the teachers

Hello, my name is Sarah Leslie and I'm a full-time midwife at The Midwives’ Clinic of East York Don Mills in Toronto, Canada. I have been working in the east end of Toronto as a registered midwife since June 2003.  I love sharing my knowledge and experiences with soon-to-be new parents. My classes provide an interactive opportunity to engage with a healthcare practitioner who works with babies all the time! Below is a little about who I am. 

I was born in New Brunswick in 1974 to a young, opinionated hippie mother. Shortly, after I was born we moved to Ontario where my mother attended nursing college. She became a labour and delivery nurse in a downtown Toronto hospital and soon began to consider becoming a midwife. During this time, my sister was born at home with a family doctor and a midwife. At the young age of seven, I witnessed my very first birth which was thrilling for my young mind. I remember that the room was very warm, the family doctor sat in a rocking chair in the corner while my mother's apprenticing midwife did her work. I was enthralled and captured by the immense joy that erupted at the moment when she was born.  At ten years of age, with my sister on my lap, we witnessed the quick home birth of our little brother. My mother did a midwifery apprenticeship and became a pre-legislative midwife in 1986. As a young person, I could see her drive and desire to become someone who could have an impact on women’s health. As I grew into my teenage years I was invited to help out at other family home births while my mother attended as a legislated and registered midwife. I learned from these experiences that birth can show us how strong we can be. Although it is a process that is different for everyone, I love that there are consistent themes of strength, resilience, tenderness and hope.

With my solid history of natural birth behind me, I went off to York University to achieve an Arts degree in Women's Studies. After I graduated I wanted a profession where I felt I could make a difference. The logical answer for me was to become a midwife! Over the years I’ve learned that one of the enchanting elements of midwifery is that I continue to learn as a person and as a practitioner. My clients, parents and newborns alike, continue to teach me new things all the time! It doesn’t seem to matter if my client is having their first baby or their 7th. We grow and learn together during this exciting time.

My hope is that when I'm teaching my classes my students will feel comfortable with me – that they will be able to ask questions and contemplate ideas. I hope that my diverse clientele will find comfort in my classes and leave feeling a bit less scared of this new adventure that they are on. Becoming a new parent is a vulnerable time which I understand intimately as I have three beautiful children who were born in 2004 (Lucy), 2007 (Ben) and 2008 (Rowan). They keep me humble while laughing about life and being forever forgiving of my crazy work hours as an on-call midwife. Although their infancy is long over, I do have a lasting impression of how hard new parenthood can sometimes feel even when it is also so beautiful. I bring these insights into my classes hoping to keep our conversations informed, practical, and also fun! I look forward to meeting with you and working with you during this transitional time in your life!

I've been a registered midwife with the College of Midwives of Ontario (CMO) since June 2003. I have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Michael Garron Hospital as a midwife on staff since my graduation. I am also an adjunct professor at Toronto Metropolitan University teaching clinical skills to senior midwifery students. I've been so privileged to call my nursing, obstetric and paediatric colleagues my friends.  In 2019 we decided to offer our clients a newborn class to help them prepare for their new babies. Prior to the pandemic, this was a small in-person class. Due to this, the size was restricted by space and cost. The pandemic forced us to create our current online class. It’s been very successful and has reached so many more people and now has grown into more classes plus an in person class too. 

I follow the College of Midwives of Ontario’s standards and guidelines and maintain a current certificate in neonatal resuscitation, CPR and midwifery emergency skills. In addition, I keep my skills and information current by attending conferences and workshops. I deliver midwifery care and classes in English and use the pronouns she/her/hers.

I’m Sarah. I’m a registered midwife who has been caring for families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum since 2017. I work at the Midwives’ Clinic of East York Don Mills, and also provide postpartum clinical care for birthing people and newborns through the Family and Newborn Clinic at Michael Garron Hospital. In addition to clinical care, I’ve taught prenatal and postpartum classes with both the University of Toronto and The Neighbourhood Organization.

I’m passionate about helping parents feel informed, capable, and supported. My background in health studies (prior to midwifery), with a focus on the social determinants of health, has shaped my commitment to making perinatal care and education accessible and relevant to all families.

