Kate Blake
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), Health Sciences (McMaster), BA in Sociology (Queen’s)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: I was born wanting to be a midwife! I started catching babies over 24 years ago and there is nothing else I could imagine doing.
Before I was a Midwife: I traveled internationally and learned with midwives in Guatemala, Togo and the Netherlands.
Kara Giesbrecht
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), BA in Anthropology (UBC)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a midwife: I actually thought I wanted to be a nurse. When I was working on getting into nursing school, I discovered that midwives existed and I was sold – it was everything I thought I would get from nursing and more.
Before I was a midwife: I was a medical office administrator, a doula and volunteering with a variety of organizations – my favourite being a sexual health clinic!
Alison Humphrey
Education: Midwifery degree (Laurentian University), BA (UofT)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: 10 years old, voraciously reading books about pregnancy and birth.
Before I was a Midwife: I lived in Toronto, worked as a youth employment counsellor and volunteered as a doula at June’s Center for Teenagers (formerly Jessie’s).
Sarah Knowlden
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), BA in Psychology (UBC), MA (Kingston, UK),
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: The midwifery care I received when I had my own three children made me realize there simply isn’t a better or more important job!
Before I was a Midwife: I worked in the corporate world, developing community-based sustainability strategies. I was also a volunteer doula.
Katie McCallum
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), Level II Dental Assisting (Discovery College)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: I met a student midwife when my brother and his wife were expecting. It just seemed like the perfect combination of primary health care and relationship based continuity… and I was right, it is!
Before I was a Midwife: I spent 5 years working in dentistry, while juggling administrative work for midwifery clinics, teaching prenatal education and providing support for families as a doula.
Holly Parker
Education: Midwifery Bsc with Hons (City University, London, UK),American & Canadian Studies BA (University of Nottingham, UK).
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife:In my mid-twenties, realising that I wanted a vocation with human connection and life-long learning. I love that midwifery encompasses so many spheres – biology, psychology, holistic care…and places value on intuition.
Before I was a Midwife: I worked at a Business School, organized conferences, was an international rower, and was able to travel abroad a lot.
Sonia Perez
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (McMaster), BSc. Cellular, Molecular, Microbial biology (TRU). I deliver care in Spanish, German, English, and French.
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: I was a doula for a time, and when a family member of mine chose a midwife, I also serendipitously met many midwives in the same time period. I often say, I followed the signs toward midwifery.
Before I was a Midwife:I was born in Mexico and raised in BC/Germany, so have taken on many adventurous jobs, from mosquito controller to bank teller. I completed my first degree with the intention of working in science and health care, but life took me elsewhere and I found work at BC Hydro. Some years in, I started as a doula, and when midwifery came calling, I made the leap from marketing to midwifery. It was the right time to return to health care, and I’m so glad I did!
Lena Rowat
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery ( Texas/Ryerson University), BA, African American Studies.
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: Attending births with my mother – a GP who supported home births & midwives.
Before I was a Midwife: I indulged a fascination with world culture and adventure by travelling, working, and studying across the globe. I developed a strong passion for wilderness pursuits in the local mountains, which is still where I can most often be found if not at the clinic or attending births.
Elie Rushton
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), Master of Public Health (SFU), BSC (UVic)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: I’ve always loved babies! When my aunt and uncle had their two kids with midwives, and I learned how midwives get to take care of families and babies, I was hooked and never looked back!
Before I was a Midwife: I worked in women’s health research, working on projects that aim to improve access to reproductive and sexual health for women. I also taught yoga for many years and travelled as much as I could.
Jade Kassam
On maternity leave from
Nov 2020-Jan 2022
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), Bachelor of Commerce (UVic)
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, starting from the age of 10, my response was always “deliver babies”. Midwifery is so much more than my profession, it is my calling. After every birth I attend, I can’t help but think “how did I get so lucky?”
Before I was a Midwife: I worked as a Midwifery Clinic Administrator, Childbirth Educator and Birth & Postpartum Doula. In addition to my private Doula practice, I provided Doula services for young mothers through SMILE and women with addictions.
Thea Parkin
On maternity leave from
Nov 2020- Jan 2022
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC), BSc in Nutrition (UBC).
Moment I knew I wanted to be a Midwife: 23 years old. The UBC Midwifery program was being developed and on paper it sounded like the most amazing career on the planet– and it is!
Before I was a Midwife: I used to help UBC students (prospective, current and former) get stuff done.
Marella Falat
On maternity leave from June 2021-July 2022
Education: Bachelor of Midwifery (UBC) BSc in Global Resource systems (UBC)
Moment I knew I wanted to be Midwife: I was applying to the Masters of public health program and the mother I was nannying for said “Why don’t you apply to midwifery? It would be perfect for you?” All the pieces I cared about: public health, families and babies and education come together in this profession.
Before I was a Midwife: Studying agriculture, First Nations studies in Chiapas Mexico, Cuba and Nepal. I also Nannied and taught Yoga.