you so glad though for a. Folic acid and b. Ultrasound scans.

The pedant in me was irritated by the sign outside the Register office saying ‘Registry’ office. Very poor as would never happen.

I was watching behind on iPlayer. Not a whole lot of persuading the parents to keep the baby was there. Nice predictable explosion set up with the smoking. Was either going to be that or the kids half dying from CO poisoning. Obviously the grumpy old bloke was actually lovely and saved them.

New nun next week. That always ruffles a few feathers. Still no idea if Nancy has actually gone or not.

Yes. And absolutely no opportunity to cuddle or bond with her. She had a patent away and was breathing and crying. Still should have been given to mum to hold.

Joyce should really be disciplined for not reporting that mum. The health visitor should absolutely been informed, massive failure on her part,

I think Nancy has gone. Many of the characters leave quietly so if the past is anything to go by, we've seen the last of her.

Is she a good mother? She left 3 under 5s alone for 3 or more hours, the baby was neglected the extent there were no clean nappies and it had severe nappy rash and all 3 had serious untreated impetigo. The nurse should be disciplined for failing to report that!

Ah Nancy was my favourite. Wanted to see her wedding.

It's ok because she was desperate. 🙄🙄

I really enjoyed tonight's episode. I agree it was like old CTM again.

I think she said she was planning to get married in Poplar so I'm sure we will. End of the series maybe?

I thought it was a great episode. I thought the couple would realise that they could bring up their daughter but I think it was realistic that they didn't because I'm guessing that happened a lot. I think the complaining about Dr Turner this week is just knee jerk. We didn't have a lot of him, what he told the mum seems to me what would be told back then, if there'd been more indepth talk I think people would have complained that he was being typical Dr Turner. I think that sometimes we have to take it as read, like we do in any drama, that a lot of the stuff that is a lot of exposition takes place between the lines. Yes, could have been a bit more explaining but we all got the gist, it was awful, doctors talk to mothers a bit like they're halfwits and shit doesn't always turn out for the best.

I get why Joyce didn't report the mother immediately and yes she should have and if it comes out she will get in trouble but I'm glad everything was okay in the end and good on grumpy old git for learning not to be a racist and for saving children.

Tonight's was nicely Turner-Lite, though when baby June was back in the maternity home and he said "I don't need to tell you about how to deal with this wound dressing..." then proceeded to mansplain it anyway I rolled my eyes somewhat.

I enjoyed this week. I still look forward to the episodes and am sorry when the series ends.
I spotted some hair clips with a bow on in Fred's shop that I remember from my childhood.

I noticed that @InMySpareTime

"I don't need to explain to you but here goes anyway..."

Did anyone notice a couple of the guest actors tonight from previous dramas... the mother of the baby with spina bifida was Alexa Davies who was in 'Raised By Wolves' playing Caitlin Moran's character's sister (loved that show, so sorry it was axed) and was also in 'Detectorists' playing Toby Jones's daughter.

And the lady in the meeting about what to do with baby Jean was Lisa Coleman... sister of the late great Charlotte Coleman. I think she used to be a regular in Casualty as well many years ago. Anyway - recognised both instantly... both very good actors and good to see them on our screens again!

And the cantankerous old man was David Troughton, son of Patrick the first Doctor Who.