Building a space that is supportive of birth choices and encourages community is something a younger me dreamed of, and the current me is still in disbelief that it’s become a reality. Helping to create San Francisco Birth Center has been an amazing adventure. I am deeply grateful for the community, the friendships built over these past 4 years, the babies I’ve been honored to meet on their way into the world, and the homes and lives I‘ve been welcomed into. I’m especially grateful for Sara and Nancy and the trust and love they’ve shared with me; we spent hours together on each other’s couches planning and working towards our goal, and I’m amazed every day at what we’ve accomplished together.

Midwifery is an identity I’m attached to and it brings me immense joy and satisfaction, but I have struggled with the lifestyle. As you can imagine, the life of a midwife is demanding and requires the entire self to show up and keep watch over the process. This past year, I‘ve felt a strong pull to refocus on my own health and happiness and am learning the importance of attuning to those needs. After many months of heartfelt consideration and reflection, I am sad and at the same time very excited to announce that I will step away from the amazing intensity of birth and into a more settled and predictable lifestyle. This has been a very difficult choice, but I am choosing me for this moment, which feels right and good and necessary.

Some of you know that I have worked part-time at San Mateo Medical Center off and on over the years. It’s a sweet little county clinic that serves mostly recent immigrants and Spanish-speaking women. With the developing political nightmare and the detention of immigrant families, I’ve felt more and more drawn to this work. I have been offered an opportunity to take on a supervisory role, which will allow me to contribute at the organizational level as well as continue to see patients there.

San Francisco Birth Center is a beautiful place to come into community, whether you’re a client or a part of the team. I have been so blessed and am deeply grateful for what I’ve learned, how I’ve been supported and loved and trusted. Thank you.

One of my most favorite things is to run into people I know on the street. I hope to see you and your babies out there in the world, and I hope you will let me steal a cuddle every now and then.

Much love,  Julie