Sister Monica Joan is rushed to hospital, while Trixie is less than impressed to receive a subscription to a Marriage Bureau as a Christmas present. Meanwhile, the circus is in town.

Sister Julienne and Doctor Turner clash over whether to provide a private care service. Then a distressing birth raises fears of another Thalidomide case.

Sister Frances finds herself in a tricky situation when a pregnant woman confides in her. Cyril helps a family find shelter after they are evicted from their home. Sister Julienne's new venture hits a stumbling block.

Sister Hilda and Doctor Turner are involved with a young woman whose health presents a series of challenges. A complicated pregnancy leads the Nonnatus House team on a path of discovery.

As the World Cup draws near Fred places a risky bet on the final. Nonnatus House welcomes four new pupil midwives, Dr Turner meets a 17-year-old boy harboring a desperate secret, and Cyril and Lucille's relationship continues to blossom.

With sister Hilda away on a refresher course, sister Julienne steps in to carry out home visits. The new pupil midwives are settling in well, and there is a sense of hope in the air. While examining expectant mother Vera Sands during a routine visit, sister Julienne is concerned by her toddler daughter who is displaying troubling symptoms. Determined to find out what's wrong, sister Julienne and Dr Turner are on the case. Meanwhile, an overly protective mother struggles to cope with her daughter's teenage pregnancy and is insistent on keeping it low key, much to the frustration of new pupil midwife Nancy Corrigan.

Trixie stirs up controversy in the community when she speaks out on behalf of a patient who is pregnant with her fifth child, but whose personal life is far from stable. Dr Turner and Sister Frances try to help a woman who is refusing medical treatment through the last weeks of her pregnancy, and Nancy reveals a secret about her background that could threaten her relationship with Nonnatus House.

The Nonnatus House staff struggles to come to terms with Nancy's revelation. Sister Frances and Trixie rally the others to take a stand and do something about Poplar's growing housing crisis. Sister Hilda relishes taking charge when Sister Julienne takes her annual leave, Timothy Turner prepares to leave for medical school, and Cyril is forced to reconsider his future after he receives news from home. A very special baby is born, causing a rift in a close-knit family and leading many people to count their blessings.