Jeffthanie Mathurin, Executive Director, ASFH (Association sage-femmes d'Haiti), témoigne de la réalité des soins maternels et néonatals dans ce contexte extrême. Son récit met en lumière la persévérance, le courage et la résilience des sages-femmes haïtiennes, et rappelle l’importance du soutien et de la solidarité internationale

This episode is available in French only. 

RESSOURCES 

Alo Saj Fanm : La lutte pour sauver des mamans et bébés en Haïti 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7uiF2j5UJs&list=PL4RZgETpKwaDVGF_uLwNzO9Zuj7eh58Y6&index=1 

Médecins sans frontières 

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/walking-hours-access-maternal-care-haiti 

Al Jazeera 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/11/haiti-death-toll-hits-nearly-5000-in-nine-months-as-gang-violence-spreads? 

AP News 

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-violence-killed-0a1e1adb661af1a6ed5396f0b4838fe6 

Résumé du CFR (Council of Foreign Relations) 

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/haitis-troubled-path-development 

UNICEF – Crise en Haïti 

https://www.unicef.org/fr/urgences/crise-en-haiti 

LatAm Journalism Review  

https://latamjournalismreview.org/articles/haitian-journalist-stranded-in-cuba-pleads-for-help-from-prime-minister-as-health-deteriorates/ 

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Bien que l’interruption de grossesse soit légale au Canada, l’accès à la procédure, sa compréhension et les perceptions sont de plus en plus façonnés par la désinformation et les discours idéologiques. Dans cet épisode, la chercheuse Véronique Pronovost nous entraîne dans les coulisses des réseaux anti-choix coordonnés qui sont actifs au Canada et au Québec. Elle montre comment ces groupes se servent du langage, du financement et de la désinformation pour influencer l’opinion publique et nous explique comment les sages-femmes, les militant·e·s et les éducateur·trice·s peuvent riposter en offrant des faits, de l’empathie et, surtout, la vérité.

Ressources

Radio-Canada Avortement : un pays pas comme les autres 

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/balados/11802/avortement-un-pays-pas-comme-les-autres  

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/balados/11802/avortement-un-pays-pas-comme-les-autres/920074/avortement-canada-pro-vie-communaute 

Constitution: Christine Fréchette pourrait retirer l’article sur l’avortement

https://lactualite.com/actualites/constitution-christine-frechette-pourrait-retirer-larticle-sur-lavortement/

Journaldemontreal.com (20 fév. 2026) — Sur le fait que Simon Jolin-Barrette retirerait la clause controversée

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2026/02/20/constitution-quebecoise--simon-jolin-barrette-retirera-larticle-controverse-sur-la-protection-de-lavortement

Collège des médecins du Québec (9 déc. 2025) — Analyse/prise de position expliquant pourquoi inscrire l’avortement dans une constitution peut être “risqué” sur le plan juridique et pratique. https://www.cmq.org/fr/actualites/pl1?

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Together, they unpack where access breaks down (including rural/remote gaps and “patchwork” policies), how conscientious objection and disinformation can delay or obstruct care, and why Canada’s framework, treating abortion as health care under the Canada Health Act—matters. Frédérique also explains why calls for an “abortion law” can be risky, and how anti-choice tactics can enter through “backdoor” issues and narrative shifts.

The conversation highlights the role of midwives in normalizing abortion as part of the full spectrum of reproductive health care—and what it takes to protect access through advocacy, collaboration, and compassionate, evidence-based support.

RESOURCES

SOGC HUB – Abortion 

https://sogc.org/en/en/content/events/HUB-Pages/Abortion.aspx?

Action Canada : Abortion in Canada must be accessible — not just legal

https://www.actioncanadashr.org/abortion-access?

Abortion in Canada is legal for all, but inaccessible for too many

https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2022/08/abortion-access-canada/

Medical abortion in Canada: behind the times

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3883814/

The Truth about Crisis Pregnancy Centres

https://www.missinformed.ca/post/the-truth-about-crisis-pregnancy-centres

Crisis pregnancy centres mislead women, report says

https://globalnews.ca/news/2703632/crisis-pregnancy-centres-mislead-women-report-says/

The Next Infodemic: Abortion Misinformation

https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e42582/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/mysterious-robocall-survey-polling-albertans-on-parental-consent-for-abortions/

Sharevski et al. (2023) TikTok abortion misinformation: Rampant Content, Lax Moderation, and Vivid User Experiences 

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2301.05128

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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Can technology support relational, culturally safe care, or will it deepen existing gaps? 

In this thought-provoking episode of Strength in Practice, we explore how AI is already shaping perinatal care. We look at decision-making tools, fertility apps, algorithmic bias, and data privacy concerns. What does AI promise for maternal health? And what risks does it pose, particularly for marginalized communities? 

We speak with Dr. Sandra Multiva PhD, a midwife and researcher whose work examines surveillance, consent, and how AI might either strengthen or undermine the future of midwife-led, culturally safe care. 

