"I opened the Community Childbearing Institute Birth center in May of 1999, to serve the needs of families who desire out of the hospital birth and midwifery care, but don't desire or are unable to have home births. The Birth Center came into being to offer "home birth away from home" to all women and families, regardless of their ability to pay for care, by accepting MediCal and by having a 'sliding scale' for fees. As a native San Franciscan, having the Birth Center in San Francisco is all the more special"

-Judi Loebensteen-Tinkelenberg

Judi Tinkelenberg (RN, CNM, CCE, Clinical Director/Midwife):
Judi began her journey as a labor/delivery/post partum and neonatal care nurse in 1975 as an RN. After giving birth to three children (now ages 27, 23, and 23) and training as a childbirth educator, she entered the world of midwifery, becoming a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) in 1985. Judi spent 4 years working in a hospital/based nurse midwifery program providing care in a clinic/hospital setting, serving a largely low income, immigrant and refugee population. She also was a childbirth educator and designed the education program for perinatal nursing and medical staff.

It is the belief of the Community Childbearing Institute, and its associated entitles, including Sage Femme Midwifery and Education Center that our mission is to be guided by the following philosophy:

1. Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting are exquisitely important experiences in the lives of women, children, their families and society at large.
2. Qualified midwives (both nurse and diect entry), have been shown by numerous research studies to be the preferred caregivers for the majority of childbearing women. Thus, independent midwives (who provide care, which is appropriate to the needs, health status and desires of such women), should offer women whom so desire the option of care. This standard of care is fully endorsed by the World Health Organization.