Overdue cover art

Overdue

Birth, Burnout and a Blueprint for a Better NHS

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
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.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Overdue

By: Amity Reed
Narrated by: Amity Reed
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

Amity Reed became a midwife to serve women, but the reality of working in overstretched 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?

©2020 Pinter & Martin (P)2020 Pinter & Martin Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Policy & Administration Professionals & Academics Sexual & Reproductive Health Sexual Health Midwife Health

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Lessons of a Student Midwife: Books 1-3 Complete Midwifery Series cover art
The First Breath cover art
Why Your Baby's Sleep Matters cover art
The Power Of Suffering cover art
Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage cover art
Nurturing Maternity Staff cover art
My Rachel cover art
The Baby's Coming cover art
Give Birth Like a Feminist cover art
Undoctored cover art
Taken cover art
The Strength of Love cover art
About a Girl cover art
Every Patient Tells A Story cover art
One Sunny Afternoon cover art
Life in Her Hands cover art
All stars
Most relevant
This book is everything that needs to be said about the state of maternity services in the NHS.
Amity writes with raw and honest artistry, as we travel through the story of her awakening, her calling and the realisation of everything she is up against. A perfect balance of deeply personal insight and inspirational ideas, this is a must read.

A fierce and beautiful story of bravery

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As a previous midwife, this is so relatable and such a validating and comforting process to hear. The feelings I share are articulated so precisely.

Unbelievably relatable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amity's experience as an American on an NHS labour ward is heartfelt and illuminating. I could relate to the target-driven management-led oppression of a vocation that is part art, part science and mostly compassion mixed with a passion to do the job well.

I gained a new understanding about "burnout" and agree that too often workers are wafted away as somehow "emotionally weak" rather than being overwhelmed by underfunded, under-supported workplace practices. The patriarchal system at its worst.

Bravo Amity for shining a light on a subject that is all about women's needs.

Insight into the receiving end of labour

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
wow, emotional or what? This book sang to my heart. I don't think I've ever cried so much reading a book. Amity is so relatable. I was recommended this read as part of hypnobirthing training and I can't express how grateful I am that it was. Thank you so much for sharing your voice with us.

Every person should read this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book highlights the current failings within not only maternity care but the NHS as a whole (this is acknowledged in the book). As a specialist nurse I can unfortunately relate to many of the concerns depicted. Beautifully written, the authors passion despite the difficulties she has faced shone through strongly. Some realistic strategies for improvement and advice for staff currently struggling provided.

My only criticism is that the role of the health visitor in supporting families was not acknowledged along with those identified as playing a key role.

Reflective of life working in the NHS

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews