Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

126 reviews

lotteee11's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

I think the tone was meant to be lighthearted, but it came across as arrogant, especially on the first 30 or so pages. I also would have preferred the book to be about any specialisation but obstretics and gynaecology, because I simply cannot stand men talking disrespectfully about women in labour (not the writer so much as some of his senior colleagues). There was also some pretty horrible advice in there like taking the pill back to back to get rid of your period, instead of using a menstrual cup which also allows you to have sex without any blood involved whilst actually maintaining a healthy period. Yet, the book did give good insight into the failings of medical and nursing degrees, the inefficiency of NHS systems, and the absurd working hours of junior doctors. It was also well-written and kept me hooked right from the start. Funny, though, is not a word I would use to describe this memoir.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

jemima_reads15's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative fast-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fatphobia

mimir's review

challenging emotional funny informative fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

scarletkeiller's review

emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

4.75

As close to five stars as it could get without hitting the mark. This was an exceptional read! Kay’s ability to write about such stressful, life-altering experiences with lightheartedness and wit is unbelievable. Following his journey through medicine and the increasing pressures of the responsibility of his job, I found myself very endeared to him.

He is fundamentally very honest about his thoughts and actions, even when they don’t paint him in the best light, so by the end, when you are reading a recollection of probably the greatest trauma of his life, it is devastating to say the least. The section ‘Aftermath’ had me in fits of tears, and for hours after finishing the book I was still reflecting on what I had read, and how it made me feel, and how special this was as an experience. The only reason I haven’t rated it five stars is that, despite how much I loved the way this was structured and paced, I felt that the ‘bonus entries’ at the end of the book softened the emotional impact of the climax, and took away the harshness of the blow it had dealt. Which sounds like an odd thing to complain about, but up until the final diary entry, despite being able to see the cracks forming in his mental health and his ability to cope with the stress of the job, you can see he still loves being in obs and gynae and he finds value and humour in the job regardless of the monumental toll it takes on his personal life and health. So when he is suddenly thrown into a situation so stressful and so traumatic that it eventually leads to his leaving medicine altogether, this is a huge shock and, naturally, I wanted to sit with the feelings it brought up for a while and really reflect on what I had read. It was clearly a huge deal for him to share this experience, and it was a shame that the extra bits at the end took away from its impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

sethalopod's review

dark funny informative fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

hjb_128's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse

marleen02's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective sad

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

puifaii's review against another edition

emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Racism, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Physical abuse, Self harm, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

haleybre's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

ibbyyyyy's review against another edition

funny informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

A perfectly honest and hilarious depiction of healthcare. I really felt for Adam as he went through the arduous process of moving through the ranks of junior and senior doctor. We nurses tend to focus so much on the negative ways doctors impact us day to day but I’m encouraged to think more of the positive- and give them more grace. Adam captured exactly the turmoil, chaos, and humor that I think all healthcare workers can relate to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer