S09.E07: Episode 7

[OnceSane]

Quote

After performing an excellent forceps delivery in final supervision, Dr McNulty's next patient is a woman whose husband is a drunk and abusive towards her. At the clinic, the team finally receives the long-awaited incubator for the maternity home, while Trixie is keen to support new patient Marion, who has a rare form of retinitis pigmentosa that has left her blind.

Airs February 16, 2020.

[MissLucas]

Another really good episode. I liked how they did not make the sister the villain and Marion the saint. Beryl had some good arguments and Marion was stubborn (even though I understood why). The scene with her bumping the doll's head into the table made me actually jump. To be fair stuff like that can happen to everybody but in her situation it just added pressure - glad it all good sorted out in true CTMW fashion.

Also good: keeping Sister Frances and Doctor McNulty as a team and friends and finally giving the former a plot where she is competent and self-assured. I got the gist of McNulty's plot but had to google Pethidine - yikes! That's not going to end well. I wonder what Sister Frances meant when she talked about the 'secret' - was she just talking about him losing his nerves during that second birth or has she already noticed that he had made changes to the prescription records (he added another 50mg which he then took for himself)?

Poor Valerie - seeing her Gran suffering and feeling guilty about it even though she did what she had to do. It's great that we keep the continuity and that the plot has not been dropped but it was hard to watch.

On a lighter note: Valerie keeps getting the cutest 60's fashion (her look for the prison visit was fantastic) - poor Violet got the other end of the stick. That hat was atrocious. And when Nurse Crane asked Lucille for help because Sgt. Woolf was gone I thought for a crazy couple of minutes that she had been asking for help getting a date, wondering what she was doing asking Lucille, clearly that would be more in Trixie's wheelhouse! Apparently the early arrival of spring this year is meddling with my brain LOL!

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by MissLucas

[jpgr]

Agree wholeheartedly on Val's 60's fashion - it's divine!

Was Beryl taking birth control pills, and then she threw them out at the end? I couldn't see the box clearly enough or really understand what that angle was all about. She had basically raised her sister so didn't want kids, then realized how nice it was to have a baby?

I don't think Sister Frances realizes that Dr. McNulty has a drug problem yet, but I think Dr. Turner suspects. Sister Frances was upset just about the way he handled that birth, from what I can tell.

[MissLucas]

4 hours ago, jpgr said:

Was Beryl taking birth control pills, and then she threw them out at the end? I couldn't see the box clearly enough or really understand what that angle was all about. She had basically raised her sister so didn't want kids, then realized how nice it was to have a baby?

I was confused about that too - even googled the brand but it seems it was a made up name. At first I thought she had taken them to keep her eyesight but that didn't make much sense as there's no preventive treatment for retinitis pigmentosa and she had shown no symptoms (those set in early like with Marion). I think you're right and those were birth control pills - she mentioned to Trixie that RP is genetic and was probably terrified of passing it on to her kid. Once she realized that Marion is living a full life despite her disability she decided to take the risk. It might sound odd that it took her that long but maybe seeing Marion as a mother was a major wake-up call - especially if she had denied herself motherhood out of that particular fear.

[purist]

53 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

I think you're right and those were birth control pills

They were. Marion said something to Beryl early in the episode about 'not everyone wants to take the Pill'.

[OnceSane]

I really like how they've shown Sister Frances growing as a person as she gains experience and confidence.  I especially liked her "He should concentrate on doing his job" when the others wanted to make sure Kevin was having some fun.  

 

[Rhetorica]

Spoiler!!?? I don't know how to hide it. Don't click if you don't want speculation from PBS about Dr. McNulty and Sister Frances

 

https://www.pbs.org/video/call-the-midwife-season-9-episode-7-clip-doctors-secret/

[Luckylyn]

On 2/18/2020 at 5:35 PM, jpgr said:

Agree wholeheartedly on Val's 60's fashion - it's divine!

Was Beryl taking birth control pills, and then she threw them out at the end? I couldn't see the box clearly enough or really understand what that angle was all about. She had basically raised her sister so didn't want kids, then realized how nice it was to have a baby?

