Riverdale Community Midwives Are…

Julie Witmer, Kathy Macerollo, Linda Moscovitch, Tia Sarkar, Amanda Tissera, Laura Solis, Cate Moor, Stacy Lewis, Lissette Reyes, Ams Sweiger, Emily Ekelund, Rebecca Kirow, Alex MacDonald.

Collectively, our midwives have caught thousands of babies in the Greater Toronto area, many of them born at home or at the much desired midwifery-led Toronto Birth Centre. We hold privileges at St. Michael’s Hospital of Toronto where we enjoy excellent working relationships with our amazing obstetrician, paediatrician and nursing colleagues. In addition to our midwifery work, we are involved in research, mentoring and the education of new midwives, family physicians and paramedics. Many of us have worked internationally or in rural and remote areas of Canada including the far North.

“Our approach to care is focused on creating physical and mental wellness, preventative health care, inclusiveness and choice.”

As midwives, we like to think that the spirit of new life has shaped our undeniable sisterhood. Because sound midwifery work relies on mutual support, shared values and good communication, you may regularly find us sitting around our big wooden table hashing things out over a steaming pot of tea. Our approach to care is focused on physical and mental wellness, preventative health care, inclusiveness and choice. All of us are guided by a firmly held belief in childbirth as a remarkable and sacred event in a family’s life. Although our individual paths to becoming midwives are as colourful as the rainbow, we wholeheartedly agree that during a time where a technological approach overshadows the possibilities for a physiological birth, our work must strive to honour this signature event in every person’s life.

Working hard behind the scenes, Madison, our hard-working clinic administrator, runs the business side of things.

At the front desk or on the telephone, you’ll be greeted by Vanessa, our lovely administrative assistant and receptionist.

When not catching babies, you may spot us going to the edge during yoga class, walking the ancient paths of Italy, scuba diving through underwater caves, causing a stir on the basketball court, singing our hearts out at choir, lighting a campfire in the woods, digging in a garden, agonizing over a new poem, navigating Toronto’s alleyways by bike, running along the beach with a favourite hound, catching some stand-up comedy in a local club or baking bread… all while raising some twenty-one beautiful children.