Abundant Times
Monthly Birth Center Equity Newsletter
Growing community birth infrastructure for generations to come
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Washington Community Birth Center
Expands Birthing & Community Capacity
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Less than a year after opening, Community Birth Center (CBC) in Lacey, Washington, is now doubling their birthing capacity, bringing their clinic and birthing services under one roof, and increasing the space they can offer for community programming.
CBC officially launched in December 2020, using a $10K grant from BCE to fill in their launch budget. CBC completed construction in March 2021 and finished the rigorous licensing process in November 2021. By December 2021, CBC was able to bring on another midwife, a medical assistant, and office staff with the $57k they received through BCE’s Open Doors Initiative.
Terri Chi-Lee initially launched CBC with a birthing suite and clinical space in two separate locations. “Now, we’re bringing all our programs under one roof,” she explains. “This will give us more space to see clients, and will be less stressful on staff who will no longer need to drive back and forth between locations.” In addition, CBC will now have a backup birthing suite to offer more birthing services and to use the space for community workshops when it’s not in use.
“My vision is to be a community hub,” says Chi-Lee, who is excited to have in-person space (following COVID guidelines and updates) for their Village Circle community education trainings, on topics such as lactation and gender supportive birthing, as well as CBC's annual racial equity conference for medical providers.
Reflecting on all she’s learned, Chi-Lee is excited to support others feeling called to open community-oriented birth centers. “Have a vision for your practice in the future,” advises Chi-Lee, “and be sure to read your state regulations before you break ground!”
Photo: Terri Chi-Lee puts a coat of paint on CBC's second birthing room.
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New Mexico Native-Led Community Birth Center Grows Capacity |
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BCE’s Director of Organizational Wellness, Marinah V. Farrell, was honored to travel to Breath of My Heart Birthplace in August to learn more about this incredible Native-led birth center in Española, New Mexico. Belin Marcus, midwife and Clinical Director, and Beata Tsosie, Organizational Director, are leading the way in their communities to increase access to birth center care and supports, including creating an Easy Access clinic, providing food distribution, launching a young parent’s support group, as well as welcoming new midwifery staff.
Birth Center Equity is excited to be in relationship with these Indigenous leaders, to witness the high quality, innovative community centered care that Breath of My Heart Birthplace has provided since its founding, and to award Breath of My Heart a BCE Community Transitions Grant to assist with capacity building.
Photo (from left): Midwife Dorothy Kaeck, LM, CPM, ASM, Aspen Mirabal, Student Midwife and Doula, Beata Tsosie Peña, Organizational Director, Marinah V Farrell, BCE, Belin Marcus, CPM Director, Jeanette Tsotsie, Doula, Birth Assistant and Manager, and Rebecca Borrego, student midwife.
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A Midwife’s Journey: One Step Closer
to Community Birth Center in Long Island
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After 22 years as a midwife and midwifery educator, Heather Findletar Hines felt the pull of an even deeper calling. “My soul was hungry,” says Findletar Hines, who recently left her hospital tertiary care position to launch One Love Midwifery where she offers home and hospital birth. Buoyed by the “knowledge and happiness'' she gained from Birth Center Equity’s Power Circles and online gatherings, Findletar Hines made a huge leap from the security of a hospital position to heed her “call to higher being work.”
“I’ve been teaching registered nurses how to be midwives, telling them they need to do more in the community to increase community access to midwifery and decrease maternal morbidity and mortality,” says Findletar Hines. “ I realized that I needed to do the ‘more’ that I was telling my students to do.”
Ultimately, says Findletar Hines, “I want to open my own place for families, and plan to open a birth center that feels safe, where people feel welcomed all the way from the sidewalk.” “Long Island needs a birth center owned by a Jamaican midwife,” adds Findletar Hines.
Findletar Hines got her first taste of midwifery as a child in Jamaica, when she was around five years old and the district midwife took her along on a postpartum visit. “I remember them making a cornmeal pudding and giving it to the midwife. I thought, ‘That’s what I want to do.’”
According to Findletar Hines, the biggest challenges of launching her own practice have been on the business side. “I had to learn where supplies come from and how to look at different sites for medical suppliers and order from the cheapest place.” Moreover, says Findleter Hines, “No one teaches Brown women to advocate for ourselves. No teaches us to ask for money for our services. I’m learning to advocate for myself.”
Findletar Hines is excited to support other midwives to make the leap with an ebook she hopes to release in January on “how to open a private midwifery practice in 90 days.” “Findletar Hines has one key message to midwives: "Make what you want on your own terms."
Photo: Heather Findletar Hines
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Leseliey Welch Grows Relationships and Insights As Aspen Fellow
In August, BCE Co-Director Leseliey Welch traveled to Aspen, Colorado to gather with the 2022 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellows, a cohort of leaders who aim to “transform systems so that our youngest children and families can thrive.” “I left my first Aspen Ascend Fellowship Forum feeling inspired, supported and full,” says Leseliey.
“Aspen is breathtaking," Leseliey reflects. "The leaders in my cohort bring with them a wealth of experience and wisdom that will be invaluable to BCE and the whole birth ecosystem. I deeply appreciated the invitation from Ascend leadership to embrace creative tension, to think bigger – and not work harder. I came away committed to not limiting my vision based on what I alone can do. Instead I believe and know that with big, inspiring vision comes the people and resources to make it happen.”
Photo: Leseliey Welch, Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow
Community Birth Center Leaders Share Practical Wisdom
in BCE Power Hours
BCE Power Hours are an hour of virtual open time available to BCE member birth center leaders interested in general conversation, relationship building, talking about specific projects and activities, and sharing knowledge.
BCE’s August Power Hour included a birth center owner talking about her expansion, a nurse-midwife sharing her a dream of working in a community based birth center and Easy Access clinical setting, and midwives in a state where Certified Professional Midwifery (CPM) is not yet legal telling of their determination to see a birth center fill the gaps in their community.
BCE is honored to offer these Power Hours to build relationships among our community leaders and to offer BCE’s support.
BCE Member Gathering Planned for Spring 2023
For the first time since BCE’s founding in April 2020, we are excited to announce that our first BCE member gathering will take place in New Orleans in April, 2023. Coming together in person has been BCE’s dream since we launched early in the COVID pandemic, and feels both long overdue and crucially important. We know this will be a tremendous opportunity for deepening relationships, sharing wisdom and skills, and honing the direction for our BIPOC-led community birth ecosystem.
BCE Panel @ AABC Birth Institute Sept 16
Leseliey Welch and Marinah Farrell will be speaking and facilitating for the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Birth Institute panel discussion “Building a Sustainable Economy” at 11 am on September 16. The theme of this year’s Birth Center Institute is Birth Centers Rising On the Tide of Change and will take place in San Diego, CA, on September 15-18. See you there!
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