Olivia Hernlund, RN - Birth Assistant

Olivia was born in California, and raised in Lakewood, Ohio. If Olivia’s friends were to describe her, they would say she is talkative, funny, adventurous, and always deep in thought. After graduating from college in 2013, she decided to start a new adventure by moving to Chicago to explore a big city, and live with her older sister, Meredith. Her entire life she grew up hearing bits and pieces about birth because her mom is a lactation consultant and likes to talk about her own birth stories.

Olivia received a degree in Nursing at Ohio University in 2013, with no idea of what type of nursing she wanted to do. In 2016 she joined the Peace Corps with the main goal to learn to speak Spanish and moved to Guatemala for 2.5 years. She was placed randomly in a Maternal and Child Health Project which helped her discover a new passion.

In 2020 she decided to begin her journey in birth work and became a labor and delivery nurse at a hospital, and then joined Burr Ridge Birth Center in 2021. At BRBC she is excited to be a part of a place that is diversifying the spectrum of birth in the Chicago area. Olivia enjoys working with the staff and clients at BRBC because she gets to work with caring people whom she is constantly learning from.

Values that drive Olivia are honesty, trying your best, and learning from mistakes. Some quirks Olivia has come to love about herself is loving to eat leftovers, and doing things at a slow pace. When Olivia is not working, she likes deep rest, talking on the phone with a good friend, meditating, watching documentaries, cleaning, doing yoga, hanging out with friends, and traveling.

Favorite quote:

“Life is full of highs and lows

It’s a ragged course of stop and go’s

Building blocks and stepping stones

I will never take the easy road again

I found home, it gets easier

I found home, leave it all behind”

Stick Figure, (Stepping Stones)