I now have a new respect for the Midwives and Nuns of the 1940-50's era.....they were an extremely knowledgeable and formidable breed with unbelieveably immeasurable responsibilities.

Call the Midwife (book) - Wikipedia Call the Midwife (book) - Wikipedia

I regret that I have not been able to get to know the men of the East End. But it is quite impossible. I belong to the women's world, to the taboo subject of childbirth. The men are polite and respectful to us midwives, but completely withdrawn from any familiarity, let alone friendship. There is a total divide between what is called men's work and women's work. So, like Jane Austen, who in her writing never recorded a conversation between two men alone, because as a woman she could not know what exclusively male conversation would be like, I cannot record much about the men of Poplar, beyond superficial observation." Working side–by–side among the sisters, Worth soon learns that they, too, possess compelling histories. Sister Monica Joan is a mischievous and slightly dotty octogenarian when Worth meets her at Nonnatus House but in her youth, the sister defied her aristocratic family to become a nun and midwife, eventually delivering thousands of babies in London through the worst bombings of the Blitz. However, it is Sister Evangelina who most surprises Worth. After accompanying the abrupt and seemingly humorless nun on her rounds, Worth discovers that the sister is a war heroine who is beloved by her patients for her scatological tales and ability to emit a fart of Chaucerian proportions. Wise and saintly Sister Julienne is the stability of the convent, and clever Sister Bernadette is the perfect midwife.Funny, disturbing and incredibly moving, Jennifer's stories bring to life the colourful world of the East End in the 1950s. First, the voice of Jenny. She is candid and real - her storytelling doesn't sugar-coat her experiences or her mistakes. She never pretends that the East End was anything other than what it was: a hard place to live where people still found things worth living for. She shares her prejudices with us and shows us how they crumbled as she became more intimate with the people she cared for, both as a midwife and as a nurse. Life in the convent, its routines and relationships - Jenny relates these things with an unaffected and honest candor. Every once and a while the narrative felt a bit jumpy (moving between time periods, etc.), but because I was interested wherever she took me, it didn't bother me. Mystery and magic have always surrounded childbirth, mostly due to ignorance. Likewise midwives have been reviled and ridiculed, even feared as witches. Sex, birth, and death are still taboo subjects in varying degrees in different cultures. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jewels from Hatton Garden in the nun's room. These stories give a fascinating insight into the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties.

The True Stories Behind Call the Midwife - Yours The True Stories Behind Call the Midwife - Yours

Whilst the TV drama is a British favourite and now in its tenth series, we recommend reading the emotional and riveting true stories and memoirs that inspired the hit TV series, written by author and former nurse and midwife Jennifer Worth. She wrote: “The earlier seasons had wonderful blankets, scarves, sweaters, and mittens! I have vintage patterns books, but there are some unique hand knits in this programme!” If you’re a fan of the hit series and you’ve been wondering where Call the Midwife is filmed, put yourself in the picture and explore where the real drama happens with a Call the Midwife Official Location Tour. I know some readers took exception with a vividly described scene of a young girl's induction into prostitution. This was also a very memorable episode arc in the show. I think Jennifer Worth is to be commended for showing how gritty life could really be in the East End. While the show never attempts to shy away from the harsh realities that people were living in at the time, it's Jennifer Worth's words that really drive home the spirit of what the East End women really endured. No matter how harsh the realities are, new life endures, and with it, new hope.

In the UK midwives are still primarily responsible for assisting mothers through labour and delivery, attending over two-thirds of births and caring for and managing the wellbeing of mothers and babies. Should Doris have allowed Cyril to send away the baby she bore illegitimately? Did she have a choice? Jennifer Worth gives a down to earth account of life in the East End in the 1950/60s. In this book, she describes the harsh conditions of the original Workhouses and gives the history of two women who were badly affected. Worth retired from nursing in 1973 to pursue her musical interests. In 1974, she received a licentiate of the London College of Music, where she taught piano and singing. She obtained a fellowship in 1984. She performed as a soloist and with choirs throughout Britain and Europe. Q. That sounds like a formidable list. What was the attrition rate among young midwives you have worked with?

Call the Midwife - A Labour of Love by Stephen McGann Call the Midwife - A Labour of Love by Stephen McGann

According to the World Health Organisation, nurses and midwives account for nearly 50 per cent of the global health force so if you know someone who practices as a midwife or if you yourself were supported during childbirth, make sure to share a heartfelt thank you for all the work they do. More articles to read about Call the Midwife Fans on Facebook were overjoyed by the news, with one commenting: “I was hoping this would happen! Yay! This makes my heart happy. I love the cakes and treats on display from various episodes. I had wanted a dessert cookbook for cakes and desserts to look like the episodes in CTM. I will definitely be buying this!” Yes. And also because, aside from textbooks, there is no book in all American or European literature written by a midwife about midwifery. Given the enormity of the subject, that’s extraordinary!

Reflecting on midwifery today

Call the Midwife (later called Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s) is a memoir by Jennifer Worth, and the first in a trilogy of books describing her work as a district nurse and midwife in the East End of London during the 1950s. We celebrate the International Day of the Midwife 2021 (5 May) at Yours, learning more about the profession, its history and giving thanks to the wonderful midwives who have played a huge role in home-birthing. She worked with the Sisters of St John the Divine, an Anglican community of nuns, and focused her efforts on aiding the poor before becoming a ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Bloomsbury.

Call The Midwife: A True Story Of The East End In The 1950s Call The Midwife: A True Story Of The East End In The 1950s

Featuring 50 recipes written by author and leading food historian Annie Gray, the book is out now in both the US and the UK. Where can you buy it? After learning their respective histories, Worth radically changes her opinion of both Sister Evangelina and Mrs. Jenkins. Share an episode in your own life when your initial dislike for a person was transformed once you got to know him or her better. I'm writing this as I'm just about halfway through so I may revise this later. For now, oh man. I have some issues with this book. I started reading it after I watched all of the first season of Call the Midwife on Netflix. I loved the show and got excited to see they were based on actual books.As always there are heartbreaking stories such as the family devastated by tuberculosis and a ship's woman who 'serviced' the entire crew, as well as plenty of humour and warmth, such as the tale of two women who shared the same husband! Fear, perhaps. Fear of the power these things have over human life. Knowing that we don’t control everything, maybe. I’m not quite sure. Perhaps an anthropologist could tell you, or a philosopher.