The Holding Space Birth & Wellness Cooperative

12/22/2025

Information & Registration:
https://anacortesparksandrecreation.sportsites.com/player

12/22/2025

❄️WARM COAT DRIVE!❄️ It's time to clear out that coat closet! We're now accepting gently-used winter coats on behalf of our December 5% Friday group, MVPD's Integrated Outreach Services. Men’s coats are preferred, but we’ll accept women’s and children’s, too. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated coats - we've collected nearly 7 garbage bags full already!

12/15/2025

This week, the WA Department of Health released its new Maternal Mortality Review Panel Report, and it's a gut-wrenching look at how these highly avoidable deaths during the perinatal period are devastating our communities.

Some key findings:
🔴American Indian/Alaskan Native birthing people continue to experience the highest rate of maternal mortality: 7.3x the rate of pregnancy-related deaths of white people.
🔴Behavioral health-related deaths accounted for just under half (45%) of all pregnancy-related deaths, making it the single leading cause of death.
🔴Over 80% of the deaths were preventable.

The panel recommends:
🟢IMPROVE HEALTH CARE QUALITY AND ACCESS
Ensure Washingtonians have access to high-quality health care—including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and preventive care—throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by strengthening and funding care coordination, improving communication and protocols, and ensuring providers have the skills, training, and professional support they need to provide high-quality care.

🟢STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES
Invest in, develop, and expand comprehensive community support services that address essential needs during pregnancy and postpartum. These include strengthened home visiting programs, social work services, doula care, wraparound support for mental health and substance use disorder, and housing and food assistance.

🟢PROVIDE EQUITABLE, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE
Ensure care and services throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are culturally responsive, free from bias, grounded in trauma-informed practices, and actively address racial injustice.

🩵Through our open and accessible direct service programs, culturally matched peer support, provider trainings, and coordination with community partners, we are addressing all of these areas to save lives every day.🩵

If you or someone you know is in need of mental health or emotional support during the perinatal period, please call or text the Warm Line at: 1-888-404-7763

Read the report:https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/141-253-MaternalMortalityReviewPanelReport-2025.pdf

12/15/2025

12/11/2025

🌱 A gentle reminder from your friendly local therapists:
In times of community crisis and natural disaster, our bodies and minds often go into “just get through it” mode. But even during chaos, you deserve care and softness.

If you’re feeling exhausted, scattered, irritable, or numb, please know that nothing is wrong with you. These are normal human reactions to abnormal events.

Here are a few grounding practices you can reach for right now:

💧 Drink water: stress hormones burn through hydration quickly.
🌬️ Pause for 3 slow breaths: long exhales help calm the nervous system.
🤝 Connect with someone: even a short check-in can remind you that you’re not alone.
🍽️ Eat something nourishing: your brain needs fuel to cope.
🗓️ Take micro-breaks: 2 minutes with your shoulders relaxed can reset your whole hour.
❤️ Offer yourself compassion: you are doing your best in difficult circumstances.

Most importantly: Your emotional reactions are valid. It’s okay to rest. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to feel everything you’re feeling.

We'd like to hold space for each of you navigating this moment.
Be gentle with yourselves: healing happens in small, steady steps. 🌿

12/11/2025

🚨New! Searchable floodplain map added to county website.

https://www.skagitcounty.net/Maps/iMap/?mapid=a5d855713e7f4a41bf393249d8a1da7f

You can now find the FEMA 100-year floodplain on Skagit County’s iMap, a web-based searchable GIS application. Using the search feature, you can find your property on the floodplain map.

Please note that this map will roughly show whether a property is in the 100-year floodplain, but it is not a perfect predictor of where floodwaters may go. As a reminder, everyone living in the 100-year floodplain will likely receive an evacuation notice today (if you haven’t already).

12/02/2025

Celebrate the holly-day season with an oh-so-satisfying stewardship hike with Friends of the ACFL! Join us for a (mostly) relaxing stroll through the ACFL, where we will be tasked with pulling out young English holly growing near the trails! Although it often features as a part of our holiday decorations, English holly can outcompete native plants in our forest when it escapes human cultivation. By removing the young plants (and cutting back the old), we can continue our work to improve habitat quality for all who call the ACFL home. A goal worth celebrating!

RSVP: https://www.friendsoftheacfl.org/upcomingactivities/stewardship-hike-happy-holly-days

11/26/2025

For more information on how to become a member of Soroptimist International of Anacortes, please visit our website soroptimistanacortes.org

11/13/2025

Look at Amy with Anacortespsych & Wellness!!!

When Amy Begnal was asked earlier this year to provide on-screen pre-marital relationship counseling to influencer-turned-TV-star Baylen Dupree and her fiancé, she hesitated.