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Modern Midwives Blog
Sometimes, when it rains, it pours, and that’s just how it feels at times for the people of Poplar this week... but rest assured, not all is lost!
There’s always hope with Nonnatus House nearby, and it arrives just in time for the people who need it most – along with a new pupil midwife.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest episode.
Preparations are in order for tomorrow’s arrival of Sister Catherine, the newest pupil midwife to join the ranks of Nonnatus House. Bring out the brooms, dust sweepers, and fresh (or not so fresh?) linens – it’s cleaning time! And of course, let us not forget the hefty-sized desk that Fred is tasked with fitting inside the bedroom.
On second thought, was that the sound of the doorbell? Indeed, Sister Julienne descends the stairs to find Sister Catherine waiting at the front door. Although she has arrived a day early, the midwives quickly welcome the bright-eyed Sister to their home.
Unlike more recent pupils, Sister Catherine is a postulant, meaning she’s here to study both religion and midwifery. Needless to say, she will have a lot on her plate in the coming weeks.
Over at the maternity ward, Dr. Turner and Miss Higgins exchange their concerns over the low sign-up rate for the measles vaccine. However, their discussion is interrupted by Mrs. Peggy Wrigley, whom Nurse Crane recognizes as the mother of Gail Mason, another expectant mother.
But today, Mrs. Wrigley is here for her own needs, not her daughter’s. Once inside Dr. Turner’s office, she works up the courage to tell him that she suspects she’s pregnant again. As a 46-year-old mother of seven children, Peggy can’t fathom the idea of supporting another baby, especially considering her husband, Jim, is currently out of work.
Day in and day out, Peggy feels the struggle of keeping all her children fed and sheltered – and she’s exhausted. For Peggy, there’s a clear solution to her problem… However, while they are now legal in Britain, the law requires every decision behind a pregnancy termination to be made carefully, with more than one doctor signing off on the operation.
Dr. Turner tells Peggy he will send her to St. Cuthbert’s for further assessment.
Elsewhere in Poplar, Shelagh pops into Mrs. Wallace’s laundromat where she runs into Mrs. Jill Trottwood and her disabled son, Andrew. While Jill finishes folding the rest of her laundry, Andrew becomes significantly more antsy and accidentally hurts himself.
Thankfully, Andrew’s cut doesn’t require any stitches – just some cleaning and bandaging, which Shelagh starts on right away.
Jill explains that Andrew was like “any other child” until he was two years old and contracted the measles virus. It turned into a brain infection, which led to his disability. Andrew’s condition also leaves him prone to seizures.
Caring for her son on her own isn’t easy, but Jill loves Andrew for who he is, and she’s grateful to have him in her life.
Over at the maternity clinic, Peggy accompanies her eldest daughter, Gail Mason, to her check-up. With Gail’s husband away, Peggy worries her daughter isn’t able to manage on her own – and she kind of has a point. Nurse Crane notices some dark circles underneath the young mother’s eyes, a sign that Gail isn’t getting the sleep and rest she needs during pregnancy.
Fortunately, Gail’s tests show no indication of preeclampsia, but she does have high blood pressure. That’s the last straw for Peggy: Gail needs to move back home with her family for some proper looking after – no “ifs” or “buts” permitted.
And, just to stay on the safe side, Nurse Crane will regularly drop in on Gail at home to monitor her blood pressure.
On their way out of the appointment, Peggy catches a private moment with Nurse Crane. She asks the nurse to refrain from mentioning to her daughter that she is also seeing Dr. Turner. For now, her pregnancy is a secret she wishes to keep to herself.
If there’s one person at Nonnatus House who holds unwavering convictions about recreation time, it would be none other than Sister Monica Joan. But she quickly discovers the newest resident of Nonnatus House needs a little help with the "task."
Since joining the Order, Sister Catherine admits she’s struggled with recreation time. As a young girl, she was passionate about trampolining – but as she remarks to Sister Monica Joan, there is nothing “ecclesiastical” about such an activity. She also gave crocheting a go, but in the end, settled on origami as her preferred activity.