I don't think Sister Frances realizes that Dr. McNulty has a drug problem yet, but I think Dr. Turner suspects. Sister Frances was upset just about the way he handled that birth, from what I can tell.

I thought Beryl might have been contemplating sneaking birth control in her sister’s drink or something to stop her getting pregnant again.  

[Kohola3]

On 5/9/2020 at 4:32 PM, Luckylyn said:

I thought Beryl might have been contemplating sneaking birth control in her sister’s drink or something to stop her getting pregnant again.  

I think she was moved by her sister with the new baby and decided she would five up her pills.  Half were already gone from that pack so clearly somebody was already taking them.

Oh, dear, Dr. McN is heading off down the bad road.  Hopefully the sisters can band together to work their magic with him.

[Badger]

There is a scene of Stewart, Marion and Trixie juxtaposed with one of Beryl.  Stewart is shown cradling Rosemary in one arm and making a bottle with his free hand.  Then  Trixie is teaching Marion to change the baby's nappy, but Marion accidentally sticks her with the pin and draws a little blood.  Beryl is shown in her bathroom with a box of birth control pills.  They show her taking one out and swallowing it.

Another scene has Yvonne Smith being angry with Dr. McNulty because he took so long with that reluctant male patient.  He sees she's pregnant and tells her she needs to go to the antenatal clinic.  She tells him she's ill and needs a doctor, if that is what he is.

[Driad]

Did Dr. McNulty give Mrs. Smith the pain medicine the needed, and get more for himself?  Or did he take the medicine he was supposed to give her?

[Badger]

18 minutes ago, Driad said:

Did Dr. McNulty give Mrs. Smith the pain medicine the needed, and get more for himself?  Or did he take the medicine he was supposed to give her?

He took most of it.  That's why he wanted to do an epistiotomy.  It would have made the process of labor shorter but it was a risk.  Neither Yvonne nor Sister Frances realized that he hadn't given her enough pain medication.  They just thought he was your typical egotistical male doctor who thinks he knows everything and doesn't take responsibility when he messes up.

[LittleIggy]

I stepped out of the room and missed what caused Sister Frances and the mother to be so angry with Dr. McNulty. What happened? 
Assuming arguendo that a blind mother wasn’t capable of taking care of her baby, how could social services take the baby away from the father, her husband? I yelped when the mom stepped on that big shard of glass. 😬 

[caitmcg]

32 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I stepped out of the room and missed what caused Sister Frances and the mother to be so angry with Dr. McNulty. What happened? 
Assuming arguendo that a blind mother wasn’t capable of taking care of her baby, how could social services take the baby away from the father, her husband? I yelped when the mom stepped on that big shard of glass. 😬

Dr McNulty gave her an (unnecessary) episiotomy. 
 

As for Marion and Stewart, if in the mid 1960s the assumption might be that a blind woman would not be able to care for an infant without assistance, presumably it would also be that the mother would be the primary caregiver (rightly so in this case, given her husband had to work). In the beginning, he was equally adamant that they not accept outside help, which wouldn’t have helped their case. Under the storyline's circumstances, Marion and Beryl had to meet in the middle to overcome their shared stubbornness, and he came along for the ride (all facilitated by Trixie, of course).

[GaT]

Did anybody else think drunk husband looked like English Chris Noth?

[Dr.OO7]

I'm dreading Dr. McNulty's inevitable screwup because he's either high or craving.

I think Dr. Turner's suspicious as well. As is the receptionist (I forgot her name).

[debraran]

I feel Trixie is the one to help Dr McNulty since she's been there before but I hope he's not permanently written off. It would be hard to come back since he'd always be exposed to medication but I think Dr Turner does need help and he'd be a welcome addition. One more to go before break so a big one I'm sure.

I didn't quite get the blind sister's birth control pill box either but the genetic part fits. Was she married? They seemed to expect her to help out quite a bit.

I thought the drunk husband probably fit many but a bit overkill with the holding of the bottle every time, I think we got he was a jerk quite quickly. I'm sure a relative isn't that hard to find either but hopefully she is well in the land of midwife fiction somewhere.

