OUR MIDWIVES

Midwives are required to maintain quality of care by updating their knowledge and skills through Peer Reviews, renewals of Emergency Skills, Neonatal Resuscitation Program, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation certification, and other continuing education requirements as per the standards of the College of Midwives of Ontario.

Ann Robinson R.M.

I have practiced in Kitchener-Waterloo since 1997 after obtaining registration with the College of Midwives in Ontario (CMO) through completion of the Prior Learning and education/Experience program (PLEA). This process evaluates midwifery experience and credentials from other jurisdictions for equivalency to the Ontario Midwifery Education Program. Before coming to the K-W area, I practiced midwifery in Detroit, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

My midwifery academia includes a nursing education and a Masters Degree in Midwifery Practice (UK). I have worked in hospital, birth centre, community and medical clinic environments. I am a midwifery preceptor for students in the midwifery education program supervising midwife for the IMPP program. In my 20 years of midwifery related experience I have developed an innate faith in the normalcy of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as a very healthy respect for contemporary medical technology. After hundreds of deliveries, I continue to learn something new from each woman, midwife, nurse and physician I work with.

Carole Thomson R.M.

I commenced my midwifery career working at Southern General Hospital in Scotland during the years 1997-2004. This post was a rotational one with time spent in antenatal clinics, labour ward, obstetric theatre, antenatal and postnatal wards, community teams, and in the special and intensive care nursery. I graduated with a BSc in Midwifery (Health Studies) from Glasgow Caledonian University in September 1997.

In October 2005, my husband and I immigrated to Canada. I wanted to pursue my midwifery practice in Ontario, and enrolled in the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program (IMPP) at Ryerson University, graduating in February 2006. I worked 7 months with the Community Care Midwives in Oshawa, until commencing my maternity leave in October 2006. It was during this time that I became acquainted with Kitchener Waterloo Midwifery Associates, as my family relocated to the KW area shortly before my son’s birth.

I have greatly enjoyed providing holistic family centred midwifery care over the last ten years, and I look forward to making an active contribution to the provision of midwifery care in Ontario. I believe that research is a fundamental foundation for midwifery practice and I endeavour to keep myself up to date with the latest findings through private study and by attending educational courses.

Heidi Johnston R.M.

It was the birth of my two children with the support of my amazing midwives that sparked my passion for midwifery. I have since graduated from the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University and I am currently a member of the College of Midwives of Ontario and the Association of Ontario Midwives.

I have always worked in women's health education and promotion. In 1998 I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education and Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. The combination of physiology, nutrition, anatomy and science courses provided a wonderful foundation for the understanding of pregnancy, labour and postpartum period. Other courses in yoga, sexual health and women's studies affirmed my interest in a holistic approach to health care and desire to work with women and their families. I began my training as a midwife in 2006 when I was accepted into the Midwifery Education Program. I enjoyed many different clinical placements including: Perinatal Mental Health Program with Dr. Ariel Dalfen, a breastfeeding clinic at McMaster Family Health Center, the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Joseph Health Center in Hamilton and genetics screening clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. These placements were complimentary to the scope of the midwifery care and provided opportunities to enhance and refine my skills about broader issues in women and newborn health care.

I am very proud to be a part of the midwifery profession and Kitchener Waterloo Midwifery Associates. I am dedicated to providing safe, woman-centered care, and supporting women's choices to birth at home or in hospital. I am also proud to be carrying on in the footsteps of my grandmother, who worked as a nurse-midwife in England. I look forward to working with you and helping your family begin this important time.

Lisa (Xia) Li R.M.

I was born in the morning when the sun just started to rise, and the brilliant sunshine spread warmth through the room. Thus, my parents gave me the name Xia, hoping I would be like the sun, warm and kind and someone whom others would always love. My English name is Lisa, a name that my clients gave to me in China. They said that my smile was as beautiful as the Mona Lisa's smile, and whenever they saw it all their fears and anxieties would be forgotten. I kept this name because I know that my clients appreciated what I had done for them, and out of gratitude and love they gave me that name.

