Call The Midwife

YesDr Turner is a real turnoff but I still like to watch it.
He’s a dreadful actor!

Ah well 1970s is my era. It will be interesting. I was told I should have a home birth as we had our own bathroom! This was in Kent, 1972

I used to love this show but it has just gone on too long and they seem to be scraping the barrel a bit now. Same with Heartbeat and a few others. Maybe they should quit whilst they are ahead ?

I still enjoy it although yes, it is very sweet and somewhat over acted. Mr C tolerates the acting as some scenes trigger memories.

When we married in January 1969 we lived in a tiny terrace on the edge of East London, one open fire for heating, no bathroom and an outside toilet. Warm, friendly and kind neighbours, a very safe feel. We loved it and were comfortable although there were folk just a street away living in the sort of desperate conditions portrayed in the last episode.

We knew it was a clearance area and we’d soon be re-housed, sadly the community feel didn’t move with us to a concrete tower block. Our flat was modern, clean and comfortable - with a bathroom and heating - it was also a lonely and sometimes scary place to be.

Although we moved away to Suffolk in Summer 1970 it will be interesting to see how East London is portrayed and if the concrete tower blocks appear.

When our first child arrived in 1973 I was allowed to have the home birth I wanted as we were deemed to be clean enough! I guess the bathroom had something to do with it. What is odd looking back is I wasn’t at all offended at our home being checked for cleanliness although my parents were incensed. Different times.

My sister had her first baby in 1972. She wasn’t having a home birth, but for some reason a midwife/health visitor wanted to know what her home was like.

Her GP, the traditional family type one who knew all his patients and actually insisted on delivering ‘his’ mothers in the hospital, commented that “You could eat your dinner off her kitchen floor!”

Nowadays, such talk would offend her human rights or similar.

cornergran that's very interesting.
I read a book (by???) about moving from East London in the 60s, and the author said the same as you.
Families were desperate for better housing, but when they moved out, they felt homesick for their old tight-knit neighbourhoods, which had been broken up. There was something soecual about community spirit in the East End. The problem with the new places was that people came from all over London, and someone from say Vauxhall might just as well have come from Birmingham for all the people had in common.

*special not soecual

My eldest was born November 1969 - in local maternity hospital in Walthamstow, East London. This closed a few months later, it only had two baths for the large post-natal ward AND back then, all first time mothers HAD to stay in hospital for at least ten days after baby's birth. It was also very cold in there at night. If a baby required any for of special or intensive care it was moved to local main hospital, but often, Mum, was left behind.

The Senior Doctor there insisted that ALL first time Mums HAD to breastfeed, absolutely no choice. I was then 29 years of age, and hated being told what to do - I had wanted to breastfeed my precious baby, until I was told I HAD to do so. I was then refused all help with regard to my milk coming in.

Also there were some Nun Midwives - only time I ever saw these. Eleven months later my second child was born, at home - no choice in that (although it was what I wanted). Our Victorian house then still only had the one outside loo and being a long (not wide)_ house, was a long way from our bedroom upstairs in front (Loo was outside scullery door at back).

Loved the Home Delivery and the much more personal care I received during ante natals also held at home.

In 1972 third baby arrived, rather premature, by then we were living in a new house in Essex, had meant to be a second home delivery, but when decided to come early (only four weeks early), I was rushed to hospital in Essex, as I tended to have very small weight babies. Everything went well there until hubbie begged me to come home asap. So, when she was six days old I discharged baby and me - and then all the staff were really horrible to me - I was virtually told that my baby would probably become seriously ill and die!!!!

All went well, despite me then becoming ill myself a few weeks later with D&V. Was not able to have anything to do with my two toddlers for a week, but kept my breastfed premature baby with me throughout (with careful hygeine), and she was absolutely fine.

Two and a half years later I gave birth to twins - in a large, practically new maternity department of the local large general hospital. Here, some architect or the other (Male obviously), had designed this brand new building with post-natal ward on Floor 3 and SCBU on Floor 1.!!!!

I was determined to ensure I had a good milk supply before going back home to my three other youngsters, and babies were kept firstly in SCBU, so was having to go there to feed them. Eventually, I managed to get them both up with me on the ward. I was known in Maternity as by then I was breast feeding Counsellor with NCT, and we did a lot of voluntary work there including a breast milk run, so did not take it very kindly when an agency nurse 'caught' me feeding my babies when they required it (not according to the clock), and actually told me that if I went on feeding often as they asked for it I would run out!!!! Obviously I just had a set amount, etc........ This was a nurse in Post Natal ward saying this!!