Whether you are tech curious or tech cautious, this episode invites you to imagine a future where AI supports, not replaces, the heart of midwifery: relational care.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Sandra Mutilva is the Program Manager for the International Midwifery Preregistration Bridging Program (IMPBP) at Toronto Metropolitan University. A registered midwife (Emeritus) with over 30 years of global experience, she holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership, an Executive MBA, and certifications in health leadership, risk management, and machine learning. Sandra has served as Chief of Midwifery at The Ottawa Hospital and co-founded Ottawa South Midwives. Her current work explores the ethical integration of Artificial Intelligence in reproductive health, with a focus on health equity, culturally safe care, and ensuring midwives are prepared for rapidly evolving digital health systems.

REFERENCES

• Related AI-driven efforts in obstetrics/labour prediction and other applications in healthcare (just the tip of the iceberg)
• Artificial Intelligence Models for Predicting Mode of Delivery, AlSaad et al., JOGOH, 2025
• Predicting Preterm Birth Using Machine Learning, Kloska et al., Scientific Reports, 2025
• Landmark Research from Maven Clinic on Virtual Doula Care 
• Association Between Doula Use on a Digital Health Platform and Birth Outcomes, Karwa et al., Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2024

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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You’ll walk away with practical tools to build trust, address concerns without confrontation, and support informed decision-making for healthier families and communities. Join us for an honest, authentic and often courageous discussion about the power of listening and being heard.

About Our Guests

Dr. Arnaud Gagneur is a neonatologist and pediatric infectious disease specialist whose research focuses on vaccine acceptance. He developed the PromoVac strategy—an evidence-based approach using motivational interviewing to address vaccine hesitancy—which is now implemented across Quebec through the EMMIE program. Dr. Gagneur collaborates with global health agencies, including UNICEF, the CDC, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, to train health professionals in effective, empathetic vaccine communication.

Andrea Houle is a cisgender midwife of French and British settler descent, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Chargée des affaires professionnelles at the Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec. She’s spent more than 16 years providing midwifery care in both urban and rural communities, and now focuses on regulation, professional standards, and quality of care in Quebec. 

Fiona Wong is originally from Winnipeg Manitoba and now lives and works in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. She’s a mom of 3 young boys ages 7, 3 and 10 months. Fiona is a professional photographer and owns and operates Fnwngphotography.

Resources

• From vaccine hesitancy to vaccine motivation: a motivational interviewing based approach to vaccine counselling
• Impact of a vaccination promotion intervention using motivational interview techniques on long-term vaccine coverage: the PromoVac strategy
• Protection for you means protection for two
• "Motivational interviewing: a promising approach to reducing vaccine hesitancy"
• Motivational interviewing in maternity wards for immunization
• Motivational Interviewing: a promising approach to reducing vaccine hesitancy
• COVID vaccine and pregnancy

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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About Our Guest:

Timothy Caulfield is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He is a leading researcher and public communicator on health misinformation, with decades of experience in law, ethics, and public health. He is the author of several best-selling books, including The Cure for Everything and The Certainty Illusion, and a co-founder of the #ScienceUpFirst initiative. His work has been featured across international media, and he serves as an advisor to governments and public health agencies on evidence-based communication strategies.

References:

• Science Up First – Evidence-based content for countering misinformation
• The Certainty Illusion by Timothy Caulfield
• Understanding and Countering Health Misinformation (Caulfield et al.) 
• WHO: Immunizing the public against misinformation 
• What is Prebunking? (Google Jigsaw & University of Cambridge research)
• People being unable to tell the difference between AI and real
• Gordon Penny Cook at Cornell and David Rand at MIT chat bots
• Research on the power of talking about the body of evidence
• Outrage and grievance fuels the algorithms
• Research debunking the backfire effect

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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Midwifery isn’t neutral—care can be colonial. What does it mean to “decolonize health care”? In this impactful and thought-provoking episode, Laverne Gervais and Candace Neumann challenge conventional models of care and invite us to reimagine wellness through kinship, cultural safety, and HIV doula care. They share how Indigenous-led programs are transforming reproductive health with heart, humour, and healing—and what midwives and other health professionals can do to support that shift. Discover how to provide care rooted in kinship, not control.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Laverne Gervais

Laverne was born and lives in Treaty 1 Territory, in the city of Winnipeg. She is a member of Peguis First Nation. Laverne has been working in Indigenous sexual wellness for over 15 years and strives to increase Indigenous led culturally safer care programming, prevention and treatment for STBBIs. She has coordinated programs for women living with HIV, facilitated sexuality education workshops for a wide age range and currently manages the Ka Ni Kanichihk’s Mino Pimatisiwin Sexual Wellness Lodge.

