Podcast appearances and mentions of leah hazard

Send us a textI've got a collaborative Twixtmas special coming up today. I've asked a number of friends of the podcast to tell us about their top read of 2024 and what they're most looking forward to reading in 2025. Thanks for joining me in 2024, and I'm looking forward to sharing plenty more books with you in 2025.Featured today are the voices and choices of:Sabina Dosani https://sabinadosani.com/ Leah Hazard https://www.leahhazard.co.uk/ Derek Ochiai https://twitter.com/DrDerekOchiai Helen Blomfield https://www.helenblomfield.co.uk/Pim Dhahan https://www.linkedin.com/in/pim-dhahan-1a21a5b9/ Nicola Ennis https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-ennis-3b5ab1215/ Claire McKie https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-mckie-a54a52234/ Nicola Davis https://bsky.app/profile/drnicoladavis.bsky.social and  https://bsky.app/profile/crxeate.bsky.social Anna Baverstock https://bsky.app/profile/annabav.bsky.social David Hindmarsh https://www.youtube.com/c/GPTemplates Kate Wharton  https://www.instagram.com/katewharton27/?hl=en Dani Hall https://x.com/danihalltweets and https://dontforgetthebubbles.com/The books we recommended are:Brotherless Night by VV GaneshananthanSong of the Whole Wide World by Tamarin NorwoodOrbital by Samantha HarveyIn Memoriam by Alice WynnWhen Breath Becomes Air by Paul KalanithiDemon Copperhead by Barbara KingsolverWednesday's Child by Yiyun Li The Trees by Percival EverettMeditations for Mortals by Oliver BurkemanThe Facemaker by Lindsey FitzharrisDivided by Annabel SowemimoHow to Save Babylon by Safiya SinclairUnheard by Rageshri DhairyawanFeel Good Productivity by Ali AbdalYou be Mother by Meg MasonSmall Things Like These by Claire KeeganThe books we are looking forward to are:Heartstopper 6 by Alice OsemanGood Dirt by Charmaine WilkersonIntermezzo by Sally RooneyBook of Dust Trilogy by Philip PullmanThe Hallmarked Man by Robert GalbraithTell me Everything by Elizabeth StroutThe 5th book in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club SeriesThe Elements of Marie Curie by Dava SobelPoems as Friends by Fiona BennettKokoro by Beth KemptonMicroskills by Adaira Landry and Reesa E Lewiss Your Worry Makes Sense Martin BrunetDream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi

Imagine being told you had a “hostile uterus” and sent home, only to discover later you were on the brink of a life-threatening pregnancy complication.This isn't fiction. Terms like “hostile uterus” and “irritable uterus” are still in use, and they're dangerous. In conventional medicine, language like this often subtly blames women's bodies for medical events, creating a culture where women who advocate for themselves are frequently dismissed—or even labeled “difficult.” Disturbingly, some women, particularly Black mothers, have faced extreme consequences like social services or even police intervention for simply speaking up during labor.The stakes are high. Medical and obstetric trauma are a reality for far too many, and symptoms of PTSD are often brushed off as “just part of the experience” instead of being acknowledged as trauma caused by medical mistreatment. This climate of dismissal causes many women to skip important screenings and healthcare visits, increasing their health risks.In this episode, I sit down with Leah Hazard, a midwife, activist, and author who, like me, has seen firsthand the impact of misleading language and inconsistent protocols on women's health. We discuss the urgent need for self-advocacy in healthcare, why it often feels like an uphill battle, and the unsettling inconsistencies in obstetrics. Leah explains how synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin)—a drug widely used to induce or speed up labor—is administered with inconsistent protocols across hospitals, affecting labor experiences, breastfeeding success, and postpartum mental health.Episode Highlights:The Hidden Power of Words: We explore how terms like “hostile uterus” subtly place blame on women's bodies, fueling a culture that sees women as “difficult” when they advocate for themselves.The Impact of Medical Dismissal: Leah shares real-life stories of women whose symptoms were dismissed, leading to delayed or inadequate care—even in life-threatening situations.Birth Trauma and Mental Health: Medical trauma affects a shocking number of women, with many experiencing PTSD symptoms that are often minimized or overlooked, leaving lasting emotional scars.Inconsistent Pitocin Protocols: Leah uncovers how the administration of synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) varies greatly across hospitals, impacting everything from labor experience to breastfeeding outcomes and postpartum mental health.The Essential Need for Self-Advocacy: We discuss why knowing your body—and the language around it—is crucial in navigating a system that too often undermines women's voices.A Call to Change the Narrative: This episode isn't just for those with a womb; it's a call to examine how society, medicine, and language intersect in women's health, challenging us to create a more compassionate healthcare experience.If this episode resonated with you, consider taking action by sharing it with a friend or leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Don't miss out on future episodes! Make sure to subscribe to On Health for more conversations like this one, bringing you expert insights and empowering you to take control of your health and well-being.Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplementsThe Mama Pathway is not your average childbirth education program. It's a powerful virtual membership community and online education experience where traditional midwifery wisdom and modern medicine meet to support you on your most empowered path through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Go to

