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.
Since its recognition as a practice in Britain at the start of the 20th Century, midwives have made a critical impact to the health, wellbeing and safety of mums and newborn babies.
If you’re looking for a great place to start to learn more about the incredible role of midwives with a first-hand fascinating slice of social history, you needn’t look further than the much-loved Call The Midwife.
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 who's voice is narrated by Dame Vanessa Redgrave.
The true memoirs behind the TV series
Synopsis
Jennifer Worth came from a sheltered background when she became a midwife in the Docklands in the 1950s. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying, not only because of their grimly impoverished surroundings but also because of what they were expected to endure.
But while Jennifer witnessed brutality and tragedy, she also met with amazing kindness and understanding, tempered by a great deal of Cockney humour. She also earned the confidences of some whose lives were truly stranger, more poignant and more terrifying than could ever be recounted in fiction.
Attached to an order of nuns who had been working in the slums since the 1870s, Jennifer tells the story not only of the women she treated but also of the community of nuns (including one who was accused of stealing jewels from Hatton Garden) and the camaraderie of the midwives with whom she trained.
Funny, disturbing and incredibly moving, Jennifer's stories bring to life the colourful world of the East End in the 1950s.
What readers and fans of Call The Midwife say:
"I would have given more stars if it had been possible. I've not watched a lot of the TV series but the book is much better as it is 'real' with the most brilliant narrative.
"The way the chapters are prepared is just real life - you don't know what is around the corner. This read has been hard to leave alone for very long so I will be buying the other two books in the series soon AND putting the boxed set of Call the Midwife on my 'Santa' list!
"The book has given me the insight into the characters in the TV series. Though I am Scottish I coped well with the Cockney in the writings. Well done to Jennifer for sharing her true life with others - history can be lost so quickly. I am particularly interested as I was born in the 50's."
Synopsis
In this follow up memoir, Jennifer Worth tells more stories about the people she encountered.
There's Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House - she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Peggy and Frank's parents both died within six months of each other and the children were left destitute. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse.
The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, visits the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker.
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.
What readers and fans say of Call The Midwife book two:
"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.
"She also deals with the career of an old soldier let down by the public social care and who is looked after by the Sisters and nurses from the convent, Nonnatus House. I am interested in Workhouse history as I am a volunteer guide at the last remaining building of the Guildford Union Workhouse."
Synopsis
This final book in Jennifer Worth's trilogy shares her last memories from her time as a midwife in London's East End and brings her story full circle.
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!
Other stories cover backstreet abortions, the changing life of the docklands, infanticide, as well as the lives of the inhabitants of Nonnatus House.
We discover what happens with the gauche debutant Chummy and her equally gauche policeman; will Sister Monica Joan continue her life of crime? Will Sister Evangelina ever crack a smile? And what of Jennifer herself? The book not only details the final years of the tenements but also of Jennifer's journey as she moves on from the close community of nuns, and her life takes a new path.
What readers and fans say of Call The Midwife third book:
"The third and final book that I adored reading. The nuns and District midwives of St Raymund and Nonnatus House of East End London take us through the docks, brothels and tough rough landlords in the toughest areas.
"District midwife Jennifer Worth takes us into her last days at the house and some fascinating stories are told through reading. I loved reading all of this book, just put your feet up and enjoy."
Synopsis
This book is filled with all sorts of heart-warming gems, readers' responses and personal histories. There are stories from other midwives, lorry drivers, even a seamstress, all with tales to tell.
Containing previously unpublished material describing her time spent in Paris and some journal entries, this is also a portrait of Jennifer herself, complete with a moving introduction by her family about the woman they knew and loved.
What readers said of Letters To A Midwife:
"I found Jennifer's books both heart-warming and thought-provoking; they are hard to put down, and I felt compelled to learn more about the East End, the Docklands, nursing in the 1950s/60s, and indeed more about Jennifer herself.
"This book does all those things. It's not just a lot of Thank You letters; many people write at length about their own memories and these all enhance the context of Jennifer's books even more. Proof really that there is so much value in people telling their stories. In a world where communication is changing so much, it's gratifying to read the heartfelt letters that people were inspired to write to Jennifer, and likewise her always thoughtful replies.
"There are also further recollections penned by Jennifer herself, including an entertaining passage about the time she spent in Paris. Jennifer Worth seems to be a lady of many depths and talents, and I'm sure her husband and family will be thrilled at how many people have been inspired by her writing, and the awareness she raised in profiling midwifery."
Who was Jennifer Worth?
Jennifer Worth (née Lee) was born in 1935 and trained as a nurse in Reading before moving to London to become a midwife. She was hired as a staff nurse at the London Hospital in Whitechapel in the 1950s, where her memoirs begin.
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.
She wrote her first book in 2002 as a candid but compassionate telling of the stories from that community she felt had been ignored whilst she was working as a nurse and midwife in the poverty-stricken Poplar in the East End of London.
"So many of those great characters have stayed with me," Worth shared on the publication of her first memoir. "Most people in London at that time didn't know the East End - they pushed it aside. There was no law, no lighting, bedbugs and fleas. It was a hidden place, not written about at all."
Jennifer sadly passed away in 2011, just a year before the first series of Call the Midwife aired on the BBC.
How accurate is the TV series to the books?
While the TV series has been based on Worth's memoirs, depicting the lives of nurses, nuns and women in the community dealing with issues of abortion, miscarriage, poverty and race, there are some differences.
Sister Julienne and fellow midwife Cynthia, close friends of Worth, retained their names in the TV series whilst other characters, though based on real people, had their names changed, such as the enormously popular Chummy played by Miranda Hart.
The TV series was also expanded beyond being true-to-book from the third series where the material available came to an end and the show continues to be scripted by Heidi Thomas.
However, Jenny Lee, depicted by Jessica Raine from 2012-2014, gives a very real portrayal of the author according to her daughters, Suzannah and Juliette.
Suzannah told the Radio Times, "You also get the sense from the programme that Jenny is quite quiet, an observer. And that’s how Mother was. She wasn’t a great one for chit-chat. Often in social situations, she would take a back seat and just absorb what was going on around her. And yet she never conformed. She was quite determined to do things her own way."
Reflecting on midwifery today
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.
This year, the International Confederation of Midwives have chosen to celebrate the theme of “Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives” for International Day of the Midwife 2021. Coming together as a global midwife community the ICM wants to reflect on the progress made in the profession over the years and advocate for investment in quality midwifery care around the world that'll improve child, reproductive and maternal health.
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
Judy Parfitt: 'Call the Midwife touches something in people that I’ve never seen before'