This Did Hurt : A mother’s story

This Did Hurt is a raw, unflinchingly honest memoir about one woman’s experience of navigating a healthcare system that too often fails to take women seriously — even at the moments they need it most.

What begins with the joy of a hard-won pregnancy slowly unravels into a maze of seemingly dismissive encounters, missed warning signs and moments of profound vulnerability. As anxiety builds and trust erodes, Sarah Close finds herself in a labyrinthine system stretched beyond its limits — one that often overlooks women’s voices, skimps their care, and leaves both patients and staff struggling.

This is for every woman who has felt unheard, brushed aside, or made to doubt her own body. For those whose concerns were minimised, whose pain was questioned, whose safety was at risk, or who were made to feel like an inconvenience. For those who carried on despite it, and for the people who stood beside them, wishing they could do more.

Balancing exasperation and jeopardy with biting humour, This Did Hurt pulls back the curtain on the gaps in women’s healthcare and asks urgent questions about why those gaps continue to widen — and who is left to carry the consequences.