On a different note, anyone know why Sgt Woolf's character was written off so abruptly?I know he wasn't a huge character or even maybe well liked, but he was an interest for Miss Higgins for a while and I hoped it would bring out other dimensions to her. It just seemed abrupt and I wonder, just off for good for what ever reason, his or theirs or a letter is coming later for a visit?

 

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by debraran

[JudyObscure]

22 minutes ago, debraran said:

I didn't quite get the blind sister's birth control pill box either but the genetic part fits. Was she married? They seemed to expect her to help out quite a bit.

Yes, the "You're her sister! You raise the baby!" didn't work well for me.  I went to bed going through all the logistical problems of raising a baby in one of those apartments with no hot water, glass bottles, diapers to wash rinse and hang somewhere.  I guess the sister can leave her own home and job everyday to go bathe the baby, make the formula, sterilize the bottles, heat water, wash the diapers hang them up.

The show has become so packed with stories, while also cutting scene,s that I feel all the anxiety and stress and not enough of the happy resolutions. What irritates me most is after the show has been cut short we get those behind the scene spots where the show praises itself and its writers.

[debraran]

46 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

Yes, the "You're her sister! You raise the baby!" didn't work well for me.  I went to bed going through all the logistical problems of raising a baby in one of those apartments with no hot water, glass bottles, diapers to wash rinse and hang somewhere.  I guess the sister can leave her own home and job everyday to go bathe the baby, make the formula, sterilize the bottles, heat water, wash the diapers hang them up.

The show has become so packed with stories, while also cutting scene,s that I feel all the anxiety and stress and not enough of the happy resolutions. What irritates me most is after the show has been cut short we get those behind the scene spots where the show praises itself and its writers.

Why is that, those parts don't really add anything. They can make a special about "behind the scenes" later and the fans can watch when on break. Leave in scenes that might help with resolution. I liked in the earlier shows how they would bring back some of the mothers or bring up a person they helped.

[Blackie]

43 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

What irritates me most is after the show has been cut short we get those behind the scene spots where the show praises itself and its writers.

 

That irritates me to no end. It is so frustrating, they have created some wonderful and well loved characters. The setting and period lends it self to great stories.  British dramas are usually very well written (unless I am only watching the good ones).  AND then they always try to cram too much in, short edits that make no sense and put on top of that the PBS edits ( which I guess isn't the writers fault) ....... it is a good show that could be so much better.

 

Absolutely loved how Sister Francis took control ...... but she is not allowed to eat anywhere except the table at Nonnatus house lol.

[Mermaid Under]

Quote

Was Beryl taking birth control pills, and then she threw them out at the end?

My immediate assumption was that Beryl was taking the pill for fear of passing on the retinitis pigmentosa (which they knew was genetic even in the 60s).  And that seeing her sister with the baby made her throw them out, which didn't warm my heart as much as some.  Also, as for Beryl rearranging her life to make sure her sister could safely raise a child (who might also be blind) I think in the 60's women just stopped working when they got married, I guess the assumption being they would have children and then be forced to stop anyway.  But then if Beryl has decided to toss her birth control, she might have her own baby to raise.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I didn't quite get the blind sister's birth control pill box either but the genetic part fits. Was she married?

She said her name was Mrs. Cairns so I assume she was married. Plus I don't believe they gave BC pills to unmarried women back then.  I think she took the because of the genetic blindness thing plus the fact that she'd had to raise her sister because the mother died early and she didn't want to have to be a mom again.

[kwnyc]

I thought that with Trixie taking the family to visit the blind woman with two kids was meant to show them and the older sister that it's possible for a blind woman to raise children.

I don't think Beryl was meant to raise the baby, but to provide the kind of help around the house that would allow her sister to do it more easily. And in the after birth world (HA!) presumably they would stay in touch with the other blind mother, and use her as a resource. Good ol' Trixie. 

 

[Suzn]

They have neglected Trixie this season.  She hasn't had an storyline focused on her.  She has been an important player in stories like this one, but it's not about her.

[LittleIggy]

5 hours ago, Blackie said:

 

That irritates me to no end. It is so frustrating, they have created some wonderful and well loved characters. The setting and period lends it self to great stories.  British dramas are usually very well written (unless I am only watching the good ones).  AND then they always try to cram too much in, short edits that make no sense and put on top of that the PBS edits ( which I guess isn't the writers fault) ....... it is a good show that could be so much better.

