Amity Reed became a midwife to serve women, but the reality of working in over-stretched and underfunded NHS maternity services soon shattered her illusions. She's not alone - for every 30 midwives that train, 29 will leave the profession. Overdue is both the devastating personal story behind the statistics, and a call for change in the NHS. Real-life stories capture the moments at the heart of midwifery: life, death, birth, tragedy and joy, and are embedded in a clear-sighted examination of what is working - and what isn't - in maternity services. The result is a book that asks - and tries to answer - questions that are at the heart of many people's working lives: how can we follow our calling, provide for our families and keep ourselves healthy, if the workplace and its systems are working against us?

About the Author

Amity Reed is a US native who has lived in the UK for nearly 20 years. Originally a journalist and editor, she has been a birth worker for over a decade, during which time she has campaigned for women's health and reproductive rights. Amity qualified as a midwife in 2016 and worked in NHS maternity services for three years. She currently works in a family planning clinic in South London, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Reviews

"I felt goose bumps, I smiled, I shed tears. Amity Reed's descriptions of childbirth and motherhood are the most powerful I have ever read... a masterpiece of joy and trauma that provides a vivid and realistic insight into today's maternity services."

* Sheena Byrom, midwife and author of Catching Babies *

"An important book - as long-awaited as its title suggests. This beautifully-written, persuasive and cage-rattling story of love, power, disillusionment and struggle calls us to action and demands that we protect and uplift midwives and other frontline NHS staff so that they can protect and uplift us in our most profound moments of joy and loss."

-- Rebecca Schiller, author, journalist and women's rights campaigner



Book Information
ISBN 9781780664101
Author Amity Reed
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Pinter & Martin Ltd.
Publisher Pinter & Martin Ltd.
Weight(grams) 238g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 127mm * 17mm