With my strong passion for women's health and wellness, I had worked as an OB for over 10 years in China. I have delivered thousands of babies and loved my profession. I want to dedicate my whole life to this field. A few years ago, I moved to Canada with my family. I realized that helping childbearing women is still my true passion, so I entered the IMPP program at Ryerson University. After graduating, I was registered with the College of Midwives of Ontario in 2008. I did midwifery practice in Oshawa and in Sudbury. I really enjoyed this experience.

I believe strongly in the value of continuity of care and in a woman's right to make informed choices and be able to choose her birthing place. I feel privileged to be a midwife, and to be able to help foster confidence and bring fulfilment to women throughout their pregnancy and birthing experience. I am very excited to be a part of the Kitchener Waterloo Midwifery Associates and I am looking forward to working with you all and sharing my experience with clients during this very important time in their life.

Min Liu R.M.

I grew up in a small city in China, and began my midwifery training in 1991. In addition to the three-year midwifery program education, I had over eight years working experience as a registered midwife in antenatal and postnatal floor, labour and delivery room, newborn unit in hospital as well as my own personal experience as a mother of a five-year old daughter. I have always been passionate about women's health, and believe strongly that providing clients with supportive, personalized care throughout childbearing can positively impact their experiences as women and as mothers.

I entered the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University in September 2008. I finished a six-month clinical placement with Midwife Alliance in Toronto where I have enjoyed working with the families in a variety of social and cultural backgrounds. I graduated in November 2009 with an even stronger commitment to midwifery. I’m happy to contribute to the ongoing tradition of excellence for the community at KW area.  I also speak Mandarin fluently.

Mina Sharafbafy R.M.

My midwifery background began with a 4-year university degree in Iran in 1993 and since then I have worked almost continuously in variety of settings such as community health centres, clinics and birth centers, and with clients from many different backgrounds. I have also been involved in family planning, breastfeeding support, well women care and vaccination for children under the age of 5 years. I speak Farsi Turkish and English.

My interest in women's health drove me to pursue midwifery after moving to Canada. While attending the International Midwives Pre-registration Program (IMPP) in 2002-2003, I did my work placement with the Kitchener-Waterloo Midwifery Associates, and then joined the practice as a Registered Midwife in July 2003. I finished a Masters degree in Public Health from University of Waterloo in 2008.

Nasrin Bandari Vali R.M.

I did my midwifery training in Iran, graduating in 1996. For the next 3 1/2 years I worked in hospital and rural clinic settings. I speak Farsi (Persian) and English, and have had the opportunity to serve women from 15 diverse communities, developing the skills to provide excellent and personalized prenatal, postnatal and breastfeeding care.

In 2003 I entered the International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program (IMPP). This program prepares and certifies foreign trained midwives to work within the Ontario midwifery system. I have been working in Kitchener since August 2005.

Diana DOE R.M.

I grew up in Stoney Creek, Ontario where much of my family remains. I went to school nearby at McMaster University. Throughout university, I did clinical learning placements in Hamilton, Burlington, and Scotland earning my Bachelor of Health Sciences in Midwifery and graduating in 2007 with Honours. Since graduation I have been practicing midwifery full-time with Cambridge Midwives. I am currently the Chief of Midwifery at Cambridge Memorial Hospital and a core-team member of the MoreOB (Managing Obstetrical Risk Effectively) program. I very much enjoy working with and teaching students. Helping to grow the profession is one of my passions.

I feel strongly about the tenants of midwifery care, believing that all women equipped with information, will make the best decisions for themselves and their families. During four and half years of practice, I have found that every pregnancy is a journey with lots to be learned and discovered along the way. I feel grateful to be a part of these journeys.

I have recently applied to the Ministry of Health to open a new midwifery clinic in the north end of Cambridge. While I await the decision of the ministry, I am practicing as a locum midwife with KWMA. I plan to be working with this practice until September 2012 when I will hopefully transition in to the new practice. I look forward to working here and learning a new community.