‘Call the Midwife role put me off natural birth’
ONE of the stars of Call the Midwife elected to have her baby via caesarean section after working on the programme put her off the idea of a natural birth.
Helen George, who plays Trixie Franklin in the BBC period drama, said a C-section can be a positive choice and should not be restricted to medical emergencies.
George is in a relationship with her co-star Jack Ashton, who plays the Rev Tom Hereward. Their daughter, Wren, was delivered by Csection four months ago in an NHS hospital.
Wren was delivered early because George was suffering from intrahepatic cholestasis, a liver disorder that develops in pregnancy and can be life-threatening for the unborn child.
“I chose to have a C-section. It coincided with the fact that I had to deliver her early but, even without that, I would have gone for an elective caesarean because of what I’d learnt on Call the Midwife,” she told Radio Times.
“I’m not against natural birth. I’m pro whatever you feel is right for you. It’s not because I’m ‘too posh to push’, it’s about what I think my body is capable of.”
George, 33, said people had tried to convince her not to have a C-section, and there was “a lot of shame” attached to the decision.
She urged women to have the confidence to request the procedure.