The Midwifery Collective of Ottawa

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Testimonial

“...I contacted the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa and was placed under the care of a midwife. She was great. She always took the time to explain to me, in detail, the different stages of my pregnancy. She would tell me exactly what was going on with me, how my baby was doing, and what I was to expect in the coming months. I also had the opportunity to meet with a couple other midwives and get to know them also. I never felt rushed or brushed off in any of my visits. The midwives always made time for me to voice any questions or concerns I had.

During the delivery of my baby, my primary midwife was amazing. I felt so comfortable and relaxed with her coaching. My husband, my mother, and a second midwife were present with me in the room. That's it. No doctors. no nurses, no strangers. It was a very special and intimate experience. I would not have changed a thing. I'm SO glad I chose to place myself and my baby under the care of a midwife. It just makes the entire experience so much more positive and relaxed and rewarding. I recommend it for any pregnant mother!”

Megan Wylie

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 (Milan, 14 and Lucca, 11) to and from soccer and basketball games.

Introducing Amanda Byl. 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 Sarah Doyle. *Currently on leave* I was born in Ottawa and grew up in the small village of Clayton in the Ottawa Valley. My first experience with the beauty of birth was at the home birth of my little sister when I was eleven years old. I feel privileged that I understood at such an early age that birth is a normal part of life. My interest in the profession of midwifery began in 1994 when I was inspired by an Irish midwife I met in the Rocky Mountains while traveling across Canada. Before my acceptance into the Midwifery Programme at Laurentian University in 1998, I moved to Montreal where I became involved with other women aspiring to be midwives. This was prior to the existence of a midwifery education programme in Quebec City. In Quebec City, I finished a Certificate in French as a Second Language at Laval University and completed a Doula training course. I had just begun working as a Doula when I was accepted into the Midwifery Programme which involved four years of combined university coursework and clinical placements. I am presently living in Ottawa and enjoy yoga, swimming and camping at our family property in the Gatineau Hills.

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 Denise Fuller. I was born in Vermont, but spent the majority of my childhood & teen years in various communities in Newfoundland. In 1987, I moved to Waterloo, Ontario for my undergraduate training in Microbiology. From there I moved to Toronto in 1994 to complete a degree in Naturopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. I practiced as a Naturopathic Doctor for nine years with a focus on women's medicine and also developed & taught the obstetrics program at CCNM. During this time, I was fortunate to work in collaboration with several midwives in the Toronto area and develop a deep understanding of midwifery in Ontario and how so many women & families benefit from having midwifery care. The midwifery philosophy and care model resonated deeply within me and I decided to leave my private practice and move into midwifery. After completion of my midwifery training, I joined the Midwifery Collective in Ottawa. When I am not working I can be found running or biking here or at our family cottage in Vermont.

This is Sandra Gervais. I was born in a rural area in Argentina an I earned my midwifery degree in La Plata University in Buenos Aires in 1986. Since then, I practiced midwifery in Buenos Aires in a hospital for 15 years and as an autonomous midwife, until I came to Canada with my husband Richard, in June 2002. I successfully completed the IMPP at Ryerson University in order to get licensed in Ontario as a midwife. I maintain current certification in CPR, Neonatal Resuscitation, and Emergency Skills. During my free time I enjoy Latin dance, reading and jogging. Thank you for giving me the honor of being with you when your baby arrives.

Meet Mei Rong Luo (Rose). I was born in China to a Traditional Chinese Medicine family. I studied for four years and became an Assistant Doctor and a Maternity & Child Care Specialist. For the next three years I practiced as a Maternity Care Practitioner and a Midwife. I went on to study General Medicine for another four years and became an Obstetrician. During these 7 years practicing, I continued studying and growing my knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. When I moved to Ottawa, I took part in a program, Career Transitions for International Medical Doctors, and learned it would be possible to apply my obstetric and midwifery skills to become an Ontario registered midwife. I completed my studies and orientation in the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program (IMPP) at Ryerson University in Toronto and am now a proud member of The Midwifery Collective of Ottawa. The growing demand for midwifery in Ontario has been fuelling my enthusiasm to practise in my new home country. I am focused on natural methods pain release during labour and interested in promoting the well being of women and children. I support eastern and western natural medicine. I enjoy talking to women and their families about their life cycle ideas and philosophies and learning what drives them. Pregnancy and birth are important events in woman's life. I appreciate the opportunity to become a member of your health care team. The birth of your baby is the beginning of a very exciting chapter in your life and I would be honoured to be there with you. I wish my care to be a positive impact on you and your baby.

Introducing Tanya (Tetyana) Martyushova. I was born and grew up in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. After my graduation from the midwifery program in 1987 in Ukraine, I fell deeply in love with midwifery profession. My experience comes from a variety of communities and midwifery models. When life brought me here to Canada, I had no doubt that I would continue my route as a midwife. In 2006, I graduated from the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University. In 2006 I also updated my skills in breastfeeding support by completing a training programme in "Lactation Management" in Toronto. My past doula experience also helped me to learn more about the needs of the labouring woman. I am a mother of two lovely children, though my "children" are already grown up. I enjoy various outdoor activities. Camping,hiking and canoeing are some of the activities that my family enjoys and have become tradition. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to share with you your baby's first heart beats, first cry and welcome your little angel to this world.

Meet Miriam O'Brien. *Currently on leave* 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.

Introducing Paula Salehi. I trained and worked as a midwife in the UK for 12 years before relocating to Ontario, Canada in 2005. Having completed the IMPP program at Ryerson University I now find myself working here in Ottawa with the Midwifery Collective. I love being a midwife; it is not only a job but also a way of life. I am looking forward to seeing the continued growth of midwifery in Ontario. In my personal life I am married and am the proud mother of three children all of whom were delivered by midwives.

Meet Claudia Smith. In 1977 I became a Registered Nurse in Montreal, Quebec. I worked at the Montreal General Hospital for nine years (1977-1986), for the most part in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. In 1985-1986, two of my friends had home births in Montreal with a midwife. Because of their positive birth experience, I became very interested in midwifery. In 1986, I left for London, England, to begin my midwifery career. I became qualified in 1988 and worked as a midwife in England for one year. I returned to Canada in 1989 and began working at the Riverside Hospital Birth Centre as a nurse-midwife. I also taught prenatal and sibling preparation classes. I worked at the Birth Centre until its closure March 1996. I finished my Prior Learning Assessment with the College of Midwives in the winter of 1998-99 and began working as a registered midwife in Ontario in May 1999.

• In 1994-1997, I taught Maternal/Newborn Care at the University of Ottawa part-time as a clinical instructor for 2nd year nursing students.
• In 1996-97, I taught Maternal/Newborn Care and Emergency Childbirth at Algonquin College part-time as lecturer and clinical instructor for post RN refresher students.

This is Jackie Whitehead. *Joining the practice in April 2010* 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.

Meet The Office Staff

Lilly and Julie are your front desk team. Julie, our receptionist, will be making your appointments and answering your calls and questions. Lilly, our practice administrator, helps make sure the office runs smoothly. Julie and Lilly are always happy help you with any questions or concerns.