Call the Midwife - a step too far?

Its interesting the way TV viewing has changed though. It was the most watched programme but with only 5 million viewers which is nothing really compared to various Christmas specials in the past. People dont watch TV anymore in the way they used to.

Lilypops

It’s the Doctor in CTM that I can’t bear. Same soppy grin for everything. ! But I love the programme

He can't act! I have watched a couple of the programmes over the years but find them too cheesy and twee.

Galaxy

Its interesting the way TV viewing has changed though. It was the most watched programme but with only 5 million viewers which is nothing really compared to various Christmas specials in the past. People dont watch TV anymore in the way they used to.

But apparently there were 11 million viewers for the Strictly final last week.

We (daughter and I) enjoyed CTMW. Yes, it was a bit cheesy, but it's a drama, not a documentary! I thought it was lovely to see Nurse Crane fulfilling a fantasy and seeing the joy on her face.

I hadn't realised that this was filmed during lockdown. It wasn't very obvious, so very cleverly done. I will go and see if I can find some information how it was done.

I’m not sure that’s true Galaxy, 11.6 million watched the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special in 2019? It’s more to do with programmes capturing the audience I think.

But on Christmas day when Christmas eastenders in the past was pulling in 20 million I think?

I think it was the highest viewing figures for over 10 years for Gavin and Stacey - it’s not surprising that it lower generally though as there’s so much choice of channels, plus Sky, Netflix etc. now,

Yes and I dont think people watch as an event if you know what I mean they watch it later on catch up etc.

The highest viewing figures for Christmas day this year was for the Queen's speech. 8+ million. Interesting.

HurdyGurdy

We (daughter and I) enjoyed CTMW. Yes, it was a bit cheesy, but it's a drama, not a documentary! I thought it was lovely to see Nurse Crane fulfilling a fantasy and seeing the joy on her face.

I hadn't realised that this was filmed during lockdown. It wasn't very obvious, so very cleverly done. I will go and see if I can find some information how it was done.

Dramas don’t need to be cheesy and twee do they ??

I had my daughter in 1965. I was only 19 and was left totally alone with no pain relief. I was told that I was 'imagining' being in labour, and it was only when her head had been born in bed that they accepted I was in labour.

After the birth I was told by one midwife that 'I wasn't a proper mother as I was not married'.

The only bit of compassion I received was from the medical student who stitched me up. Prior to that I had been forgotten and left in the delivery room for 4 hours without even a cup of tea.

The treatment I saw my daughter get from the midwives during he four births was wonderful. I think times have changed for the better.

Call the Midwife was over for me after the first series. So repetitive with re-hashed stories featuring different characters.

I really enjoyed it. Loved that Phyllis got to realise her dream by riding on the trapeze. She is a rebel at heart. I cried at the story of the woman who had lost all the babies and smiled at the inevitable outcome of Trixies dating agency story. The programme is a drama based on a novel and I don't take all of it seriously although it has dealt with some serious issues over the years.

I am really sad to read these horror stories about treatment (or lack of) in hospital,

As a nurse for 40+ years, I can only hope that my care was a good deal kinder than that received by some of the posters.

Yes, I agree that some nurses are in the wrong job. I can only speak for my training when I say that compassion is taught from the very first day. Our Sister Tutor was remembered for her, “Explain to the patient what you are going to do’” before doing anything for or to the patient. A huge % of marks was knocked off test papers if the patient was not put first when carrying out a procedure.

As for having students (or anyone else extra in the room), without asking the patient’s permission first, that would soon get stamped on by any of the ward sisters I worked with.

Having said all that, medical and nursing staff are human and nobody is perfect but, I do hope the majority these days have higher standards than those described.

Tweedle:

"“Explain to the patient what you are going to do’” "

A simple instruction from a sister tutor is an example of how empathy can be taught by an understanding teacher.

I had a "horror" midwife and also a "horror" husband (now ex).

The midwife told me off because I groaned, and said "Use that energy for pushing out this big baby for goodness sake!" My son was too big for me, and was coming out like a battering ram. I had to have loads of stitches afterwards and was known in hospital as "the lady with the bruising" because I had to sit on a rubber ring, and the next day I found I had burst all the blood vessels in one eye and down the side of my face and neck from straining to get him out.

Whilst lying there waiting to be stitched, my husband said "If you were in China, you'd be back out in the paddyfields by now".

The sharp-tongued midwife swung round and said to him "If your wife was in China, she'd be dead!"

So at least she was as sharp with him as she was with me. Reader ... I divorced him 6 years later.

Just loved it, I guess lots of us have a hidden dream and it might have been daft but it made me smile ?

First birth in 71 and wouldn't say it was the best experience with 32 hours labour. The Drs were wonderful, the nursing staff not so good but were very busy in the big London hospital and I put it down to that. Second 30 months later was totally different as I was in-patient for 6 weeks before delivery. Got to know the staff and they were great. All went pear shaped once in labour. Midwives hadn't picked up on brow presentation holding up proceedings. I did keep complaining I thought something was wrong DH backed me up . After 9 hours 2 Drs called in to sort out and deal with. First twin brow presentation, second twin who was then a breach birth. Medical staff were fantastic, delivery suite just a bit too "I know it all" but they did need to eat humble pie on that occasion. Home births were the norm in the 50s and living conditions and health were a lot worse than nowadays. I think midwives had to appear to be in control in order to manage all the different standards. CTM is of course a dramatisation not a documentary.

I watched it yesterday and really enjoyed it. The unbearably sad storyline of the bereaved mother had to be offset by the nonsense of the circus and the lightness of the dating agency.
I have gone back to series 1, episode 1 so have plenty to watch for the foreseeable future.

I do find the whole Call the Midwife, sugary music and 'There, there dear" attitude a bit over the top. But found Nurse Thingummy up on the trapeze was quite believable.

I had a very straight-laced un-married teacher at school who seemed quite an innocent who'd never been anywhere or done anything, but she was a lovely lady and popular. When she died many years later, several of us went to her funeral. Her French son (!) stood up and spoke long and eloquently about her early life. I never judged anyone by appearances after hearing all she'd done before she became a straight-laced teacher!

The trapeze scene was a bit ludicrous and my husband kept saying “is she dreaming? Is it a dream? Is it?” ???

Loved the books but thought it went downhill a bit when they stopped using them for story lines. Christmas special was escapism but a tad formulaic. Sister MJ had yet another health emergency!
Not sure all is sweetness and light in maternity services now, daughter had a very inexperienced midwife who kept reminding her that her birthing plan involved a natural birth so no epidural. But birthing plan was written in total ignorance of realities of child birth and that the baby would be an eleven pounder. ? This was followed by a sharp tongued sister who assured her that she was making a fuss and the stitching wasn’t hurting her and a subsequent two litre haemorrhage. Tribute to DD’s courage that she had DGD 8 years later!

What's 'a typical nurse '? As a retired one I'd be most interested to know.

Sorry, should have said; my question's for Ashcombe who said that Trixie didn't seem like a typical nurse.

I find myself empathising with some of our mums on here who had their babies in 'the good old days'. As a young 20 year old, the birth experience with my first son at our local cottage maternity hospital was horrendous. The obligatory shaving, the enema, being made to lie flat on my back throughout 11 hours of labour, no dads allowed, the immediate removal of my son to the nursery for over a week, (due to a traumatic forceps delivery) only to see and cuddle him at regimented feeding times, for which I was drugged with a sedative beforehand due to breast pain (the maternity sister 'disagreed' with bottle feeding, even breastmilk). I love watching CTM, however it does fail to reflect some of the more negative practises and attitudes during the era in some maternity units.