Sister Catherine continues to express some uncertainty later, during her Bible study with Sister Julienne. Is she supposed to know what she thinks about everything? As of late, she feels she has no definitive answers.
To the young pupil’s relief, Sister Julienne reminds her that they all must journey through faith. Without the presence of doubt, one would be unable to experience clarity.
Following Andrew’s minor accident at the laundromat, Shelagh stops by the Trottwood’s flat to check in on the young boy and Jill. Unfortunately, Andrew’s hand has developed a minor infection and will require an antibiotic cream.
During the visit, Jill explains to Shelagh that Mr. Trottwood was unable to love Andrew the same way after his son developed mental and physical disabilities and ultimately left them.
While Jill is overwhelmingly grateful to have Andrew in her life, the toll of being his sole caregiver weighs heavily on her – especially while working from home to support them. In the past, her stress was mitigated when Andrew was able to attend an Essex school for children with disabilities – plus, he was able to learn. Yet, for some reason beyond her knowledge, the council withdrew the funds used to pay for Andrew to go there.
Shelagh promises to look into the issue, and true to her word, immediately turns to Sister Veronica for help.
Later on, the government representative informs Sister Veronica that in order for the council to reconsider its position, Andrew’s case requires many forms to be filled out. But this is Sister Veronica, after all, and absolutely nothing can deter her. As she cheekily informs the councilman, “Forms are meat and drink to me.”
As promised, Nurse Crane drops in at the Wrigley household to check on Gail’s high blood pressure. Although the mother-to-be is still spending more time on her feet than she should, her health vitals indicate no cause for concern.
Based on the way Gail describes her husband, it sounds as though the two parents will make a supportive team when it comes to raising their child… unlike Gail’s own father, Jim, who (Gail complains) played no part in helping Peggy tend to all seven of their children.
Their discussion is cut short, however, by some rattling down the hallway: Peggy is back from her errands. But as she staggers through the doorway, Nurse Crane and Gail quickly realize something is wrong. Peggy is in obvious distress and showing signs of a miscarriage.
Shortly after, Dr. Turner arrives on the scene to confirm Peggy’s suspected miscarriage. Due to the amount of blood she lost, Dr. Turners insists on sending her to the hospital to undergo a procedure that will help her avoid additional complications.
Not long after, the mother and daughter arrive at St. Cuthbert’s. Dr. Wilkins explains her procedure and also walks through the logistics of sterilization.
A few hours later, Jim Wrigley arrives at the hospital waiting room to greet an anxious Gail. The eldest Wrigley daughter is frustrated with her father for his delay in getting to St. Cuthbert’s. She explains to him the situation they’re in: Peggy is in the operation room due to her miscarriage.
With little time to process this information, Dr. Wilkins appears and delivers the tragic news. During the surgery, Gail experienced complications, and unfortunately, the medical team was unable to save her.
Both father and daughter are at a loss for words over the news – the most important woman in both their lives is suddenly gone, leaving the entire family in shambles.
Reports of Peggy’s tragic passing reach Nonnatus House and Dr. Turner’s clinic. But for Miss Higgins, her top concern of the day lies elsewhere.
Despite ample effort to boost appointment registrations for the measles vaccine, the numbers still remain alarmingly low. She hopes that more pamphlets and posters will provoke more sign-ups, but the clock is ticking.
No words can accurately encapsulate the pain one experiences when losing a parent. In the wake of Peggy’s death, the Wrigley family attempts to move forward, but inevitably, tensions rise between Jim and Gail.
Under the circumstances she’s under, Gail is managing the best she can. But grieving takes time, and Nurse Crane believes that the soon-mother-to-be would benefit from bed rest in the maternity ward.
Nurse Crane leaves Sister Catherine to tend to the Wrigley children. She leads the family through some arts and crafts – complete with paper airplanes! – and prepares some dinner for them, much to Jim’s appreciation.