Candace Neumann

Candace is a Métis full-spectrum doula, community worker, and facilitator based in Treaty 1 Territory. She is co-founder of Zaagi’idiwin: Indigenous Full-Spectrum Doula Training and researcher for the Indigenous HIV Doula program at Ka Ni Kanichihk. A sundancer and cedar bath practitioner, Candace integrates traditional knowledge with contemporary care to support Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people. She is currently completing her Master of Social Work in Indigenous Knowledges at the University of Manitoba.

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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Host Monika Goodluck speaks with Liam Kali, a queer, nonbinary, transmasculine midwife and author of Queer Conception, who shares decades of experience in inclusive fertility care. Liam offers both practical advice and a critical look at the barriers within midwifery institutions that continue to exclude queer and trans voices.

The episode also features parents Jenna Jacobs and Eby Heller, who took the Quebec government to court to affirm their identities on their children’s birth certificates. They reflect on midwifery care, gender-affirming lactation, rural realities, and the essential role of community support.

The episode concludes with a poetic and deeply reflective personal essay by midwife Jenna Bly, exploring gender, embodiment, and the ethics of care. A must-listen for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of gender-inclusive midwifery.

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Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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Through rich historical research and personal narratives, she shares the hidden stories of Black midwives who helped shape Canadian healthcare—from those who arrived via the Underground Railroad to those who faced systemic barriers in the 20th century. Dr. Wilson-Mitchell also discusses the challenges Black midwives face today, from barriers to entering the profession to the emotional labour of mentorship. How do we ensure the next generation of midwives are supported? What role does advocacy play in addressing racial disparities in maternal care? Explore and celebrate the resilience, activism, and lasting impact of Black midwifery.

About Our Guest

Karline Wilson-Mitchell, who hails from Jamaica, is the first and only Black Canadian midwifery education professor. She was the director of the TMU, Midwifery department. between 2018-2024. She is passionate about reproductive justice that informs midwifery education, healthcare practice and global partnerships. She has been a registered nurse since 1984, and a midwife since 1992. She has worked as midwife in urban and rural settings in the U.S. and Canada. She’s acted as a consultant for leadership and curriculum development in education in Jamaica, Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan. Her new course, Black Birthing & Health Equity, launched in January 2024. It examines African diasporic traditions around family, perinatal care, and challenges learners to develop creative ways of conceiving and recreating healthy birth environments for Black families. 

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In this powerful and impactful episode, host Monika Goodluck is joined by Senator Yvonne Boyer and Métis midwife Nathalie Pambrun to address one of Canada’s most harrowing healthcare injustices: the coerced and forced sterilization of women—a practice that disproportionately affects Indigenous women and their communities' ability to survive.

Together, they delve into the fight for justice through Bill S250, the efforts of survivors and allies to criminalize forced sterilization, and the vital role both Indigenous and non-Indigenous midwives can play in safeguarding the safety and dignity of their clients. This emotional and enlightening conversation reflects on the past, confronts hard truths, and explores pathways toward healing and justice.

Don’t miss this critical discussion about acknowledging harm, advocating for change, and the work needed to ensure a safer future for all.

Guests:

• Senator Yvonne Boyer
• Nathalie Pambrun, Métis midwife

For more information: 

• https://www.reproductivejusticesurvivors.ca/ 
• https://indigenousmidwifery.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/PS-ForcedSter.pdf
• https://cssspnql.com/en/produit/free-and-informed-consent-and-imposed-sterilizations-among-first-nations-and-inuit-women-in-quebec/
• https://sterilisationsimposees.cssspnql.com/?lang=en

To show your support for Bill s250, contact:

• Honourable Jamie Schmale, MP
• Senator Yvonne Boyer

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(01:06) Feature interview:  CJ Blennerhassett, RM, MHA, CHE and President of the Canadian Association of Midwives

(20:31) Round table: Dr. Liz Darling, RM, PhD, Assistant Dean, Midwifery at McMaster University, Valérie Perrault, RM and Jenna Bly, RM, BHSc, MA

(46:38) Your Word: Rebecca Hautala, RM

We welcome feedback at CAMpodcast@canadianmidwives.org

Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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(01:39) Feature interview:  Dr. Sandra Mutilva, PhD., EMBA, CHE, CRM, BHSc, RM(Ret)

(15:45) Round table: BA; Alison Humphreys, RM, BHSc, BA, Dr. Kathrin Stoll

(35:20) Your Word: Tekatsi:tsia’kwa Katsi Cook (Wolf Clan Mohawk), founding Indigenous Midwife of the Tsi Non:we lonnakeratstha Ona:granhsta on Six Nations of the Grand River

We welcome feedback at CAMpodcast@canadianmidwives.org

Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

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(01:07) Interview: Faduma Gure, MSc

(21:30) Panel: Manavi Handa, RM, MHSc, BHSc and Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and Shezeen Suleman, RM

We welcome feedback at CAMpodcast@canadianmidwives.org

Strength in Practice is produced by the Canadian Association of Midwives, in collaboration with Bespoke Podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.