 

Absolutely loved how Sister Francis took control ...... but she is not allowed to eat anywhere except the table at Nonnatus house lol.

I didn’t understand that rule. She could eat only food made and served there. Why?

As for the sister Beryl, I’m like others: how is she supposed to be available all the time to help her sister? I assume she is married. If she was divorced, she would have to have a job to support herself. 
When Marion banged the doll’s head on the table, I winced, but I was wincing before that when she was reaching for the soap and the “baby’s” head was hanging limply. I expected Trixie to say something then.

11 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Dr McNulty gave her an (unnecessary) episiotomy. 
 

As for Marion and Stewart, if in the mid 1960s the assumption might be that a blind woman would not be able to care for an infant without assistance, presumably it would also be that the mother would be the primary caregiver (rightly so in this case, given her husband had to work). In the beginning, he was equally adamant that they not accept outside help, which wouldn’t have helped their case. Under the storyline's circumstances, Marion and Beryl had to meet in the middle to overcome their shared stubbornness, and he came along for the ride (all facilitated by Trixie, of course).

My point was that the father has a legal right to his baby separate from his wife. How could they take the baby from him.

[howiveaddict]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Yes, the "You're her sister! You raise the baby!" didn't work well for me.  I went to bed going through all the logistical problems of raising a baby in one of those apartments with no hot water, glass bottles, diapers to wash rinse and hang somewhere.  I guess the sister can leave her own home and job everyday to go bathe the baby, make the formula, sterilize the bottles, heat water, wash the diapers hang them up.

The show has become so packed with stories, while also cutting scene,s that I feel all the anxiety and stress and not enough of the happy resolutions. What irritates me most is after the show has been cut short we get those behind the scene spots where the show praises itself and its writers.

It’s the same behind the scenes each time it seems too.  

[Kohola3]

24 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I didn’t understand that rule. She could eat only food made and served there. Why?

That;s a common rule in religious convents.  Growing up as a Catholic, the nuns were never, ever seen eating in public.  They had to only eat in a private area with only other nuns present.  Just one of those community rules.  Some consider it eating only with their "family".

28 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

My point was that the father has a legal right to his baby separate from his wife. How could they take the baby from him.

I think that they are reflecting the reality of the 1960's where men rule the family and spousal abuse was tolerated way differently than it is today.  Back then if she didn't just escape and run she would have been expected to go back to him no matter how horribly she was treated.  Men ruled and women had very little to say - a woman was expected to do whatever necessary to "make her man happy".  I think that's why she kept saying that men weren't to be trusted. It sounds like she may have requested help before, maybe from the police, but was always disappointed.  All speculation on my part but she made a point of talking about how men couldn't be trusted.

[willowk]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

They have neglected Trixie this season.  She hasn't had an storyline focused on her.  She has been an important player in stories like this one, but it's not about her.

I agree. I don't want her to slip with the alcoholism again, but its been a long time since she's had a romance of any kind. For a few seasons I thought they concentrated on her search for love too much, but now they've gone the other way and she's not been dating at all.

I enjoyed all the storylines last night, I felt the horror when Yvonne was in pain and yelling "why did you cut me" and Sister Frances looking on in horror. McNulty looked inept to say the least. I thought the midwives had cured McNulty and the others of their tendency to reach for the scalpal but I guess not. Worse is that he did it not just for expediency but as he was high and had siphoned off some of her meds. Loved Yvonne's scathing takedown of him, saying he was just like all the other men, a little scared boy inside.

Val visiting her Gran was hard, seems something is seriously wrong there. I think Lucille was expecting her beau to suggest marriage when he said he had an idea of how they could see much more of each other, and then her face fell when he said they should help with the cub scouts.

 

[TomGirl]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

35 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

That;s a common rule in religious convents.  Growing up as a Catholic, the nuns were never, ever seen eating in public.  They had to only eat in a private area with only other nuns present.  Just one of those community rules.  Some consider it eating only with their "family".

Wasn’t Sister Julienne snacking on something at the movies?

[theatremouse]

16 hours ago, Driad said:

Did Dr. McNulty give Mrs. Smith the pain medicine the needed, and get more for himself?  Or did he take the medicine he was supposed to give her?

I thought he'd changed the register to indicate he gave her more than he had in order to cover what he'd already taken himself (which may or may not have involved giving her a slightly smaller dose or none at all). But I thought I saw something where Sister Frances had already written it out and he changed what was there.

[sigmaforce86]

I feel like Sister Francis said more in this episode then she has the whole series.  Really it was more that she found her voice, she was more forceful, more honest and more vocal than I've seen her before but I like the new her (or maybe the growing evolving her is a better way to put it).

Valerie's story was sad but her look is incredible; she is making great use of the hosiery she won a few episodes ago.   I think Beryl threw away her birth control realizing that if her sister could raise a baby while blind she could have a baby and risk it being blind.  I did have to check in with my Mother on the reality of the pills - I didn't think they had those pop out blister packs in 1965 but Mom says they existed then so another check mark for keeping things historically accurate.

Did PBS really have to fuzz the audio for the word "piss" when they said they didn't have a pot to piss in?  Considering the content of this show and the realistic ways they portray labor, births and other medical procedures (like last night bleeding episiotomy) I'm not so sure "piss" was the place they needed to draw the line.

Edited May 13, 2020 by sigmaforce86

[dargosmydaddy]

Ugh, both of the main storylines here drove me nuts.

I felt bad for Marian, and the sister was definitely out of line in contacting child services the way she did, but why is the sister now expected to be Marian's exclusive help? It sounds like she spent the majority of her young adulthood raising Marian, and now she has to go right back to helping raise Marian's baby? I get that Marian wanted to be independent and didn't want a "stranger" helping her, but geez, once you realize you really do need help, and are entitled to a (free?) home aide... take it! Don't saddle your sister with something she specifically didn't seem to want to have to do.

And the discarded birth control was definitely unclear... If it was the sister's, then we needed some kind of earlier line that she put off having children herself because she's scared they might be blind or whatever. Maybe actually show her enjoying her baby niece, too. But no, she continues to look dour and put-upon, but apparently she's going to have her own baby?

And where the heck did Trixie discover the previously-unknown-to-her blind super-mom? (Three kids and the youngest two appeared to be about a year apart... yikes!)

And then we have Dr. McNulty, the world's most obvious drug addict... Maybe we'll learn more next episode, but I want to know how long he's been an addict... What is this "old med school injury," and did something happen recently to exacerbate it? Because if he's been addicted awhile and he's so... un-sneaky... in his methods, I find it super hard to believe no one picked up on it at his med school. I mean, he could have fairly easily hidden the pill bottle in his pocket during the first conversation with Dr. Turner, and he definitely could have hidden it before telling Miss Higgins to come in with the tea during the later scene. Guy is just asking to be caught!

And I wasn't entirely getting Sister Frances's reluctance to tell Dr. Turner about the episiotomy, either... I mean, I get not wanting to tattle on your new colleague, but still... It's not like what he did seemed like a fire-able offense (the procedure itself, that is... she didn't seem to know he was high when he did it...), just ill-advised/ unnecessary. And then when she told Sister Monica Joan... was that supposed to ease her mind and she didn't have to tell Dr. Turner? Or she did end up telling him, but we didn't see it?

4 hours ago, theatremouse said:

I thought he'd changed the register to indicate he gave her more than he had in order to cover what he'd already taken himself (which may or may not have involved giving her a slightly smaller dose or none at all). But I thought I saw something where Sister Frances had already written it out and he changed what was there.

I thought he was just initialing next to hers (she mentioned something about the controlled drugs needing two people to sign for them), but your interpretation makes more sense. I was also confused because right after he pocketed the vial, he runs into a different patient in the hall and asks her about her pain medication... was he already joneseing for his next dose? Very confusing!

In general the whole storyline seems very rushed. Would have been nice to get to know the character and see the struggles of a new doctor before we need some big dramatic story for him. Or at least have his addiction be more subtle and hidden and not have people start to get suspicious till next season.

Edited May 11, 2020 by dargosmydaddy

[kwnyc]

Quote

Wasn’t Sister Julienne snacking on something at the movies?

