07/05/2026
Last week, our Bella Vie owners stood among friends and gathered with the community to honor the closing of Andaluz Birth Center in Portland. For us, it wasn't just a farewell, it was a full-circle moment nearly 30 years in the making.
Our owner Desiree grew from student to midwife at Andaluz, starting back in 1999. A few years later, our other owner, Petra, delivered her own baby there with Desiree as her midwife. That’s how the two of them met! That experience sparked Petra’s passion to open a birth center in their community. She convinced Desiree to join her, and in 2007, that dream became Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center. 🥺
It deeply saddens us to see Andaluz, such a long-standing pillar of the birth community, close its doors. We will truly miss their influence in the community as we deeply value the relationships developed with our sister birth centers. They brought a wealth of knowledge we’re forever grateful for.
We also understand that this news might raise questions about other birth centers in Oregon and we want to clarify that the closure reflects unfortunate circumstances that happened specific to the out-of-state organization that has owned Andaluz for the last few years.
This does not represent the overall strength or future of community birth centers in Oregon.
Rest assured: Bella Vie is run by the very same owners who built it from the ground up nearly two decades ago.
With our dedicated team of midwives and staff standing beside us, we remain steady, committed, and fully devoted to serving you now and for many years to come. 🫶
P.S. Fun full-circle fact: That baby is me, Petra’s daughter, and I’m now Bella Vie’s social media coordinator 🥺