Maternity failings at scandal-hit hospitals are becoming more widespread, according to the Care Quality Commission. In a review of 131 maternity units across the NHS in England, 48% have been rated as requiring improvement or inadequate. Anita Rani gets the latest from BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle, and speaks to NHS midwife and author Leah Hazard about whether women can keep themselves safe on maternity wards.On 22 September 1994, the American TV show Friends premiered on NBC. Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross became household names. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Anita speaks to one of the show's writers and producers, Betsy Borns. Plus, we hear from journalist Emma Loffhagen about why the show still resonates with Gen Z all these years later. Reporter Melanie Abbott joins Anita – she has been investigating breast implant illness. Thousands of women are having their implants removed because they think they are making them sick. We hear from Caroline George who had hers taken out four months ago, and from a doctor and researcher, Prabath Nanayakkara, in the Netherlands who has been running a specific clinic for this for 12 years. He thinks that the UK desperately needs a similar resource. Breast surgeon Steven Thrush will tell us what is happening here in the UK where it seems much harder to get a diagnosis.Stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Lucy Beaumont joins Anita to talk about the next leg of her tour – Lucy Beaumont Live. She'll tell us about the stories and jokes we can expect on the tour, as well as why she thinks the world of comedy has gone backwards to being male-dominated. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lottie Garton

As many regular listeners may know I absolutely love talking to authors about their books, especially healthcare professional authors and today is one of those episodes.I am so delighted to welcome Leah Hazard to the podcast to talk about her book Womb: the inside story of where we all began which is a phenomenal book literally for anybody. If only we could get this book into the PHSE curriculum for all young people,  if only we could get all adults to read it. It is phenomenally accessible. It is scientifically so accurate and so brilliant.  Follow Leah on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/hazard_leah or on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/leahhazard

Being in control and having a sense of choice can be the difference between a positive or negative birth experience, but how much choice do women really have? India Rakusen speaks to Dr Anna Nelson about consent for cervical examinations and how muddy this area can be. Leah Hazard discusses what these examinations are for and how useful they can be, and we also hear from Dr Ihab Abassi about his decision to only perform gentle caesareans and the long lasting positive impact this can have on women. Presented by India Rakusen Producer: Ellie Sans Series Producer: Ellie Sans Production Team: Ella McLeod & Georgia Arundell Executive Producer: Suzy Grant Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Original music composed and performed by ESKA Mix and Mastering by Charlie Brandon-KingA Listen production for BBC Radio 4

How are mother and baby developing? Sure, we've counted their toes - but what happens now? So many huge emotional shifts are happening in the “Fourth Trimester”. We discuss postnatal care with midwife Leah Hazard and the history of lying in with Dr Sarah Fox. We also discuss postnatal depression, and inpatient support for mums. An area in which England is world leading. India visits a mother and baby unit to talk to Dr Trudi Seneviratne about the psychological support for new mothers.Presented by: India Rakusen. Producer: Ellie Sans. Series producer: Ellie Sans. Executive producer: Suzy Grant. Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Eska Mtungwazi. Mix and Mastering by Charlie-Brandon HillA Listen Production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

