Call the midwife

Jenny Agutter isn't being given a whole lot to do this series.

Phyllis has grown on me, she has definitely become kinder, more of a mother figure to the younger women. I love to see the homes, fashions, cars & even the prams of the era. In reality, even back then I’m sure the midwives would never have been able to spend so much time with each patient and one doctor alone couldn’t possibly have done all those home visits as well as running the surgery and delivering babies in the maternity unit but who cares it’s enjoyable Sunday evening viewing.

I used to watch this when it first appeared but got bored with it after the second series.
I have just the comments on this thread and see that it is now set in the years I did my midwifery training so might start watching again

Dogsmother. I have mentioned before about the awful Dr Turner (actor.?. Stephen McGann). He is awful , can’t act and the dreadful expressions on his face make me shout at the telly. , He spoils it for me , i do like CTM , it’s slow and relaxing and nostalgic. I love seeing “Proper “ prams like I had for my three children including a big Silver Cross twin pram ,

Were any of you born at home?

I was born in a very small nursing home and was a forceps birth - doctor took the skin off my cheek, I still have the scar. My poor Mum, I think she really suffered. The doctor was still practising when I was about five, horrible pipe in his mouth all the time.

Yes, I was born at home, as was my brother, my sister, who is the eldest, was born in hospital. After ten days I started projectile vomiting, had an operation for pylori stenosis, and spent the next 3 months in hospital. My parents weren't allowed to visit. That's when they got the phone, so they could find out if I was still alive. I suppose I should be completely screwed up after such a start but I don't think I am.

Why was Trixie so shocked at Yvonne leaving Melanie outside in her pram? I thought that too. I was a social worker in Birmingham at a bout that time and when home visiting it was standard practice for babies to be outside in their prams.

I was also - at the risk of getting shouted down - quite surprised at the calm acceptance of baby boy mutilation.

I think I must have missed something - when did Iris Buckle’s shop change from a haberdashery to a general store?

Also, the bed linen. Did so many people really have coloured bed sheets then? I only ever recall white or that candy stripe stuff until Bri Nylon sheets became a thing.

My parents got married in 1959 and got some coloured bed linen as wedding presents. It was exciting as all bedding had been white until fairly recently.

Is it supposed to be 1967?
Facts aren't exactly right, as always, but I guess to fit with their plot.
I doubt there were so many big prams in the streets. Comfifolda pushchairs were very popular and carrycots on wheels.
www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/599049187905499860/

I was pregnant in 1969 and gathered 2nd hand equipment. I should have started a props department. I still have a big silver cross pram circa 1970.
I frequently left it unattended with baby inside as I never heard of babies being stolen until a famous case. The shops had no space for prams.
I didn't like the circumcision scene - but it happened.
Wasn't it a bit OTT Yvonne being sent away to learn how to bond and feed her baby. Did that really happen?
I had a visit from an aged spinster health visitor about 2 weeks after DS1 was born. I hadn't a clue and neither had she. He was screaming having just been fed. She said he must still be hungry so had me spoonfeeding him with some formula donated by the company as I didn't possess a bottle. He wasn't hungry - he had tummy ache from guzzling too much. As soon as she'd left, he vomited everything up, Breast milk, formula the lot. He managed to grow up despite everything.

I was born in an NHS hospital. My parents had had to pay about £50 for a Nursing home when my DSis was born pre NHS.
My first and 2nd DC were both was born in hospital but the 3rd at home. 4th in hospital.

I wS birn in a private nursing home but my twin brothers were born at home - I saw the doctor bring them in his black bag.

The younger of the twins was born rain damaged and I wonder if that might have been different in hospital.

I got married in 1968 and has some primrose coloured sheets as a wedding present.

I was working as a nanny for a Jewish family in 1982 and their newborn boy was circumcised in a ceremony at home. There was a big family and friends gathering. All I can remember is how the little mite cried afterwards. It still happens today in Jewish families - my DD is married to a Jew and there were big discussions about my DGS being circumcised - he wasn’t!

Good!

I had my first child in 1971. The babies were all taken away and bottle fed babies were fed by nurses during the night. A whole week of this, just 5 days for the second. Mothers aren't so lucky nowadays.

There was a lot of imposing of modern views on last night's script.

Leaving babies in their prams outside houses and shops was common into the 70s. While Trixie might have been a bit concerned that the baby was crying, she wouldn't have been horrified and annoyed.

Formula feeding was considered a perfectly acceptable alternative to breast feeding and very very common in the 60s.

I'm not sure Sheila, as a still very religious former nun, would have been so delighted to see homosexual acts decriminalised. Resigned and accepting maybe, but I don't think she would have reacted the way she did.

Yes to leaving babies in prams outside shops. I did so with my first two, born in the 70’s. It never crossed anyone’s mind that anyone would steal a baby. Today, new mother’s are told never to leave their babies alone at all, 24/7.

Interesting to hear about the coloured bed linens some people had! Maybe they hadn’t filtered out to the provinces where I grew up in the 60’s.

I had never heard of the phrase ‘breast is best’ until the 80’s, formula was the most common way of feeding amongst my friends, again in the 70’s.

Although I still like CTM I wish they’d get very simple details right. Bottle feeding, prams etc. I too left my child outside in the pram for fresh air and when going shopping. It was also considered ok to leave a baby crying so they weren’t spoilt. I suffered from mastitis and was told in no uncertain terms I had to give up breastfeeding and use a bottle instead, much as I didn’t want to.

I wish they'd get the clothes right too. Some of the outfits are just plain weird.

I look at old photos of me Sparklefizz and they are a bit weird!
I have several Mothercare catalogues in my pile of treasures room of junk and the outfits are very strange.
Bottle feeding was the way to go back then.
The ward I was in after DS#1 was full to bursting but only I and one other mum were breast feeding. We had to draw the curtains around our beds in case someone's husband should see us during visiting.
We were told at ante-natal classes that the Queen breastfed all hers until they were 3 months old.
Several girls chose to have milk suppressing tablets and were very keen to get back to their "normal" lives and size asap.
There was always one trying to smoke too. We were all so young. I was 21 and one of the older mums.

Lilypop Iam I’m so glad it’s not just me shouting at the t.v it makes me feel bad as his nearest and dearest could be coming on here reading this, so hopefully it’s just the character that we have an aversion to haha.

Have they mentioned the NCT yet? I think it was formed around 1960 and offered advice during pregnancy and beyond.

My DH was born in 1959 and his mum was out shopping with his Gran. The pram was gone when they came out the shop but luckily they’d taken baby in with them. Just shows how trusting people were then as it certainly wouldn’t happen now.

My brother was born at home in 1961. I remember standing at the bottom of the stairs with my grandma not really aware what was happening until they said we could see baby when he appeared.
I recognised that blue wallpaper with teapots etc on. It was either in our kitchen or my grandmas. Pretty certain I used it to cover my school books too!

I walked back to my mums one day from the shop without the pram!

Yess! nadateturbe. I was aged 8 and the girl nextdoor was 6, and we were allowed to wheel her baby brother in the pram to the newsagents on an errand. It was about a mile away. Unthinkable nowadays.

We came out and forgot the baby in the pram and walked home - friend's Mum had a fit when she realised, and we ran back and the baby was still there (thank goodness).