I believe deeply that prenatal and postpartum classes can be the beginning of community. The early weeks and months after having a baby can be incredibly joyful—but also isolating. I aim to create spaces where new parents not only learn and feel prepared, but also build connections with others who are going through the same stage of life. I hope that participants leave my class with both knowledge and maybe even the beginnings of supportive, lasting friendships.

I’m also a mom to two young children — Oscar (2022) and Bobby (2025), both born at home — they help me add personal experience with pregnancy, home birth, breastfeeding and the early postpartum period in the support I offer. When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me crafting, exploring the east end, where I have lived my whole life, or spending time with my family and friends.

I follow the College of Midwives of Ontario’s standards and guidelines and maintain a current certificate in neonatal resuscitation, CPR and midwifery emergency skills. In addition, I keep my skills and information current by attending conferences and workshops. I deliver midwifery care and classes in English and use the pronouns she/her/hers.

Hi, I’m Maeghan and I’m a midwife at The Midwives’ Clinic of East York Don Mills in Toronto. I’ve been working at this practice as a registered midwife for a year and a half. I am so honoured to be supporting parents through this transition.

I first got a degree in public policy with a concentration in human rights from Carleton University. I focused mainly on reproductive rights, which led me to doing education and counselling work with Planned Parenthood Ottawa. As much as I loved my degree, I realized quickly that I wanted to do more hands on work and work directly with clients. I applied to the midwifery program and here I am!

I signed up to run the out-of-hospital birth classes because I am a big believer in supporting home and birth centre births for our low-risk clients. For many people, planning an out-of-hospital birth is not only a reasonable and safe choice, but a beautiful and empowering one. So if that’s something that appeals to you or you just want to explore all your options, then I want to help you make the decision that is right for you. 

I practice within the standards, guidelines, and risk-screening protocols of the College of Midwives of Ontario. I maintain current neonatal resuscitation, CPR, and Emergency Skills certification and regularly attend continuing education workshops, hospital rounds, and peer review. I deliver midwifery care in English and French and use the pronouns she/her/hers.

Clare Hacksel, RM, MSc, BA

I’m a registered midwife and educator based in Toronto. I’ve had the privilege of supporting many families through pregnancy, birth, and the early days of parenting, and I bring that experience into my teaching. Alongside my clinical work, I teach at Toronto Metropolitan University, helping to train the next generation of midwives. My approach is grounded in evidence-based care and guided by a deep commitment to inclusivity, informed choice, and empowerment. I’m delighted to be leading the online Trial of Labour After Cesarean course and look forward to supporting families in feeling confident and well-prepared for birth.

Hi! My name is Julie and I’m a midwife at The Midwives Clinic of East-York/Don Mills. I have been working as a midwife since July 2022. I was born and raised in the East End of Toronto, and am very honoured to be able to serve my community through my job. Below is a little introduction of who I am and why I am so excited to be teaching The Village class. 

I graduated in 2018 from Queen’s University with a Biology/Psychology specialization, only to go right into the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University. During my time at McMaster, I lived all across Southern Ontario as I learned the ropes of midwifery. This allowed me to get to know so many populations that I would have never gotten the opportunity to meet while living in Toronto. What I love so much about our country is that we come from all over the world, and we have so much experience, knowledge, and culture to share with each other.  

In my day to day, I do my best to stay curious about life. I am often looking for a delicious meal, almost always inviting a friend along to share it with. I love walking around all of Toronto’s different neighbourhoods, people watching, admiring the buildings and the bustle. When I can, I try to visit new places, as travelling is a big passion of mine. I enjoy being immersed into unknown cities, and trying my best to explore the way a local would recommend. I am currently studying Spanish in hopes of being able to practice midwifery in another language other than English and French. 

At my core, I believe that family is the most important thing. Whether this family is one you are born into, or one that you have luckily assembled yourself. My parents were both newcomers to Canada, both without their families in the city, who had to create their own “Village” of people to lean on. The proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” is a proverb for a reason… Community is what gets us by! I am very passionate about always fostering a strong community in every area of my life, which is why I am so excited to be leading this course with you all. Let’s gather together and learn how best to support people we love as they transition into parenthood. 

I follow the College of Midwives of Ontario’s standards and guidelines and maintain a current certificate in neonatal resuscitation, CPR and midwifery emergency skills. In addition, I keep my skills and information current by attending conferences and workshops. I deliver midwifery care in English & French and use the pronouns she/her/hers.