Martha Cummings is a mother, at heart and practiceand also by occupation.


The fair-haired, rosy-cheeked grandmother of 10soon to be 11has spent the last 17 years nurturing her venerable downtown Spokane specialty store through its ups and downs.


All the while, the Swedish-born store owner has touched the lives of many a mother-to-beand showered them with some motherly advice along the way.


Her specialty store is the Dill Pickle-Maternity, where big-bellied mannequins model brightly colored spring dresses in the storefront window, a sign on the door lists the shops labor hours, and a doll lies on the floor near a basket filled with other toys in a back corner of the store, where children play as their mothers shop.


You read in the paper about all the child abuse that goes on, but I get to see so many wonderful parents, Cummings says. The women are so concerned about the babies theyre carrying. Ive been so impressed with the young mothers of today.


The specialty store first opened its doors in downtown Spokane in 1945. At that time, it was owned by Josephine Armstrong, who named the store Frans, after her daughter, who she hoped would take over the business.


Fran chose not to take over the business, though, and in 1972, Dorothy Davis bought it and renamed it the Dill Pickle.


In 1980, Cummings was told by her husband that if she wanted to continue sending their children to a private high school, she had to find a job. So, she went to the unemployment office and by the time she returned home, she had received a call from the office. The caller told her to report to work at the Dill Pickle the next day, Cummings recalls.


Three years later, she bought the business from Davis.


I bought it because Dorothy really wanted me to, Cummings says. Besides, Ive had five children. Its not like I was unfamiliar with maternity.


The store, located at 524 W. Main, carries more than 30 brands of maternity clothes. It also carries merchandise for nursing mothers, such as breast pumps and special pillows that fit around a womans waist and can help her support her baby while nursing. Unlike some maternity clothing stores here, all of the merchandise that Dill Pickle sells is new rather than used.


Cummings says that one of her favorite parts of operating the store is working with the customerssome of whom travel to the store from as far away as Montana.


For the most part, the people who come in here are always happy, she says. She adds that many mothers-to-be come into the store with their own mothers, who had shopped at the small specialty outlet back when they were pregnant.


The other highlight for Cummings is the opportunity to go to Seattle three times a year on buying trips, where distributors display the latest fashions.


New fashions


Some of the new fashions on the market include maternity pants that look just like typical slacks or jeans. They dont have elastic panels in the front and do have zippers, which is a rarity in maternity clothing, Cummings says. She explains that the pants can be worn throughout a womans pregnancy because an elastic cord sewn into the pants waistband can be extended as a womans belly begins to expand.


The store also carries European-style knit pants that resemble stretch pants, but the waistbands of those pants are designed to go below a pregnant womans belly to help support it during the later stages of her pregnancy. Cummings says European-style maternity clothes are designed to show off a womans belly. The tops tend to be more fitted and pants are to be worn just below the belly rather than covering it, she says.


Lunchbox size containers, which supposedly hold all the basic pieces of clothing a woman might wear during her pregnancy, also are sold at Dill Pickle. The containers, hold four pieces of cotton-knit clothing, including a maternity dress, a top, a pair of stretch pants, and a short skirt.


Maternity really is the most fun part of retailing, Cummings says. There are so many cute items these days, so a mother-to-be doesnt have to feel like she looks terrible.


Tougher business


Like motherhood, though, the business isnt all rosy. Its also a lot of hard work and there have been some storms to weather.


Though Dill Pickle turned a profit last year, Cummings says that the retail clothing business isnt what it used to be. She says that peoples attitudes toward clothes have changed, and Dill Pickle, with its narrow niche, has felt the pains of increased competition.


Its more of a fun hobby than a real profitable business these days, Cummings says.


She explains that many pregnant women borrow maternity clothes from friends and relatives and wear shirts that belong to their husbands.


The good news is that most people need at least some type of maternity clothing during their pregnancy, Cummings says.


She says that many of her customers are in search of nursing wear, professional maternity clothes, and maternity pants, which are difficult to borrow because each woman requires a different fit.


Nursing-related gear, such as nursing bras, nursing garments, and breast pumps, especially have helped the stores sales. Cummings says that breast-feeding has increased in popularity.


Id say about 90 percent of the new moms that come to the store say theyre planning on nursing once the baby arrives, Cummings says.


The stores move three years ago to its current location on Main from its former spot around the corner at 212 N. Howard, also has helped to boost sales some. Cummings says that the location on Main benefits from more foot traffic than its previous location, especially because of the busy restaurants located nearby.


The stores greatest asset, though, is its two part-time employees, Cummings asserts. She says that one of the stores sales clerks, Karen Nayes, has been working at the store for the past 13 years, while the other clerk, Juli Niles, has been working there for the past nine years.


They know how to help the ladies properly fit the nursing bras and they love to help people, Cummings says. They really care about the customer.