# Call the Midwife.



## cherrypie (Feb 20, 2012)

When I read about the pregnant ladies on here with Type 1, I think they have so much to go through before they deliver their baby and think they all deserve an award.
I have been watching the above programme and wish they had included a person with diabetes in their storyline.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17077745
Things have changed so much from the fifties when two of mine were born.
The Frog test was used to see if you were pregnant,  http://en.muvs.org/topic/the-frog-test-en/
You had a home birth the majority of the time after an assessment had been carried out if it was suitable, don't know what the criteria was after watching the programme. and you were cared for during the pregnancy by the visiting Midwife.
After baby was born you attended a clinic, usually a local community building where you had access to vitamins and supplements for baby and you got to know other mothers as nurseries were non existent for working class children.My third baby decided that she would like to be part of our family twenty years later and the care was very different.
I hope they do another series.


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## Northerner (Feb 20, 2012)

I've enjoyed the series too Maisie (apart from all those screaming women, what's all that about? ). I have heard that there is to be another series, not sure when, but I guess they will wait until Autumn/Winter schedules


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## Ellie Jones (Feb 20, 2012)

It was a very good series indeed..  The series is based on a book written by a Midwife memoirs of the time..  

If you think about the era and area of the program even though based in the early 50's the NHS didn't start until '49 before this you had to pay for medical treatment and medication..  Being the East end of London a very deprived area very few pre-NHS would have the money for medical treatment or medication, so many young diabetics would have died purely due to either very limited or no access to insulin

You've also got to think of those who were luckier to have the money or diagnosed under the NHS you still had the dangers involved, diabetic control was very hit and miss affair fraught with dangers.. So medical advise was avoid having a family..  But for those that chose to have a family they were faced by conception difficulties, early miscarried even a higher death rate in pregnancy than the norm for the era..

So I suspect that it was a rare occasion that it was dealt with in the area the program was based, a diabetic mother wasn't included..


But as to changes anti-natal care even for the diabetic mum has changed since I have my 3 and my youngest is 21 later this year...


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## Copepod (Feb 20, 2012)

A second series has already been commissioned eg http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/23/bbc-call-the-midwife?INTCMP=SRCH

My Mum was was a student nurse, then health visitor (which included some midifery training) around Kings College Hospital in East London in late 1950s / early 1960s. She hasn't watched any episodes, because Dad is too squeamish, but I have told her about iPlayer. She recalls differences in expectations between patients then and now - not just in midwifery related issues.

At that time, although the NHS had started in 1948, insulin treatment was in its infancy and there were few if any oral medications. So, not women many with diabetes gave birth. 

Contraception wasn't easily available, only for married women (or those who borrowed wedding rings) and not many methods were available - just caps and condoms, I think. Services were supplied by charities such as Family Planning Association and Marie Stoppes until well into 1960s. 

So, probably realistic not to have any mention of diabetes in series 1 of Call the Midwife.


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## cherrypie (Feb 20, 2012)

Oh copecod,
You bring back memories of me lending my wedding ring to a friend when she went to the Family Planning but you have to remember that illegitimacy carried a stigma then and any one who had a baby out of wedlock was considered a fallen woman.  The men involved were not stigmatised though.


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## AJLang (Feb 20, 2012)

My Uncle's sister was told that if she became pregnant she would die because of the diabetes.  Her son was born in approximately 1950 - he is still alive but she died in her mid-20s.  I grew up with diabetes knowing that my Uncle's sister had died because of being diabetic. This did impact on my life decisions......I'm just so glad that it is now much easier for diabetics to combine it with pregnancy.


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## Copepod (Feb 20, 2012)

cherrypie said:


> Oh copecod,
> You bring back memories of me lending my wedding ring to a friend when she went to the Family Planning but you have to remember that illegitimacy carried a stigma then and any one who had a baby out of wedlock was considered a fallen woman.  The men involved were not stigmatised though.



I think I've mentioned this before, but when my Mum told her health visitor boss that she was expecting me (first baby), her boss asked if she wanted to continue working once she'd had the baby, and she said yes, so boss suggested that she trained as a Family Planning Nurse, which she did while pregnant, involving long bus journeys from Worcestershire into Birmingham.  However, it was a good suggestion, as she did many evening clinics, leaving me, and later my sister too with Dad when he got home from work, and later took us to various clinics after school and during school holidays, which meant we had to be a bit careful in "what we did in the holidays" essays when we got back to school! She was very pleased when NHS increased access to contraception services to unmarried women, and always had comments to make about fathers of "illegimate" children.


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## cherrypie (Feb 20, 2012)

This is getting to be a two way thread copecod.
My midwife was a gossip of the highest order.  I was not interested in the family dynamics of other pregnant women, what they had or didn't have in the way of furniture and nor what they gave her as a snack with her obligatory cup of tea.  It made no difference as she would just babble on and was known locally as Nutty Norah.  You couldn't fault her midwifery skills but her personality and patient confidentiality left a lot to be desired.


