If only I could give this book 6 stars.

Written with humility, honesty and humour, this book really should be compulsory reading for everyone past the age of puberty as it describes in honest detail the trials, tribulations and joys of being at the coalface of birthing in the under-funded, under-appreciated and under-staffed world of Midwifery.

So very pleased that to have had the opportunity to read this book; loved all of its grimaces, groans, grot and occasional grins. I had a tiny clue as to some of the things that a Midwife has to deal with from being a willing observer for the birth of my two daughters. Having read this book, I now realise how tiny an amount of appreciation I had for what a Midwife does and is responsible for. The descriptor "unsung heroines" does not even come close to describe their dedication and skills.

Despite being the most squeamish person on the planet I find myself drawn to memoirs like this and find myself in utter awe of anyone who can work in the health world.
It seems such a shame that so many of these end in the same way - it is shameful the way the NHS has been cash starved leading to such problems.

An enjoyable book to read about what goes on in a maternity hospital - and I now know a lot more than before I started this book!

Leah Hazard gives us a wonderful insight into the life of a midwife. I laughed and I cried and realised how many different roles a midwife has to take in their day to day working lives.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book of anecdotes from a midwife, especially as I just had my son 4 months ago so birth and an antenatal hospital stay were both fresh in my mind.

I think this is a good account and just touches on how hard pushed they truly are. Well written and the way the chapters were laid our were good, a note, an anecdote then another note and so forth. Really enjoyed it.

An excellent though sometimes hard read. Life as a midwife, the reality a real " no frills" version. In parts hilarious, in parts sad....but most of all an insight in to the punishing roller coaster of a ride that being a midwife is. Long hours, staff shortages, responsibility to deliver amongst other things an excellent service in impossible circumstances. This will make you laugh, admire our wonderful midwives and despair at our NHS. Would highly recommend. I enjoyed this insightful read

I don’t normally read non-fiction books like this, but it sounded really interesting so I thought I’d give it a try.
What is it about birth stories that is so interesting? I have no idea, but I loved reading this. The work of a midwife is so much more than you realise, and this book captures it perfectly from a front line perspective. This book made me laugh and cry and feel exasperated one after another. Well worth a read.

Midwife Leah Hazard opens up the world of midwifery and how it isn’t just about the beautiful smooth births in her world. This was such a refreshing, heart wrenching, funny, honest account into her career and mind. What a selfless, hardworking woman who suffered stress and the politics of today’s NHS. Thank you.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A very truthful insight into the role of a midwife . from student to a fully fledged midwife.. moving in places reading her stories of some of the patients struggles and experiences. a great insight also into our NHS maybe a free copy should be sent to our government to show them the truth of what actually goes on and the day to day jobs of these unsung heroes.

brilliant read, wonderfully written

I decided to give this one a try after reading and loving "This is going to hurt". I knew this one would be different but still enjoyed it. It is a great insight into the reality of the NHS and how cuts are affecting midwives. It was beautifully written and had some elements that made me laugh which always helps in these kinds of books.

A great insight into the reality of the cash strapped NHS and how that impacts on midwives. Absolutely fascinating understanding more about their role

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley (thanks!). I really enjoy fly-on-the wall, personal accounts of people's professions, especially medical ones, and this was no exception, especially as there seem to be fewer of these books concerning midwifery, making it a really interesting read, not least due to my general interest in the topic. Hazard gives a searingly honest portrayal of midwifery in the NHS, and shows with humour and poignancy what an incredible, difficult job midwives do.

Absolutely loved this. Amazing writing style and really captured what it’s like & the times where you don’t find out what happens next when they leave. I would love to know how things turned out for a few of those ladies.

I have always been a fan of these kind of books. I always find myself diving in and devour the authors tale with glee, this was definitely one of those books that pulls you in at the first page! I loved the way this was written and felt like I was there with Leah all the way. I liked that not only did you get a glimpse of what life for a midwife is like but also the more important message of just how much they work their socks off and just how much they are expected to do in a shift. I also liked the humour mixed with the serious message of just how much the government cuts are effecting the whole nhs

I really enjoyed Leah's insight into what it's like to be an NHS midwife especially since my best friend is midwife too. The stories ranged from hilarious to heartbreaking - I was just upset that you didn't find out what became of the young girl's baby at the end of one of the earlier chapters.

Really enjoyed this book. Lots of funny and also serious stories. Really enjoy real life story books.

This book was a brilliant insight into a world of midwives and the women and babies they care for. I loved the frankness and the humour as well as the emotional and life-changing stories. The book combined the sense of birth/delivery as an everyday miracle, with the visceral and scary realities of labour.

I found it moving, challenging and fascinating - it really gripped me and I had to read on. I definitely appreciated the author's honesty about her patients and the system - including the difficulties both can pose.

This can be read alongside This is Going to Hurt and The Language of Kindness to get a real sense of what our health professionals face, what they give and how they cope with working in this world.

PS: a very minor point and it might have been something about the Kindle formatting of the ARC but I found the structure very slightly confusing in that sometimes there was a kind of short 'overview' followed by 'cases' that illustrated the point. It might have been helpful for those intros to look slightly different for sign-posting, but, as I say, it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.

Moving, timely, and beautifully written - and a wake up call if only the government would heed it.
And interesting to hear from a new, often unheard perspective - like ‘The Language of Kindness’

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's the first of a kind for me and it was great to get an insight to what goes on day to day. I don't remember half the people I seen while pregnant but what I do remember is the ladies faces and names who induced me broke my waters and delivered both my sons. Our country would literally be on its knees without the NHS this lady may not see herself as a saint but I do she's amazing you can feel the passion and love she has for her job and for all the lucky ladies in her care. I hope on release this book becomes a bestseller I'll definitely be buying a few copies for family and friends

Honest and real account of life as a midwife, from student midwifery to fully qualified.

Packed full of emotion, love, stress and frustration at the inadequate resourcing, this will be a compelling read for all fans of real-life medical stories.