How do you switch from the raw, visceral reality of supporting families into parenthood, to crafting fictional happily-ever-afters? Spoiler: it's all about the emotional truth.
People often ask me, with a mix of curiosity and mild bewilderment, how I can spend my days in the intense, deeply grounded world of birth work and postpartum support, and then spend my nights writing romance novels. On the surface, it seems like a jarring pivot. One is rooted in the messy, unpredictable, profound reality of human biology and family dynamics. The other is, by definition, fiction.
But to me, they are two sides of the exact same coin. Both are fundamentally about holding space for transformation.
The Anatomy of a Happy Ending
In birth work, I help families navigate one of the most vulnerable thresholds of their lives. I am there to provide evidence-based guidance, fierce advocacy, and a steady, unshakeable presence when the world feels like it’s spinning. My job is to ensure they feel empowered, respected, and safe, no matter how their birth story unfolds.
In romance writing, I do the same thing, just with a keyboard instead of a counter-pressure hip squeeze. My heroines are not damsels. They are complex, resilient women who face obstacles, demand respect, and ultimately claim the love and partnership they deserve. Writing a romance novel is an act of radical hope. It is a promise to the reader that no matter how dark the middle gets, there is a soft place to land at the end.
Emotional Truth Over Plot
The best birth stories and the best romance novels share a core ingredient: emotional truth. In the birth room, I am not managing a checklist; I am reading the room, anticipating needs, and honoring the raw, unfiltered emotions of the people in front of me. In my writing, I am doing the same for my characters. I am mapping their fears, their desires, and their growth.
When I write a scene where a character finally sets a firm boundary with a toxic family member, I am drawing on the same well of knowledge as when I coach a client on how to communicate their needs to a dismissive healthcare provider. It’s all about empowerment. It’s all about finding your voice.
The Ultimate Soft Place to Land
Some might say romance is an escape. I say it’s a blueprint. It reminds us that we are worthy of love, of partnership, and of joy. And if my daytime job has taught me anything, it’s that the world needs more reminders of that truth.
So, I will continue to be the person who shows up with a cool washcloth and a fiercely protective heart in the delivery room. And I will continue to be the person who stays up until 2 AM making sure my fictional characters get the fiercely loyal, deeply earned happily-ever-after they deserve.
Birth your way. I've got your back.