Meet Your Midwives
Meet Stephanie Arsenault. I was born and raised in Montreal. I first learned of Midwifery in college in 1994 during a women's studies course. I was so excited about this new/old profession in Canada that I rushed home to tell my Grandmother, a British nurse, about Midwifery! Needless to say, she was not surprised in the least. She had had her first born at home with Midwives in England! Thus began my love affair with birth and Midwifery. I went on to have two children born at home with Midwives in two different provinces. While living in Northern Ontario I became very active as a consumer, promoting Midwifery. After my second son was born in 1994, I decided to apply to the Midwifery Education Programme. The rest is history. I completed my degree in 1998, and I have worked as a Midwife for the last six years at the Gatineau Birth Centre. When I am not practicing Midwifery, I am a soccer Mom. I can often be seen chauffeuring my two sons to and from soccer and basketball games.
Hello. My name is Khadija Boulaftali. I'm an internationally trained Midwife from Morocco. I am a native Arabic speaker. I also speak French, English, and a number of different Gulf and Berber dialects. I was born and raised in a small village, where my father was the head nurse of the community centre. It was there that my love for Midwifery began. I was only five years old when I saw my first birth. I was amazed when I saw the happiness in the new mother's eyes when her baby took his first breath and when she held him in her arms. From that moment, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. In 1994, I earned a BS and immediately entered the Midwifery Program at The National Institute of Health Careers. I graduated three years later, and began practising my profession. I worked in a variety of settings, from extremely remote areas of the country to traditional hospital environments. I did this for 10 years, and enjoyed every minute of it. My love and devotion for midwifery is absolute. It is the source of my strength and my greatest joy. I look forward to an exciting new life and practice in Ottawa.
Introducing Melissa Dorsay. I was born and raised in Ottawa, then moved to Toronto to start what I thought would be a lifetime in academia. I first learned about midwifery in a Women's Studies class and fell in love with it. I started writing all about pregnancy and birth, but it was only while I was finishing my Master's degree that I realized I needed to step away from my books and start doing what I was writing about. I enrolled in the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson in 2005 and haven't looked back. After working for two years in Belleville, Ontario, moving back to Ottawa has meant being able to reconnect with my home community. When I'm not working, you can find me with my nose in a book, growing vegetables, crafting or experimenting with vegetarian cooking.
This is Agnes Fitzgerald. I was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland many years ago. As number fifteen of sixteen children all born at home and caught by a midwife I think I can claim an early connection with midwifery! As there are no direct entry schools of midwifery in Ireland, I first trained as a nurse in the Belfast City Hospital, followed by a year as an RN in London, England. The call of more exotic lands was answered by traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, where I entered a midwifery program based at Groote Schuur Hospital. Although I enjoyed South African midwifery I did not complete the course choosing to return to the UK; I found it difficult to live in a society that supported apartheid. In 1979 I entered the midwifery program at the Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland. Since graduating I have worked as a midwife and a nurse in England, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia and here in Canada. While living in Tasmania, Australia I completed State registration courses in child health and development and family planning. I returned to Canada in 1991 to work on a government sponsored Birthing Centre project at the Riverside Hospital. The mandate of the project was similar to the philosophy and practice of Midwifery in Ontario today. The project lost its funding with the change of government in Ontario in 1995, following which I worked as a labour and delivery nurse pending registration as a midwife. I successfully completed the College of Midwives of Ontario's Prior Learning and Experience Assessment, a very lengthy and expensive process, finally registering with the Ontario College in February 1998. I am also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a strong supporter of breast-feeding. I have traveled extensively, finally putting down roots in a cottage in the Gatineau Hills where I enjoy the solitude and the comfort of familiar things.
Meet Leah Hackett. Becoming a midwife has been a dream come true for me. When I was 12, I witnessed the birth of my niece, and knew that there couldn't be a more wonderful job than helping life come into the world and being part of such a momentous event in a woman's life. Since that day, midwifery has been both a passion and vocation to me. I became a doula in 1998 and loved supporting many women through their labour and deliveries. I obtained a diploma in Liberal Arts from Augustine College in 1998 followed by a Bachelors degree in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Ottawa in 2002. I graduated from the midwifery education program at Laurentian University in 2010. In 2010 and 2011 I worked with the Midwifery Group of Ottawa. Before that I completed clinical placements in Kingston and Carleton Place. My wonderful husband, James, and I are from the Ottawa area and love living in the country with our Yellow Lab "Bailey." Having grown-up in the Ottawa area, I am very excited to be joining the Midwifery Collective where I can continue serving women and their families in my community as they journey through the amazing experience of pregnancy and birth. Every birth is a miracle and I always feel honoured to be involved in this pivotal and memorable event in a woman and her family's life. When I'm not catching babies, I love spending time with my hubby, my family and having a good conversation over a cup of coffee with a friend. Dancing, reading, canoeing, volleyball, travelling, puppies and chocolate also make me smile.
