Getting Started

I’ve been busy since I first posted my plans to open a community birth and family center in Edmonds!  I’m really hopeful and even more in awe of anyone who’s ever managed to pull off opening a brick and mortar business.

I’m having an open meeting this Thursday at the Great Starts Classroom in Mountlake Terrace at 10am (6912 220th St SW, Mountlake Terrace WA, 98043 suite 10).  Everyone is welcome, we will be planning and brainstorming and hopefully people will be signing on to help with various aspects of getting the birth center started.  If you can’t make it, but are interested in staying up to date with the birth center, just drop me a note and I’ll put you on the email list.

A couple of weeks ago I had a preliminary meeting with a business consultant.  He helped me to think about what kind of business structure I might need, and how to set it up.  My good friend Janice, who’s been a bookkeeper for small businesses for quite a while, gave me a couple of insights about investors—we’re meeting again in a week or two.  I met with one potential investor and this helped me to start thinking about how such a relationship would exist.  Are my investors going to be part owners—or more simply, lenders to get this off the ground?  Or something else?  Will I rent and have some limitations from a landlord or try to buy a property and have more (secured) debt, but more freedom?  A landlord may help with constructions costs—or not.  There are so many things to think about.

I was very fortunate to talk with one of the founders of Puget Sound Birth Center, Lee Shelley.  She gave me some wonderful information and lots of things to consider.  Her thoughts echoed some I’ve heard earlier—“Take your time to set up your partnerships and finances carefully and thoughtfully, it will pay off in the long run.”

Although I’m quite adventurous (see previous posts on Uganda!), I also tend to think things through before jumping in fully.  This may mean that the birth center takes a bit longer to actually get started—but when it happens, I hope my planning will pay off in having things go relatively smoothly.

I have plans to talk with more people—an architect, a commercial real estate agent, a business lawyer, and some other birth center owners.

I’ve been reading through the “Essential Home Birth Guide” that just recently came out.  It reminds me of many of the reasons I want this birth center to exist—for the humanity, the kindness, the gentle birth experiences, free from unnecessary medical interventions both big and small.  This birth center and community center is just what we need around here.  There are so many good reasons for this to happen, that I have to believe it WILL happen!  I hope you’ll join me.

Now is the Time for a Community Birth and Family Center in Greater Edmonds

Ever since my trip to Uganda, big things have been brewing in my head.  While I was there I could truly see that individuals CAN make a difference—a real difference in peoples’ lives.  It was a belief that I needed re-energized in myself.   This idea has been growing and it’s time to share with everyone—together we can make a great place for people to come together—in community, caring for each other.  We need this in Edmonds (and Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Lynnwood and Lake Forest Park) too, but we will have to work together, that’s part of what makes it community!

When I was in Uganda I noticed that the women all took care of each others’ children.  No one went home from the hospital and sat isolated in their home without support, as is the norm here.  People are meant to be working together, and I’d like to be one of the people who helps to create a space where women can come to support each other.  I have a three part vision:

First, we need a community space, with providers of all sorts of complimentary care.  We need a welcoming meeting space for childbirth education, drop in mother support groups (OH!  I have so many different ideas around this!), and just plain hanging out together.  It must be welcoming for all people.  This includes having care providers such as acupuncturists, massage therapist, lactation consultant, midwives, obstetricians, mental health therapists, and physical therapists in this space that can comprehensively support women in the childbearing year.

Second, we need a free standing birth center.  Edmonds is about equi-distant from birth centers in Kirkland, Everett and Seattle, a 30 minute drive in any direction.  It’s time we had our own.  But opening a birth center isn’t easy, in fact it’s downright intimidating!  Once I actually started reading through the regulations and thinking about facility rental and renovation costs to make a birth center I nearly crawled back into bed and hid!  Building a birth center is going to take the help and serious commitment of many people in our community.  Birth centers are a safe place to give birth for low risk women (Birth Center Study).  Not only will we have to navigate state laws and financial challenges, there will be opposition pushing back at us.  But the people of our community NEED this alternative to standard hospital care.  We must work together to make this happen!

Third—and here comes the innovative part of my idea.  I dream of a postpartum care center that operates like a bed and breakfast.  When I came home from the hospital with my first child I remember sitting down on my couch with him still in the carseat, and my husband and I looked at each other.  “What were they thinking letting us go home with a baby?!  We don’t know what we are doing!”, we said.  Slightly panicked and very nervous, we stumbled through the next few days learning about how to care for our child.  What if we could’ve gone from our 24 hour hospital stay to a Postpartum Inn?  Where there was help available whenever we wanted- support for breastfeeding, someone to make meals and help us learn how to read our baby’s cues.  The place would be set up just right to make caring for a baby easier.  Then, after a few days, go home with greater confidence, a bit more rested and a clue!  Oh the difference that would make!  Now, how about those families being discharged with a premature baby, or twins—a few days of support in the Postpartum Inn could do wonders for their confidence.  This is part of community taking care of each other—a place for new families to come to get the help they need.

This is my vision and hope for a Community Birth and Family Center in Edmonds.  It needs work—lots of work, to make it happen.  Which means it needs people ready to dedicate some time and energy to making this vision come true.  Will you join me?  Will you be a part of this community and we can work together?  Some of you will think to yourselves—that’s a great idea, I’m glad Melinda is doing that.  Stop.  If there’s isn’t lots of collaboration, this dream simply won’t happen.  Instead, think to yourself, “I will be a part of making this vision come to life, I will help.”  A year ago when Jane encouraged me to go to Uganda I said “I wish I could do that.”  Her simple answer should be yours too:  “You can”.

There will be a planning and brainstorm meeting on March 14^th at 10am at the Great Starts Birth and Family Education Classroom:  6912 220th St SW, Mountlake Terrace WA, 98043.  Come and be a part of what’s happening, it’s just getting started.  Everyone is welcome.

Lastly, please, please help spread the word about this project.  I KNOW there are people who will be pivotally important to the success of this dream, that I have yet to meet.  Please let everyone know.