Mahnaz Donyadideh-Torei

My inspiration for wanting to help women in childbirth started by listening to my mother’s birth stories when I was very young. She had all six of us at home with a midwife; from her number three that was very fast, her midwife didn’t make it to her number five; her breech, big baby and one and only boy that was very hard and long!

I practiced midwifery in Iran between 1989-1993. I entered midwifery right after high school and received a BSc in midwifery from Esfahan Medical University of Iran in 1991. My work experience started in rural areas of Iran for 2 years.

I was very fortunate that my arrival in Canada coincided with midwifery becoming legislated in Ontario in 1994. I participated in the first group of the prior learning experience assessment (PLEA) with the College of Midwives of Ontario and successfully finished it in November of 1996.

I initially came to Midwife Alliance for an observational period in August of 1997 after I had my son. I officially started practicing with Shawn Gallagher, founding member of Midwife Alliance in January 1998 and continued to date.

I have always participated in training midwifery students from the Ontario Midwifery Programs and International Midwifery Pre-registration Program for their clinical placements. I also participate in recertifying midwives in Emergency Skills through the Association of Ontario Midwives.

I admire the midwifery model of care in Ontario the most for the continuity of care. We get to know women and their families throughout their pregnancies and they share one of their greatest life experiences with us.

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Anita Bright

My name is Anita Bright. I moved to Ontario from BC in 1994, which was, coincidentally, the year that midwifery was legislated. I was accepted to the McMaster University Midwifery Education Program in 1995, and graduated with my B.H.Sc. in Midwifery in 1998. I joined Midwife Alliance that same year, and have proudly served our diverse communities since then.

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and came to Canada as a settler as a child. I spent most of my childhood in British Columbia, and studied English and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University. My original plan in life was to be a poet, which, it turns out, is not a lucrative career choice! In the small wedges of time between working and raising my hilarious and mischievous sons, I love to read and write, to find beauty in the chaos and joy of life.

My two children were born into the loving and competent hands of my friend and colleague, Mahnaz Torei. What I learned from my own birth experiences, which I already knew empirically, is that each birth is different, and no woman knows exactly what someone else’s journey is like. My job as a midwife is to help you feel empowered on your journey, to give you enough information to make informed decisions, to give you the option to deliver your baby in hospital if that is your choice, or at home if you prefer. I am committed to providing safe, respectful, informed care based on research and my years of experience delivering babies in Ontario. Like all midwives registered in Ontario, I maintain certification in neonatal resuscitation and adult/child CPR. I also teach in the AOM Emergency Skills program, work as a clinical preceptor for midwifery students in the MEP and foreign trained midwives in the IMPP. I look forward to meeting you at this special time in your life.

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Abir Hoblos

Hello, my name is Abir Hoblos and I am thrilled to be working as a registered midwife at Midwife Alliance.

I was drawn to midwifery because I strongly believe in the philosophy of care. I respect pregnancy as a state of health and childbirth as a normal process. I graduated from the Lebanese University in 2002 with a four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Midwifery. I successfully completed the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University in 2005. I joined Midwife Alliance as a full time Midwife in January 2006.

I am registered with the College of Midwives of Ontario and a member of the Association of Ontario Midwives. I speak English, French and Arabic. I am very excited at the prospect of meeting all the women and families who have invited us to their lives as they prepare to greet their little ones. I have a teenage son and a little girl born in March 2019.

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Sepideh Hashemitari

My interest in midwifery began at an early age when my grandmother shared her own amazing memories as a traditional midwife helping hundreds of women over the years of her career.

Being a midwife means having immense responsibility. You step into people’s lives and make a difference. You see people at their worst and their best. You see a person’s capacity for love, courage, and endurance. I can’t think of any other exciting and at the same time challenging, career in my life.

I graduated from Azad University (1994) in Tehran, Iran with a four year Bachelors’ Degree in Midwifery. I started my midwifery career immediately after graduation in a hospital. Later, I was accepted in Shahid Beheshti University (1997) in Tehran, Iran to get my Master’s Degree in Educational Management. I continued to work as a midwife in different midwifery models in hospitals and clinics until 2007, after which I immigrated to Canada.

