Call the midwife and the Duggars

[homeschoolmomma1]

Okay, so I rented Call the Midwife from the library. I was shocked to see the first episode reminded me of the Duggars and all Fundies. The lady the new midwife was caring for was pregnant with her 25th baby. She had 2 set of twins so pregnant in total 23 times since the age of 14. It got me thinking. What if Michelle had started earlier than 21? I have to say the doctors were mad on the show that she was having her 25th baby.

 

All her last babies were healthy; the last was sick and a preemie like Michelle.

The lady had Preeclampsia

I don't know just a lot of similarities

 

The show takes place in 1957 I believe

[Free2BeMe]

25 babies, that means her cervix has dilated that many times-ouch.

If that happened in real life, ditch the hotdog in a hallway visual and go with the barge on the mississippi.

Can you imagine having that many children?

If Michelle had started at 14 instead of waiting, it would take at least 5 mins just to list all the kids names and then she could announce- with quite the fanfare- "and yes, I delivered alllllllllllllllllllll of them"

[FairyPrincessK]

Not to mention that the show is set in one of the poorest areas of London in the post-war reconstruction period and based on the midwife's memoirs. Rationing had only ended a few years before and malnutrition was still a problem, as was a lack of sanitation. Many of the residences featured either shared their bathroom or did not have indoor plumbing yet. The fact that boob and mullet resemble the conditions in this programme in your eyes says a lot.

I'd love to compare their diet of tater tot casseroles and dump and bake dinners to postwar nutrition in Lodon's east end. Something tells me that for all of the problems with distributing orange juice and milk in post war Britian it was still healthier than day to day Duggar dining.

[crassy]

Okay, so I rented Call the Midwife from the library. I was shocked to see the first episode reminded me of the Duggars and all Fundies. The lady the new midwife was caring for was pregnant with her 25th baby. She had 2 set of twins so pregnant in total 23 times since the age of 14. It got me thinking. What if Michelle had started earlier than 21? I have to say the doctors were mad on the show that she was having her 25th baby.

All her last babies were healthy; the last was sick and a preemie like Michelle.

The lady had Preeclampsia

I don't know just a lot of similarities

The show takes place in 1957 I believe

I really like this show a lot, we are into the second season now (it started a few weeks ago) and this one is better than the first. I read the book when it came out (it is of the same name) about 10 years ago and loved it. I spoke to my husband's grandmother about it (she grew up in a poor area of Newcastle and lived in the east end of London during the war before moving north to Dalwhinnie) and she said that was pretty much what it was like. She had all four of her children at home, two of them on her kitchen table by herself.

[saraelise]

I was rewatching Call the Midwife recently, and I thought about the Duggars when I watched that episode too. I also can't help but wonder if fundies wouldn't looooooove to marry off their daughters in their teens so they would get everything they could out of the prime childbearing years.

[Sola]

Tried to reply earlier but either the interwebz or my pad ate it.

I love Call the Midwife. Series two has just started over here. I've read the books too and life during that time was tragic. I find it hard to believe sometimes that fundies and the right wingers would like us to return to that.

Last night I watch the UK version of 16 kids and Counting. It was far better than the Duggar one. The mother and eldest daughter both gave birth in last nights episode, neither of them on the toilet either! I think this mother could give Jchelle a run for her money as she's only 37 now. She had her first at 14 too. But they were much more normal than the Duggars, it was quite refreshing.

[FairyPrincessK]

I've started watching the second series as well. Slightly off topic, I guess, but not really. Did any of you happen to see the Christmas special? I watched it with the inlaws and we all agreed that it was not in keeping with the series. There was so much biblical/saviour imagery it was ridiculous. Usually the programme is about the transition from the old religous and charity based social care to state run social welfare programmes, but all of the washing of the feet, young girl giving birth in unsuitable conditions with an unplanned pregnancy and the washing clean of the work house experience had a very relgious (almost Victorian!) feel to it. I'm pleased to see that the second series seems to be back on track!

[OkToBeTakei]

Tried to reply earlier but either the interwebz or my pad ate it.

I love Call the Midwife. Series two has just started over here. I've read the books too and life during that time was tragic. I find it hard to believe sometimes that fundies and the right wingers would like us to return to that.

Last night I watch the UK version of 16 kids and Counting. It was far better than the Duggar one. The mother and eldest daughter both gave birth in last nights episode, neither of them on the toilet either! I think this mother could give Jchelle a run for her money as she's only 37 now. She had her first at 14 too. But they were much more normal than the Duggars, it was quite refreshing.

