Call The Midwife's Helen reveals life and death baby drama

Oprah, Rob Lowe and Katy Perry's family are among thousands evacuated as wildfire surrounds rich enclave, claims two lives and turns so volatile that firefighters have to stand down
'Don't move one inch. I'm serious, OK?': Body cam video shows moment a former deputy with a '1,000-yard stare' reaches for his pistol before cops fatally shoot him nine times
Star quarterback, 17, at an Indiana high school is expelled after taking an upskirt photo of his teacher and sharing it to Snapchat
'A great gift': Trump defends tax cuts as good for the middle classes as Republicans signal they have enough votes to pass a bill before Christmas
Trump lawyer says Mueller UNLAWFULLY obtained thousands of emails which 'include sensitive material involving Jared Kushner'
President Trump calls wife of cancer-stricken John McCain to offer his best wishes as the Arizona senator remains hospitalized
Saudi royal behind corruption purges, who was secret buyer of a $450M da Vinci painting, splashes out $300m on world's priciest home - a French chateau with Sistine Chapel-style ceiling, aquarium moat, movie theater and a nightclub
Florida coach, 27, who ran off with 17-year-old girl and drove her 1,000 miles to upstate New York is charged with child sex crimes
The Pentagon's multi-million dollar search for UFOs: Department of Defense set up a massive investigation a decade ago looking into encounters with military and flying aircraft
Animal lover, 22, is mauled to death by her OWN pit bulls after taking them out for a walk: Father finds killer dogs guarding his daughter's remains two days after she went missing in woods
Five people injured as chairlift breaks at ski resort and crashes into others 'in a domino effect' as stranded skiers have to be lowered to safety with a rope
'We're writing this to ram it down the public’s throat': OJ Simpson's former lawyer and investigator reveal plans for a bombshell book to 'explain why he was acquitted'
Christmas cruise horror: More than 300 passengers on Royal Caribbean liner catch horror stomach virus after leaving Florida - with four-hour long lines to see the doctor
Ex-wife of slain NBA player Lorenzen Wright - whose bullet-ridden body was found in a Tennessee suburb seven years ago - is arrested and charged with first-degree murder in California
Rapper XXXTentacion, 19, is jailed on SEVEN new felonies including witness harassment after he 'coerced his pregnant ex into saying she would not testify that he beat and strangled her'
Aviation empire heir is found guilty of murdering his lover and burning her body after he wrote to his jealous girlfriend about his plans and even took a picture of his accomplice posing by the INCINERATOR
Meghan is sleeping at Sandringham for Christmas! Has the world gone mad? writes Rachel Johnson
Sausages for breakfast, turkey for lunch, a BOAR'S HEAD for dinner... and some posh mints to finish off: What the Royals REALLY get up to at a Sandringham Christmas
Children of billionaire pharmaceutical magnate attack 'irresponsible' police for claiming he killed their mother in murder-suicide and demand 'thorough investigation' after couple was found dead in their $5.4M home
'I have to hide my daughter's GRAVE from neo-Nazis': Mom of woman killed in Charlottesville racist rally has been forced to bury her in a secret, unmarked location after threats from white supremacists
Dylann Roof slams a reformed white supremacist for 'undermining his own race' by turning his back on hate in disturbing anti-semitic letter written from jail
That's not a King... it's a RING! Tear-jerking moment a man uses a family card game to propose to his stunned girlfriend
'Serial killer' is charged with the capital murder of Texas student, 20, who went missing in 1997
Oklahoma teacher, 34, is fired after 'filing for a marriage license with her 16-year-old student with his father's approval'

Helen George, 33, had serious complications during her pregnancy
Her daughter Wren Ivy was delivered early because of Helen's liver condition ICP
It is characterised by an acid build up in the body, and can cause premature or stillborn births

Published: 20:28 EST, 16 December 2017 | Updated: 21:02 EST, 16 December 2017

e-mail

View
comments

She may play a midwife in a hugely popular TV show, but nothing could prepare actress Helen George for the life-and-death medical drama that brought her own baby into the world.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday’s Event magazine today, the Call The Midwife star reveals how she developed serious complications during her pregnancy.

Her daughter with co-star Jack Ashton arrived in September but the little girl, Wren Ivy, was born three weeks prematurely.

Helen, 33, who plays glamorous midwife Trixie, has now become a patron of ICP Support, which she praises for helping her through her ordeal

‘My baby was delivered early because I developed a liver condition called ICP,’ says Helen.

Affecting 5,500 women a year in Britain, ICP, or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, is characterised by a build-up of acid in the body, which can cause premature or stillborn births.

Helen explains: ‘The bile acids can actually pass into the baby through the placenta and have devastating effects. There’s a higher risk of stillbirth and it can lead to a very dangerous childbirth for the mother.

‘The side effects are mainly a really strong sense of itching. I was scratching myself so much I had bruises all over my body. It’s awful. It can drive women to suicide in some cases. It’s a horrific illness.’

She sought help from the charity ICP Support and was advised to get blood tests, fast. ‘Within two days, I was delivering the baby,’ says Helen. ‘It’s that quick.’

Helen, 33, who plays glamorous midwife Trixie, has now become a patron of ICP Support, which she praises for helping her through her ordeal.