Christmas is coming, and in Poplar the midwives of Nonnatus House are busier than ever. When an abandoned baby is discovered on the steps of the convent, the whole community rallies to provide food and clothing, and to try and find his mother.
It's 1958 and returning from a long day of duties, Nurse Jenny Lee finds the Nonnatus House community gathered to wish her a happy birthday, before she, Chummy, Trixie and Cynthia head off to the movies. However the midwife's good cheer is short lived when the next day she is assigned a new patient, Molly Brignall, who is trapped in an abusive marriage.
The Nonnatus community is rocked when the Kelly family's newborn son dies tragically in unexplained circumstances. Cynthia, who had attended the birth, comes under intense scrutiny from the police, and the pregnant women of Poplar.
Jenny is seconded to a short staffed London Hospital to work on the male surgical ward and finds herself working under an intimidating surgeon, Mr Tracey. Back in Poplar the midwives have a new addition to the household, Jane, who lends a hand in Jenny's absence.
Returning from her stint at The London Hospital, Jenny needs all her skill as a midwife when she and Sister Evangelina assist at the birth of the Roberts' baby, who is born with spina bifida. The parents, Doug and Ruby, struggle to understand and accept their son's life-limiting condition.
The whole Poplar community pulls together to prepare for the annual Summer Fete. This year with the introduction of a Baby Show, the Nonnatus House midwives will be more involved than ever; especially Trixie who assumes responsibility for securing a celebrity judge.
Crowded living conditions have always meant that Tuberculosis has been rife in Poplar. However, with the advent of the mass-Xray program to diagnose the disease early, Dr Turner is determined that the community will no longer live under the threat of TB.
Cynthia's district nursing rounds find her administering daily insulin injections to diabetic John Lacey, a deplorable bully who consistently belittles his wife Annie. A visit from Annie's beloved son Bob, and moral support from Cynthia, see Annie gaining confidence and start to turn her life around.
Chummy and PC Noakes meet with new challenges as they settle back down to life in Poplar. Fred is in high spirits when his pregnant daughter, Dolly, and her young son Anthony arrive to stay with him. Jenny's own jubilation comes in the form of potential love interest Alec, a friend and colleague of Jimmy's.
