Oak Grove Midwifery / Country Midwife, LLC is seeking a volunteer to develop, coordinate, lead and promote the Home Oriented Maternity Experience (H.O.M.E. Meetings).

"H.O.M.E. Meetings" are a tradition of home birth families dating back to April, 1974 when a group of five women conceived the idea of an educational organization for couples and individuals needing information and support for home birth.

Since then, H.O.M.E. grew into a cohesive group of parents and birth attendants who support safe home birth in nearly every state in the U.S. and in Israel.

The H.O.M.E. series consists of five meetings which are offered free of charge and covers all aspects of home birth. Resources such as books, video showings, literature and professional assistance are provided.

Mothers, fathers, family members, friends and any interested persons are encouraged to participate in the full series because it is the parents' responsibility to prepare for a safe home birth.

The Home Oriented Maternity Experience is devoted to helping couples achieve the optimum experience of a safe home birth; bringing together those who have had home births, those who want home birth, professionals and childbirth educators.

Midwife, Alice Skenandore, formerly of the Las Vegas Area Midwives, introduced H.O.M.E. to northeast Wisconsin when she re- located to Oneida in 1992.

In conjunction with Alice Skenandore and Wise Women Gathering Place, we began offering H.O.M.E. meetings in August 1997. Since then we have had the pleasure of organizing approximately 140 H.O.M.E. Meetings and the honor of serving over 675 participants.

Introduction, Advantages of Home Birth, Parental Responsibilities in Birth

Psychological Aspects of Birth and Normal Birth

Supplies, Equipment, Set-up

Unexpected Situations, Medical Considerations

Newborn Appearance, Breastfeeding and Care

These meetings represent a rich tapestry of home birth history in the United States and abroad. Our goal is to preserve this heritage by revising, updating and publishing the H.O.M.E. Manual, training volunteer leaders, offering meetings to the public on a regular basis, and exploring the use of information technology to expand the scope and reach of the meetings.

Please contact Stacy for more information. (920) 328-5622 or info@oakgrovebirthcenter.com

Please join us for an information-packed meeting about the services and options that we offer at Oak Grove Midwifery of Green Bay, Wisconsin. This is the first step toward establishing your care with our midwives.

We will cover the midwives' background information, training, experience level, and philosophy of care. We will explain the registration process, insurance billing, and self-pay arrangements. We will answer your questions about how we handle unexpected situations and emergencies. The meeting is required for all new clients.

Due to the on-call nature of our duties, the meetings will be held on Wednesdays only. You may choose from the following time-slots for group orientations:

Wednesday Mornings 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday Afternoons 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

We prefer that you attend the group orientation, however if it is impossible to attend at these times, we will do individual orientations at limited times, by appointment on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

Orientation meetings and individual appointments are subject to cancellation without notice should the midwives be called to a birth.

RSVP: (920) 328-5622 or info@oakgrovebirthcenter.com

Please check out our resources on Springpad! We will be adding usable health information and documents that are helpful to women everywhere!

We must be careful about saying these things. Midwives do NOT empower women. Women are naturally strong; we carry our own power, and that inner power is not something that a midwife or anyone else can bestow.

The very best that women and midwives can hope to accomplish together, is that of experienced women reaching out to and taking the journey with our less-experienced sisters, so our natural strength and inner power can be found, nurtured and held up for each other to see and appreciate, like an image in a mirror, that confirms and affirms what we know, deep down, in our bones to be true, but which we are sometimes afraid to embrace.

We are not talking here about an age exchange. All women are more familiar in some things and less practiced in others. In the true midwifery spirit, both the "midwife" and the women she walks the path with, are able to grow as human beings by our interactions with each other.

As we grow, we can begin to understand how the strength of our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters reflects our own inner strength. When we can see that power all around us, in every age, shape, size and generation, we can begin to see ourselves truly-capable of whatever mountain, hurdle or difficulty that needs to be overcome.

At the end of the day, or many days, a woman who has known and walked with a midwife will look at her accomplishments and say, "I did it myself; if I can do this, I can do anything."

A forceful "bang" to my ankle that is!  On January 2, 2012, I fell on the ice and broke both my tibia and fibula as well as dislocating my ankle joint.  I underwent ORIF (Open Reduction Internal Fixation) surgery the same day and am healing now.  So far, so good;  I see the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for the first time since my release from the hospital on January 3rd.  I am getting around very well with a rented scooter, and in jest, have decided to become the official model for the company that makes them:  

Here are some pictures of my injuries, and for those of you who are not squeamish, a link to an ORIF surgery on YouTube.  After watching the surgery I am truly amazed by the skill and technology that goes into the surgery. 

YouTube ORIF Animation: