Hi everyone, Dr. Rebecca Decker here with a special bonus podcast announcement for you.

Here at EBB as we approach mid-January, we are really getting back into the swing of things.

And this is an exciting time for us because it follows what we have a special tradition called Quiet Week,

where between December 24 and early January, we are resting. We don't have any

meetings, and nobody who works the EBB is obligated to respond to anybody else on the team.

Over the years, I found it's much easier to greet the new year with energy when we all get a chance

to rest, spend time with friends and family, and focus on our own health needs. And also,

this time of year can be challenging health-wise for many families. So Quiet Week is just one of the

ways we try to create our own positive and healthy team work culture at EBB. Speaking of teams,

even though it's usually my voice you hear on this podcast talking with a guest,

I do not do this work alone. At the same time, evidence-based birth is not a huge organization.

We are a small but mighty team made up of 14 of us, paid, not volunteers, who have the same

goal in mind to make birth better for you, for your clients, and for the next

generation. Most of us are birth workers or health care workers ourselves, and we know what it's like

to be there in challenging birthroom situations. That's why our work goes beyond just reviewing the

evidence. We also focus on advocacy, changing cultural norms, and fighting for

birth justice. In the last year, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what support really looks

like in this season of my life and work. And whether it's showing up for our team, supporting

families who are navigating the maternity care system or building partnerships within our communities,

I keep getting reminders again and again that real change happens when we build bridges,

between evidence and practice, between providers and families, between birth workers and

hospital systems, and between systems and the people they serve.

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