Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Hard Pushed

  • A Midwife’s Story
  • By: Leah Hazard
  • Narrated by: Leah Hazard
  • Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (171 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Hard Pushed

By: Leah Hazard
Narrated by: Leah Hazard
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

You haven't slept for twenty hours, haven't eaten for ten, and you're in charge of twenty heavily pregnant women at midnight.

Welcome to the life of a midwife.

Life on the NHS front line is tougher than you could imagine. Marathon shifts, endless birth complications, staffing shortages, pushy families, panicking mothers – and that's a quiet Thursday afternoon.

But the strength and camaraderie of the women working under such intense pressure is a beautiful thing. Together, they must withstand one of the world's most difficult job, one that produces moments of pure, absolute joy and terrible, heart-wrenching grief.

Through the experienced eyes of Leah Hazard, we meet women from all walks of life: the scared fifteen-year-old whose baby could be months premature, the same-sex couple whose child will be a miracle of modern medicine, the woman giving birth in a room drenched in essential oils and love, and the mother-to-be whose tale of exploitation and endurance has carried her thousands of miles to Leah’s ward.

Moving, compassionate and intensely candid, Hard Pushed is a love letter to new mothers and to Leah’s fellow midwives – there for us at some of the most challenging, empowering and defining moments of our lives.

©2019 Leah Hazard (P)2019 Penguin Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Lessons of a Student Midwife: Books 1-3 Complete Midwifery Series cover art
The Baby's Coming cover art
The First Breath cover art
Give Birth Like a Feminist cover art
The End of Miracles cover art
Undoctored cover art
Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage cover art
Unsafe cover art
Singular Intimacies cover art
Overdue cover art
My Glory Was I Had Such Friends cover art
A Midwife in Amish Country cover art
The Queen of Hearts cover art
Nobody Loves Me cover art
The Complete Blood Sweat and Tea cover art
Unwanted cover art

Critic reviews

'Heart-rending, inspiring and funny, Hard Pushed brings alive the world of midwifery in all its complexity and radiates love and respect for women.' PROFESSOR LESLEY PAGE CBE, former president of the Royal College of Midwives

'It is Leah Hazard's capacity to love and give so personally to the many thousands of women she has worked with which imbues this book with its power.' JULIA SAMUEL, author of Grief Works

'The stories in Hard Pushed highlight the bravery of our midwives, and the women they care for.' CHRISTIE WATSON, author of The Language of Kindness

What listeners say about Hard Pushed

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    120
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    105
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    102
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking!

Loved that the narrator was also the author, much more personal. Great insight into the profession.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it

This is a moving timely account of being a midwife in the hard pressed NHS. It manages to portray the unique and privileged role of a midwife in caring for women and babies and the range and depth of skills needed to do so. Alarmingly the reality of working in an under resourced health service is evident, and the great personal toll this takes on committed compassionate staff. Leah Hazard writes from the heart and conveys warmth and passion, reminding us of the true value of midwifery and the threats it faces.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I want Midwife Hazard as my midwife!

I really enjoyed this audio book, a stark no frill look into the world of midwifery that i guess unless you are in you are little idea about!

While the under staffing aspects scare the life out of me for the future children i may have it is great to know that Midwives like Leah exist.

Also i could listen to her recite the alphabet and find it relaxing - something about that accent!

Highly Recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great insight

This book has let me see into what I plan to dive head into very shortly, so with that, thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Poignant, frank and true reflection midwife life

Elequently covers the breadth, strength and vast array of circumstances and challenges midwives face every day. It is relevant to everyone, we are all human, we're all born, and it gives a brief window into a little acknowledged world of wonder and hard work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful

Loved the whole book, it was amazing, easy to understand and thought provoking! 5 stars!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It’s good, but not excellent

It was a good listen, but I found that some stories could have be followed through a bit more.
I enjoyed listening on the way to work

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

5/5 from a student midwife.

Leah Hazard does an amazing job of highlighting what it is like to be a midwife today. Although I am only a student midwife, I resonated with the insights Hazard shared. I went from laughter to tears to anger with each chapter. Her performance of narrator is also impressive, she has a soothing voice and is easy to listen to. I will be recommending this book to my friends and family (not only because it’s amazing but so they can get an insight into my professional life too!).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book - entertaining and informative

I absolutely loved this book! Great stories while giving you an insight into midwifery. Loved Leah’s accent too, made the book even better. Would recommend it, especially to mums as it’s very relatable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Working in maturity

Working within the Nhs I could relate to this book with full understanding of how the author felt. It is well written and an enjoyable listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!