Being a parent is so often about waiting.
Waiting for the due date.
For the first smile.
The first steps.
The first time wings take flight.
The years pass.
The clock ticks.
The heart beats faster.
And we wait.
Teddy, fetch Timothy's results.
Sorry!
The register, if you would, please,
Pupil Midwife Corrigan.
Good morning, ladies.
Good morning, Nurse Crane.
Now, Pupil Midwife Baines, you will come with me
to the maternity home this morning
and thereafter on today's post-natal home visits.
As we are deprived of the presence of Sister Hilda,
away on a refresher course, Pupil Midwife Cowan,
you will accompany Nurse Anderson,
and, Pupil Midwife Hopkiss, you will accompany Nurse Franklin.
Pupil Midwife Corrigan,
you will also come to the maternity home
and work under the supervision of Mrs Turner.
Yes, Nurse Crane.
Oh, a word, if I may, ladies, before you all
go stampeding off to get your bags.
The mercury is climbing.
What does every good midwife remember in a heatwave?
To drink plenty of water?
To attend to matters of personal daintiness!
Expectant mothers can have a heightened sense of smell,
and no-one enjoys the whiff of an unkempt armpit.
There is a jar of deodorant cream
in the downstairs lavatory
if anyone's been guilty of oversight!
Three As and a B!
You're into medical school, son!
I'm going to be a doctor!
Oh!
And bang on cue, the only electric fan we've got
has given up the ghost!
Palmers of Poplar are picking this up for
repair. It will have to go in the stairwell.
There's no room in here for redundant ironmongery.
Where is Pupil Midwife Corrigan?
I left her sorting out Mrs Smith's paperwork
for discharge.
In which case, consider me poised to intervene.
Oh, good morning, Mrs Owen.
And Jeanette.
Just three weeks until your due date, according to your notes!
We booked in to see the doctor.
Ah, yes. Routine tests.
Now, Jeanette doesn't attend our Tuesday clinic.
It clashed with school.
As it's now the holidays,
perhaps you'd like to reconsider.
Baby is in a very nice position now, Jeanette.
And the head's engaged.
Well, does that mean I'm having it now?
Nothing seems imminent.
You probably won't go into labour for a couple of weeks,
according to your dates. The schools go back
the first week of September.
She's meant to be starting sixth form. All in good time.
Would you like us to talk to the adoption society
and keep them up-to-date?
No.
I'm happy dealing with all that.
They couldn't have been more helpful.
Are you happy with that, Jeanette?
I'm trying not to think about it, to be honest.
I'm mainly worried about my O-level results.
And my A-levels after that.
Well, there's never any harm in looking to the future.
University.
That's her future.
You'll get there.
Things seem to be ticking over nicely.
I live in dread of the lift breaking down,
but you can't have everything.
And the nappies dry lovely on the balcony,
we're so high up.
You're getting nicely ahead with preparations for Baby.
Sort of. These are really Elaine's.
One pair of surgical-grade support stockings,
unworn, from our own supplies.
Don't they come as tights?
No, they do not.
Perhaps your mother can lend you a suspender belt?
Or purchase a maternity girdle...
Thank you, Miss Higgins. You've been so helpful.
Everybody's been helpful.
Another exemplary reading.
As long as you keep taking the iron tablets,
I have no concerns at all.
You can look forward to a home delivery.
That's nice. I had Elaine at home,
when we were still in Edmonton. It was lovely.
Have you anyone to look after her whilst you're in labour?
Oh, we'll just pop her in the playpen and put the telly on for her.
She never gives me an ha'p'orth of trouble, do you, pet?
Have you got time for a cup of tea, Sister? I buy the bags now,
so it'll be quick! I'd like that very much.
Tea is so cooling on a sunny day.
I'm not nervous with this one, like I was with my first.
I've been sorting through all of Elaine's baby clothes,
just weeding out the pink knits in case I have a boy.
You can't really go wrong with white or lemon.
Hello, Elaine.
Have you got a smile for me?
I reckon she needs some fresh air.
I'll put her in her pushchair and take her to the swings later.
I didn't want to alarm Mrs Sands, but I'm fairly sure
that little Elaine is in need of
more than a breath of fresh air.
And there's no sign of infection or neglect?
Her mother dotes on her,
and she's beautifully clean and well looked after.
But she should be out of nappies, she isn't walking,
and I saw no evidence of speech development.
At this age, she's coming up for
a whole raft of routine tests,
but I don't think we should wait for that.
No.
Miss Higgins, can you add Elaine Sands
to my rounds for tomorrow? Your lists are full.
