Covid-19 and birth BG | Bowling Green, KY | Doula, Lactation Counselor, Birth Photographer
WOW.
Where do I even start?
As you can probably tell if you looked at the blog, this website, this rebrand and this dream was propelled into motion on February 26th, 2020 with the intention of being born into the world of Bowling Green, KY on April 1st. In my mind it was going to be a grand event like a great ball of fire from the depths of my soul. Accessibility and most importantly VISIBILITY of birth resources and support would shoot into the sky like a beautiful firework and spread through our community. (I know, that doesn't sound realistic, but that's how excited I was, how excited we were, for all of this to come together in such a big way.) It wasn't really any different than the business that we are already doing .. it was more of an expansion.
It was not at all an April Fools joke. (Well, that's not entirely true, we did have some jokes planned. Because we're fun and that's what fun people do!) April 1st is a day that is important to me personally and it was symbolic of the day that big dreams come true in my heart. (As a result of many sleepless nights and lots of hard work)
So, what happened?
Covid-19 AKA the coronavirus, AKA "The Rona" happened.
I had a business trip the beginning of March. It was lovely. I returned from the beautiful state of Colorado on March 6th.
March 6th is the very day that the world began to look different.
As March went on, things happened.
LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENED.
Hand shakes and hugs turned into elbow bumps .. and then facemasks and gloves.
Social Distancing.
School closures and NTI
Limitations of visitors to hospitals.
"Healthy at Home" restrictions.
Mandatory Non Essential business closures.
PPE shortages. (We all know what PPE is now)
Prohibition of gatherings.
Lack of sufficient testing.
UNCERTAINTY FOR OUR FUTURE.
So what did all of that mean for birth BG & baby?
It meant we were closed before we really even officially opened.
After much thought, and lots of discussion with other professionals and business owners, we all thought it was best to not launch this expansion and rebrand in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. FOR SO MANY REASONS.
I cried. Goodness, did I cry. LOTS OF CRYING.
I teetered between just losing this beautiful vision for my business and the reality of possibly losing my ENTIRE business. This continues to be a very valid fear as I've watched helplessly as the dreams of other small business owners like myself have crumbled during this time.
But today, I made a decision.
I decided that I would not be limited by fear. I decided that I won't let this hold me back. I will find my way through and be stronger because of it.
What did that mean for birth work? It meant adapting, researching, seeking out education and information. It meant working harder for no money, at times. But working for our community and for our future. It meant evolving to meet the needs of our community.
What does that mean for you? It means that birth BG & baby will be here to support you. Pandemic be damned.
It's more important now than it might possibly ever be.
It means that there will not be a Grand Unveiling or Opening.
It means that in person classes may be virtual for now .. and for some time.
It means that we will thrive and push through in the crazy time for all of us.
No worries, while there have been some changes of location, changes to the way that we do business, changes to the way that we learn and teach, we're still here to support you.
There will be a grand celebration, there will be a well planned marketing push, there will be an execution of the vision ... just not right now.
So join me in celebrating birth BG. I'm excited for the future. I'm excited for our community and I'm even more excited for more certain times.
