The Secret Midwife by Anon (Review)

Following the success of "This is Going to Hurt" by Adam Kay, many authors have released similar stories from the nursing, midwifery and other healthcare professions. I have actually loved reading them and I think most of them share the honest reality of the field, albeit some with more taste than others. 

"The Secret Midwife" shares a similar perspective, but that of the midwives role. Interestingly, the author chooses to remain anonymous during this book and whilst, she states that some may recognise her from the stories and experiences she shared, that is how she wishes to remain to the public majority. 

Described as a "heart-breaking, engrossing and important read. At once joyful and profoundly shocking, this is the story of birth, straight from the delivery room." "The Secret Midwife reveals the highs and lows on the frontline of the maternity unit, from the mother who tries to give herself a DIY caesarean to the baby born into witness protection, and from surprise infants that arrive down toilets to ones that turn up in the lift."

I really enjoyed this book for a multitude of reasons. I think it shares such joyous and motivational stories. I think it's lovely to see the impact a profession can have on women, and vice-a-versa. Families truly do change who we are and what we do. They are the reason I love my job and I will never take that for granted. I also think the brutal honesty of the book, is vital. It's important the public recognise the consequences that are out of control and due to negative choices beyond us. 

Having read the book, it makes me really sad. I never went into midwifery thinking it would be a fairy tale profession, with constant highs, but it makes me really upset and scared that this is the reality. The lows and conditions described in the book are the genuine reality of the National Health Service at the moment. There are incredible staff shortages, underfunding, lack of self-care and breaks. It's even more heart-breaking to read, after seeing it happen in reality and the consequences of those are jaw-dropping. It makes me scared for the future of the NHS and the workforce they employ. 

I would strongly encourage anyone considering a career in any healthcare profession to read this book. It doesn't matter whether it's midwifery or not, because I think realistically, ultimately, every single field is going to be going through very similar struggles. I also think that all too often, we try to hide these struggles from the public eye but I think it's important now, more than ever, to be candid and show the difficulties, to hopefully engage a stronger to fight it from a larger field.