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  • Thank You for Your Contributions!

    Thank you to everyone who paid their dues or were able to go above and beyond either financially or with donations of items to the silent auction or fair. We greatly appreciate the tremendous
    amount of time so many of our supporters devote to planning events, hosting meals, & putting together the newsletter and other activities. Thank you!

    Visionaries
    Inspired Chiropractic – Dr. Ben & Megan Rall, Sioux Falls

    Champions
    Green Pasture Products – B Wetzel, Page, NE
    Todd & Nadine West - Hayti
    Jerry & Judy Jones – Irene
    Darrel & Francie Smith – Mobridge
    Emily Stiegelmeier – Selby
    Sue Rooks – Oral

    Advocates
    Nathan & Wanda Seppanen – Vienna
    Troy & Mary Nelson – Montrose
    Eugene & Carol Simpkins – Winner
    Todd & Cheri Gullickson – White River
    Jim & Carole Holdahl – Watertown
    Scott Bartlett – Sioux Falls
    Matthew Stiegelmeier – Selby
    Johnathan & Mary Handcock – Long Valley

    Friends
    Michael & Mary Daly – Garretson
    Michael Myers – Centerville
    Raymond & Rosanna Kulla – Hazel
    Bruce & Diane Crevier – Elkton
    Douglas & Brenda Kamm – Sioux City
    Sue Engelmann - Brookings
    John & Susie Stewart – Sioux Falls
    Paul & Laura Warner – Wentworth
    Sarah Coulter Danner – Hot Springs
    Duane & Dorthy Pulse – Salem
    Jamie Swenson – Sioux Falls
    Paul & Cheyenne Winkler – Ackley, IA
    Rodney & Karen Pettigrew – Rapid City

  • Income & Spending Report for SDSCO, Inc.

    January 1, 2008 through August 15, 2008
    Submitted by Julie Pease, Treasurer

    Income Categories
    Fair Contributions $1,100.00
    Membership/Newsletter/Conf/Workshop $2,091.00
    Total Sales 11.81
    Lobbyist/Education Fund 882.00
    Total Income $4,084.81

    Expense Categories
    House Utilities & Rent during 2008 Leg. $1,759.00
    Lobbyist 1,595.00
    Printing for Lobbyist 145.37
    Education (printing & materials) 507.21
    Filing Fee 10.00
    Membership Fees 30.00
    Gifts for Midwives 91.24
    March Newsletter 380.60
    Postage 114.80
    Registration Fee for Black Hills Health Expo 135.00
    Fees & Expenses for Sioux Empire Fair 921.95
    Taxes 60.82
    Total Expenses $ 5,760.99

    Net Income/Expenses - $ 1,676.18

    Account Balances for SDSCO, Inc. as of 3/15/08

    General Fund $2,666.93
    Lobbyist Fund 59.00
    Future Legal Defense Fund 370.00
    Total Funds $3,095.93

  • Silent Auction Planned for Birth Conference

    We are planning a big fundraiser for the Birth Conference again this year. The Silent Auction began 3 years ago at the Watertown conference where we raised $352 with just 10 items. Last year in Oacoma we raised nearly $500. We are hoping to make this year’s auction the best yet.

    Already some really wonderful items have been donated including:
    Hand made Baby Quilts
    New baby Gift basket
    Original Birth Sculptures
    Large Gift Basket with Home Canned Items
    Family Pass to the Washington Pavilion
    Handmade Silver Jewelry
    Home Decor
    “Home Sweet Home Birth” Bird House
    Homemade Salsa
    And many more items…

    Even if you won’t be able to attend the conference, you can help us with this project by donating an item to the auction. (We are looking for some things that will thrill the guys!) It doesn’t matter if it is big or small; we need items in all price ranges. We can make arrangements to pick up your items if necessary.

    If you can help us with this project, please let Nadine know at 783-3553 or tnwest@itctel.com.

  • Area Gatherings Unite Supporters

    I’ve really enjoyed all the potlucks and meetings we have been having in Eastern SD this summer. Since our West River supporters are taking on the responsibility of the birth conference, I have been able to focus on getting to know our supporters on this side of the state better.

    I am so thankful to all of you who joined us in Aberdeen, Brookings, Hayti, Mitchell, Sioux Falls or Yankton this summer. The more families I meet, the more grateful I am to be part of this organization so full of energetic, dedicated people who care deeply about their families and about this issue. I am continually amazed by the way you generously give of your time, talent and finances. You fill me with so much hope for our future.

