“Not a good fit”

This chapter centres on the story of Bianca, whose orientation in her birth centre was ultimately discontinued by her team. Told through her own reflections and those of her colleagues, Bianca’s story brings into focus the unspoken dynamics of shared care. As her orientation progressed, a growing disconnect emerged between how she perceived herself and how her presence was experienced by her team. Bianca’s experience highlights that clinical competence alone was not enough to work in the birth centre; being-with others in meaningful ways requires presence, responsiveness, and the ability to move fluidly within the structures of collaborative care.