Perhaps I could call in on my way home?
That will not be necessary.
Mrs Sands is scheduled to attend clinic
tomorrow afternoon in order to adjust her milk tokens and have her routine tests.
Thank heavens for Miss Higgins
and her encyclopaedic knowledge of our patients!
Thank heavens indeed, Dr Turner!
We have an emergency on our hands.
There has been an incursion of water into my filing cabinets,
and I strongly suspect a leaking pipe!
It's just a split in the lead.
I'll have to slot a little bit of copper in.
Well, it'll take more than a little bit of copper
to save these records!
A significant percentage of them are stained,
and they will need to be thoroughly dried
before being inspected for legibility,
and then inserted in replacement Lloyd George cards!
Miss Higgins, tell me what I can do to help.
I require a washing line, some clothes pegs...
..and the assistance of a competent individual.
Good morning, Doctor.
Oh, and young Timothy,
to whom I believe the warmest congratulations are in order.
Thank you, Miss Higgins.
Edinburgh is one of the oldest and finest
medical schools in the world.
So what brings you here today?
I'm a competent individual,
and I've brought a washing line and clothes pegs.
Would someone like to recap the main tests carried out
after the birth and during the first few weeks of life?
Pupil Midwife Baines?
The Apgar score, recording weight gain and loss,
and the Phenistix urine test.
And what is that for?
Pupil Midwife Corrigan?
Phenylketonuria, otherwise known as PKU.
Any further details?
You can't test until the baby's about three weeks old.
And it's very, very, very rare.
So rare nobody ever really gets it.
Well, that's not entirely true, Pupil Midwife Hopkiss,
although it is exceptionally uncommon.
So why do we test every baby in the country?
It seems like a bit of a waste of resources to me.
PKU is a disease that's best caught early.
And the test is a recent discovery.
Sometimes we test because we can test.
No information, however we gather it,
can ever be said to be wasted.
Now, there is no formal test for it,
but what can you tell me about signs of tongue-tie?
You just need a nice lightweight maternity girdle
that can be rinsed through, Mrs Owen.
It will have clips for the support hose
and then a hook for the towels afterwards.
Shall I pop a packet of those in with the order?
Oh, poor love, she does look peaky.
Let me go and put the kettle on.
I usually make a cup of tea when ladies come in
for a layette visit. All adds to the fun.
I think it's best not to think of it as a layette visit.
Or fun. We're just here to take care of the necessaries.
The decision has been made.
I will still need to make sure
that we get the right size, Jeanette.
So just pop over to the counter
and I'll... I'll run the tape round you.
She got up too quickly.
No, I feel really light-headed.
I was like this this morning.
That sounds like blood pressure.
I think you should telephone the surgery.
Your blood pressure is 120/80, Jeanette.
Nurse Crane was right about those swollen ankles.
I should have had the stockings on!
Jeanette, swollen ankles are quite common
towards the end of pregnancy.
But I think you might have developed a condition
called pre-eclampsia.
I've read about that.
Teenage mothers are quite prone to it, aren't they?
Yes. But it's most common with your first pregnancy.
Will it hurt the baby? All should be well.
But we will want to keep a close eye on you.
You need to rest in bed until your baby arrives.
And the best place to do that is probably here,
in the maternity home.
I don't have to go to hospital?
Not if we can keep you nice and stable here. Now,
I'm going to go outside and talk to your mother
while Nurse Turner gets you settled.
Jeanette's not one of your usual gymslip mums!
She's university material.
And I don't think it's right for you to be making decisions
about her treatment over her head.
We didn't make any decisions over her head.
We did make them without involving you,
but that's because she's unwell.
And in my view, as her GP,
the best thing to do is to admit her.
I've wanted all this kept within bounds.
The bare minimum of carry-on,
so she can just think about
what lies beyond all this. I know.
But that doesn't mean it isn't happening.
A week or two in here
might also help her to come to terms with everything.
She may well adjust more easily when...
When things get back to normal.
Hello, Mrs Ball! All present and correct?
Not half!
Just look at the sheen on that fondant.
I have to say, your husband's done us proud!
Are you sure we can't reimburse you?
Nah. She's one of us now!
Go on. You do your bit, I'll do mine.
Shining Tabernacle Church, Pastor Robinson speaking.
Oh, Cyril, I am pleased I caught you!
You couldn't possibly nip over to the Institute?
I regret to say my vehicle is playing silly beggars.
Speech! Speech!
Speech!
You talk.
No. You do it.
Thank you.
Thank you, all of you.
