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Hi, my name is Sarah Leslie, and I have been a Registered Midwife since 2003, when I started working at The Midwives' Clinic (TMC) in Toronto, Canada. I have always enjoyed learning and teaching, so teaching prenatal classes was a natural evolution for me. I love discussing pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period, and the newborn with anyone interested. I also love explaining biology and the stories of how our bodies work.
In 2006, our clinic launched our first prenatal class, taught by Sarilyn Zimmerman, in the waiting room of our old clinic. In 2017, I launched a new class called Newborn 101. Initially, this class was held in person, and when the pandemic began, I transitioned it to an online format. This was a valuable learning opportunity, as we were able to reduce the course cost while also increasing the number of participants who could take the course. Currently, the online classes typically have 10 to 20 couples or 20 to 40 people in attendance and are the most detailed classes with approximately 50 slides per class. The current in-person courses are capped at 10 couples or 20 people and also feature slides to facilitate an informative and interactive format.
When this website first launched in May 2023, I was teaching three classes. In January 2026, we will launch several new classes: The Nourish, The OOH, The TOLAC, The Village, and The Postpartum. My goal of growth is well underway, thanks to the help of my esteemed and enthusiastic TMC midwives! I'm so thrilled to welcome my new collaborators Sarah Wilson, Julie Ngu, Maeghan MacPherson and Clare Hacksel.
Our classes are informative, interactive, and attended by a diverse group of residents from Toronto, Canada. Depending on who is joining the class, the content and language will slightly shift to meet the needs of the participants. This helps individuals who are being cared for by different care providers and giving birth in various environments to get the most out of each class.
These classes welcome everyone! As humans, we build our families in groups, so partners, grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends are encouraged to join. Please let me know how many people will be attending so the cost is accurate. We believe that everyone should have access to knowledge, so if you are struggling to pay for the classes, please reach out so we can discuss waiving or lowering the fee.
These classes are designed to provide you with a series of thorough learning experiences over the course of your pregnancy. You can take The Prenatal and The Newborn as a one-day online intensive class, or you can take them separately over a few months. Usually these classes are taken between 28 and 34 weeks gestation. The Hands On is the third class in the series which is a 2 hour in person class meant to be taken between 34 and 37 weeks to prepare for the technical aspects of labour, birth and caring for your newborn.
In the world of prenatal online classes this is a completely different class because it's IN PERSON!! This class is a 4 hour standalone prenatal and newborn class which covers labour and birth prep and how to care for your newborn.
If you are being cared for by an Ontario midwife this class is designed for you! This class is for individuals considering where they would like to give birth: a birthing centre, at home, or in their community hospital.
If you have had a caesarean birth and you are considering how you would like to give birth the next time, this is a class for you! This 1 hour online class is open to everyone, whether you are receiving care from a midwife, a family doctor or an obstetrician.
The Nourish is a 2 hour in person class created for expecting parents. Whether you're planning on breast/chest feeding exclusively or combo feeding with breastmilk and formula, this class is for you!
Having a baby takes a village! This interactive 2 hour in person class is for the supportive and enthusiastic village that surrounds small humans and their new parents!! If you are a soon to be or are a new grandparent, auntie, uncle or friend who wants to be supportive, this class is for you.
The Midwives' Clinic of East York Don Mills is excited to host two FREE events per month for pregnant people and postpartum families to connect. Sarah Leslie will facilitate these events, covering topics that the group would like to discuss. This is a brand new idea, so any suggestions are welcome!
What do want to learn? We can talk about most things relating to labour, birth and postpartum for hours!
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