Midwives
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I was born in the small mining village of Abercynon in the South Wales valleys. I left Wales to do my nurse training in Bristol, England and then went on to complete my midwifery training at Southmead Hospital, Bristol. I worked as a midwife for 10 years before emigrating to Canada in 1997.During those 10 years as a midwife in the UK, I worked in a number of large teaching hospitals and finally ended up at St. Michaels Hospital which was affiliated with the University of Bristol. At St Michaels, I was the community midwifery manager and a supervisor of midwives. My role was to manage 50 community midwives working in 14 different health centres covering south east Bristol and in this role I worked very closely with the GP's and obstetricians in the hospital. I have always enjoyed the 'hands on' of midwifery and even as a manager I maintained my own case load and looked after women throughout their pregnancy, birth and post partum period.
I came to Canada in 1997 and for my first year I found myself in St. Anthony Newfoundland. This was a new experience for me, working in a small remote town of 3 000 people. The hospital I worked in served the people of northern Newfoundland and southern Labrador, and a small part of Quebec. Medivac's were something I had not encountered before and I have to admire the courage of people who live in these remote parts of Canada and the people who serve them.
From St. Anthony, I went on to do the International Midwifery Assessment process in Quebec and then worked in the birthing center in Gatineau, Quebec, I learned French and became the supervisor of the birthing centre. While working here, I learned more about midwifery in Ontario and knew one day I would like to work in that province.
My opportunity came in 2002 when all provinces in Canada with regulated midwifery signed a reciprocity agreement that enabled me to work in Ontario. From Gatineau, I went to Milverton in south west Ontario, where I worked with a lovely group of midwives serving mostly old order Mennonite and Amish clientele. We had a very high home birth rate and had a wonderful working relationship with the local GP's and Stratford hospital where we held hospital privileges.
I came to Belleville in 2006 with the chance of starting my own midwifery practice and serving the women and families of the Quinte region.
I love my job. I enjoy looking after women and their partners throughout this period in their lives, helping them achieve the birth experience they desire and supporting the family and seeing them grow into confident parents.
I am happy to be in Belleville and to develop a midwifery service here to meet the needs of the community.
Hello to the women and families of the Quinte region! My name is Stacey Lytle. I am a registered midwife with the College of Midwives of Ontario, and I joined Jeannette Davies in February 2007 at Quinte Midwives. Originally from the Kawarthas, I grew up on a small farm north of Stirling. I was gone for many years but I am very excited to be home!When I was sixteen my cousin asked me to support her through her birth experience. I decided then that no other job could be as wondrous and rewarding as working with women and babies through pregnancy and birth. I studied Bio-medical Science at the University of Guelph with the view to study obstetrical medicine. Looking back, I am grateful that I was in Guelph, where midwifery was gaining a strong presence. As I learned more about the practice and philosophy of midwifery care, I knew that becoming a midwife was the right path for me.
Between degrees I traveled for a few years. I also took the Doulas of North America training, and volunteered with a midwife in Peru for two months prior to entering the Ontario Midwifery Education Programme at McMaster University. My training was very diverse, with a mix of urban and rural placements, work with many Amish and Mennonite families, and an elective placement in Guatemala. Before coming to Belleville I worked as a Registered Midwife in Guelph, Ontario.
Midwifery to me is about respect: respect for the miracle of birth, respect for the profundity of parenting and family, respect for the right of women to self-determination, respect for the vast diversity among people. Like other midwives, I believe that responsibility for decision-making should be shared between the midwife and the client. I will provide you with knowledge and support, and I encourage you to be informed and I look forward to helping you achieve what is best for you and your family.
Yours truly,
Stacey Lytle
My name is Liza van de Hoef, and I am pleased to be part of the team of Registered Midwives working in the Quinte area. I was born at Belleville General Hospital, and grew up in the rural communities of Marmora and Tweed. When I was a small child, I drew pictures of myself "delivering babies". Ever since then, maternity care and women's health has held my interest.I attended McMaster University in Hamilton and earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours). During my studies, I discovered midwifery as a profession, and became very interested in pursuing a career in woman-centred health care. I travelled abroad for two years, living in Boise, Idaho and then Manila, Philippines, learning the trade of midwifery and earning my certification in the USA. Upon returning home, I completed the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University, a bridging program to ensure my skills met Ontario standards. As part of my education, I observed midwifery in practice in a variety of communities around Ontario, and completed my training at the Community Midwives of Kingston.
Once certified in Ontario, I worked as a registered midwife in Stratford. When an opening in the Quinte area presented, there was no debate in the decision to move "back home", and join the amazing team of midwives currently working in this area!
I love the model of care offered by Ontario midwives, and the opportunity to build relationships with women and families in the community. In particular, I deeply appreciate the philosophy of informed choice, which allows clients to individualize their care to best fit their own needs, desires and life situations.
It is a great honour to be a part of your journey as your life changes in remarkable ways. I look forward to meeting you, getting to know you, and walking with you in the paths of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.
Sincerely,
Liza van de Hoef
Hi, my name is Melissa Dorsay and I'm grateful to be a part of Quinte Midwives. I graduated from the Ryerson Midwifery Education Program in 2009. I was born and raised in Ottawa, and moved to Toronto to go to university. Before entering the world of midwifery, I received a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Women's Studies. I've always been interested in women's reproductive health, and I ended up focusing most of my academic time on midwifery. At some point I realized that practicing midwifery was much more fulfilling than sitting at a desk and writing about it, so here I am.
I love that midwifery centers women and their families as the main decision makers in pregnancy. I strongly believe that women are the experts of their own bodies, and my job is to provide resources and assistance for women to make the best decisions they can for themselves and their babies. By providing informed choice and continuity of care, I hope to make a positive impact on women and their families during the childbearing year.
Hello! My name is Christy Battye and I am very happy to be a part of the Quinte Midwives. I grew up in a small community in southwestern Ontario, then lived in Kingston, Ontario for sixteen years. I completed the Midwifery Education Programme at Ryerson University in 2009, having completed placements in Ottawa, Kingston, Yellowknife, Edmonton and Kitchener-Waterloo. After graduation, I was blessed with the birth of my daughter.
While my long journey to midwifery started shortly after I moved to Kingston, I worked as an environmental scientist for just over ten years. I previously completed a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Queen’s University, which led me to an organization that investigates and cleans up contaminated sites across the Canadian Arctic; it was a job that I enjoyed immensely and fulfilled my love for travel. I have spent time in many Aboriginal communities across the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut and loved the exposure to their varied culture. Everyone I met along the way, however, was sure to hear about my dream to become a midwife. Some of my many other interests include yoga, knitting & quilting, reading and spending time with family and friends.
I believe in the Ontario Midwifery Model of Care and the empowerment that women can experience when given the choice to birth in the way that is right for them. I am continually awed by the strength of a birthing woman and I am honoured that women and their families have provided me with the opportunity to witness and assist them through one of the most profound events in their lives.
Hello! My name is Heather Mason and I am very pleased to have joined the fantastic team of women at Quinte Midwives. My interest in health care began many years ago when coaching sailing and rowing to disadvantaged and atypical athletes. I really enjoyed helping my athletes overcome their unique challenges, to realize strength they didn’t suspect they had, and to assist them as they improved their health and energy with nutrition and fitness. In many cases this was transformational, life-changing. There were many ‘I did it!’ moments and I enjoyed sharing those triumphs. I loved what I did so much that, although I was working as a web developer at the time, I started planning to return to school to become a family physician.
It was having my daughter with the help of midwives in 2005 that made me switch gears to midwifery. I realized that I appreciated the continuity and time with families that midwives are able to spend, and what a privilege it is to be part of the birth process. I was struck by what a profound impact the birth of a child has on a family, as well as what an influence early care has on that child’s lifelong development and health. I was accepted into the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University and completed placements in Ottawa, Brockville, Kingston, Toronto, and finally, here in Belleville. During the course of my education I also was blessed with the birth of my son.
I still get to share with families their ‘I did it!’ moments, from the profoundness of birth and becoming a parent to the not-insignificant feat of figuring out how to put a diaper on a squirming baby at 4am. I love getting to know families and working with them every day; midwifery for me is a cooperative relationship between client and midwife. I look forward to getting to know you and your family, and to working with you during this very special time in your life.
Practice Administrator
My name is Laurie Buckley, and I was thrilled to be asked to join the team as Practice Administrator at Quinte Midwives in January of 2008.
Born in Montreal, I have lived most of my life in Belleville, with a brief time in Ottawa. I graduated from Loyalist College with a Diploma in Nursing and worked many years as a Registered Nurse at Belleville General Hospital, specializing in medical/surgical nursing. I also spent nine years working in the Department of Psychiatry as the Office Manager for the Crisis Intervention Centre, triaging clients and training clinical staff, and then returned to medicine while working as the Office Manager for the Chief of the Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine.
Although I loved my years working in medicine and psychiatry, my first love in nursing school was labour and delivery, making my work at Quinte Midwives a dream come true. I am a firm believer in the value of midwifery care in the lives of families, and am awed at the strength that informed choice brings to the women we serve. As a proud mother of a beautiful, grown daughter, I know the joy that parenthood brings, and I am so pleased to be a small part of this exciting time in our clients’ lives.
Best wishes to you as you embark on the most wonderful adventure of your life,
Laurie Buckley