At the end of a pregnancy, a lot is going on. The baby might be descending and moving into place, and the pregnant body is changing every day. It's the baby's time to arrive and it's going to happen, one way or another. But what is a due date?India speaks to Holly Dunsworth, a biological anthropologist who's challenging the obstetrical dilemma. Exploring the idea of why the due dates exist, India looks at the inaccuracies of how they are measured whilst questioning - how does labour begin? Midwife and author Leah Hazard provides insights into what we do know, and the possible influence of full moons. Presented by India Rakusen. Producer: Lucy Hunt. Series Producer: Ellie Sans. Executive Producer: Suzy Grant. Commissioning Editor Rhian Roberts. Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon. Mix and Mastering by Olga Reed. A Listen production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Laura and Leah Hazard both practising NHS midwives, writers and birth activists, discuss how to bring evidence-based information about midwifery, birth and women's bodies into the public sphere in a way that's accessible, relatable and relevant to our times. Leah's new book, Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began, expands on the history of women's reproductive lives interwoven with her own personal story.Your host is writer, artist and midwife, Laura Godfrey-Isaacs.To find out more, head to https://www.maternaljournal.org/.

Physic, Book 3 of Septimus Heap series by Angie SageCourt of Frost & Starlight, Book 4 in the series by Sara MaasWomb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began by Leah Hazard

++ Wie können wir konstruktives Feedback geben und nehmen, an dem wir gemeinsam wachsen können, statt Feedbackgespräche zu vermeiden? Dafür gibt dir Vera Strauch in unserem kostenlosen Online-Seminar am 28. August 2023 ab 19 Uhr ganz konkrete Impulse. Meld dich jetzt an, wir freuen uns auf dich: Starkes Feedback – Wie wir mutig und konstruktiv Feedback geben und annehmen - Female Leadership Academy. ++Die Gebärmutter ist nicht nur ein Organ, das das Leben der Hälfte der Weltbevölkerung maßgeblich beeinflusst: Kein anderes Organ ist von so großem gesellschaftlichen Interesse wie der Uterus. Gleichzeitig wissen die meisten nur sehr wenig über diesen besonderen Teil des Körpers, seine Funktionen und Besonderheiten, die weit über reproduktive Aufgaben hinausgehen. Leah Hazard, ehemalige BBC-Journalistin, Autorin und Hebamme, möchte das ändern. Für ihr Buch "Wo alles beginnt: Die ungeahnte Power der Gebärmutter" hat sie sich mit Expert*innen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis über Zyklus, Krankheit, Schwangerschaft, Geburt, Abtreibung und alles Wissenswerte zum Uterus gesprochen und beleuchtet die neueste Forschung. Ein gesellschaftlich, medizinisch und persönlich hochaktuelles, relevantes und vor allem auch politisches Thema.In Folge 277 im Female Leadership Podcast teilt sie spannende Erkenntnisse über die Gebärmutter und den aktuellen Forschungsstand. Sie erklärt, weshalb das Organ politisch und sozial von so hoher Relevanz ist und warum damit verbundene Themen am Arbeitsplatz immer noch größtenteils tabu sind.In dieser Folge zum Thema “Gebärmutter” erfährst du:✅ Welche einzigartigen und besonderen Fähigkeiten die Gebärmutter besitzt✅ Warum die Gebärmutter ein politisches Thema ist✅ Aktuelle Entwicklungen und Forschungsergebnisse rund um den UterusLinks und Literatur zum Thema “Gebärmutter”Alle Links und Empfehlungen findest du hier.DankeWenn dir der Female Leadership Podcast gefällt, freue ich mich sehr, wenn du den Podcast bei iTunes oder Spotify mit 5 Sternen bewertest. Danke von Herzen für deine Unterstützung!

Considering that we all start life in one, and that roughly half of the global population has one, the womb remains one of the most under-researched, misunderstood, and controversial organs in the human body. Midwife and best-selling author Leah Hazard wanted to highlight this absence of knowledge, as well as the incredible work being done to better understand it in the future, in her endlessly fascinating new book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. In this week's Chops, Leah chats to Jen about some of that incredible work, why the womb remains profoundly political, and the challenges of getting men, and publishers, to care.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/standardissuespodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Schoolgirls in Iran have been admitted to hospital this week after reportedly being poisoned by gas whilst at school. Many Iranians suspect the poisonings are a deliberate attempt to force girls' schools to close, although the government has not confirmed. Faranak Amidi, BBC Near East Women's Affairs correspondent and Azadeh Pourzand, human rights researcher at SOAS discuss. In new book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began, NHS midwife Leah Hazard seeks to explore the organ she describes as 'woefully under-researched and misunderstood'. She shares what she has learnt from looking into the womb's past, present and possible future. Actor and singer Cynthia Erivo discusses her role in the upcoming film, Luther: The Fallen Sun, where she appears opposite Idris Elba. She shares her experience working on the movie version of the musical Wicked, playing the lead role of Elphaba, her 2020 oscar-nominated performance as Harriet Tubman, and her new found liberation in expressing her bisexuality. Jo Cheetham was studying for a PhD and working as a nanny in London when she read news of an upcoming protest. Before she could talk herself out of it, Jo joined the No More Page 3 campaign team. We discuss her new memoir, Killjoy. Jo talks to us about the power of a grassroots campaign and everyday people doing extraordinary things. On Monday, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act came into effect, raising the age of marriage and civil partnership to 18 in England and Wales. It's what campaigners against child and forced marriage have worked towards for many years. We reflect on this social change with two listeners, Judith and Jeanette who willingly got married at 16. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Surya Elango Editor: Louise Corley

