# Could this Downton Abbey actress have been several months postpartum when this was filmed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122 "2013-07-21T17:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Claire98909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Claire98909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire98909)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/1 "2013-07-21T17:14:28Z")
I’m trying to figure out if this actress (Sophie McShera [Daisy] from Downton Abbey) might have had a baby and given it up for adoption or something (or else keeping it really, REALLY secret). Prior to Downton Abbey she was in a season of the show Waterloo Road in 2009. This scene was filmed anywhere between May and September 2009 (no way to tell because the show was filmed out of order). Her lower belly looks a bit funny. The video is worth watching - it’s only 43 seconds long and is HD: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BydnpEd_Y1s/hqdefault.jpg "Phillip Meets Ros For The First Time - Waterloo Road Series 5") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BydnpEd_Y1s) Then there’s another scene from a different episode. It aired later in the season but once again it could have been filmed earlier. I have a screenshot of it: Her lower belly looks rather large and rounded. [http://i.imgur.com/07XNBw9.png](http://i.imgur.com/07XNBw9.png) This is another picture of her from the same episode as the picture. She’s sitting down with her hands in her lap, but you can see her belly, the black in the upper left portion of the screen. It just looks incredibly rounded: [http://i.imgur.com/OIM90PA.png](http://i.imgur.com/OIM90PA.png) I thought nothing of them until I saw the first episode of the 2008 British drama, Survivors. She was only on screen for less than five minutes, but in that time they only filmed her above the chest; they never showed her belly. I have not been able to find the filming dates for the first season of the show, but it aired in November of 2008, which means that filming probably ended in October 2008 at the latest and most likely began around May 2008. Since there is no way of knowing when each of the episodes were filmed, I’ve deduced that the longest possible time between the filming of Survivors and the filming of Waterloo Road is 16 months (May 2008 - September 2009). If she had been far enough along for them to avoid shooting her whole body she probably would have been about 4 months pregnant, in which case she would have been 11 months postpartum…definitely long enough postpartum to no longer have a belly. On the other hand the shortest possible time between filming would have been 7 months (October 2008 - May 2009). If she had been 4 months pregnant in October 2008 she would have been 2 months postpartum in May 2009. And in pictures from the past several years she seems to have the “pooch” thing going on on her lower abdomen, the thing that most women are never able to get rid of after having a baby. Like these, for example: [http://i.imgur.com/FFHGllw.png](http://i.imgur.com/FFHGllw.png) [http://i.imgur.com/1RDCe9h.png](http://i.imgur.com/1RDCe9h.png) She also has that “mom jeans” look when she wears certain jeans: [http://i.imgur.com/PU1fwUO.png](http://i.imgur.com/PU1fwUO.png) [http://i.imgur.com/kqHXjK6.png](http://i.imgur.com/kqHXjK6.png) She also has very large breasts for such a small person. Unless they’re implants, I’ve never seen such a thin woman with such large breasts before, unless that woman has had kids. Here’s an example: [http://i.imgur.com/9jH3R7Z.png](http://i.imgur.com/9jH3R7Z.png) So…does that look to you like the belly of a woman who is 2 months postpartum? Or does she simply have strangely-placed body fat and unflattering clothing? In addition on her Twitter she’s always playing around (in a joking way) with this baby doll and pretending to be his mother, and apparently her nickname with Brendan Coyle (Mr. Bates on Downton Abbey) is “Baby David”. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/2 "2013-07-21T17:27:23Z")
Is this a rib? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/3 "2013-07-21T17:45:18Z")
What, you haven’t just checked her vagina? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/4 "2013-07-21T18:04:20Z")
I see a normal body there, of a type that could have borne children or could not have borne children. Is there any particular reason you’ve given so much of your time and energy to this issue? I mean, it’s your time, and goodness knows I waste a lot of mine on the internet, too, so no judgey. You just seem a little obsessed with this actor’s abdomen. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/5 "2013-07-21T18:04:29Z")
No, I believe she portrays a virgin on Downton Abbey so she couldn’t possibly have had a child in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/6 "2013-07-21T18:21:22Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Is this a rib? Have you read other threads by the OP? ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/7 "2013-07-21T20:29:45Z")
Oh jeez. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/8 "2013-07-21T20:37:43Z")
Yes, and I must confess that I was the father. Please don’t tell Lady Fidelius as she would nail my pecker to the barn door. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/9 "2013-07-21T20:39:48Z")
That’s pretty much what my body looks like, and I have no children. So I’ll go ahead and be insulted by this insinuation, kthx. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/10 "2013-07-21T20:41:28Z")
That’s a ‘pooch’? She’s tiny and has a perfectly normal stomach. Jeez. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/11 "2013-07-21T20:59:28Z")
Hey, guys! You lot know all about acting and pregnancy, so I thought maybe I’d hit you up with a question! It is kind of a time-sensitive matter so it would be great if I could get an answer in the next eight hours or so. You are probably not familiar with Solfy Cavadro, but she was a player in a theater troupe local to me that last week finished up a run of the work of indie memory playwright Jomee Saxlom’s “Chandeliere’s Phrantastic” series. Great shows; you should see them if you’re ever in the area! Although they probably won’t be doing another Phrantastic performance for a while. Anyway, a nice thing about local theater is that it’s real easy to meet up with your favorite players after the performances! I always have enjoyed actors and find them to be gregarious and trusting, and Solfy was no exception! Anyway, on to my acting question: is there a good way to tell how many times an actress has been pregnant just by looking at the shape and texture of their uterus? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/12 "2013-07-21T21:06:12Z")
Huh? \*\* Claire\*\*, I don’t know _why_ you have this particular obsession with vaginas and bellies, but it’s borderline skeevy. Actually, cut that, it is **totally** creepy through and through. Get a new hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/13 "2013-07-21T21:25:37Z")
Sorry, that’s just Ka-reeepy! ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/14 "2013-07-21T22:00:26Z")
What kind of answer do you even want? How about this: Yeah, sure, she had a secret baby. Anything is possible. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/15 "2013-07-21T22:00:51Z")
Your idea of rounded and poochie is way out of whack with the realities of a normal female body. And in that first video she’s wearing a long jacket at you can’t even see her belly; the close up of her hands also does not show anything that would constitute a saggy postpartum belly. This is the third thread where you have shown some issues about trying to (we now know) figure out if this actress has had a child and concealed the fact from the world, or is just unqualified to portray the roles she does because of sexual activity. I would strongly suggest you speak to a counselor about this obsession. Unless she is related to you and you suspect something nefarious, the subject is really, really disturbing. I don’t know how thin you are, but you have some serious body issues to work through. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/16 "2013-07-21T23:25:34Z")
Holy shit! I must be pregnant! ---
**Author:** ![Gullible\_s\_Travels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de0a6/32.png) [@Gullible\_s\_Travels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gullible_s_Travels)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/17 "2013-07-21T23:29:47Z")
Seems that OP (or someone using almost the same wording) is asking this question on several message boards. It’s beyond bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/18 "2013-07-21T23:56:31Z")
People get obsessed with some weird-ass stuff, as evidenced by the TV show. And the OP’s threads. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/19 "2013-07-22T01:41:35Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > This is another picture of her from the same episode as the picture. > > [http://i.imgur.com/OIM90PA.png](http://i.imgur.com/OIM90PA.png) I agree. Those are most certainly the fingers of a woman with child. Tis obvious. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/20 "2013-07-22T03:15:44Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I agree. Those are most certainly the fingers of a woman with child. Tis obvious. Truly! I’m surprised there’s any doubt! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122.md?page=2)