I think it was a popsicle!=

I thought that with Trixie taking the family to visit the blind woman with kids was meant to show them and the older sister that it's possible for a blind woman to raise children.

I don't think Beryl was meant to raise the baby, but to provide the kind of help around the house that would allow her sister to do it more easily. And in the after birth world (HA!) presumably they would stay in touch with the other blind mother, and use her as a resource. Good ol' Trixie. 

 

[willowk]

12 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

I think it was a popsicle!=

I thought that with Trixie taking the family to visit the blind woman with kids was meant to show them and the older sister that it's possible for a blind woman to raise children.

I don't think Beryl was meant to raise the baby, but to provide the kind of help around the house that would allow her sister to do it more easily. And in the after birth world (HA!) presumably they would stay in touch with the other blind mother, and use her as a resource. Good ol' Trixie. 

 

I think Sister Jullianne ate a chocolate bar in the movies. The whole point though was to step outside of her bubble to get a better idea of what regular women have to deal with, the slights as people bumped into her and didn't apologize etc. Her indulging at the movies gave her (I think) the epiphany that seeing a movie and a little chocolate isn't such a frivolous thing to do on occasion.

I agree with you on Beryl, I thought it was more short-term aid as Marion got used to raising the baby. I didn't think it will be full time or last forever. But it was a way for the sisters to reconnect, and in the end Beryl wanted her sister and baby to thrive.

[Dr.OO7]

8 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I guess the sister can leave her own home and job everyday to go bathe the baby, make the formula, sterilize the bottles, heat water, wash the diapers hang them up.

I didn't like that. As bitchy as the sister was, it's not fair to expect her to give up her life to be her niece's surrogate mother. They're entitled to help from the government, make use of that.

13 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Dr McNulty gave her an (unnecessary) episiotomy

I also got the feeling he'd done it badly because he was high. His hands were clearly shaking when he unwrapped the instruments.

[Kohola3]

58 minutes ago, theatremouse said:

I thought he'd changed the register to indicate he gave her more than he had in order to cover what he'd already taken himself (which may or may not have involved giving her a slightly smaller dose or none at all). But I thought I saw something where Sister Frances had already written it out and he changed what was there.

Dr. F had already signed out 50 mg and drawn it up into a syringe which was in the basin.  He signed for another 50 mg but took the unopened vial with him.  

3 minutes ago, Camille said:

I also got the feeling he'd done it badly because he was high. His hands were clearly shaking when he unwrapped the instruments.

And Sr. F mentioned something about the amount of blood.  So sounds like he botched it.

[dargosmydaddy]

27 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

And Sr. F mentioned something about the amount of blood.  So sounds like he botched it.

Yet when Dr. Turner popped in, he didn't seem at all alarmed and was just like, "Good job, carry on," so he couldn't have botched it that badly...?

The whole scene was just odd. Sister Frances or Miss Higgins (or both?) clearly alerted Dr. Turner that something was up/ they needed him, and I get that by the time he came, the baby had been born and everything appeared to be under control, but his quick, cheery pop-in seemed like not enough time to assess whether Dr. McNulty had messed anything up. 

[caitmcg]

4 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Yet when Dr. Turner popped in, he didn't seem at all alarmed and was just like, "Good job, carry on," so he couldn't have botched it that badly...?

The whole scene was just odd. Sister Frances or Miss Higgins (or both?) clearly alerted Dr. Turner that something was up/ they needed him, and I get that by the time he came, the baby had been born and everything appeared to be under control, but his quick, cheery pop-in seemed like not enough time to assess whether Dr. McNulty had messed anything up. 

I assumed Sister Frances told Dr Turner they needed his attention, but clearly she didn’t mention the episiotomy and the way Dr McNulty carried out (without discussing it with his patient beforehand, evidently). When Turner came in and saw mother and apparently healthy newborn he seems to have concluded that he wasn’t needed and all was well.

