Call the Midwife

Thank you gracesmum, I will look for "Can any Mother help me."It sounds interesting- I have read "Wartime women" which is an anthology of mass- observation womens experience of war edited by Dorothy Sheridan.
I think that I will buy the other Jenny Worth books too. These books all make me realise just how lucky we are today!

I have just read the description of Mrs Jenkins going into the workhouse with her poor children and I just wept! This is a book with hidden depths.The section on mixed-race babies also showed three very different attitudes - of course TV showed the most positive one.

Tonight's closing scene of Call The Midwife (close up of the girls heads lying on the floor listening to music) - WE HAD THAT CARPET !!! I can't remember whether that was in the 50's or early 60's. probably the latter, but what a deja vu feeling!

Found tonights episode rather depressing.

Me too! Such sad times for those mums.

My mum had @ 8 miscarriages before she had me. Sometimes it really hits home what she must have gone through, and I wish I'd discussed it with her.

I found it depressing also. I remember as a student having to monitor a patient with pre eclampsia! It was frightening all through the night. Fortunately all was ok!

Oh crimson, what some of these women went through. Did your mum have more babies after you were born?

I'm not sure, but I think not. She lost a lot of them quite early on in the pregnancy, although one little boy survived for a short while. I don't think she ever got over it, mentally. I fear that, in tonights programme the balance between comedy and pathos wasn't quite right.

Thank goodness you arrived safely crimson. How distressing for your mum, and amazing that she was able to have you x

Both DH and I were in tears at the end of it.

Oh dear, it's becoming a weekly weep! I hope next week it's a bit more uplifting! Then to be followed by more emotion when the beknighted Churchill allowed Bomber Command to do his dirty work and then refused to recognise the immense ( and brave) contribution they made.
P.S. I'm a pacifist, honestly!!!

Just watched the 5th Feb episode - I was so shocked to see the mum who died after toxemia. I think we tend to forget just how dangerous childbirth used to be, we are very lucky to have lived in a time where the checks reveal such problems before they become life-threatening. Last week's episode was also very good (with Roy Hudd) but again it highlighted just how lucky we are to have had a good district nursing service for elder people. Only problem with last week was the tummy measurement in on scene - in centimetres! I have spoken to midwife friends who say that no-one did that, let alone use centrimetres. Despite these little bits its a wonderful series, and Miranda is great as Chummy!

mmm when I was an NCT teacher in the 70s they used to measure cervical dilation in fingers - or in cms, cos 1 - 10 cms the perfect measuring scale.
I dont remember any waistline tapemeasuring going on though.
Lovely series.

The toxaemia thing hit home with me last night. When I had my first child as very naughty 16 year old in 1969 I was largely ignored because of my age and left alone to labour and afterwards to heamorrhage all over the floor. the baby was taken away for adoption (found her now though). When I had my next child in 1974 having got married to the only man who would have me (a direct quote from my mother)my blood pressure soared almost from day one. I had a friendly but sadly alcoholic Gp who wouldn't 'let' his mothers go to the ante natal clinic. Near the end of the pregnancy I had huge hands and feet, a roaring BP and proteinuria. My GP was on leave and his locum sent me straight into the mat unit who transferred me to the obs unit in the next town who immediately sedated and induced me at the same time. Later I was told it was touch and go but I don't remember it. The lovely gynaecologist pleased with me to be sterilised and I did quite happily. Years later when diagnosed with Lupus I was told this was proably at the bottom of my troubles all along. I found the programme quite chilling.

Susie it was terrible the way you were treated, thank goodness times have changed. Glad that you were reunited with your daughter. I can only imagine what it must have been like for you what an awful thing to go through.

Watching the series 'One born every minute' there seem to be young single mothers giving birth on there most weeks and fortunately they appear to be treated just like any other mothers.

Back to 'Call the midwife 'brilliant series' and very sad this week.

Oh susieb how dreadful. Glad you have found DD now.

When my sister went into hospital to have her first baby, when she was 19 and married, the sister told her off for having nail varnish on!
I was watching 'One born every minute' and the girl of 17 screamed all the time. I have been present at the births of three of my grandchildren, and neither of my daughters (or myself) did anything more than groan. Now, every programme about birth shows mothers screaming the place down. Is this the new attitude of 'letting it all hang out'?

Nurses don't like nail varnish because if someone goes to theatre it has to be removed. I think it is one of the ways the anaesthetist monitors them, by looking at the colour of their nails. But that is no excuse for telling her off!
Makes more entertaining telly if everyone is screaming.
I have been at a number of births too and nobody screamed.

I love the way in soaps everybody has their first baby in ten minutes, usually in the back of a cab! If only!

Greatnan I'd rather be in hospital or at home myself!

A baby was born on the doorstep of the maternity unit of our new hospital the other evening...! The doors were locked, and in his panic, the father-to-be pressed a buzzer that didn't go through to the midwives. Apparently there WAS another buzzer - and he pressed that and the midwives apparently attended within a minute. Mother and baby doing well - but the birth did take place in the view of (possibly horrified!) onlookers who were also waiting to access the hospital.

One of my mums having rushed her husband into hospital hours to early with no1 told him very firmly with no2 not to take any notice of her if she kept telling him it was coming and he needed to hurry. He took her at her word, told her to keep calm there was lots of time. She delivered in the car park!

My all time TV birth was on Neighbours years ago. Someone who was I think called Dorothy (I was not a fan but kids used to watch) gave birth on a river bank without removing her dungarees.

Now that's an achievment!