Introducing Amanda Kocheff. I was born in a small town called Tillsonburg, Ontario. I grew up on a farm with seven siblings- needless to say, my life was always interesting! While in high school, I knew that I wanted to work in the healthcare field and was introduced to midwifery by a family friend. I was convinced that this was what I wanted to do. I applied to the Laurentian University Midwifery Education Program and was accepted in 2005. Throughout my education and training, my love of the profession only grew. I love being able to spend a quality amount of time educating and supporting women and their families during this special time in their life. Throughout the last four years I had the opportunity to do clinical placements in Stratford, Woodstock, Brantford, St. Jacobs and Cambridge. I also had the opportunity to travel to Mwanza, Tanzania for a month and work in a very busy labour and delivery unit. This was an incredible experience of birth in another culture and has given me an ongoing interest in international midwifery. I graduated from the Midwifery Program in June 2009 and I am very excited to be joining the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa in August. Outside of midwifery, I enjoy spending time with my husband-to-be, family and friends. I also like travelling, cooking, gardening, playing piano and sitting down with a good book.
Meet Miriam O'Brien. I was born in Ireland and immigrated to Canada in the mid 1970s. In the mid 1980s, I was a student at the University of New Brunswick, where I obtained a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. In the ensuing ten years, I accompanied my husband to various Canadian Force bases in Canada, England and Germany, worked as a laboratory chemist and teacher, and gave birth to our first son, Alex, with the help of a midwife. Upon my return to Canada I began to be active in Ottawa's birthing community, teaching childbirth education and providing labour support. I entered the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University in 1997. I began providing clinical care at the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa in 2000, the same year that our second son, Jonah, was born at home. I continue to be fascinated and invigorated by the miracle of pregnancy and birth. Sharing this important and transformative time with women allows me to combine my interest in women's health, with my genuine enjoyment of people. I am honoured to share with you, this incredibly significant time in your life.
Hi, I'm Joanne Rack. My interest in midwifery began in 1990 after the birth of my first daughter. My next two daughters were born into the hands of midwives, some of the first legislated midwifery-led births in Ontario. From there, I became a childbirth educator and doula, and worked extensively in the Ottawa community with expectant parents managing community based programs such as The Birth Companion Program, Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program: Good Food for a Healthy Baby, Lanark Food Box Program and outreach programs for The Parent Resource Centre. In the early 2000's my husband's career took our family to the UK where I began my BSc. Honours Midwifery at the University of Worcester. This was an amazing experience to be able to experience midwifery in another culture. A transfer back to Canada allowed me to graduate from Laurentian University's Midwifery Program. During my training I completed placements in both urban and rural settings. I have been fortunate to be able to attend births at home, in hospital and in birthing centers. I have a deep respect for the birthing process and am continually open to the knowledge and experience that is gained from each birth I attend.
Introducing Tina St John. Prior to graduating from the Midwifery Programme at Ryerson University I followed my passion for supporting women and their families through pregnancy and childbirth for over ten years as a doula, childbirth educator and home birth advocate. My own birthing experiences led me to midwifery and a philosophy that women have the right to make key decisions surrounding their innate ability to give birth as a normal part of the life cycle. I look forward to supporting you, as your midwife, during this time as you prepare your body and mind for the birth of your child. As lifelong Ottawa resident I have deep roots in the community and I am pleased to be making a contribution here where I live with my husband and four children. I prefer to spend my free time with my family and friends, attending outdoor music festivals and developing my foodie credentials through creative cooking and exploring Ottawa's fabulous restaurants.
Meet Tess Walter. I was born in Napanee and grew up in Ottawa. I have always been fascinated with women's health and the human body and became enthralled with midwifery the moment I learned about it. I completed the Midwifery Education Program through Mcmaster University following an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from UBC. I took a year off while studying midwifery to have my daughter, Jade, who is now 2. This experience enriched my appreciation of the beauty and enormous impact that pregnancy and birth has on the lives of women and their families. Outside of midwifery, you might say I am an active, outdoor fanatic who loves to spend time with family and friends. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this incredible time in your lives!.
This is Jackie Whitehead. I was born in England but my family moved very often and I have lived in Asia, England and Canada during my childhood. We became Canadian citizens and I have called Ottawa my home since 1981. Midwifery was not legislated when my first child was born so I had one baby with pre-regulation midwives. This was a turning point for me and I became active as a consumer, later a childbirth educator and doula and finally as a midwife. During this time, I had twin girls with regulated midwives! I entered the midwifery program at Ryerson University and graduated in 2007. Since graduation, I have been practicing in Hamilton, Ontario. I am so happy to be returning to practice in Ottawa. One of the major motivatons for me as a midwife is maintaining the normalcy of birth; an awesome, wonderful event that I am always honoured to be a part of. I look forward to being with you during your birthing experience.