Last August, on her 50th birthday, Coral Slavin opened the doors to the Center for Well-Rounded Maternity Care, her dream-come-true birth center that's the first of its kind in southeastern Wisconsin.

For healthy women experiencing a low-risk pregnancy, the birth center, N88 W16733 Main St. in Menomonee Falls, is an alternative to a hospital or home birth.

"Out-of-hospital birth is as safe as a hospital birth, and some studies have shown even better outcomes at home or birth centers than hospitals," says Slavin, the founder and director of the center.

In an effort to raise money for the birth center, friends and clients will organize a large rummage sale/fundraiser on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Menomonee Falls, just north of Lily and Hampton, on Golden Fields Drive in the Brook Falls subdivision. Signs will direct shoppers to the exact location.

"Coral gives countless hours of time, energy and education to couples expecting babies. She has financially put herself out on a limb to see her dream for a birth center become a reality," says event organizer, Erin Cassidente Christian.

Last year, Christian and a team of women organized the first rummage sale benefit and raised more than $500, allowing Slavin to purchase air conditioners for the center. This year, their goal is to raise at least $750.

"So many of us have benefited from all that Coral has done and wanted to give something back to her, to say 'thank you'," says Christian.

The Center for Well-Rounded Maternity Care's environment is more like a home than a hospital, with private rooms and large tubs for labor relief or full-on water births. It is staffed with professional midwives, doulas (trained labor/birth assistants), childbirth educators, breastfeeding specialists, massage/reiki therapists, acupuncturists and counselors.

In recent years, many American women have turned away from traditional hospital births where cesarean section rates and other invasive medical interventions have skyrocketed. Birth centers like Slavin's have popped up around the country, emphasizing natural childbirth and appealing to women who want to design a birth experience that's best for them, without the limitations imposed by rigid hospital policies.

"Clients (not patients) see their midwives for an average of one hour or more at each prenatal visit. Through conversation and education with each woman and her family, we are able to identify many potential problems without having to rely on unnecessary medical tests," says Slavin, who holds a doctorate in health education and is certified as a Bradley Natural Childbirth Educator; both an ICEA and DONA Doula, an ACE Prenatal Fitness/Yoga Instructor, and a Stress Management Counselor and hypnotherapist.

The center expects to have two or three births a month. So far, there have been four births at the center -- all a success -- and the first birth took place in March.

The Center for Well-Rounded Maternity Care is the third free-standing birth center in the state. The first opened in Madison in 2001, and the second center is located in Menomonee. Slavin's center is the only of its kind serving southeastern Wisconsin and Milwaukee.

"I am thrilled that women in this area have the option of choosing a birth center, because a big part of owning your birth experience is having choices," says Christian.

The Center for Well-Rounded Maternity Care's Web site is http://www.ticon.net/~doulas/birthcenter.htm