I came here on my own,
just like my fiance came on his own.
One thing and another put us in each other's way,
and now we are going to make a life together.
Cyril and I told our families the news over the telephone,
and it will be a while
before anyone who knows me as a little girl
can ask to see my ring.
But you did.
You all did.
And I don't think you'll ever know how much that means.
And how much it makes me,
and the man beside me, feel as though we have found our home.
Nothing amiss with your urine test, Mrs Sands.
I'll just add that to your notes and we're finished for today.
Actually, Dr Turner is about to come and see
Mrs Sands. Could you tell him we're ready?
And perhaps see if Miss Higgins needs any help at the desk.
Do you mean you'd like me to leave the cubicle
so the patient can have some privacy?
Yes.
Righty-ho.
Why's he coming?
You keep telling me everything's spot-on.
And everything is.
With you. But Doctor wants to talk to you about Elaine,
because I told him I have
some small concerns about her development.
Did you bring her with you today?
I knew she wasn't doing well!
I just knew it!
I had three younger brothers.
There's kids living on the landing
born the same time as her.
I know what she should be doing, and she isn't!
Have you been afraid to ask for help?
It was more that I was hoping she'd catch up.
That I was wrong.
Some kids are just a bit slower than others, aren't they?
Yes, they are.
I see bed rest is working its wonders!
Your temperature's come down quite a bit.
My headache isn't as bad as it was, I must say.
Ah, you'll be done with all this in a couple of weeks.
The last month is always hard going.
I feel as if I've swallowed a house.
Or a small pony.
Wiggle your toes?
Can you still see them? Yes.
Then aren't you the lucky one!
Honest to God, I've seen some women so big
you want to move them round on wheels!
You know the baby's going to be adopted, don't you?
I do.
It's in your notes.
Everybody's going to help you, Jeanette.
Everyone's been helping me
ever since I burst out of two girdles
and couldn't hide it any more.
You'll come out the other side. I promise you.
Nurse, what are the rules about people visiting in here?
I mean, who can come?
Is there someone in particular you want to see?
The baby's father.
He's called Glen.
There's no rules against him coming in.
Does he know you're in here?
I haven't been allowed to see him.
I wrote him a note, though,
but I haven't got an envelope.
Or a stamp.
Jot down the address for me there. I'll find you a pen.
You might find you're just in time for the last post.
We'll have to tread very gently with Mrs Sands.
She was upset even at the mention
of referral to a specialist.
I've seen the wilful blindness of a mother's love so often,
and, invariably, it results in delayed diagnosis.
Elaine's problems could also have developed over time.
Some syndromes and diseases
just aren't apparent in the first year of life.
And that is when a lot of the routine examinations happen.
Her family were under another practice then.
I wish I could put my finger on the problem.
I don't want to waste time
referring her to the wrong specialist.
Nonnatus House,
midwife speaking.
It's all right.
See to your baby and calm him down.
Er, I've only just managed to calm him down.
Er, would it be possible
to speak with Nurse Franklin, please?
Trixie, this one seems to be for you.
I think that baby may be teething.
Nurse Franklin speaking.
It's... it's Matthew Aylward.
I'm calling for professional advice.
How do you sack a nanny?
I'm afraid I'm a midwife, Mr Aylward,
not an employment lawyer.
I mean, do you just tell them to go?
And then, if you do, how do you replace them?
Before we go on to address your second question,
might it be sensible for me
to ask you exactly what's gone wrong?
You did see what she was like after the christening?
I saw the extent to which she was controlling
everything and said you ought to have more confidence.
Well, you did say you'd send me some books.
Oh, no, I did, didn't I?
Oh, I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind!
It's fine. It's hardly your responsibility!
It's just you spoke such good sense
and seemed to see things with such a clear-eyed vision,
I'd humbly welcome any advice you can give.
Mr Aylward, where's Jonathan's nanny now?
It's her afternoon off.
Er, I come home early to feed him his tea.
He's on solids now - well, sort of sloppy solids -
and he just will not eat anything from a spoon!
And what advice did Nanny give?
Er, refuse to accept the refusal.
I keep pushing the spoon in the direction of his mouth.
All I've managed to do so far is poke him in the eye!
Mr Aylward, I happen to be on your side of town
tomorrow for a meeting in the evening.
I could call in beforehand
and bring you the books I promised.
Why did she have to wait till we was in the church?!
Could one of you go up and put the loft ladder away?
I've been on my hands and knees up there,
looking for that box of your old medical school things.
No luck, I'm afraid!