In her new book, Womb - The Inside Story of Where We All Began, NHS midwife Leah Hazard seeks to explore the organ she describes as 'woefully under-researched and misunderstood'. She shares with Nuala what she has learnt from looking into the womb's past, present and possible future. There have been accusations of Russian soldiers using sexual violence as a weapon of war during the current conflict in Ukraine. Progress is being made to bring the perpetrators to justice, but it's slow. Nuala is joined by Anna Mykytenko, senior legal advisor to Global Rights Compliance; and Anna Orel, who works for the Andreev Foundation. The laws surrounding fertility treatment and embryo research in the UK have remained largely unchanged for 30 years. Today a new consultation being held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) opens. They want to hear from people who have been impacted by fertility treatment. Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, joins Nuala. As awards season continues we want to know - who should win best performance by a jumper? Mark Darcey's reindeer jumper? Cameron Diaz's knitwear in The Holiday? Fashion journalist Naomi Pike talks to Woman's Hour about the most iconic knitwear in film - and we also hear from the creator of the most talked about jumpers of the moment. Delia Barry is 83 and personally knitted the jumpers you can see in the Oscar-nominated movie Banshees of Inisherin. She tells Nuala how she came to knit for films, and what it's like to be the woman behind the new ‘it' jumper. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Lucinda Montefiore

While we take a rest over the summer, we're sharing some remastered episodes from Season One, chosen by listeners. This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraordinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah's life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession.Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward.References from this episode:Leah's TwitterLeah's InstagramLeah's book Hard Pushed Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midwife and author Leah Hazard speaks to journalist Rosie Taylor about why immense pressures on midwifery services mean women and birthing people don't always get the postnatal care they deserve - and why a health baby isn't "all that matters". Leah also talks about how her own birth experiences inspired her to become a midwife and her upcoming book about the body's most miraculous organ: the womb.On the Mother Bodies podcast, Rosie is on a mission to find out why postnatal health is still so overlooked and to uncover the biases and inequalities which mean women so often don't get the care, support or treatment they need after having a baby. She speaks to fascinating guests about their personal stories of recovery after birth, how the politics of postnatal health affects us all - and the big ideas which could change mothers' lives for the better.Click here to pre-order Leah's book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began, out in March 2023. You can also follow Leah on Instagram @leahhazard and on Twitter: @hazard_leah.www.motherbodies.comInsta: @motherbodiesTwitter: @motherbodies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we speak to another frontline health professional – Midwife, Leah Hazard. Leah wrote the Sunday Times Bestseller Hard Pushed - her memoir about working in the NHS as a midwife. Her new book, Womb will be out in March 2023. We talk about accidentally inspiring the next generation of midwives, working through the pandemic, moral injury and ‘windy' night shifts. For more information or support for those frontline workers struggling with their mental health please do visit www.laurahydefoundation.org or follow them on instagram @thelaurahydefoundation   You can find Leah on Twitter @hazard_leah and Instagram @leahhazard   Connect with Kim on her website www.kimbusseychamberlain.co.uk and follow her on Twitter @KimBusseyChamb1 To keep up to date with future episodes follow us on Twitter @TheParamedicPod and on Instagram @TheParamedicPodcast 

Leah Hazard talks to award-winning editor, writer, speaker, podcast host, and digital media consultant (who likes talking and thinking about women and work) Jenn Romolini about why motherhood is a "fucking scam". Her 2017 book "Weird in a World That's Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, F*ckups, and Failures" was named one of the best leadership books of the year by Fast Company and the “best personal development and human behaviour” book of 2017 by Porchlight Books.Jenn is the former Vice President of Content for Zooey Deschanel's HelloGiggles and the deputy editor of Lucky Magazine and her recent work has appeared in The New York Times, Audible, Catapult, ELLE, and many others. In 2019, she was chosen as one of ten authors to create The New York Times's “Working Women's Handbook” and she is currently working on heer second book, “Ambition Monster,” a memoir about the connection between ambition and trauma. Oh, and she co-hosts a weekly podcast for women over 40 with her old boss, former Sassy editor and Lucky Mag editor-in-chief, Kim France. It's called Everything Is Fine. You can join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.

In Baby Loss Awareness Week, midwife Leah Hazard talks to award-winning freelance health journalist Jennie Agg about her own experience of recurrent miscarriage and how her path to parenthood has been anything but straightforward.Jennie specialises in women's health and has written features for national newspapers and magazines including The Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, Red magazine, Women's Health, Grazia, the New York Post, the Guardian, and the Observer, among others.As well as her journalism work, she is the author of the blog The Uterus Monologues, where she writes about her own experiences.You can join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.Find out more about Baby Loss Awareness Week and access helpful resources or support at Baby Loss Awareness Week – Let's break the silence around baby loss (babyloss-awareness.org).

Are you familiar with the phrase ‘pretty privilege'? A new trend on Tik Tok is seeing young women sharing stories about when they first realised good looks can get you far in life. From relationships, to work, and even within the legal system – the association between beauty and talent, social success and health is a real thing. Anita Rani talks about the issue with model Marike Wessels, and Caterina Gentili from the Centre for Appearance Research. A new report investigating the serious harm or death of babies is calling for midwives, health visitors and social workers to provide more support to fathers. The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has looked at the lives of 23 babies who were known or suspected to have been seriously harmed or killed by their father, step-father or male carer, with the aim to understand what led the perpetrators to do it, and what could be done to prevent similar incidents. Panel member Mark Gurrey and working NHS midwife in Scotland, Leah Hazard discuss the issues. Rebecca Currie has won a High Court battle to limit the stench coming from a landfill site near her home which she says was damaging her son's health. We hear about her campaign and her reaction to the victory And there'll be music from Thea Gilmore who talks about her new album Afterlight Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Engineer: Duncan Hannant

What the Midwife Said is back with a brand new series, and what better way for midwife Leah Hazard to kick it off than with a catch up with adventurer, author, mischief maker, Girl Guiding ambassador and new mum Anna McNuff about how she's had to put her daredevil lifestyle on hold after of the birth of her first child, Storm.Anna, who was Leah's first ever guest in series one, talks about life since the welcoming Storm into the world with fellow extreme athlete and partner Jamie, and she lifts the lid on how everything hasn't quite been as expected!To find out more about Anna and her adventures, click here. You can also join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.

In this episode, Alex talks to NHS midwife and author Leah Hazard about preparing for birth and the moments, days and first few weeks after having a baby. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode I'll be talking about why we should share and care rather than compete in different areas of our lives. I'll also be speaking to midwife and author Leah Hazard (fan girl squeeeee!) who has some great advice for both student and newly qualified midwives. Remember folks, sharing is caring, tell your friends! Email blkmumtomidwife@gmail.com with your what's happening wins, parenting triumphs and fails and suggestions for Let's Talk About It topics. Check out the blog at: blkmumtomidwife.home.blog/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blk-mum-to-midwife/message

This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraorinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah's life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession. Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward. You can find Leah on Twitter @hazard_leah and Instagram @leahhazard. Hard Pushed is out now in paperback. To keep up to date with The Wintering Sessions, follow Katherine on Twitter or Instagram. Wintering, the book on which this podcast is based, is out now in hardback. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In January, midwives at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary complained that expectant dads were treating maternity wards ‘like a hotel’. Issues ranged from dads sharing beds with new mums, ordering takeaway food and making other new mothers embarrassed about breastfeeding. But as NHS policy states that maternity services should be ‘mother-focussed and family-centred’, should more be being done to welcome fathers onto wards? Jenni speaks to Dr Jeremy Davies from the Fatherhood Institute, NHS midwife Leah Hazard, and Cathy Nolan, who gave birth to her son last May.

