Sophie Martin and her husband have tried everything in their pursuit of parenthood – undergoing several rounds of IVF, spending many thousands of pounds and attending hundreds of hospital visits. Not only that, but Sophie’s job as a midwife working on a maternity ward means she is constantly surrounded by other women birthing babies left, right and centre.
The Infertile Midwife is the story of Sophie’s tumultuous voyage into motherhood: the bursts of hope, the moments of great loss and, somehow, the flashes of humour and love even in the darkest places. Sophie shares her a unique perspective as a woman struggling to conceive whilst going about her daily life job a midwife – and reveals crucial insights into the experience of undergoing infertility treatment, through her professional understanding of the care. From the phrases used to describe infertility (such as ‘incompetent cervix’ and ‘hostile womb’), to the often-patriarchal thinking that still exists within women’s healthcare, The Infertile Midwife also considers the improvements can be made so that this journey might, one day, be less traumatic for everyone.
Mixing together memoir, social commentary and support, The Infertile Midwife is a searingly honest, engaging look at maternity and infertility today. Sophie Martin truly understands the highs and the heartache of trying to build a family, and how both society and medicine sometimes don’t quite know how to handle those whose lives are affected by infertility.