Oh, sorry, Tim!
It was the skeleton that I really wanted.
It's in the equipment list that they sent me.
That's actually missing one tibia, two metatarsals
and several phalanges.
I think you might have come bottom in anatomy.
I have fond memories of being terrorised
by that skeleton. Are you still
trying to make headway with little Elaine Sands?
I noticed she had quite bad eczema on her arms,
but there aren't too many clues.
I'm working on the idea that it might be metabolic.
I'm certainly going to ask for her lipids to be tested.
Patrick, do you know exactly what tests Elaine had at birth?
When I was teaching the pupil midwives,
I was really struck by how patterns can vary
for things like PKU.
I might go down to the surgery and check.
Now?
I'll be tossing and turning all night if I don't.
Dad! If you mess up those files,
Miss Higgins will eat you alive. And then eat me.
I'm coming with you.
I keep seeing diseases on these records
that hardly exist any more.
They aren't even that old.
Diphtheria,
smallpox...
..polio.
We know about polio, don't we?
Yes, but it's not just about vaccines.
It's the antibiotics.
You've witnessed things as a doctor
that I'm never going to see. Or smell.
You'll never know the stench of a septic ward, thank God.
And you will see things I never dreamed could happen.
What do you dream of, Dad?
Better pre-natal diagnostic testing.
X-rays are too primitive, too dangerous.
Although, right now,
I'd settle for improved record-keeping.
Waterproof would be a start!
Ah, here we go.
Elaine Sands was delivered by council midwives.
Birth normal.
Standard vaccinations.
No record of a PKU test.
Phenylketonuria.
It's been a bit of a ragged roll-out in terms of screening.
Elaine might have been missed out altogether.
This one's from my Auntie Priss!
I feel as though I shouldn't be
opening engagement presents without Cyril.
Seize the moment, Lucille!
You're still your own woman.
It's dinner mats.
I think she crocheted them herself.
Well, she's extremely inventive with her needle.
And they're nice, lively colours.
She has chosen them with love.
Put them in your bottom drawer
and get them out if she ever comes to visit.
What are you up to with that rubber?
Eradicating all the notes
I made in the margins of my childcare books.
If Matthew Aylward is going to learn from them,
he needs to read them from scratch
and make up his own mind.
Does that poor man not have family around him
to advise? His mother
and his own childhood nanny,
who appears to be his mother's right-hand woman.
I'm the nearest thing
to an impartial adviser that he's got.
Why are you doing all this?
I thought she was going to be seen at the hospital.
Doctor simply wants to be sure
that he's referring her to the right specialist.
Is the nappy ready?
It's the one I took off her just before you arrived.
It's not been in the rinse bucket.
Good thing about this test is the results are immediate.
If it's positive, the stick changes colour to green,
apparently.
I've never seen it happen yet.
That looks green to me.
Yes, it does. I think we may be looking at a positive result.
That's a good thing...
..if it's positive, isn't it?
I'm afraid not. I'll talk to Dr Turner.
He'll come and visit and explain the next steps.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for the maternity ward.
Glen? Timothy Turner?
What, are you a doctor now, or something?
It seems like about three years ago we were in the Scouts.
It has been about three years since we were in Scouts!
A little longer since Cubs. Are you doing all right?
I've just got into university to do medicine. At Edinburgh.
Oh! I'm going to train as an accountant.
I've been taken on by an office where I can do
day release at college. That's fantastic!
Glen, why do you need directions
to the maternity ward?
Sister! Sister! There's something the matter
with Elaine! I think she's fitting!
Oh, no!
She's choking! She's choking!
She won't choke.
I'm holding her tongue in position.
And the convulsion's over.
Shall I call an ambulance? No.
But we must call the doctor.
Oliver Twist?
Nothing like a starving orphan to cheer you up
when life turns to the bad.
And it all starts with a fallen woman!
I'd think my mum was trying to make a point,
but she just grabbed it
along with my nighties and sponge bag.
She's never read any Dickens.
Oh, I don't mind a bit of him.
I did David Copperfield when I was back at school.
I ended up fancying David Copperfield.
And he isn't even real.
Is this where Jeanette is?
I don't have to ask who you are.
I do need to tell you, though,
it isn't actually visiting hours. Please let him stay.
Please!
15 minutes. Then I'll show you out the back way.
I brought you some Rolos.
I think they've melted a bit.
I've got no room for Rolos.
I've got so much baby in me now.
It's got so much bigger.
Remember when we just kept hoping it would go away?
It just got more and more real.
And now it's...
..really...
..real.
They're going to take it away, Glen!
I know.
Your mum told my mum.
Will you let 'em? I said they could.
I said it could be adopted when everyone found out
and I was panicking! Is it what you want?
It's what everybody wants!
I don't.
And what's he doing here?
I'm not having it.
I want him removed.
The hospital will have to confirm it
but, sadly, I think the seizure was caused by phenylketonuria.
The condition showed up
in her urine test. How serious is it?
Elaine was born unable to rid her body
of a chemical in her diet called phenylalanine.
This chemical built up in her bloodstream
and has had a harmful effect on her brain.
Her brain?
Will they have to operate?
Or give her medicine?
That would be better, wouldn't it?
Better than cutting her head open or something.
From what I've been able to find out,
she will be placed on a very specialised
low-protein diet... Will that cure her?
It should stop her condition from getting any worse.
And we can bring in occupational
and physiotherapists
and possibly a speech therapist
to help her regain some ground...
Is that going to make her normal?
Over time, it should help her development.
You mean she's still going to be backward?
That's a very general term.
I think we should try to wait until Elaine has been seen
by a specialist. I'm going to arrange
for an ambulance now. Dr Turner?
What about the new baby?
Could it have the same thing?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
It could.
This maternity home has rules
and routines for a reason, Nurse Corrigan.
It just seemed so cold-hearted not to let him in.
Feelings can run very high in this sort of situation,
and taking a cool, calm approach
is better for the mother's state of mind
and therefore health.
You mean in an adoption situation?
Yes.
But you're going to see
all sorts of emotional complications in district work.
It's not like hospital, where medical procedure dominates.
That's why I want to do... to do it.
I want to care.
If you didn't care, you wouldn't be a midwife.
But everyone will benefit if you observe the rules.
Might I ask if there was a particular flash point?
Housework, perhaps?
I'd started calling the baby Jonty.
"Jon-a-than" seems like an awful lot of syllables
for such a little chap.
And Nanny kept telling me to stop.
She doesn't approve of abbreviations.
Or nicknames.
Well, I'm sure I can think of a nickname for her.
Oh, look at you, Master Jonty!
Is that chocolate pudding all over you,
or are you trying out a new type of face mask?
Well, I-I-I think he might need freshening up.
I do believe he does.
That doctor keeps shaking his head.
He keeps shaking his head and writing things down.
He isn't hurting her, and she isn't crying.
That doesn't mean she's happy.
She's doing what I used to call her Dilly Daydream look.
Seeing straight past him.
Dr Selleck will see you now.
I've changed 11 nappies since that woman walked out
and every single one of them has leaked.
Oh, dear.
I've found wee in his ears on a few occasions.
How does a baby get wee in its ears?
Before you fasten the nappy,
do you always take care to point his penis downwards?
No.
Although from a personal...
..well, er, at least, anatomical point of view,
that does make sense.
It's a perfectly simple skill
once you've mastered the basic rules.
I was thinking about buying disposable ones.
Well, they do save a lot of laundry.
But they aren't very absorbent, and you might find yourself
battling nappy rash.
I can remember Fiona saying that to me...
..when we were planning how to bring him up.
You mustn't be afraid
to go back over conversations you had with her.
Benjamin Spock says it all the time -
you know more than you think.
And you know more than you think
because once upon a time you had a...
..a lovely, intelligent partner by your side.
She always wanted me to be involved with the baby.
Perhaps not as involved as this, but...
She trusted you.
And now it's time for you to trust yourself.
I have to find another nanny,
or I'm not going to be able to go back to work.
Then you must trust yourself to find the right one.
Dr Selleck says these diet sheets
are for preliminary reading.
I don't even know what preliminary means!
Vee!
Yesterday we didn't even know what phenylketonuria means.
We'll learn.
It's all my fault, George.
Well, if it runs in families, then it's my fault too.
You heard the specialist trying to explain it.
No.
That couldn't be helped.
You and me and how we made Elaine.
She is what she is.
But I'm the mother who couldn't see it!
And I made it worse.
I'm awfully sorry to have kept you for so long.
I hope I didn't make you miss your meeting? Oh, it's more a sort of study group.
There'll be another one next week. Thank you for speaking with the nanny agency.
A nurse's authority trumps a nanny's every time.
And I've made things extremely clear -
you will be directing Jonathan's care,
and Nanny will answer to nobody else.
You will help me sift through the applications?
I'm not bowing out until I know
you and Jonathan are in safe hands.
And the agency have assured me
I'll have a number of candidates to look at
by tomorrow.
