Trillium Learning Community
Offering classes for aspiring and practicing midwives (and other childbirth workers), Trillium Learning Community seeks to be a gathering space to strengthen and nourish our community.
You can register by email or by calling Stacia at (734) 222-0011. You can pay for classes by paypal or by sending a check to Trillium Birth Services, 220 North Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Deposits are non-refundable but can be applied to future classes. Class space is often limited, so make sure to register early!
Classes are designed to be appropriate for aspiring and practicing midwives. If you are concerned about the level of instruction of a class and fear it might not be appropriate for you, please contact Stacia.
Aspiring midwives in Michigan may also want to network with others like them by joining the ypsimidwiferystudygroup at groups.yahoo.com. That group, run by local midwife, Amanda Topping, serves as a meeting place for new midwives and student midwives throughout Michigan.
SPECIAL -- UNTIL AUGUST 28, REGISTER AND PAY FOR ANY TRILLIUM CLASS AND GET A DISCOUNTED RATE. ALSO ALL OF YOUR TUITION GOES TO A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR MIDWIVES FROM MEXICO AND GUATEMALA. REGISTER NOW!
Upcoming Classes
September 20, 2008, 2-5 p.m.
Dealing with Shoulder Dystocia: Using Gail Tully's FLIP FLOP and Other Techniques to Help Babies Out
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $45 if paid before August 28, $50 after August 29.
Instructor: Stacia Proefrock, midwife
This hands-on class will explore common causes for shoulder dystocia and ways to help resolve it while minimizing injury to moms and babies. Gail Tully's FLIP FLOP method provides a simple, easy-to-remember formula for handling shoulder dystocias in natural childbirths and ec hoes the work of Ina May Gaskin and Gail Hart. At the end of this class students should feel more confident in their skills and able to handle dystocias with efficiency and an increased sense of confidence and calm.
November 1, 2008 , 2-5 p.m.
Basic Venipuncture: Blood Drawing for Midwifery Practice
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $45 if paid before August 28, $50 after August 29.
Instructors: Kate Mazzara, CPM, and Christa Bartley, RN
This hands-on class is designed to help midwives and aspiring midwives become comfortable with the techniques used for drawing blood from their clients. We will cover sterile techique and universal precautions, the structure of the circulatory system in the arm, and basic blood drawing techniques. We will practice on each other, but accomodations will be made for students who are uncomfortable acting as practice models for others.
November 11, 18, 25, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Understanding Pelvic Anatomy, Suturing, and Facilitating Postpartum Healing
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $95 if paid before August 28, $105 after August 29.
Suggested textbook: Healing Passages by Anne Frye
Instructor: Stacia Proefrock, midwife
Every midwife should be skilled in understanding the structure of the soft tissues in the vagina and perineum. This class offers an overview of the midwifery model of postpartum healing, combined with instruction in basic suturing of perineal tears. You will learn how to use and care for suturing equipment, how to work with suture material, how to tie knots used in stitching, and techniques for approximating different kinds of tissue. We will also discuss how healing tissue changes over time, how to spot signs of infection or other problems and how to facilitate healing without using stitches. This class combines lecture time and hands-on time. There is a required materials list. Contact Stacia Proefrock for more information about required materials.
December 13 , 2008 2-5 p.m.
Treating Babies with Gentleness: Newborn Exam in a Mother and Baby-Friendly Environment
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $45 if paid before August 28, $50 after August 29
Instructor: Stacia Proefrock, midwife
The midwifery model of care has a lot to offer in the area of newborn care. We know that babies are unique beings who need to be treated with love and respect and gentleness. How can we balance that with providing thorough physical exams in the hours after birth? This class explores the techniques used to assess the immediate health and well-being of babies in the transition time right after birth. We will work with dolls and real newborn babies and learn how to provide excellent care to the babies and their mothers in this sensitive time. Students who successfully complete this class are eligible for skiills sign-off on form 201 of the NARM booklet for corresponding skills.
January 10 , 2009 2-5 p.m.
Billing Roundtable: Getting Better Reimbursement for Our Clients and Understanding the Insurance System
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $45 if paid before August 28, $50 after August 29.
Instructors: Stacia Proefrock, midwife, Helene Hanson, Insurance Billing Specialist
Have you been frustrated with the insurance billing process? Are you an aspiring midwife who would eventually like to get insurance reimbursement for your clients? This class is a community information-sharing opportunity. Bring your stories of successes and failures, and we will offer up detailed information on insurance law, complaint procedures, and billing and coding.
February 16 , March 2, March 9, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Pre-Conception Counseling, Fertility and Assisted Reproduction in the Midwifery Model
Trillium Birth Services Office, 220 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor map
Fee: $95 if paid before August 28, $105 after August 29.
Instructor: Stacia Proefrock, midwife
Stacia has made fertility counseling an integral part of Trillium's care for the past 5 years. The midwifery community has a lot to offer women who are struggling with fertility issues in the way of advice, herbal and diet therapies, and education and self-knowledge. This class will cover issues in pre-conception and fertility counseling and teach you how to teach your clients to do fertility charting and spot common issues that impact optimum fertility. You will also learn how to perform basic inseminations and other assisted reproduction techniques. This class is mostly lecture/discussion, with some demonstration work on the final day.