As Poplar prepares for Christmas, the nuns leave for the Mother House to vote in a new mother superior and to help care for a group of Chinese orphans. Meanwhile, Trixie returns to Poplar refreshed and is shocked to discover that many mothers no longer want to give birth at home.

Nonnatus House welcomes two new nuns. Valerie deals with a shocking case that arrives unexpectedly, and the other midwives must handle a complicated multiple birth.

Lucille helps elderly hoarder Clarice Millgrove who is struggling to keep her independence; Sister Hilda and the team work hard to help a Ghanaian family with an undiagnosed illness; Violet puts herself forward in the upcoming elections.

Valerie helps a struggling mother accept her son's birth defect. The Turners oversee a measles vaccination trial at the clinic as the team prepare for the Whitsun bank holiday.

The team tries to unite an estranged mother and daughter who are both pregnant. Trixie's friend is devastated to discover she is pregnant.

Poplar welcomes a brand new cervical cancer-screening clinic to the Institute and Dr Turner, Shelagh and Trixie are pleased to be part of the exciting new venture.

Mother Mildred returns and helps a docker family tackle end-stage pneumoconiosis. Lucille cares for an unmarried teenage mother who wants to keep her baby.

Mother Mildred decides it’s time for Sister Frances to attend her first solo birth. Trixie consoles a patient who discovers she has gonorrhea.

Sister Hilda digs deep to give her terminally-ill patient her final wish whilst the Turners must prepare to say goodbye to May. Fred and Reggie are keeping secrets from each other.