I adore books about midwifery, whilst it isn't a profession I could get into it was always something I dreamt of doing, so living vicariously through books is how I get my midwifery kicks now! I was not disappointed at all with this gem. I would never even guess that it was fiction, it was so honest and raw and REAL. This book is an amazing insight into the crazy lives of midwives, the good, the bad and the downright EMOTIONAL. I absolutely adored this book.

Great read. It gave a real understanding of a day in the life of a midwife. Emotional and uplifting read. Brought back so many memorise of that special time for me.

Another stunning read. I requested this book after loving Chrissy’s tale as a nurse and read through this book quickly as I was so pulled into the different dramas and real life stories. Tender and well written I fully recommend

While many of us watched Call The Midwife and have seen a variety of books from former nurses and doctors, this hits home because it feels more real. This might be mistaken for a real life story as it mixes the good, the bad and the ugly of working as a nurse in the NHS.
The whole set of emotions surrounding giving birth are offered in this writing. This is the best way to find out what giving birth is like for a variety of people, from different backgrounds, different ages and with different views on life.
I enjoyed this read, but wonder if it will put off young nurses wanting to train as a midwife. I'll certainly seek out this writer and read more of her work.

One of the things I most enjoy about medical/clinical memoirs is identifying the characteristics of each professional through their writing style. Leigh Hazard is so obviously a midwife; her writing is straightforward, practical, woman-centred and meters out emotion carefully. Sentimentality is not allowed to get in the way although the idea of her building a tiny cairn in her heart from the memories of lost babies and (sometimes) mothers undid me.

I adored this book! I loved the honesty mixed in with humour as it gave the book less of a medical feel, despite being the main theme. Even though I gave birth to my daughter five years ago, reading this book brought back all of the memories as though it was yesterday. There was an incident in the boo which was so like my labour in the sense that the fine line between healthy and concerned, was in fact very jaded. I didn't realise at the time just how close to death i was, until I came face to face with the reality of it via a woman in this book. Leah Hazard is right, midwives don't get enough credit but I hope that that drastically changes after the release of 'Hard Pushed' (clever title by the way!). I wish we were able to find out what happened to a couple of the women who were sped away in emergency, not because I'm nosy....(okay partly), but because I hope that they got their happy ending. As weird as this sounds, the calming nature of Midwife Hazard's words in this book kept my tears from turning into a flood, instead keeping them as a little river.

Heartbreaking, honest, and omg my ovaries - i certainly wasn't 'hard pushed' to read this!

(full review to follow on blog closer to publication date)

Moving, insightful, brilliantly written and another important reminder that if we’re not careful we are going to lose our beloved NHS and all the incredible people who give so much to be part of it. And if you’ve had a baby recently enough to still remember what labour and birth were like then you might catch a glimpse of yourself amongst these pages. An excellent read.

I had been really looking forward to reading this book as I love any kind of medical story, especially ones about birth and midwifery!

Ultimately I was a little disappointed. Although I really enjoyed reading the stories of the author and some of the stories made me laugh and cry, I felt like I was left without knowing 'what happened in the end' which I hated, as I always wanted some conclusion.

I also found that the stories were too focused on the medical aspects and not the human aspect, which I also would have like to read more about - the emotion and the reactions rather than whether the heart rate was stable or not.

Having said that, I did enjoy the book and I did finish it, happily and quickly - so perhaps it just wasn't quite what I wanted but still a well written and entertaining memoir.

What a wonderful book. Fast-paced reflecting the hectic life on a maternity ward, it gives a clear depiction of the pressures these wonderful people work under and yet remain calm, compassionate and caring to their patients. Having only ever been on the receiving end of a midwife's ministrations, this book is an excellent revelation of all the effort -physical and emotional - that goes into the care you receive .

An amazing insight into the ups and downs of the life of a midwife. Also a look at the strength of character and determination each one of us has inside. Heartbreaking and Uplifting at the same time a great book, perfect for lovers of medical memoirs.

I love books like this at the moment. Ones that expose what it's like to do a certain job and follow a certain career path. Not just the good bits but the tough bits too. In fact I would love to write one about the realities of teaching.
The an anecdotes and stories were joyfull and heartbreaking in equal measure. I wished it was possible to find out if some patients got a happy ending or not.
I felt for the author at times, its not easy working in a job where the government simply don't care and I can relate to the stress the author felt. It saddened me a bit at times. Long live the nhs. 5/5 stars

Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story
by Leah Hazard
What a wonderful memoir by a midwife, a mixture of early days in the profession along with reflections after working for a few years. Her care for the patient comes across clearly in her engaging stories. Gritty and heartbreaking at times, but without the gratuitous language of This is Going to Hurt. I hope her book will do as well as Adam Kay’s, but fear it won’t – after all, will many men read about women having babies as a book by a male junior doctor?
I highly recommend this account, which makes me all the more grateful for the NHS but alarmed for its future.

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.