I watched that Sola. It was refreshing, I'm sure some may snark and there may be reasons to snark on them. But I found them real, if a bit mad in a totally nice but chaotic way. Did you see the Dad cooking? FRESH VEG! Mum doing all the housework. The Dad came off as just loving his kids and both seemed so laid back. That holiday was NUTS :lol:

[grovelina]

I was rewatching Call the Midwife recently, and I thought about the Duggars when I watched that episode too. I also can't help but wonder if fundies wouldn't looooooove to marry off their daughters in their teens so they would get everything they could out of the prime childbearing years.

I think that having the girls around to help raise the younger kids outweighs the desire for them to start their own lives/broods. They are needed for their mother's sanity. Who else would do unpaid drudge work to help a mother of 20 sort out the mess she got herself into (with her husband's help, of course)?

[Sola]

I watched that Sola. It was refreshing, I'm sure some may snark and there may be reasons to snark on them. But I found them real, if a bit mad in a totally nice but chaotic way. Did you see the Dad cooking? FRESH VEG! Mum doing all the housework. The Dad came off as just loving his kids and both seemed so laid back. That holiday was NUTS :lol:

Dad up at Stupid O'clock to go to work then coming back home to help the mum get the kids up and ready. Can you imagine Dim Bulb doing that? None of the babies palmed off to a Sister-mom either. I didn't agree with one thing though, the kids should do chores to help out. Not Duggar-style where the kids do everything while the mother does fuck all, but the kids can and should do something. My kids do chores to their abilities and I consider it part of life skills. It wasn't fair at all that the mother did all the housework. That's a huge amount of housework each day. Other than that and the kids being a little nuts, they were a really good family. The Duggars could learn so much from them.

BTW, what the hell is that in your avi?

[greek_chorus]

I've started watching the second series as well. Slightly off topic, I guess, but not really. Did any of you happen to see the Christmas special? I watched it with the inlaws and we all agreed that it was not in keeping with the series. There was so much biblical/saviour imagery it was ridiculous. Usually the programme is about the transition from the old religous and charity based social care to state run social welfare programmes, but all of the washing of the feet, young girl giving birth in unsuitable conditions with an unplanned pregnancy and the washing clean of the work house experience had a very relgious (almost Victorian!) feel to it. I'm pleased to see that the second series seems to be back on track!

I finally got around to watching the Christmas Special over the weekend and I liked it. I chalked up all the religious imagery to it being Christmas and figured things would return to normal in series 2. I'm glad that's the case and can't wait until March when it airs in the States on PBS.

[OkToBeTakei]

Dad up at Stupid O'clock to go to work then coming back home to help the mum get the kids up and ready. Can you imagine Dim Bulb doing that? None of the babies palmed off to a Sister-mom either. I didn't agree with one thing though, the kids should do chores to help out. Not Duggar-style where the kids do everything while the mother does fuck all, but the kids can and should do something. My kids do chores to their abilities and I consider it part of life skills. It wasn't fair at all that the mother did all the housework. That's a huge amount of housework each day. Other than that and the kids being a little nuts, they were a really good family. The Duggars could learn so much from them.

BTW, what the hell is that in your avi?

Fundie food staple. Canned whole chicken :lol:

Yes agree about the chore thing. Did see them set the table etc. But throwing their clothes down the stairs was not really a help. Maybe the older ones do help and we did not see? Because Granny seemed a bit too overwhelmed just with the kids never mind the housework when she was staying. I'd take them any day over the Duggars.

The dad in his shop moving the wee kids around was funny, I also thought them cutting out pastry was NOT staged the way these things are in Duggar world. First thing Mum noticed on coming home 'holey' socks. Michelle is probably surprised hers have feet! PROPER school shoes also. The comparisons are endless. :lol:

[Irishy]

Dad up at Stupid O'clock to go to work then coming back home to help the mum get the kids up and ready. Can you imagine Dim Bulb doing that? None of the babies palmed off to a Sister-mom either. I didn't agree with one thing though, the kids should do chores to help out. Not Duggar-style where the kids do everything while the mother does fuck all, but the kids can and should do something. My kids do chores to their abilities and I consider it part of life skills. It wasn't fair at all that the mother did all the housework. That's a huge amount of housework each day. Other than that and the kids being a little nuts, they were a really good family. The Duggars could learn so much from them.

BTW, what the hell is that in your avi?

I watched it too. Refreshingly un-Duggar like. The oldest children seem to be pretty free of childcare duties but I agree, they could be a bit more organised with the chores. They seem to be supporting themselves well enough with their bakery so if they wang to have 16 kids, let them at it. I do see her popping out at least another 2 though.

[Irishy]

I really like call the midwife. Especially Chummy! She is hilarious. This season, I predict the Scottish nun will leave the convent. I see they're gearing up for that already and they doctor may or may not feature.

[Sola]

BTW, what the hell is that in your avi?

Fundie food staple. Canned whole chicken :lol:

*hurls*

And people eat this?