Sister Frances may be finding her voice and confidence in her profession, but her hesitance in speaking up in this case isn’t serving her patients well. Even if she doesn’t realize he’s using, she knows he’s not using best practices. In one of the recent episodes, we saw Dr Turner stopping one of the doctors in training (I don’t remember which one) from doing an unwarranted episiotomy, so I thought in this case it was him doing something that he should have known better than to, because he was high, not on his game, and wanted to hurry the process.

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

That;s a common rule in religious convents.  Growing up as a Catholic, the nuns were never, ever seen eating in public.  They had to only eat in a private area with only other nuns present.  Just one of those community rules.  Some consider it eating only with their "family".

I think that they are reflecting the reality of the 1960's where men rule the family and spousal abuse was tolerated way differently than it is today.  Back then if she didn't just escape and run she would have been expected to go back to him no matter how horribly she was treated.  Men ruled and women had very little to say - a woman was expected to do whatever necessary to "make her man happy".  I think that's why she kept saying that men weren't to be trusted. It sounds like she may have requested help before, maybe from the police, but was always disappointed.  All speculation on my part but she made a point of talking about how men couldn't be trusted.

No! I was referring to Marion’s husband not the abusive drunk. I would never want him around the baby! Read my prior posts! 

Edited May 11, 2020 by LittleIggy

[Badger]

Sister Julienne was eating a choc ice which I think is like a British version of a Klondike bar.

Another theory I've seen about Dr. McNulty is that he was having withdrawal symptoms and that he wanted Yvonne's baby born as soon as possible so he could get his fix.  

Many years ago, I worked with a woman who had been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.  Anyway, she said that one thing her doctor stressed to her was the importance of "learning to be handicapped."  Not in the sense of being dependent but being willing to ask for and accept help when you need it.

 

 

[txhorns79]

I had very little patience for Marion.  I get that she feels less than and she doesn't want to be treated as though she is per se unfit to raise a child.  Having said that, the blanket refusal to accept outside help when it was obvious she needed it just made me crazy.   It's such a selfish response, even if she was making it out of fear.  

14 hours ago, debraran said:

I thought the drunk husband probably fit many but a bit overkill with the holding of the bottle every time, I think we got he was a jerk quite quickly. I'm sure a relative isn't that hard to find either but hopefully she is well in the land of midwife fiction somewhere.

I did wonder why they went so overboard with the character.  I mean, when Trixie had her drinking problem, it wasn't like they had her show up for births with half-filled whiskey bottles ready to party ala Kristen Wiig's character on the plane in Bridesmaids.        

[3 is enough]

Just wondering if the lack of Trixie-centric stroylines this season was intentional.  Helen George had a baby last year and maybe she wanted a somewhat reduced filming schedule while she was caring for her infant. 

Also, weren't episiotomies a lot more common back in the 60's?  I feel like the movement to stop performing them unless absolutely necessary didn't happen until the 1980's-90's.  So maybe that's why Dr Turner didn't notice anything amiss.  

[dargosmydaddy]

1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

Helen George had a baby last year and maybe she wanted a somewhat reduced filming schedule while she was caring for her infant. 

Her daughter was born in 2017, though it could still be George's decision to have a lighter workload. I'm trying to remember if we had more Trixie last year (when her baby was even younger)? She also was in a play this past winter... not sure if preparations for that might have lightened her CtM workload?

Edited May 12, 2020 by dargosmydaddy

[3 is enough]

9 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Her daughter was born in 2017, though it could still be George's decision to have a lighter workload. I'm trying to remember if we had more Trixie last year (when her baby was even younger)? She also was in a play this past winter... not sure if preparations for that might have lightened her CtM workload?

Wow.  I could have sworn it was last year. 🤦‍♀️ 

[angora]

22 hours ago, caitmcg said:

In one of the recent episodes, we saw Dr Turner stopping one of the doctors in training (I don’t remember which one) from doing an unwarranted episiotomy, so I thought in this case it was him doing something that he should have known better than to, because he was high, not on his game, and wanted to hurry the process.

