I have a major and rather stressful job to do this week but I took myself out for some fresh air and ended up wandering around All Souls churchyard. The ‘Friends’ have been really busy and it’s the tidiest I’ve seen it in years. They have cleared a lot of brambles and uncovered a sad number of baby graves from the 1950’s. My knowledge of neonatal care in the 1950’s stems entirely from watching Call the Midwife and if that’s to be believed they didn’t really try too hard with sick or disabled babies. It’s certainly a medical field which has developed beyond recognition and I wondered how many of those tiny graves would now have been avoided. I expect they won’t tidy the graveyard too much more because it’s a haven for wildlife including at least a couple of wrens that I stalked. I quite liked the silhouette because it’s unmistakable.
Weather: hazy
Covid: Rachel has booked Christmas flights so now we have fingers firmly crossed
Good thing: blossom really blossoming now!
Neonatal care has advanced by lightyears in 70 years. Bless the little ones in the churchyard.
Love that little wren silhouette. And thrilled for your Christmas plans. I'm certain travel will have the all clear by then.
I think those midwives probably did the best they could. I'm actually surprised at how high the survival rate seemed to be under such terrible conditions.
Things have changed so much. My son was a 29 week premature emergency birth and we both survived, though they thought neither of us would. Even in the ward he was in around 20% died. I have a friend born in the 1930s who was wrapped in blankets surrounded by hot stones they constantly replaced from the fire to keep him warm. He made it too, but many didn't. Childbirth and the first five years really are the most perilous things and it's easy to forget that now that we have such good neonatal care and nutrition.
I like your little silhouette and I wish you well with your tasks this week.
@kjarn yes I’m sure you’re right - shouldn’t get my history from drama! They had an episode where a disabled newborn was left in a cold room at the hospital and the Drs basically said let nature take its course- it stayed with me!
@casablanca my friend’s granny (born well over 100 years) ago was assumed dead but her father put her on his bare chest in an instinctive skin to skin hold. He stayed with her all night light that with obvious success.
@judithg Perfect! They call that Kangaroo Care and I did it for my son every time I was allowed to remove him from the incubator. Skin to skin with the baby hearing familiar heartbeat and body sounds is a hugely settling and healing thing. All his sats on the monitors were immediately perfect in Kangaroo Care ❤️ He was the size of my hand span but now he is a foot taller than me! Grateful every day.
Call the Midwife is one of my favorite shows...and my cousin’s daughter is a midwife. For me, I was thankful to be with doctors in a hospital setting as both my deliveries had minor complications. Lovely silhouette of the wren, just waiting for its tail to flick!
This may be my most favorite bird shot of all 365, I tell you. So unusual and strong. I love the way you composed and processed this. Very sad story about the graves...
Love that little wren silhouette. And thrilled for your Christmas plans. I'm certain travel will have the all clear by then.
I like your little silhouette and I wish you well with your tasks this week.