Flourish: A Practical and Emotional Guidebook to Thriving in Midwifery

A deeply needed book - so thankful someone has taken down to vocalise so much of what I think and feel

Kate Greenstock has beautifully curated a two-part treasure map, the first part detailing the midwifery landscape and our work environment. Providing a vocabulary for the nuances of midwifery challenges and struggles we face daily. The ‘emotion work’ that we pour into each shift. Greenstock describes midwives taking on a ‘kaleidoscopic’ quality as we practice compassionate care. She unpacks the symptoms, causations and physiology of compassion fatigue and offers alternatives of change both systemically and personally. She regularly signposts examples where trauma informed care is beginning to be implemented. There are signs of hope when she brings to light trusts and organisations that are making positive change. Each page is densely packed with evidence-based tools, resonating verbatim quotes from midwives and poetry. It is deeply nourishing and caused me to breathe many inner sighs of relief, stirring hope for a career of longevity. Reading Flourish has made me feel so seen and heard. Moreover, it provides a landscape and vocabulary that helps me to express some of these inner fears. Part two, the treasure trove: a plethora of reflective tools made applicable to our work. Encouraging a ‘culture of honour’, accountability with fellow colleagues and encouraging midwives to practice self-reflectiveness. Following an era of lock down, of negating media coverage or shocking statistics, Flourish is a refreshing pool which midwives, and (as she notes), anyone who loves midwives, may refer back to again and again.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to write about flourish… 10/10. A real MUST READ! I’ve cried and cried at the realisations throughout and had so many moments of “that’s me!” As an NHS midwife (or anyone in maternity) you need to read this! So looking forward to adapting my practice so I can thrive in midwifery.

Kate perfectly explains the experience of being a midwife. Flourish addresses the feeling and emotions of working in such a demanding profession but also a map to navigate and improve the environment. Wish I had this while I was still a student, but still found it incredibly validating and useful !“ there remains much to do , but there is hope “

Bought 25 for international day if the midwife. Everyone enjoyed borrowing them so far.

The fight club of midwives is deeply understood by Kate, clearly. I’m so grateful that she took the time and effort to verbalise the specifics in this book because it has touched me. As a newly qualified midwife I think this might be the exact life raft I was reaching for, I plan to use what Kate has described and explained so aptly to protect myself and others. It’s a cliche but if you’re reading this buy the book already, you won’t regret it.

Waking up in my camper van by the sea I have time to read your wonderful book. It truly describes how it can be and should not be and gives me hope that people will wake up and see the damage done …..such and easy read..love it

What an amazing book, Kate speaks for so many midwives both newly qualified and those like myself who have been qualified a long time. I sincerely hope this becomes a compulsory textbook across both the nursing and medical professions. It can be applied to all areas not just Midwifery, it highlights our goals for best practice and shows us how that can transform the care we give. Our NHS is constantly under pressure, it is only in a caring and supportive environment that we as midwives can thrive. Valuing relationships, listening to one another and allowing space to be vulnerable is the only route forward to avoid burnout and prevent people leaving the profession. Thank you Kate, what a blessing you must be to your colleagues and those new student midwives in your care.