Might I enquire as to where you're going, Miss Owen?
I'm discharging myself. I'm entitled!
You are also nine months pregnant
and suffering from pre-eclampsia.
If you go home now, your mother will bring you straight back here.
I would hope for nothing less from her.
I'm not going home. I'm going to my boyfriend's!
And what will happen then, pray?
Miss Owen!
Miss Owen, you must come back!
Miss Owen!
Jeanette!
Have you joined another marriage bureau?
No.
I cashed in my membership of the last one and spent the money at the sales.
I would have done the same. If I were you.
But I'm married to my work.
And Jesus.
I sometimes think the work we do
is better than any spouse could ever be.
It brings out the best in us, and it's always there?
Mm.
Yes.
Exactly that.
You're lucky you didn't fracture that wrist.
As it is, it broke your fall and probably saved you from further injury.
I could have hurt the baby, couldn't I?
There's no harm done.
I could have really, really hurt it!
And that's the last thing in the world I meant to do!
I know. You're to rest now.
Rest and stay well until it's time for Baby to be born.
I need to look after it.
This is the only care it's ever going to get from me.
And that makes it very powerful.
But this is not the only love you'll feel.
And that's important too.
When you look at the lists
and then you look at the labels,
I mean, even when you look at the food...
I don't know how we're going to do it.
They said the dietician would help us.
The dietician isn't going to move in here and
cook three meals a day for Elaine, is she?
No. She isn't.
And it's just like, everything is protein.
Ham's a protein.
Eggs are protein.
I think even sausages and cheese,
and Angel Delight, because you make it with milk.
How much protein's in milk, Vee?
I don't know, George!
I don't know!
Time for another urine sample, I'm afraid.
Are the tests still coming back all right?
There's not been a great deal to concern us
since you were admitted, but that shows
these precautions are doing the trick.
How do you know?
Know what?
What it feels like to give a baby away?
With one thing and another,
I've given it a great deal of thought.
Did it happen to you?
Did you have to give a baby up?
No. I took two babies in -
my adopted daughter, Angela, as a newborn,
and our foster child, May.
She's a little older, but she has a mother still alive.
I think of their birth mothers so very often.
Do you despise them for giving their babies up?
No.
I revere them for their bravery.
And I think of them with love, because I chose their babies,
and they had no choice at all.
Do you think they did the right thing?
Every day, with every breath I take,
I make sure they did the right thing.
They are the children I prayed for.
I pray for their mothers now.
I hope my baby goes to someone like you.
The adoption society had a bit of good news for us
this morning. Did they?
There's room in their nursery for the baby straight away.
It means you won't have to go to the mother and baby home
while they set the wheels in motion.
Can't we just stick to the arrangements we already made?
I went to look at it this morning.
Oh, it's lovely.
The nurses wear pale yellow,
and, when the prospective parents are coming
to see a baby,
they pin a sunflower to the cot.
It's a happy sort of place.
Are you in pain?
I think I might be in labour. Nurse!
Nurse, we think she's starting!
Don't worry, Jeanette.
Let me take a look at you and we'll soon know
where we're at. I'm scared!
There's nothing to be scared of!
I'm not leaving you. I can stay, can't I?
If that's what Jeanette wants.
It isn't what I want.
If you'd like to stay in reception, Mrs Owen,
we'll come out and let you know how things are going.
She's only 16!
And she's a bright girl
who knows her own mind.
I want to move Jeanette in here straight away.
She's four centimetres dilated,
but she hasn't been to any ante-natal classes
and she isn't coping well with the pain. Is it any wonder?
That mother of hers has been running the whole show.
Chasing the boyfriend off, getting the baby adopted.
Now it's finally got to a point where she can't take over
and actually give birth,
Jeanette's gone into a panic! Pupil Midwife Corrigan, that is uncalled for.
I don't think honesty is ever uncalled for.
That poor girl has been bullied to the point
where she's breaking her heart and frozen stiff!
Nobody's listened to a word she has to say.
I'm listening to every word Jeanette has to say.
Which is why her mother
is sitting in reception and will stay there.
Waiting to take that baby and hand it over to God knows who!
And why I am going to take the lead in this delivery.
Midwifery isn't just about the number of births you can
tick off and put in your records.
Sometimes, it's about reading a situation
with as much sensitivity
and common sense as you can muster
and putting your own emotions to one side.
You can't get the best result for the mother
if you're putting what you feel centre stage.
I thought nursing was all about compassion.
It is.
But what I am seeing now is passion,
and that is not the same at all.
That's excellent work, Jeanette!
Excellent work.
It is work, though, isn't it?
It's not easy.
But you're doing it like an expert.
I can see Baby's head.
Hello, Glen.
Thank you for ringing.
My mum says thank you, too.
I'm not a monster.
I'm just...
..her mother.
Oh!
Good girl. Good girl.
This is the burning sensation we told you about.
Just short pushes now.
Short pushes.
That's it, the head's out...
Just the head?!
It's all right, Jeanette. That's the hard part done.
It's a boy.
Would you like to hold the baby now, Jeanette?
Or after we've bathed and dressed him?
Now, please.
Of course.
A receiver for the placenta, please, Pupil Midwife Corrigan.
Yes, Mrs Turner.
Roll of drums! You're a grandma.
And you're a father.
It's a boy.
Are you going to toss a coin to see who comes in first?
Would you like to sit down and hold Baby, Mrs Owen?
No, thank you. I've got a bit of a cold.
We can fetch you a mask.
No, thank you. Er, I'll wait outside,
so I won't get in the nurse's way.
Can I hold him?
Of course you can.
Let's see how he shapes up.
The most important thing to remember
is to support Baby's head.
It should nestle nicely in the crook of your arm.
He feels so warm, don't he?
And so heavy.
I didn't think he'd look so finished.
So like a complete person.
And look at that face.
I can't stop looking at his face.
It's a like a little dish of promises.
Am I talking rubbish?
When I look at him,
all I can see is his future.
Can I make you a cup of tea, Mrs Owen?
It's an awful hard decision...
..to give a baby up.
The decision has been made.
And Jesus answering saith unto them,
have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you
that whosoever shall say unto this mountain,
be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea,
and shall not doubt in his heart
but shall believe that these things which he saith
shall come to pass...
..he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you...
..what things so ever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye shall receive them,
and you shall have them.
Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
Good morning. Sister.
Oh.
I'm glad it's you.
Good morning.
I'm not allowed to be here, am I?
My young assistant, Mr Turner, advised me of your presence,
which I consider to be irregular, but will overlook.
I bring glad tidings!
I have found a place
for you and the little one at St Morwenna's
Mother and Baby Home. For how long?
The usual stay is four to six weeks,
and they will liaise with the adoption society.
Now, I'm to submit the forms today,
if you will grant me your assistance.
Do we have a name for Baby?
Is this the same as the birth certificate?
No. You will see to that at the registry office in due course.
Once Baby is adopted,
a new certificate will be issued with his new name,
but the original will remain on record,
with your own names
and the name you originally chose for your little boy.
I've had all sorts of names going through my head.
I didn't settle on one cos I didn't think it mattered.
Now I know it does. What about Oliver?
After this book you've been reading?
I've never heard of anyone called Oliver in real life!
It's as though it never caught on or came into fashion.
I have a soft spot for literary appellations.
My own middle name is Trilby.
After the novel by George du Maurier.
Millicent Trilby Higgins.
I like it.
Oliver it is.
Oliver Roberts.
Same surname as his father.
Right.
I keep thinking about Elaine.
She's being very, very well looked after.
Better than she was looked after by me.
Oh, you mustn't think like that, Vera.
And I'm certainly not going to let you talk like that.
What if there's something wrong with this one?
And I don't see it, I won't see it.
We'll be testing the new baby within a few days of birth
and supporting you every step of the way.
I can't cope on my own!
You won't have to.
I got the flannel and the water.
Thank you. We're going to see if we can help you
to feel more comfortable.
I actually think, young man,
that you and I are going to be all right.
That is my considered view.
And I trust myself.
Right.
One romper suit,
one bowl of Farex,
and then we are going to express our gratitude.
Miss Higgins, I went round to the shops at feeding time
and bought something for Jeanette.
Look.
It's a baby book!
How nice! She likes books,
and there's spaces to write down everything -
birth weight, colour of eyes, when he smiles his first smile.
I think that might happen in the mother and baby home.
So she can write that in.
I think that's absolutely delightful.
Allow me to lend you my own pen.
Such important details should be recorded in ink, in my view.
Is it all right to go through to Jeanette?
It is officially visiting time.
We can go straight in.
This is Miss Norton from the adoption society.
We have the head now! We have the head.
Just rest and catch your breath.
I don't want it...
Vera, I know that's not true.
And you know how hard you've worked
to get to exactly this moment.
I'm scared.
Scared it won't be all right, scared I can't cope with it.
And the bravest thing you can possibly do is to say that.
Do you hear me? You are as strong now
as you will ever have to be. You will not fail.