Managed to get the three of us discharged back home on the Sunday, and was delighted when I was visited same day by local elderly, but wonderful area Midwife. When I commented that I had not expected her until the following day she told me 'Anyone who can return from hospital still managing to breastfeed twins, had well earned my immediate visit.'

So, yes the CTM is right in period and places that I remember so well, but a very different planet!!!!!

It was slightly ironic that late in the evening, after watching Call the Midwife I tuned into a film made in 1966, on some obscure channel. It was all about the housing crisis and made for very bleak viewing. It was called Cathy Come Home.

Cathy Come Hime certainly caused a stir in 1966

Catching up with CTM - amazing births on here - none seem to have umbilical cords attaching them to their Mums.!!!

The babies look about two months old and one, in this
xmas special, seemed to be crusted in badly smeared jam. Yuk.

My Franbern you certainly ran the full gamut of birthing experiences! Well done.

My first, 1970, was due to be born in the local cottage, matron run, hospital without a doctor.

After waiting, in what I thought was labour, for 24hours I was moved by scary ambulance to the general hospital where baby was born 12 hours later. I was able to have him beside me, have visitors, take a shower, walk about etc but after 2 days I was taken back to the cottage hospital where there were strict rules.
Not to bathe, not to get out of bed until day 3, worst was the babies were kept in the nursery and only brought to us at feed times. I was trying to breast feed while he was being fed formula in the nursery.

Things have definitely improved since those days.

Franbern

Catching up with CTM - amazing births on here - none seem to have umbilical cords attaching them to their Mums.!!!

Haha! Yes, I noticed that!!

Are we all still watching CTM?

Last night’s episode, the chap in the iron lung, made me hark back to an episode of Emergency Ward 10, (remember that?) when I was a child. There was a little girl in an iron lung then, she probably also had polio. Had a big effect on me, thought how awful to be laid in one of those for life.

So back to CTM, short staffed, but a couple of them were able to spend all the time with the iron lung chap and his dying wife. Good old Sister Julienne delivering breech twins single handed in a derelict squat, Sister Monica Joan doing nothing, as usual, and the remainder making paper flags and medals for the local Commonwealth Games jamboree.

Oh, and Doctor Turner wafting about encouraging a dental student to go out with him on his rounds, resulting in him changing careers and wanting to become a GP.

The good old days certainly.

I think I remember a play for today about someone in an iron lung. I think it starred the gorgeous Ray Brooks.

Calendargirl You could eat your dinner of her kitchen floor!

This reminds me of a story my cousin told me about when she was on her first ward as a trainee nurse. The matron told her to clean out the room where they washed the bedpans and that "She wanted to be able to eat her dinner off the floor." My cousin had recently left the forces and was afraid of nobody so she replied "Why on earth do you want to that?"

I know it’s corny, but I really enjoy this show.

Yes, I’m still watching Calendargirl.I started my nursing training in 1971 so I’m particularly interested now they’ve reached 1970. I don’t have any recollection of it all being so twee. The uniform is very similar to mine at that stage. Pale blue dress, starched white apron and cap. Thankfully all laundered in the hospital laundry room.

When I started school in the 50s there was a boy in my class who wore a full length metal caliper on his leg as the result of polio.

As a toddler he’d spent several months in an iron lung as the polio infection affected his respiratory muscles. Thankfully his breathing improved and he was able to leave the iron lung.

I met him recently in town. He now relies on a wheelchair to get around as his polio affected leg eventually became too weak to support him even with the caliper.

Grannynannywanny

When I started grammar school in 1964, there was a girl in the 5th form in a wheelchair as a result of polio.

Sounds awful to say it, but we thought it was all rather tragic and ‘What Katy Did’ but in real life. Also the older boys always seemed keen to help carry the wheelchair up steps and stairs, no ramps or lifts back then, which made it all seem rather glamorous and romantic to us 11 year olds.

Poor girl, not like that for her at all I’m sure.

I can picture that scene Calendargirl 😊

I started nursing in 1966 at a Birmingham Hospital which had a ward of people in iron lungs because of polio, very tragic, I thank the day when polio vaccines were the norm. The programme last night brought back memories of nursing them, it was a privilege.

I enjoy watching Call the Midwife. I like seeing the clothes, housing (albeit the East End), cars & all things of the times.
I think we are in 1970 now, ?
My own children were born in 1972 & 1980.

GrannyGravy13

I know it’s corny, but I really enjoy this show.

Me too.

I remember seeing film of people in iron lungs and thinking how awful it must have been to live like that. Thank goodness for vaccines.

Same here, love it, corny and all.

I saw the amazing film called 'Breathe' about a polio victim in an iron lung, and his wife and friend inventing a portable chest lung, so he could live as normal a life as possible, with an electric wheel-chair- against all medical advice. Very very moving.