The Infertile Midwife
In Search of Motherhood - A Memoir
- 288 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
‘A vital, heartfelt read for anyone navigating the rough seas of infertility and pregnancy loss’ – Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed
An insightful, moving memoir, capturing life working as a midwife in a busy NHS hospital at the same time as dealing with experiences of infertility, IVF and loss.
As a young married couple, Sophie Martin and her husband spent years trying to conceive. They went through several rounds of IVF, at great expense, and even travelled overseas for treatment, never quite knowing whether they would one day have a family. Alongside this, Sophie was working hard at a job she loved: looking after expectant mothers and newborn babies as a midwife in a busy hospital, where the patients’ daily new additions were a constant reminder of Sophie’s own setbacks in pursuit of motherhood.
The Infertile Midwife is a deeply personal, moving account of chasing something that you want so desperately. It also offers a much-needed look at how society treats infertility – from the language we use to the small talk we make – and the ways in which we can all do more to make things better for hopeful parents. With great warmth and honesty, Sophie shares her experiences of the bursts of hope and moments of great loss, but also the humour, love and joy that can be found in even the darkest places.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- Prologue
- Introduction
- 1 The Life Plan
- 2 Call the Midwife
- 3 The Trying Years: Sex, Drugs and Feeling Out of Control
- 4 Unwomanhood
- 5 Navigating the System
- 6 Small Talk
- 7 Sophie – 2, IVF – 0
- 8 The Twelve-week Rule
- 9 Hello and Goodbye
- 10 The Aftermath
- 11 Birth and Death
- 12 A Final Farewell
- 13 Salt in the Wound
- 14 Incompetent Cervix and Other Niceties
- 15 Trying Again
- 16 The IVF Holiday
- 17 Rotting Eggs
- 18 Pregnancy After Loss
- 19 Life After Loss
- Afterword
- Acknowledgements
- Resources
- About the Author