Most of my friends who were midwives back home chose to pursue nursing careers in Canada. They advised me to follow their path, as midwifery is a very demanding profession in Canada. But I knew midwifery was my calling. Being aware of the benefits of midwifery care in Ontario, to women, families and community gave me the motivation to try to enter into the International Midwifery Preregistration Program (IMPP) at Ryerson University in 2010. I started my Clerkship in Midwife Alliance in 2011 and I was lucky to be hired as a midwife here the same year. This position not only gives me the benefits of working in a friendly environment but also having the opportunity to work with truly experienced midwives.
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Jinous Shahzamani

To me, midwifery is an art and a science, a career and a calling. It is an amazing privilege to accompany families along their journeys of pregnancy, birth and early parenting. My goal as a midwife is to help you make choices about your body and your baby that make sense for you, and to use my heart, hands and head to help make your birth experience safe and satisfying.

I’ve been working with women and families for many years back home and here in Canada. I also have worked as a doula, midwifery instructor, and researcher & co-writer of the book “Labour without pain”. My formal midwifery education was through Ryerson Midwifery Program for internationally educated midwives, and also at the Esfahan medical university in Iran.

Being a midwife and a mother of two boys is a busy job, but in my spare time I love shopping, playing games with my kids, dancing to all kinds of music, and catching up on sleep!
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Nazanin (Fatemeh) Keivan-Far

Helping and caring for women and babies were my inspiration for becoming a midwife. I graduated with honours from Iran University of Medical Science with a Bachelor of Midwifery in 1994, and practiced in my home country, Iran, for more than 12 years, attending over 1000 births, and managing a variety of clinical situations. When Canada became my home, I got a diploma in Medical Laboratory Science and worked in that field for three years. But midwifery was my real passion, so  I successfully completed the International Midwifery Program and did my clerkship at Midwife Alliance. After that, I practiced Midwifery in Norfolk and Haldimand County where I enjoyed working with kind and welcoming families and a great rate of home and water births.

Now, I am thrilled to be part of the great team of Midwife Alliance, and I feel absolutely grateful to provide the family centered midwifery care that I have always dreamed of.
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Maggie Pang

My name is Maggie Pang. I immigrated to Canada when I was 8 years old and have grown up in Mississauga ever since. My mother was a labor and delivery nurse back in China and so I was exposed to pregnancy and childbirth from a young age due to accompanying my mother to work often. I’ve always known that I would like to one day work as someone who could be a part of women’s wonderful journey to parenthood. I realized from a small age the difficulties in accessing any form of health care for new immigrants when you are not proficient in Canada, especially when my mother became pregnant with my little sister. After these experiences and having worked with many clients who’s English was not their first language and seeing their struggles, I have gained a passion for working with these populations in hopes that I can become their advocates and improve their experience navigating the health care system. I also hold strong passions in supporting those within the LGBTQ+ community and hope that I can not only create a safe, all inclusive space for these clients but also allow them an environment where they can thrive as their true selves during this very personal time of their lives.

Bahja Ali

Hi, my name is Bahja Ali. I was born in Toronto, but grew up in the Niagara region. My first undergraduate degree is from BScN Collaborative Degree program completed at Ryerson University in 2015. My mother was a midwife in Somalia, and her practice was something I knew I wanted to carry on as a dedication to her. I love hearing stories and learning about global diaspora midwives and those who have familial ties to midwifery traditions. I’m excited to meet everyone and humbled to be working alongside you. Also, I was born at St. Joseph’s hospital and feel lucky to start my NR year here! 

Emma Taylor

Hello! My name is Emma Taylor (she/they pronouns), and I feel privileged to be a part of the care team here at Midwife Alliance. My interest in birth came to me over a decade ago when I was in nursing school at the University of Toronto, it was an honour to bear witness to such an intimate and memorable experience. For the next seven years I worked as a Registered Nurse on the birthing unit at St. Michaels Hospital here in Toronto. I absolutely loved my time there as it sparked my passion for all things obstetrics and family centred care. I met many wonderful midwives and began exploring their model of care, I am particularly drawn to the practice of continuity of care and a commitment to client advocacy through informed choice. I graduated from Ryerson University’s post baccalaureate program in 2021, completing my senior placements here at Midwife Alliance and couldn’t be happier to spend my New Registrant year here.  

I am a first generation Canadian of Irish-settler ancestry, and it will always be a priority to provide safe and equitable care to all, using my privilege as a white healthcare provider to combat systemic racism and xenophobia. When I am not providing midwifery care, you can find me spending time with my biological and chosen families, going on hikes, biking around the city, or just dancing (poorly) in my apartment.     

Pregnancy is such an intimate and sacred time, and I am so grateful to be a part of your journey, I look forward to meeting you!

