Call the Midwife star shares 'overwhelming' health battle after epic BBC series finale

dailystar.co.uk:

BBC One series finale.On Saturday (19 February), viewers were glued to their screens as they tuned in for the final episode the popular period drama after 11 series on air.But after watching the nail-biting episode, the 37-year-old opened up about her own complications during her second pregnancy after watching her difficult illness featured on the show.The mum-of-two – who has played the role of Nurse Trixie Franklin since 2012 – took a break from the show this year as she prepared to welcome her little one to her growing family.She happily announced the birth of her second daughter during the countdown to Christmas last year, but it’s fair to say her birth was less than perfect.And after watching the emotional episode over the weekend, the blonde bombshell has decided to share her own personal experience with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP).The NHS defines the illness as a liver disorder caused by bile acids, which help the gut to digest food, and prevent the flow of food properly.The rare illness affects one in 140 pregnant women in the UK with his main symptom being itching without a rash which requires urgent medical attention.In a lengthy Instagram post, Helen explained how the disorder affected her second pregnancy with her 221,000 followers online.She wrote: "After last night’s final episode of Call the Midwife, it seemed the right time to talk about my experience with Cholestasis in Pregnancy."In 2017 when I gave birth to our daughter Wren, I was diagnosed with this condition."I knew there was a high chance that I would suffer again with my second pregnancy, but I was under the most incredible specialists/doctors/midwives/health worker at Guys and St Thomas’s.