Dear reader, an announcement!
I apologize for ghosting you since November...but I promise there was a reason.
Hi friends!
Remember me? The OBGYN who started a Substack all about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and was sending you newsletters for a few months before going dark in November?
Yeah, about that…it wasn’t *just* recovering from an election gone sideways — though that was something, too.
If you’ve been following me on my socials, you’ve seen what I’ve been up to. The short version is — I took part in Oregon’s first ever doctors’ strike and the state’s longest healthcare strike ever.
It was one of the hardest things I (and all my companions, I’m sure) have ever done. I can 100% say that standing on the side of a road in rain and freezing weather fighting corporate executives who make millions is a heckuva a lot harder than doing my shifts on L&D. On the upside though, we had some damn good costumes and managed to trauma-bond:
We got our contract and I can confidently say: unions will become more of the norm for doctors in America, as our ability to care for patients continues to be stripped away by CEOs and insurance companies who tell us how to do our jobs. But anyway…
With that settled, I want to get back to my regular newsletter writing.
Announcing…
You may have seen on my socials — or maybe you noticed that the newsletter has a new name — but dear reader, I have sold my second book and cannot WAIT for you to read it!!
Did you know that a book written focusing ONLY on the birth process written by an OBGYN doesn’t exist? Do you know that one of the books most commonly recommended on the subject was authored by…an economist?
Yeah.
So that’s why I wrote this book.
It is going to be Q&A-style, illustrated, straightforward, evidence-based, inclusive of home and birth center births, and written for TODAY’s person giving birth.
I cannot wait for it to be in your hands (spring 2026 will be here before we know it) and to empower people to get the birth they want and deserve in a country that seems so hell bent on making that difficult.
Stay tuned for more preview content on the book and to see it come to life!
So about the newsletter
I want this newsletter to be the companion to this book — even before it’s published. That’s why I changed the title, and why I want to let you know that this newsletter’s content is going to be a bit broader.
The Birth Book Companion (and YES I am going to call it the BBC because how can I not?!) is going to come out every Thursday and will cover:
-the same pregnancy / birth / breastfeeding / postpartum content you’ve already come to expect (Get it?? EXPECT? EXPECTING? Ha.)
-relevant news stories that may affect you
-recommended accounts, resources, and other folks who I think are doing great things in this space
-and more!
Alright folks. I am so excited to be back at this and to connect with you all more. Stay tuned for Thursday’s BBC newsletter!
Until next time,
Dr. Jen
Welcome back!! 💕