Nicole Royer

I’m Nicole Royer (she/her), and I am a recent graduate from the Midwifery Education
Program at Toronto Metropolitan University. I completed my final year of training as a
student at Midwife Alliance, and I am delighted to be returning as a Registered Midwife!
I moved to Toronto from the United States in 2006, and have called this city home ever
since. In 2011 I earned my Bachelors of Science in Psychology from University of
Toronto, with an additional major in Sexual Diversity Studies.
I am a mother to a rambunctious toddler, born at home into the hands of midwives. I love
to spend time outdoors with my family; camping, hiking, scuba diving, or enjoying a
beach. I am always working with my hands on one project or another. I am an
enthusiastic DIYer, gardener, seamstress, woodworker, chef and baker.
Fascinated by the science and the experience of pregnancy and childbirth, midwifery
has always been my calling. I love the relationships I get to build with my clients, and
feel privileged to be a part of such a remarkable and sacred event in their lives. My
approach to care centres around supporting the physiology of birth, and providing the
information needed to make empowered choices.
I look forward to meeting you!

Karen Rodrigue

My name is Karen Rodrigue and I am a registered midwife, practicing these last eight years, serving women in the greater Toronto area.

I, myself was born in my grandfather’s house into the hands of a midwife. I came to Canada from Guyana, at the young age of 3 and grew up learning how to serve a community by the example of my parent’s humanitarian efforts at home and abroad. I’d like to think that I bring that same spirit of care into the relationship with my clients today. I have always worked with the simple and careful dedication to the people who seek out our care, ‘To be with Women’ (the birthing person) from what it means to be a “Mid-Wife”.

I completed my studies in Midwifery with a honours degree from Ryerson University.  Before becoming a midwife I had studied the medical sciences and received a double Honours Degree in Human Biology and Religious Studies from The University of Toronto.  It was at that time too that I was  learning the most about my direction in life, being a young mother myself.

As a midwife, I work to facilitate an environment where informed choice and best practices through evidence base care are possible in the home, birth centre and hospital setting. I love to empower and be an advocate for the decisions that my clients make. It’s a fortunate and interesting thing that this work starts at our first meeting with the pregnant person and isn’t simply finished with the birth itself, but continues to 6 weeks postpartum. I hope to make this process  a safe and memorable experience for each of my clients.
I feel privileged to work at Midwife Alliance with the other wonderful midwives in this diverse community.  Thank you for having me as part of your team.

Stacy Lewis

Hello! My name is Stacy Lewis and I am thrilled to be joining Midwife Alliance. Joining this
practice feels full circle since I was looked after here as a two-time client, which inspired me to
become a midwife myself.
I moved to Toronto in 2010 as a first generation settler. I have always lived in the West End so
after practicing way out East (in Toronto), it feels great to be serving my local community. I grew
up in California and also lived in NY, London, and Utrecht. I hold a Masters degree in
Museology, went to visual art school, and worked in art & museum education for 15 years
before embarking on the most meaningful work of all. I graduated with honours from the
midwifery program at Toronto Metropolitan University, and love that this work allows us to
continue learning every day. My goal is to build good rapport with clients, make them feel
comfortable and heard, and provide evidence-based information so they can actively participate
in their healthcare.
I am humbled and grateful to work with families on their perinatal journeys, and look forward to
meeting you.

Hannah Sinclair

My name is Hannah Sinclair. I was born and raised in the East End of Toronto in Scarborough. Now a Westender, I am excited to be joining the team at Midwife Alliance and serving my community! I completed my final midwifery student placement at Alliance and am so glad to be able to start my career here. I have a previous degree in literature and history from McGill in Montreal where I lived for several years before finding my passion for pregnancy and birth and deciding to return to Toronto and study midwifery at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

As a queer woman, I am excited about working with LGBTQIA+ families and passionate about working with families and birthing people in general to foster positive and affirming birth experiences.

Off call, you can find me reading a book, working in my garden or cooking elaborate meals for my family and friends!

Evelyne Russell

Morgan Winker

Hi everyone!
My name is Morgan, and I am very excited to be working at Midwife Alliance. I was born
and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, where I completed a Biology degree at Carleton
University and then found myself looking into Midwifery. In 2020 I decided to apply to
the Midwifery Program at Toronto Metropolitan University and completed my studies in 2024.

I have worked in birth work, foster care and research with different organizations
for over 5 years which gave me the opportunity to grow my understanding of the
importance of birth work, compassionate care, and building relationships. Outside of
Midwifery you can usually find me at local farmers markets, walking in high park, or
biking. My hobbies are skiing, hiking and camping, usually a few trips throughout the
summer and fall. I strive to always provide care that empowers each individual person
and will always provide the knowledge needed for informed decision making. I am
extremely lucky to have the privilege of being present in the bigger picture of Midwifery
Care.