Call the Midwife

I had terrible morning sickness in 1968 with my first baby and I know I would have gladly taken thalidomide if my pregnancy had been a few years earlier and I'd been offered it.

Makes me shudder to think of it now.

My brother was born in 1961 and I came along in 1963. My mum had bad morning sickness, but disliked doctors and was suspicious of all medication - thank goodness!

Such a sad episode with so much to think about and beautifully acted.

I like the programme if I had watched it before having my children it would have put me off. I had my children in that period early to mid sixties, without any problems or fuss, it was a time of great joy, the actual birth wasn't really mentioned you just got on with it and I didn't realise they just left babies to die in a sluice until I watched Sunday's episode. How could nurses and doctors do that to a living child? Remember was advised by my mom never to take another tablet until after the birth.

This entire series has been a weepy one! I'm not one for crying but these programmes have been setting me off every week.

The thalidomide disaster is what kicked off the research and safety side of the drugs industry. Prior to that, it was very rudimentary and just tested on animals. That was particularly the case in Germany, where thalidomide came from, because the very idea of testing on humans brought back memories of Nazi eugenics.

There were very few cases in America because a woman scientist was suspicious of thalidomide. She observed that whilst it made humans sleepy, giving it to rats even in doses of 300 times the normal level failed to produce any sleepiness. She wondered what else it did to humans that wasn't apparent in the animal world and she refused to allow it to be released for prescribing. The few cases that did occur in the US were believed to have occurred when women took tablets that had been given away free by drug reps.

*several

I don't think it was, Ana. As I recall it was labelled 'Baby Cottingham' with the hospital name and, I think, the doctor's name. I don't recall seeing the word Thalidomide anywhere.
And yes, I thought it was odd that the doctor didn't notice that the women had that drug in common. But then again, we know about it and it's hard for us to unknow it - it would stick out like a sore thumb for us. I imagine there could have been severeal common elements between the women and this wouldn't necessarily have leapt off the page at him.

Wasn't the box shown at the end of the episode labelled 'thalidomide'?

I may be mistaken about that, as it was odd that the doctor didn't mention that the women's records he was checking had that drug in common.

I think that was mooted, but I think they are running with the thalidomide story.

There is documented proof of the bomb tests in the Pacific causing birth defects and we know people who believe their and their children's health problems may have been caused by this.

I don't think the cause of the baby's condition was thalidomide but due to the father having been present at the bomb tests in the Pacific. Sailors, wearing light tropical uniform, were advised to turn their backs on the explosion.
The doctor mentioned the tests as he read his journal towards the end of the episode.

The leaving of babies in the sluice room has been mentioned in the press within the last decade in certain circumstances. So distressing and seemingly inhumane.

Jalima I think the link was discovered in 1961/2 around about the time this episode of CTM is set.

Yes, they did jingls
I remember being horrified when I was told about babies left in the sluice room to die by someone I worked with who had worked at the hospital, she could not bear it and wanted to stay with them but wasn't allowed to.

It is fiction, but it is based on fact.
When did they find out the cause? I can't remember.

Indinana so

Truly harrowing episode. I was sobbing my heart out at the scene in the sluice. The bible verses Sister Julienne whispered to the baby as she cuddled it really opened the floodgates for me.

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called you by your name. You're mine.
And when you pass through the waters I will be with you
When you pass through the flames you will not burn.
You are precious in my eyes."

Believer or not, it's hard not to be moved by those words.

It has been done to the terminally ill, hastens the death and so shortens the time of suffering

I don't believe that they would have deliberately left a living baby to die in front of an open window like that. No matter how malformed. I believe they would have allowed it to die, but not in a way to deliberately hasten death like that.

Sad to say it did go on. All with good intentions of course but still.......

A very hard to watch episode I'm really horrified that this actually went on as I'm assuming it would of been well researched. I feel I'm very naive I had no idea.

As they couldn't determined the sex of the baby I suppose they had little choice but to refer to the mite as it.

I found tonight harrowing , it brought back the memories of being told my two babies were dead , you don't have only the grief to cope with but your body and mind is still geared up for the baby .

Jen, what a blessing the drug caused your mother to feel ill

My mother was a nurse working in a maternity hospital. When she was expecting my sister she had morning sickness and was given thalidomide.
Fortunately, it made her feel worse so she stopped taking it.
Tonight's episode made me feel cold at the thought of what might have happened to my sister.

Yes me too, but I thought of all the poor mothers who lost babies soon after birth or had a stillborn baby. This episode may have brought back many painful memories.

What a sad episode. I cried and cried when Sister Julienne found the baby in the sluice.

Heartbreaking when the baby was born and referred to as "it". Seemed like something from the dark ages yet only 50 odd years ago.

Tonight's episode had me in pieces! Anyone else?

Jalima, I don't think you missed much, nothing (perhaps most of us) haven't seen before.

tuppence you should write your memories down so they can be shared with us, your family and future generations.

what did you all think of the almost full male frontal in War and Peace?
tigger either the water was very cold or I was glancing down at my knitting, because somehow I missed it!