You've got me, Vee.
And we've all got each other.
Push, Vera! Push! Use all the power you have. Use it!
See what you have done?
A beautiful, beautiful little boy.
You can't take him! You can't! It's his feeding time! He needs his bottle!
He's going to the adoption society nursery. They
can feed him there. We're supposed to be going
to the mother and baby home! Miss Higgins said we
were! This is what was arranged. You can't take him!
He's our baby! If you will excuse me.
That's his name bracelet!
His name is Oliver!
Oliver!
What's happened?
Baby Oliver's been taken to the adoption nursery.
This is your baby's identity bracelet, Glen.
It states his date of birth
and the name you chose for him with his mother.
You may keep it, always, as his parents.
Can I go to her?
Can I show her?
Jeanette is going to be given a sedative
and then she will sleep.
Would you like some tea?
I shall see to it forthwith.
And Timothy will find you an envelope for the bracelet.
If it's the church adoption nursery, it's a lovely place.
It's sunny, and the nurses all wear yellow.
My baby sister came from there.
I remember going to get her.
I wish we were back in Cubs.
So do I.
When his eyes are shut,
it's like looking at Elaine when she was a newborn.
I remember that.
All I could feel was love.
No fear at all.
You heard what Sister Julienne said.
Wait till we get the tests done.
Delivery for Miss Franklin. Are you sure?
It says so on the order.
I shouldn't have read that card.
I've fallen into sin
and keep wondering who Jonty is.
Jonty's definitely a man's name.
I'm just wondering if it sounds a bit theatrical.
I'm also wondering what sort of a man
sends a woman a Swiss cheese plant.
The question is, not what sort of a man,
but why this precise botanical specimen?
Every bloom has a meaning when presented thus.
The almanac has a full lexicon
of the language of flowers.
That's a very old book. Has it got Swiss cheese plants?
It has japonica, which this resembles.
Loveliness.
It's got a look of a rhododendron about it.
Rhododendron. "Beware. I am dangerous!"
What's all this?
The evidence suggests you've got an admirer.
And his intentions are ambiguous.
Jonty is short for Jonathan.
And he's a six-month-old baby!
I spoke to the hospital this morning.
They said Elaine's already responding to the diet.
And when I go in, in a few days,
I might notice that her eczema has improved.
I'm going in this afternoon. The nurse is going to show me
how to measure her food portions.
Is that going to hurt him?
It's a tiny prick rather than an injection.
The urine stick doesn't hurt at all, of course,
but this blood test can be done sooner,
and we want to put your mind at rest as soon as possible.
It is extremely kind of you, Mr Aylward,
but not at all necessary.
What's it like? The plant?
It's quite large.
And it hasn't got any flowers on it
or anything like that, has it?
No. It's just leaves.
Good.
Only, I said to the florist it was a thank you,
and a profound one,
but in a strictly business and professional context,
not in an emotional or personal sense.
Because anything like that would be inappropriate.
No.
There are no flowers on this plant, Mr Aylward.
I promise you.
Open it!
It's your O-level results.
It won't make any difference now.
I'm starting sixth form
and I'm going to university,
and I'll be learning, learning all the time.
But the one thing that I'll never know
is what happened to my baby.
It's a fresh start.
You've got a clean slate. And it's what you said you wanted
when you agreed to all of this.
The only fresh start I want is with Glen,
and you're going to have to
let me have that. Jeanette, love...
The decision's already been made.
We're going to help you dry up your milk supply, Jeanette.
Pupil Midwife Corrigan hasn't observed breast binding before.
Do you mind if she helps us?
Come on, sweetie. Let's get you out of that nightdress.
He definitely hasn't got PKU, then?
He won't be as sick as Elaine?
The blood test is negative for phenylketonuria.
It's a perfectly normal result.
It certainly seems safe to say so.
He was always going to be perfect to us.
Just like Elaine is. Perfect.
In a different way, and...
..just as special.
Sometimes we wait not for change,
but for the grace to accept the status quo.
We must embrace the way things are,
and let life frame the love we have to share.
We wait for meaning to be made apparent.
We wait for the things we are promised...
..or will choose.
We wait as things unfold and take the shape they will,
not knowing what the future holds,
or quite where we are flying,
or what we have begun.
Mrs Gupta, these chemicals
can be very dangerous when you mix them.
There's a piece missing.
Manju, I think some of your placenta is still in your womb.
No doctor would subject a patient to a medical procedure
that carries risks unless they felt it was necessary.
If this is your best, I'd hate to see your bloody worst.