It was Dr. McNulty, with Valerie stopping him, so that's twice we've seen him slice-happy during a delivery. It was interesting to see him attempting to explain his actions to Sister Frances later, saying that he was trying to make it easier/faster because he couldn't bear to see Mrs. Smith pushing so hard. It suggests his underlying motivation, misguidedly, is a desire to cause the patients LESS pain (although an episiotomy is a piss-poor way to do it, and here, he was clearly in no state to be doing anything delicate.) Given that his addiction seems to have begun with this injury and that lingering pain continues to be a part of it, it makes a weird sort of sense; he abuses pills in part because he's afraid of his own pain, so he jumps to drastic measures to try and "help" others "avoid" it. Although, again, thinking that an episiotomy is a great Plan-A solution to REDUCE pain is absurd.

My hope, even though we never actually saw it, is that Marion WILL be having a home aide and that Beryl is more just helping out in a regular, sisterly way as they repair their relationship. The other blind mother they spoke to urged Marion to accept help and specifically said, "You're entitled," which suggests more professional help than personal. If she had the same aide coming regularly, that person would cease to be a stranger, just like she got more accepting of Trixie's help, and it'd just be better for everyone involved. Then, as Marion got the hang of things more and figured out what kind of methods she needed to succeed, they could cut back as needed.

[JudyObscure]

17 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Having said that, the blanket refusal to accept outside help when it was obvious she needed it just made me crazy.   It's such a selfish response, even if she was making it out of fear.  

I agree.  When she smacked the doll in the face, or after she splashed the scalding water, I thought that would be her wake-up call that not having help would endanger the baby.  "I don't want a stranger around," was very selfish.  I wish they had reminded her that Trixie had been a stranger a few weeks ago and that the helper wouldn't need to be there every minute.  If the aid came in the morning, prepared the bottles and bathed the baby, it probably would have been okay to leave mother and baby alone until the father got home.

These days, both she and her sister, would have been given genetic counselling before deciding to have children.  It's a big decision when you carry a serious disease.

3 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

Also, weren't episiotomies a lot more common back in the 60's?  I feel like the movement to stop performing them unless absolutely necessary didn't happen until the 1980's-90's.  So maybe that's why Dr Turner didn't notice anything amiss.  

I had an easy birth in 1968 (about three hours from first cramp to birth) and still had an episiotomy.  They told me it was routine, that they did it to everyone. I didn't feel it at all and they explained that the pressing of the baby's head numbs the area. The doctors seemed to think it was better to make a neat cut that was easily stitched up after the birth than to have lots of stretching.  We all then had stitches that required heat lamp sessions afterward in the hospital and soaking in a sitz bath every day for weeks later.  

The woman screaming, "You cut me!" was just one more of those furiously, outspoken Poplar women we've been getting this season.  They all seem unrealistically over the top to me. 

It must be the director!  Maybe May and Angela have requested a more realistic reaction to "Go out and play", but the powers that be override them. 😉

 

[Badger]

Regarding May and Angela, the girl who plays May is a child model.  The girl who plays Angela is the daughter of one of the worker bees on the show.  I don't remember if she works in the makeup or costume department but I'm pretty sure it's one of those.  I'm not certain that she is still attached to the show though.

[MissLucas]

1 hour ago, angora said:

 It suggests his underlying motivation, misguidedly, is a desire to cause the patients LESS pain (although an episiotomy is a piss-poor way to do it, and here, he was clearly in no state to be doing anything delicate.) Given that his addiction seems to have begun with this injury and that lingering pain continues to be a part of it, it makes a weird sort of sense; he abuses pills in part because he's afraid of his own pain, so he jumps to drastic measures to try and "help" others "avoid" it. Although, again, thinking that an episiotomy is a great Plan-A solution to REDUCE pain is absurd.

That was my reading of the scene too - especially in context of the last episode. He's clearly not over what happened there and the combination of sheer unbearable emotional pain and physical pain was pushing him over the edge. Both with regards to self-medicating and trying to 'help' a patient in pain. 

[MaryHedwig]

On 5/11/2020 at 11:13 AM, TomGirl said:

Wasn’t Sister Julienne snacking on something at the movies?

But that's because she was breaking bad.

[Calvada]

Wasn't it thought that an episiotomy was better than tearing, that it sped up delivery, and resulted in less infection and quicker healing?   And now isn't it the standard belief that most women heal better with some tearing rather than cutting?  It all sounds awful.  What's amazing to me is that many women decide to go through this more than once!