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Flourish: A Practical and Emotional Guidebook to Thriving in Midwifery
The only book addressing the stark psychological impact of midwifery work while giving midwives the tools to choose a brighter future.
Flourish aims to support you as a midwife to do two things: to name what’s going on around you and within you, then to find and claim your distinctive place in the midwifery world.
You might be a newly qualified or early career midwife facing the challenges of finding your voice as well as your feet. Maybe you’re an established midwife but feel as though you have lost your way – and with it the energy to reshape either yourself or the environment you work in. Perhaps you're a team leader seeking to find the vocabulary to connect with your team, acknowledge what they might be feeling and reach out for resources and tools to support them to thrive, reflect and grow.
As a guidebook, Flourish is a tour of discovery that reveals how ‘standard’ maternity environments and practices might be impacting you personally, and then invites you to reconnect with the core of your personality and purpose. You'll recognise more clearly the realities of trauma exposure, burnout, compassion fatigue and moral injury, and explore what's really needed for psychological safety. You'll choose from an array of exercises to practice living well in the day to day, and you'll find a way back 'home', to a place where your sense of motivation for being a midwife is rekindled – a place where you can reconnect to your values, strengths and your unique voice. Once there, you will be able to make real, rich choices about your life and your career.
Kate Greenstock is a distinctive combination of practising midwife and coach, bringing the flavours of both: reality and possibility; rawness and hope.
Flourish aims to support you as a midwife to do two things: to name what’s going on around you and within you, then to find and claim your distinctive place in the midwifery world.
You might be a newly qualified or early career midwife facing the challenges of finding your voice as well as your feet. Maybe you’re an established midwife but feel as though you have lost your way – and with it the energy to reshape either yourself or the environment you work in. Perhaps you're a team leader seeking to find the vocabulary to connect with your team, acknowledge what they might be feeling and reach out for resources and tools to support them to thrive, reflect and grow.
As a guidebook, Flourish is a tour of discovery that reveals how ‘standard’ maternity environments and practices might be impacting you personally, and then invites you to reconnect with the core of your personality and purpose. You'll recognise more clearly the realities of trauma exposure, burnout, compassion fatigue and moral injury, and explore what's really needed for psychological safety. You'll choose from an array of exercises to practice living well in the day to day, and you'll find a way back 'home', to a place where your sense of motivation for being a midwife is rekindled – a place where you can reconnect to your values, strengths and your unique voice. Once there, you will be able to make real, rich choices about your life and your career.
Kate Greenstock is a distinctive combination of practising midwife and coach, bringing the flavours of both: reality and possibility; rawness and hope.
272 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2023
10 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Kate Greenstock
1 bookKate is a distinctive combination of practising midwife and coach, bringing the flavours of both: reality and possibility; rawness and hope.
A midwife, coach and facilitator living in London, Kate seeks out green space, fresh air and wild water wherever she can. As a midwife she works within a continuity of carer team; as a coach she supports midwives and other bright sparks in healthcare to creatively re-imagine their work lives. After a decade of pre-midwife life in Japan, Iran and the UAE, she loves that we all see the world from different angles. Her favourite part of being a midwife is witnessing and supporting ‘newborn’ families in their profound transition and changing identities. She brings an absolute conviction that there is no substitute in the world for you, and your unique voice.
Kate is a Certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). She is also a Firework licensed career coach and facilitator of Systemic Constellations. She's a skilled facilitator of groups, shaping leadership development environments for pioneering healthcare professionals, and enjoys creating reflective spaces with midwives and student midwives. She facilitates Schwartz Rounds (exploring the emotional impact of healthcare work) for her home NHS trust. She holds an MA (Oxon) in Modern History, a DipHE. in Antenatal Education and BSc.(Hons) in Midwifery.
A midwife, coach and facilitator living in London, Kate seeks out green space, fresh air and wild water wherever she can. As a midwife she works within a continuity of carer team; as a coach she supports midwives and other bright sparks in healthcare to creatively re-imagine their work lives. After a decade of pre-midwife life in Japan, Iran and the UAE, she loves that we all see the world from different angles. Her favourite part of being a midwife is witnessing and supporting ‘newborn’ families in their profound transition and changing identities. She brings an absolute conviction that there is no substitute in the world for you, and your unique voice.
Kate is a Certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). She is also a Firework licensed career coach and facilitator of Systemic Constellations. She's a skilled facilitator of groups, shaping leadership development environments for pioneering healthcare professionals, and enjoys creating reflective spaces with midwives and student midwives. She facilitates Schwartz Rounds (exploring the emotional impact of healthcare work) for her home NHS trust. She holds an MA (Oxon) in Modern History, a DipHE. in Antenatal Education and BSc.(Hons) in Midwifery.
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May 27, 2023
If you’re a midwife or work in maternity care, you need to read this book. It feels like it was written personally for me as it was so accurate to all the things I have felt and experienced during my midwifery career so far. It helped me make sense of the emotions I’ve felt and therefore made me feel validated that I am not abnormal to be feeling these things. I’ve never read anything that so accurately explains why modern midwifery is so tough and why it is natural for humans to struggle with it. However alongside this the book provides incredible guidance for navigating such a challenging career - it has changed how I view my work and helped me to be kinder to myself when I am struggling. It should be required reading for every midwife, student midwife, anyone thinking of becoming a midwife, MSWs, obstetricians - everyone. Would also be a very worthwhile read for anyone who knows and cares for someone working in maternity to help see what we experience and how we can be best supported by our loved ones. I look forward to seeing how this book can help positively influence the current climate of midwifery and maternity care, especially as it is partly aimed at developing the knowledge of senior staff in order for them to provide even better support to their team members.
Displaying 1 of 1 review