Michigan School of Traditional Midwifery held their 13 annual Midwifery Skills Workshop Retreat August 13 through 15, 2006 at Sprinkler Lake Educational Center in north eastern Michigan. As always, the group was geographically distinguished and represented an extremely broad spectrum of experience levels and midwifery goals.

We hope you enjoy the following photo album of the event!





Student sign-in table.



















Our wonderful meals were provided by Bill and John - everything on the menu was notably "man-made"!











Science Center where many technical classes, labs and hands on midwifery skills are taught.













Michigan School of Traditional Midwifery uses a broad range of state of the art childbirth teaching models and equipment for instruction. We also have live demonstrators and guests for advanced learning opportunities.




We were honored by the attendance of our special guest speaker, Jody McLaughlin - Editor of Complete Mother Magazine, who flew in from ND especially for our program. Jody's warm wisdom conveyed so many valuable insights and we learned a great deal during her presentations: Becoming an Expert on Yourself and Resolving Conflicts. We are so very appreciative of her remarkable gift of inspirational self to our group as well her generous donations to MSTM's birth library.







Blood Loss assessment and post partum hemorrhage class.










We enjoyed lectures in the outdoor pavilion near the lake. Here, Marion Parsons, BA, CTM teaches about STD's.






















The body casting class provided students the opportunity to create a lasting memory as well as learn the basics of expression through this wonderful body art.




















Lori Hanna educated us about no-circ. Her informative presentation led to an active round-table discussion. As a group, we were pleased to establish the "Johnathan Maneuver".









We participated in an extensive midwifery lab which included a rare, detailed look at and hands-on study of newborn congenital anomalies (not shown for the sake of privacy).

























The newborn exam class was taught by Traditional Midwives Deb Moore and Karen Kamyszek.


































Our Awards Dinner was highlighted by the induction of our first student into the Midwifery Academic Honors Society - Mu Omicron Mu. Erika Obert was celebrated for her outstanding academic accomplishment of having earned the most Certificates of Excellence, in MSTM history - one for each section of the entire program. A phenomenal accomplishment! Erika's committment to excellence is an outstanding example of the future of traditional midwifery.

















Erika Obert receiving her Mu Omicron Mu (MOM) award from MSTM Director, Casey Makela, CTM















Midwifery skills assessments.



































Lori enjoying the fruits of her labors!










































Midwifery fellowship was wonderful!











We learned so much from sharing each others experiences, studying videos of breaches, twins and unassisted births and exploring midwifery on many levels. The warmth of sisterhood was precious indeed.

This work extends far beyond regulatory statues and government mandates. This is a work about women and their right to have their babies as they choose and with whom they choose. May we never forget the true meaning of this calling and to whom it really belongs.

Thank you for another year of near perfect inspiration for having met and worked with each and every one of you - students and instructors and families. I am so proud of all of you and what you mean to midwifery! Through your strength and kindness, I feel blessed and encouraged to carry on. Your efforts to get here from all over the US and abroad were amazing - especially considering the frightful terrorist attempt that had been intercepted just 2 days before. For those of you who needed to cancel their plans because that, we missed you but kept you in our hearts. May all of you ever stay the course for the sake of women and babies.

- Casey Makela, CTM, MSTM Director

- What a wonderful weekend - so much learned!

- This is the most remarkable midwifery event I've ever been to - thank you so much for all you do.

- I really needed this retreat. I feel refreshed and revitalized.

- So much sisterhood in one place.....thank you.

- An absolutely amazing event.

- ...good to know there are still midwives like you all out there.