Meet the Midwives

Carlie Sanford, RM, IBCLC

Team Cedar

It is my pleasure to be joining the team at qathet Midwifery as of January 2024. I look forward to serving the families of this beautiful community, and to be living and working on the traditional lands of the Tla'amin people.

I grew up on the Sunshine Coast myself, and am overjoyed to return home and to a more quiet/rural area to raise my own family.

I am both a Midwife and Lactation Consultant, and have been working in the lower mainland for the past five years gaining experience and serving a large variety of families from diverse backgrounds. Prior to that, I spent time in various small communities such as Salt Spring Island, Seabird Island, and Sechelt.

Working with families during the transformation of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum is my great privilege and passion, and I look forward to joining you on your journey!

Aly Jones, RM

Team Cedar

Aly (she/her) is a settler born of Danish and English ancestry, raised in Naramata BC on the unceded territory of the Sylix people. She graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery in 2009. Aly strongly believes in providing respectful care for every individual regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, race, culture, or religion.  She is passionate about informed choice and autonomy in healthcare.

When she’s not catching babies, you can find her cooking up yummy feasts with her wife and baby, mountain biking, camping, gardening, and playing the fiddle.

Eline Vonk, RM

Team Huckleberry | Maternity leave until Jan 2027

I am thrilled to have found and joined qathet Midwifery Care after moving to the qathet region and I am grateful to live and work on the traditional lands of the Tla'amin people.

I am originally a Dutch midwife and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Midwifery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Looking back, I am in awe that I could work and learn from such an established and ancient birthing culture. Coming to Canada in 2018, I studied Public Health and behavioural change with the University of Maastricht until I enrolled in the UBC Internationally Educated Midwifery Bridging Program. My last two years before moving up to The Sunshine Coast have been with a busy and vibrant practice in Vancouver. I have a natural interest in diversity and culture and I am privileged that this brought me to work as well in Uganda, the Caribbean and India.

I feel incredibly committed to be working with families and I value providing care that feels informed, connected and empowering.

When I am not working, you can find me on my sailboat, doing pottery and going for long walks in nature.

Mandy Verghese, RM

Team Huckleberry

It is one of my greatest pleasures to journey with women and their families as they grow, birth, and raise their babies.

I grew up in Richmond, BC and Germany and have lived and breathed birthwork since my teenage years when I attended my first birth as a doula fresh out of high school. I began my midwifery training in Scotland in 2012, followed by the UBC bridging program for internationally-educated midwives. After working for many years in the Lower Mainland, we made the best decision to move to Powell River in 2022. In addition to midwifery, I am also a womb continuum practitioner, offering private manual therapy for women, specializing in posture and uterine alignment, abdominal care, and pelvic health.

Along with my 15 years of experience in birth work, I have journeyed the intensity of birth and transformation of motherhood twice. Both of my births nurtured faith, intuition and self-responsibility; values that I encourage in my clients as well.

Outside of midwifery I teach manual therapy and craft herbal medicines all while loving my husband and kids, and enjoying Powell River.

Sarah Pitsiulala Reaburn, RM, RN, IBCLC

Team Huckleberry | Locum Jan-Mar 2026

My name is Sarah Pitsiulala Reaburn, and I am of Celtic and Slavic ancestry. I’ve been nursing in emergency, rural, remote, and labour & delivery settings since 2010. I went to TMU for Midwifery School in 2017.

I had the privilege of working at the Strathcona Midwifery Collective in Vancouver before my family and I fell in love with Port Alberni, where we’ve been since 2022.

In 2023, I welcomed my son, Pete. Experiencing the joys and challenges of feeding a baby inspired me to pursue certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and expand my ability to support families through feeding journeys.

I believe deeply in informed consent, client choice, and body sovereignty. Pregnancy and birth can be transformative rites of passage for individuals, families, and communities — and for some, they are also deeply medical experiences deserving of respect and compassion. For most people, it’s a mix of both.

I’ve seen how much difference a supported pregnancy and postpartum experience can make. I remain in awe of the unique ways families come together, and comforted by how creating family connects us all.

My approach is family-centered, strengths-based, and inclusive. I’m dedicated to a continual practice of anti-racism and cultural humility. My care is LGBTQ2SI-honoring, and I maintain a broad network of colleagues to refer to if we need additional perspectives or resources.

I look forward to being part of your network of care.

Elisha Manson, RM

Team Huckleberry | Locum Mar 2026-Jan 2027

I am grateful for the invitation to join your qathet Midwifery Care Team!

After a long maternity leave – I am back, and looking forward to spending this next chapter with you.

In brief, my education consists of undergraduate degrees in Gender Studies and Midwifery, and a Masters’s in Health Administration, from UBC. However, it is from client’s and their families’ where I have learned how to be a midwife, striving - always – to provide person-centered care.

Beyond Midwifery, I am hoping to complete my red seal in Carpentry.

In the meantime, my two children and two piglets keep me busy!

Student Midwives

  • Caroline Munroe

    3rd Year Student Midwife | UBC | Jan - Mar 2027 | Precepting with Aly Jones

    Hi, my name is Caroline (she/they), and I am a settler of British descent, born and raised on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

    My background is in cultural Anthropology, which has instilled in me an appreciation for diversity, tradition, and different types of knowledge. I have also worked as a medical administrator for several years which has given me experience working with midwives and their clients in a variety of contexts, and helped me to hone my advocacy skills.

    More recently, I have worked as a postpartum doula in the Vancouver area, supporting families and their babies through the transition of becoming parents and/or welcoming a new addition to the family. I am passionate about reproductive justice, person-centred and trauma-informed care, and encouraging confidence in parenting skills.

    In my free time, I enjoy hiking, camping, swimming, and being out in the sun as much as possible. I also love reading, coffee, and cuddling up with my cat to watch movies.

    I feel privileged to learn from midwives, clients, and their families, and I aim to form trusting connections and cultivate a safe environment for everyone that I work with. I am grateful for all the clients and families who will invite me to be a part of their journey. I am thrilled to be joining this practice and can’t wait to meet you!

  • Bobbi Gilchrist

    2nd Year Student Midwife | UBC | Jan - Mar 2027 | Precepting with Mandy Verghese

    Hello, my name is Bobbi (she/her). I am a mother of two amazing teens and one amazingly lazy black lab. My family and I are grateful to live, study, and play on the lands of the Tsawwassen First Nations. I am excited for the opportunity to explore other areas of British Columbia through placements this coming year and learn from new people and communities.

    My younger self never could have dreamed my path would lead to Midwifery and I feel so happy and fortunate every day for the chances that have led me here! Before entering the Midwifery program, I co-ran a family business selling masonry and landscaping supplies. While this may seem to be an odd career shift, I'm finding the skills obtained over the years of building a safe and trusted business environment lend themselves well to Midwifery.

    When I am not emersed in my studies you can find me walking, baking, or enjoying a view. I can't wait to build upon the foundations of our first year studies and continue to learn from the wonderful teachers, mentors, and most of all the clients!

Maternity Care in Powell River

Hospital Births

Any care you receive while in the hospital will be carried out by the midwife or family physician on call that day, with shared care from our obstetrician if needed.

Home Births

The midwives are on call 24/7 for planned home births.