Considering Sister Catherine’s background at a children’s hospital, it’s no surprise how easily she can relate to the young ones. However, the true test for her will be how well she can support mothers during childbirth….
As the days roll by, no promising development emerges regarding Andrew’s chance of attending school. Sister Veronica is still doing her best to get solutions – and now Violet is on the case, so it’s only a matter of time before they get to the bottom of things!
Meanwhile, Jill’s eyes catch a hold of something in the street – one of Miss Higgins’ posters promoting the measles vaccine. And just like that, an idea is sparked!
Jill rushes inside Dr. Turner’s office to request more measles-related leaflets. Soon after, Jill and Andrew set up outside the school. As mothers and children exit out of the dismissal doors, Jill hands the parents flyers and tells their story, urging them to sign their children up for vaccinations.
A little afternoon sweet treat, courtesy of Sister Monica Joan? Yes, please!
Deep in the throes of her studying, Sister Catherine is pleasantly surprised by Sister Monica Joan and her plate of chocolate digestives. There’s nothing like a satisfying sweet treat before getting asked the light, existential question, “Is this the life you imagined?”
Sister Catherine’s response is that it was the one she was called to – she “didn’t dare imagine much” as she “just listened to God’s voice.”
Sister Monica Joan agrees, but she remains curious as to what God asked Sister Catherine to surrender. When Sister Catherine responds with the obvious answer, “everything,” Sister Monica Joan presses her for more.
Upon deeper reflection, she starts to understand that “everything” ultimately means surrendering the option to make choices – the thing the young Sister seems to miss most of all. Her realization leaves us wondering… was her “everything” more than she bargained for?
Three cheers for Jill Trottwood! Thanks to her noble efforts, Dr. Turner’s office has a full list of sign ups for the measles vaccine.
But now there’s another problem – as vaccination day descends upon Poplar, Dr. Turner learns the vaccine shipments won’t arrive in time due to a neighboring railroad strike.
What does this mean? Only that all the work Jill and the medical team put forth to increase vaccine registration could all be for not! Even if the clinic could reschedule the appointments for tomorrow, there’s no guarantee all the mothers would show up again.
Thanks to Dr. Turner’s smart thinking, he realizes there’s a potential solution. Rather than wait for the vaccines to ship tomorrow, he can drive over to the factory to collect the boxes himself. The timing is very tight, but Sister Veronica and Shelagh manage to convince the patients to wait while Dr. Turner embarks on his time-crunching mission.
With good fortune on Dr. Turner's side, he manages to collect and deliver the vaccines just in time!
The much-anticipated moment is finally here for Gail. It's not long now before she brings her baby into this world. But Nurse Crane quickly recognizes Gail is struggling without her mother by her side.
However, there’s a possible solution; her dad is in the waiting room! There’s still some underlying tension between the two, but Nurse Crane makes the case to Jim that his daughter needs him now more than ever – and that says a lot because Nurse Crane typically frowns upon having men in the delivery rooms.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Jim decides to give his full, unwavering support to Gail – even if that means witnessing (gulp!) childbirth. Just as Nurse Crane suspected, his attendance calms Gail down and provides her the strength to push… welcoming a beautiful baby girl!
With the success of the measles vaccine clinic, there’s a lot to celebrate – particularly Jill’s contribution to the impressive turnout.
And finally – and we really mean finally – Jill receives some optimistic news regarding Andrew’s prospect of attending school. Thanks to Violet’s direct appeal to the Education Committee, the government will now review Andrew’s current arrangements as “a matter of urgency.”
Although the letter provides no definitive confirmation of a favorable outcome, it still provides positivity for Jill nonetheless. At long last, she has some hope to cling on to. In the meantime, Andrew has found a new group of friends to take him in – the Cubs!
After such an emotionally-draining week in Poplar, the midwives gather to enjoy a much-needed recreation time. Sister Catherine shows off her intricate origami skills while Sister Monica Joan "experiments" with a way to turn on the television. To each their own, as they say.
Forgot how we got here? Catch up on “Call the Midwife” with the Season 14, Episode 3 Recap.