    Thank you!
    Debbie

  • Booths Educate Public

    Six-month old Lily Hiesel and her mother, Rina, won the drawing for the baby quilt at the Sioux Empire Fair. They were presented their prize at the showing of the movie What Babies Want that was held at the Oakview Public Library on August 14th. The quilt was made and donated by Judy Wurtz. SDSCO set up booths at two fairs this summer. On June 7th and 8th, SDSCO families educated attendees of the Black Hills Wholistic Health Expo which was held in the Rapid City Civic Center. As well as having a booth at this fair, Chandelle Brink was able to share information during a 50 minute presentation on the History of Midwives in South Dakota. On August 5th-10th, we ran another booth, this time at the Sioux Empire Fair in Sioux Falls. We handed out a 1000 rulers with our website and the message “Midwives Measure Up” along with many bookmarks containing a recommended reading list and a list of licensed midwives in the state providing birth services. As a result of having the booth, Debbie Pease was invited to participate in a 30 minute radio interview with Jon Michaels on his KELO AM/FM Forum show which aired at 7:30 am on August 10th. It was amazing the way volunteers came forward to finance and man these two booths. The networking we were able to accomplish during these projects will go a long way to helping us during the legislative session. Between the two fairs we added over 60 new families to our mailing list, visited with about 15 legislative candidates and got our message out to the general public in a big way. Thank you so much to all of you who helped with either of these projects!

  • Healthy Birth + Healthy Families Conference Coming to Custer

    SDSCO’s fall Healthy Birth Healthy Family Conference is right around the corner with a bumper crop of new topics and speakers at the stunning Crazy Horse Memorial Welcome Center in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our fall conference is a great excuse to take the family vacation you didn’t get to this summer or to help kick-off home schooling for the year.

    The Crazy Horse Memorial Welcome Center is home to the Indian Museum of North America and documents the ongoing creation of the world’s largest mountain sculpture in progress. Adjacent to the memorial is the Mickelson Trail – a retired train bed turned recreational trail – for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Just down the road is Mount Rushmore National Monument. If you have never been there it is a must-see. Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument offer cave tours year-round and the bison of Custer State Park make for majestic wildlife viewing. And if that’s not enough we have a conference too!

    On Friday October 10th we welcome Dr. Laura Prunty presenting Chemical Stresses on the Unborn and Newborn and Getting the Right Nutrients During Pregnancy and for your Newborn. Popular Sioux Falls chiropractor Dr. Ben Rall will speak about Reducing the Use of Antibiotics, a timely topic as we witness the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria worldwide. Renee Ann Cramer, a professor of Law, Politics and Society at Iowa’s Drake University, will give the keynote address; Childbirth and the Law. The Black Hills SDSCO supporters will treat us to a free will meal followed by a screening of The Business of Being Born.

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  • Summer is a great time to meet with your legislative candidates

    It is so important that we let the candidates know that we need more midwives in our state and that licensing CPMs is the best way to help our home birth families. Right now home birth is legal, but most families have no access to skilled midwives. Let them know we need their help. If you need help finding your candidates contact information or you want someone to go with you to the meeting contact your District Contact or any of the Board Members listed on page 2 and we will do whatever we can to help your meeting be a success.

  • Regrets and Healing from My Daughter’s Birth By Megan Rall

    My husband and I have an amazing, beautiful girl who is God’s blessing in our lives. Grace is a breastfed, unvaccinated, regularly chiropractically adjusted, healthy, happy, smiling, beautiful child. I am in awe of her presence and her grace already in her short life. I thank God everyday that she is my child and I am honored to be her mother. I need to say that in order to say this. Gulp. My heart is broken. I have failed myself, my child, my husband. I have physically harmed myself and my child by bringing her into this world on a medicated journey in the hospital. But, I want to heal. I want to reclaim what is my right - natural, beautiful birth. I need it, my daughter needs it, and my husband needs it. I’m hoping writing this birth story will help in my healing process. Grace’s birth was always planned to be natural. We do not use medications. Open our bathroom cabinet at our home and you won’t find any medicine. In fact, we don’t call it a medicine cabinet at our house because there’s nothing like that in it. We eat organic food. My husband is a chiropractor and we work in the office together. We are adjusted almost daily. Everyday we talk to people about the dangers of medication and masking symptoms with prescriptions. I have to say this in order to let you know how serious I am about not using drugs and living a healthy, natural lifestyle. That’s why it constantly catches me off guard and embarrasses me to say that Grace’s birth was medicated. I am fully aware of the danger I have exposed us both to during her birth. It’s eating me up inside.
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  • Important Dates

    Sept. 1 Sioux Falls Area Potluck in Pasley Park beginning at noon

    Deadline for early bird Discounts to Birth Conference (see brochure)

    Sept. 5 BOLD Red Tent in Sioux Falls

    Sept. 22 The Business of Being Born in Rapid City

    Oct. 10&11 Birth Conference in Custer

    November 4 Election Day

    Jan. 13 Start of 2009 Legislative Session

    Jan. 15 Cookie Day at the Capitol soon as this event is finalized.

  • Praise and Prayer Requests

    PRAISE for all the people we reached through the Black Hills Health Expo & Sioux Empire Fair.

    PRAISE for all our volunteers and financial donors.

    PRAISE for the midwives who are working hard to preserve natural birth in our country.

    PRAISE that CPMs in Maine & Missouri are now protected in their state laws.

    Pray for wisdom, courage & perseverance for the leadership of SDSCO.

    Pray for those who are working on our upcoming events.

    Pray for all legislative candidates, the Governor & the leaders of our Health Dept.

    Pray for the families who are expecting a baby, that God will bless and guide them as they plan for their births.