Call The Midwife star Laura Main said filming her character giving birth has made her want to have a baby of her own, despite having to watch “difficult” online videos of women in labour to prepare for the scene.
Laura, 39, plays nurse Shelagh Turner and was seen tonight giving birth – with a helping hand from her colleagues at Nonnatus House – in tonight’s episode, the period drama’s series finale.
Laura told the Radio Times that she “watched people giving birth on YouTube” to study for the big moment as well as speaking to the show’s midwifery adviser, Terri Coates, about the different stages of labour.
Of the online videos, the actress said: “They haven’t been edited too much and it’s pretty difficult to watch! But the women have no inhibitions and they are very inspiring.”
Laura was admittedly nervous about filming the scene but said she was helped by her “amazing” cast mates and members of the crew.
She said: “I was worried I would be embarrassed doing a birth scene. But the crew was very supportive and, of course, Jenny (Agutter, who plays Sister Julienne) and Stephen (McGann, who plays Shelagh’s husband Dr Turner) were amazing.
“And women who are giving birth go into a zone, don’t they? You block it all out and just go for it. It was a very memorable day.
“After all, I started on the show as Sister Bernadette, a nun who thought she was infertile. And here I am as midwife Shelagh giving birth.”
Laura added: “It was just lovely. And nice for me as an actress to play another massive aspect of life.
“It makes me want to have a baby of my own.”
For Laura’s character Shelagh, it marks her first biological child but she is already a mother to an adopted daughter called Angela, played by Alice Brown, and working with the “adorable” child is a joy for the actress.
Laura said: “We have about 10 days of filming with Alice in each series and we have become like little friends.
“She’s like one of my nieces, she’s adorable, and it has been incredible seeing the difference in her each year. I think the penny dropped about filming when she was about two.
“It was during the scene when we were camping and when she realised she had to do the same thing over and over again.
“At the end of the day she said, ‘I did it!’ She had grasped the basics of acting for the camera. Doing series six with her has been a delight. I think she’s really enjoyed it.”