Call The Midwife.

It was all quite gritty. Wasn't Trixie good! And, wasn't the deaf girls's story lovely. And, I bet that's the last we see of Camilla!

In one episode we had: lesbian relationship, deaf and dumb woman, alcoholism, thalidomide, head injury, coming to terms with a death, daughter jealousy.....it's all too much! I find this "issue-based" version of CTM a bit contrived.

Yes. I anticipated the link to Thalidomide as soon as the morning sickness storyline began.

CTMW is very good at leaving things hanging in the air because of an unthinkable outcome.

The child migration scheme to Australia was another one.

How many of us who suffered from terrible morning sickness thank our lucky stars we were a few years down the line?

Maybe so Mishap - but it does reflect a day in the life of a team of mid wives/health visitors or social workers doesn't it.

I recall one particular day, 4 days after I returned to work from maternity leave when amongst more ordinary tasks, I was responsible for admitting a man to psychiatric hospital (against his will). Following that, I was visiting an 87 year old woman whose daughter believed should be in residential care. The woman didn't want to go into care, and an hour and a half later, I was satisfied she could stay safely at home with additional support. I'd just finished a mug of tea at my desk after phoning the woman's daughter to explain things, when the phone went - child with serious cigarette burns referred. An ordinary day in the life when social workers worked on generic, rather than specialist teams.

I was just waiting for him to 'name' the 'wonder' drug too..

Certainly a very crammed episode.. and a lot to take in.

Was this the last in the series ? Hanging stories for another series ? It was all so sad

Yes aggie I think it was the last one.

Yes, it did say at the end that CTM would return next year.

I realised it would be thalidomide when the doc said he'd had a rep in with a new treatment.
I hadn't thought about how much was packed into the episode, just thoroughly enjoyed it.

I like the fact that the programme is so realistic and getting grittier.

My cousin (sadly no longer with us) was a Health Visitor in Liverpool and she could tell some stories.

She was totally unshockable and a huge help to me when mum had a dementia. I was so ashamed at the state poor mum had got into despite my exhaustive attempts to keep her together - body and soul, but my cousin said not to worry too much as it wasn't unusual for relatives not to be able to cope.

She advised me to call in the District Nurse and despite the doctor's resistance, she called and immediately took action, saying I looked totally exhausted. Mum was soon in an Elderly Person's Home and improved beyond all recognition.

My cousin would have loved CTM. She was a qualified nurse, children' nurse, midwife and Health Visitor.

My mother was given Thalidomide for hyperemesis when she was pregnant with my sister - it was taken away from her after a week as the reports had started to come in but she had a very anxious pregnancy.

I think the word Thalidomide sends shudders through all of us of a certain age! DH and I just looked at each other and said 'Oh No'!! The doctor said it so cheerfully, almost triumphantly! and we know how terrible the effects of it were! I've always thanked my lucky stars that I was too young to be affected - Just!!
We love CTM, and are really looking forward to the next series.

My mum was also given thalidomide during her final pregnancy with my youngest sister. She decided against taking it and my sister was born a big bouncing baby, thankfully.

It has been such a good programme for showing us what we didn't know at the time and how differently people thought, including prejudices. It has also shown a lot of progress being made but sometimes with a loss of the human touch - not by our much loved characters of course

It was certainly a packed episode. Where are the stories coming from? I thought they had dealt with the ones from the book some time ago.

My mother was given thalidomide as well when expecting my youngest sister. Fortunately for my sister, my mother could not take it, and stopped after a week, too.

I thought the story was now in the 60s and my sister was born in 1959. However it was licensed in 1958 and withdrawn in 1961.

I think that new stories are being written now, because I`ve read all 3 books, and don`t recognize the present series` stories. I`m still a great lover of the programme though.

If they are writing new stories they are certainly doing them in the same spirit as the old ones.

I also had an extreme sickness problem, my GP didnt realise how bad it was until I had to spend some time in hospital, I could so easily have been prescribed Thalidomide.

During my time in hospital I was given a drug called Avomine, but it made me very drowsy so I tried to avoid taking it, I am not sure how this problem is treated now as full time work would have been impossible.

DD was hospitalized on more than one occasion due to the condition with both of DGC. She was given what I believe would be called the active ingredient of Thalidomide (can't remember the name)
As you say alternativegran she had to give up work early.