[dora]

I've just read these books this week, haven't seen the tv series yet. I think they main difference is that for those women, large families were inevitable, and they weren't submitting to their heard ships out of some idea of holiness. They had to. Had they been offered a reliable form of contraception most of them would have taken it. The book notes that within a decade of when the pill was introduced the birth rate fell from something like 100 deliveries a month by the midwives to 4-5.

[FairyPrincessK]

I finally got around to watching the Christmas Special over the weekend and I liked it. I chalked up all the religious imagery to it being Christmas and figured things would return to normal in series 2. I'm glad that's the case and can't wait until March when it airs in the States on PBS.

You're probably right--it was just the only episode my OH saw and it put him right off. He now refuses to watch the rest with me, which is just as well. He likes to talk when he watches things, so I'll enjoy the peace. :mrgreen:

[OkToBeTakei]

*hurls*

And people eat this?

Apparently so :shock:

[Abi]

Ahhh, I love Call The Midwife, and was completely unaware it had started back for series 2 :(

BBC iplayer, here I come...

[Chowder Head]

Love thr show. I sat down with my husband and 7 yr old niece to watch the first show. My niece very seriously said I am adopting during the first birthing scence. That was months ago. Recently played life with her...told me she was still adopting.

[saraelise]

I've just read these books this week, haven't seen the tv series yet. I think they main difference is that for those women, large families were inevitable, and they weren't submitting to their heard ships out of some idea of holiness. They had to. Had they been offered a reliable form of contraception most of them would have taken it. The book notes that within a decade of when the pill was introduced the birth rate fell from something like 100 deliveries a month by the midwives to 4-5.

They actually are offered contraceptives in the tv show, although only condoms because the pill wasn't available in the UK yet. There's a scene where they have a contraceptives class and they get into a bit of a religious discussion but the verdict ends up being that it's ok because God's place isn't in the bedroom.

I haven't read the books yet, so it's possible the scene was added for the benefit of modern audiences?

[FairyPrincessK]

There is also evidence of the availability of condoms in the second season, although I won't go into details for those of you who won't be able to watch it yet. I think condom usage was still fairly stigmatized then. Even if it was available (to married women!) and in theory was acceptable, I think many men refused and community gossips still frowned on it.

[Sola]

There is also evidence of the availability of condoms in the second season, although I won't go into details for those of you who won't be able to watch it yet. I think condom usage was still fairly stigmatized then. Even if it was available (to married women!) and in theory was acceptable, I think many men refused and community gossips still frowned on it.

Condoms weren't that readily available during that time period. I'm not sure what year the Family Planning Assoc began and when it started giving out free condoms, but in the 1950s they wouldn't have been that easy to get hold of. For starters you would have only got them if you were married and you would have had to ask for them in a chemist. Many people would have been far too self conscious to do that. If you were lucky you might have got some on the NHS - nowadays when you've given birth you go home from the hospital with a bag of condoms and you;re asked what you contraception plans are. But I'm not sure what would have happened then. Had you been Catholic, there is no way you would have touched a condom or any contraception. It's only in recent years that Catholic families here in the UK have started to have smaller families. When I was at school, all the Catholic girls I knew came from big families.

Like you said, many men refused to use them. The condoms back then weren't the thin ones you get now. They were thick and would have reduced sensation. Sex education was none existent and a lot of people wouldn't have even know how to put a condom on properly. Having kid after kid after kid was just the norm for many poor women.

[SoybeanQueen]

It makes me laugh to imagine that, sometime soon, some hapless person will search on the words "canned whole chicken" and wonder why they get so many links to a site called Free Jinger.

[docmom]

Condoms weren't that readily available during that time period. I'm not sure what year the Family Planning Assoc began and when it started giving out free condoms, but in the 1950s they wouldn't have been that easy to get hold of. For starters you would have only got them if you were married and you would have had to ask for them in a chemist. Many people would have been far too self conscious to do that. If you were lucky you might have got some on the NHS - nowadays when you've given birth you go home from the hospital with a bag of condoms and you;re asked what you contraception plans are. But I'm not sure what would have happened then. Had you been Catholic, there is no way you would have touched a condom or any contraception. It's only in recent years that Catholic families here in the UK have started to have smaller families. When I was at school, all the Catholic girls I knew came from big families.

Like you said, many men refused to use them. The condoms back then weren't the thin ones you get now. They were thick and would have reduced sensation. Sex education was none existent and a lot of people wouldn't have even know how to put a condom on properly. Having kid after kid after kid was just the norm for many poor women.

At the beginning of the first season one of nuns, can't remember which one, says that she wished there was a way for the women to control the number of children they had. It really stuck out to me. They were Anglican nuns, though, right? The Anglican church is fine with contraception (ref: Meaning of Life every sperm is sacred skit)