Today's guest is Leah Hazard, bestselling author and a NHS midwife. We recorded this episode on a sunny day in Edinburgh, in a lovely brand new suite in the Market Street Hotel - so a huge thank you to them for kindly letting us use it to record!Leah studied at Harvard and then left a career in television to pursue her lifelong interest in women’s health after the birth of her first daughter. She soon began working as a doula, supporting women in pregnancy and attending numerous births in homes and hospitals across the country. The birth of Leah’s second daughter prompted Leah to make the leap into midwifery.Her book Hard Pushed is a Sunday Times bestseller published by Penguin. Her book paints a realistic picture of what happens behind the scenes in labour wards, and informs the reader on the many different roles midwives take on. Leah explains why the midwives we often see on TV or in pop culture sometimes create a simplistic and unhelpful impression of what actually goes on. In this episode we mainly talk about her book and the important topic of burnout within the NHS. Please rate and review if you enjoyed it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 52 on models of midwifery care rises from the ashes of various hardware and software issues, to bring you an interview with midwife and researcher Phoebe Pallotti, expounding her idea for a co-operative model of midwifery. Mark and Karen disagree about summer holiday parenting. Leah Hazard tells us about her new book, great summer reading for wannabe-midwives. Sprogcast is sponsored by Pinter & Martin, publishers of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding books - www.pinterandmartin.com - enter sprogcast to get 10% off

When journalist Rebecca Reid discovered she was pregnant she didn't want to wait until her 12 week scan to share her news. But, having told friends, family and even colleagues, at 10 weeks Rebecca discovered she had miscarried. She joins Jane to explain why she doesn't regret her decision to announce her pregnancy before 12 weeks, along with Leah Hazard, author of Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story.What impact is a recent rape case having on calls for a change in laws around sexual abuse having in Spain? We're joined by Barcelona journalist Meaghan Beatley to discuss the so-called 'Wolfpack' trial and its repercussions. Three years ago Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union by 52 to 48 per cent. The country remains divided and in the EU elections last month many voters rejected the Conservative and Labour Party. Yesterday we spoke to two female MEPs elected last month for the new Brexit Party which benefited from the votes of frustrated Leave supporters. The Liberal Democrats, who back another referendum, were the major beneficiary of the Remain vote seeing their numbers grow from one to 16 seats in the new parliament. And, the Greens who have increasingly been seen, especially by some women voters, as an appealing alternative have also seen their vote share increase – taking seven seats this time. Irina von Wiese is a Lib Dem MEP for the London region and Alexandra Phillips is a Green MEP for the South East of England region. With the opening session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week, we ask what they hope to do in a job they are due to vacate when the UK leaves the EU on October 31st. Dame Inga Beale was the first female CEO of Lloyds of London- she was there for five years until the end of last year. She's now left the job but made a speech in Cambridge recently in which she said “quotas and targets in all sorts of areas” are needed. She tells us why.Presented by Jane Garvey Produced by Jane ThurlowInterviewed guest: Leah Hazard Interviewed guest: Rebecca Reid Interviewed guest: Irina von Wiese Interviewed guest: Alex Philips Interviewed guest: Inga Beale Interviewed guest: Meaghan Beatley

This week on the show we welcome friends from the world of music, television and film.Fearne Cotton tells us about the unlikely star of her fish tank - Dave the shrimp.Jamie Bell talks all things Rocketman - the new Elton John biopic.Stellan Skarsgård discusses his new project called Chernobyl.Sue Perkins & Leah Hazard both talk about their exiting new books.Plus Clive Anderson gives us the inside scoop into his new TV Show - Mystic Britain. All that and much more from the busiest breakfast show on the radio. Enjoy!You can catch Chris and the team weekdays 6:30am-10am on Virgin Radio UK and on Sundays from 10am.Be sure to subscribe for free to the podcast every week to hear the highlights. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Leah Hazard delivers the truth about being a midwife to Robert Kirkwood with her new book ‘Hard Pushed’. (Contains material not suitable for family listening - Starts at 1.03) Connect Radio’s Steven Scott introduces us to the latest tech for listening to books, and tells us what he’s been reading. (Starts at 15.42) Red Szell reviews a dystopian classic written by an author better known for her crime fiction, The Children of Men by P.D. James. (Starts at 38.00) And crime writer Ian Skewis returns to the show with the books of his life. (Starts at 48.25)