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## Medusa (Feb 20, 2012)

i loved the series  hope there is another.... or i may read the books its based on, i must admit it was the era i was more interested in than the babies lol but i felt very much although during my pregnancies i was looked after well i couldnt enjoy being pregnant as the diabetic control i needed to maintain totally took over my life.... well worth it tho for my two boys


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## Copepod (Feb 20, 2012)

Just looked for an obituary of Jennifer Worth, who wrote the books on which "Call the Midwife" was based. In this one, I was delighted to discover that she worked at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, where I also worked for 2 short periods in 1980s. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jul/06/jennifer-worth-obituary


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## Hanmillmum (Feb 20, 2012)

I can thoroughly reccommend the books "Call the Midwife" and her follow on " Shadows of the Workhouse"


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## Ellie Jones (Feb 20, 2012)

They are on Kindle too with two of her other books...


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## mcdonagh47 (Feb 20, 2012)

did anyone see the episode of Who Do You Think You Are with Robin Gibb of the Bgs ?
His gt grandmother was a well respected Midwife in Salford in the 1920s and 30s.
She made one mistake about not reporting a sick baby and she was hauled over the coals by the National body. She was defended by the Docs she worked with and her patients.
It was an excellent story.
Might still be available on iplayer.


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## Northerner (Feb 20, 2012)

mcdonagh47 said:


> did anyone see the episode of Who Do You Think You Are with Robin Gibb of the Bgs ?
> His gt grandmother was a well respected Midwife in Salford in the 1920s and 30s.
> She made one mistake about not reporting a sick baby and she was hauled over the coals by the National body. She was defended by the Docs she worked with and her patients.
> It was an excellent story.
> Might still be available on iplayer.



Yes, I remember that - pretty shocking the way she was treated


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## Medusa (Feb 20, 2012)

not seen that but will deffo get the books... probably wait until i have saved up for a kindle tho.....


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## cherrypie (Feb 22, 2012)

The Daily Fail is not my favourite paper but this article will go some way to explaining what it was like to grow up in the 40's and 50's.  Pure nostalgia for me.

The highlighted part at the end of the article shows the difference between parenting then and now.
A must for all amateur social historians.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...cks-darned-baths-shared-kids-roamed-wild.html


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## trophywench (Feb 22, 2012)

Sadly live births to diabetic mothers were not at all the norm.

A lot of work was done at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham after the War, improving stuff for diabetic mums.  The lead consultant was Prof John Malins.  ON that 'Diabetic Voices' thing, a lady who was a nurse moved to the QE from London - and it was the first time she'd known the babies survive.  

As I've said before, I have it in my head that Ragnar Hanas worked for the Prof at one time.  He also worked at Kidderminster hosp on Mondays, cos he lived in Bewdley (his son was a GP in Bewdley) - and he was a lovely man.


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## Sheilagh1958 (Feb 22, 2012)

Loved this programme. They are  doing another series


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## FM001 (Jun 17, 2012)

Call the Midwife has been repeated and started watching it last week after missing it first time around, great series with fine performances by all involved especially Miranda Hart.


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## Northerner (Jun 17, 2012)

toby said:


> Call the Midwife has been repeated and started watching it last week after missing it first time around, great series with fine performances by all involved especially Miranda Hart.



She is absolutely terrific in the part


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## FM001 (Jun 20, 2012)

Makes me want to read the books, the second episode where the young prostitute had her baby taken away by the Catholic Church reminded me of a book I once read called The Light in the Window.


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## FM001 (Jun 30, 2012)

What are the bbc playing at, only 3 episodes in and it wasn't on last night and isn't on next friday


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## Steff (Jun 30, 2012)

Join the hacked off at BBC bridage Toby

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=29175


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## FM001 (Jul 1, 2012)

Steff said:


> Join the hacked off at BBC bridage Toby
> 
> http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=29175





Just commented on there about them knocking the Saturday night institution on the head for tennis

Love most sport but tennis and cricket bores me stupid.


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## FM001 (Jan 19, 2013)

back tomorrow night


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## Twitchy (Jan 19, 2013)

Just read through this thread for the first time, & with a lump in my throat.  My dad only relatively recently admitted that he'd been told / assumed that I would never be able to have children, because of the diabetes.  (I was diagnosed in '78 as a baby myself, I understand prognosis for surviving long term full stop wasn't brilliant at that age back then, never mind having kids too...).  Sitting here with two healthy kids tucked up in bed (after admittedly very stressful not straightforward pregnancies) it's a very grateful feeling I have, mixed with sadness that my mum potentially never knew I'd be able to have kids, given that she died whilst I was still a kid myself.  It really makes you think, the difference that when you were born will have in your life.  Even in this day & age I think the only reason both kids & I got through ok (ignoring my eye problems!) bearing in mind my 'old diabetic' status (after years of potential damage with relatively poor control on 2 jabs throughout childhood, things are much better now of course) was down to a very, very good, experienced & pragmatic obstetrician indeed.  Very, very grateful.


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## trophywench (Jan 20, 2013)

That's amazing you were told that (or rather your parents were) in 1978, in fact completely potty bearing in mind the comments I made re the Prof back on about Page 2 of the thread.

1972 onwards the clinic waiting room often had women with babies and toddlers waiting and some of the mums were 'old' diabetics  - was introduced to a few of them over time by the DSN  (eg This is Hayley, she's been diabetic since she was 3, her baby is 3 months old now and she's done ever so well ... )  (and I'd think Bully for you Hayley, I'm not really very interested TBH cos I don't want any of them LOL  And beam at her  ......)

I'm not mistaken on this, cos the children diabetics weren't seen at OP, they went to the Children's Ward on a different site, which Karen Flutterby has confirmed.


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## Twitchy (Jan 20, 2013)

trophywench said:


> That's amazing you were told that (or rather your parents were) in 1978, in fact completely potty bearing in mind the comments I made re the Prof back on about Page 2 of the thread.
> 
> 1972 onwards the clinic waiting room often had women with babies and toddlers waiting and some of the mums were 'old' diabetics  - was introduced to a few of them over time by the DSN  (eg This is Hayley, she's been diabetic since she was 3, her baby is 3 months old now and she's done ever so well ... )  (and I'd think Bully for you Hayley, I'm not really very interested TBH cos I don't want any of them LOL  And beam at her  ......)
> 
> I'm not mistaken on this, cos the children diabetics weren't seen at OP, they went to the Children's Ward on a different site, which Karen Flutterby has confirmed.



Unfortunately I can't check, as mum died over 20 yrs ago & dad is pretty pants at remembering properly thd details of medical stuff. He's adamant that he didn't think I could have babies but I don't know if that was what he was told or just an assumption he made. I do wonder if it was due to being diagnosed as a baby, I know the parents of the lead cyclist in the novo nordisk pro cycling team were told he probably wouldn't outlive his mid 20s when he was diagnosed at 7mths old in 1984. (I was 11 months old in 78, so not too different I guess.) I think that was in the US though, so I guess there's a regional approach / experience to factor in too. We were down in Surrey, but even today not all hospitals want to specialise in diabetic pregnancies, so maybe that was a factor too.  Still v grateful to my Obs!


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## trophywench (Jan 20, 2013)

Hmmmm - may have assumed Yep, my mother went round telling people that I hadn't got any kids because I couldn't, owing to my D !

I went apeshit!  I hadn't got any cos neither of us wanted any and made darn sure there weren't any accidents!  although of course because of birth control hiccups and nothing untoward (in this context) ever happening; I have often wondered if I was just lucky or what?  LOL  Would I have ever caught had I wanted to?

And in 1985 ( I can be certain of that date) my 'new' consultant was telling me that old 20 year lifespan thing was a load of baloney and I could turn ot to be a 'Golden Oldie' - you know like the Joslin people, had it for 70 years and not a complication to show for it, only in 1985 of course, they'd only had i for 40 years!  We were both RIGHT hacked off in the mid 1990's when my optician pronounced background changes in one eye.  Other eye joined it at the beginning of the noughties.  I'll know in a fortnight whether it's progressed but it hadn't last Feb !

Being me of course whilst brightly reassuring every other diabetic that I come across they will live forever, I'm actually fairly sanguine about when everything nasty in the book turns up in my body all on the same day at some stage, and That Day get's nearer with every birthday.  

Bound to innit, law of averages -  when you've led such a charmed Diabetic Life so far?


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## FM001 (Feb 3, 2013)

Always a week behind so caught up with last weeks tonight, the story with the cot death was really powerful and brought a tear to the eye, this program just gets better & better and the acting is superb


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## Northerner (Feb 3, 2013)

toby said:


> Always a week behind so caught up with last weeks tonight, the story with the cot death was really powerful and brought a tear to the eye, this program just gets better & better and the acting is superb



I'm the same Toby, also a week behind. Excellent programme  Each character is so well-defined.


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## FM001 (Feb 3, 2013)

Wondered who done the voice over for Jenny Lee in CTM, checked the credits at the end and see its Vanessa Redgrave.


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## Northerner (Feb 3, 2013)

toby said:


> Wondered who done the voice over for Jenny Lee in CTM, checked the credits at the end and see its Vanessa Redgrave.



Quality!


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## Caroline (Feb 4, 2013)

Have been watching the new series. Maternity care has certainly changed over the years


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## runner (Feb 4, 2013)

I was fascinated by the birth chair the twin women had - versions of these came back into use in the 70's and 80s when people like Michel Odent and Ina May Gaskin were researching how it can be safer to allow gravity to assist the birth rather than being flat on your back.  Guessed the inversion (turning of the baby) may have ruptured the placenta from the uterus.  Ergometrine saved the day - did you know that's why it was commonly given after _every_ birth (don't know if it still is?)

Wonder what the story will be with the new woman?


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## Caroline (Feb 4, 2013)

It has certainly got me hooked. I have seen birthing chairs some place in my travels.


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## gail1 (Feb 7, 2013)

enjoying the program so much that i have brought 3 of the  books she wrote Call the midwife Shadows of the workhouse and Farewell to the east end Guess what im doing for next couple of days


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