Janelle McLeod, RM (she/her/hers)
First, thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about me! I graduated from the Mount Royal Midwifery program in 2015. Following that, I worked in the Fraser Valley. In 2016 I settled in Edmonton and I cannot imagine living anywhere else. We have an incredible group of midwives here and I am honored to work with them.
Over the years I have met so many amazing clients who have entrusted me to aid them during this life-changing time. A role I do not take lightly. I believe everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and celebrated during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
I spend my free time with my cats, garden, friends, and lovely family.
Janelle has privileges at the Lucina Birth Centre and Royal Alexandra Hospital. Janelle & Katharine are on Team Sprout and share clients.
Katharine Langille, RM (she/her/hers)
My interest in birth work began in 2007 when I did my doula training and started attending births in my home province of Nova Scotia. I graduated from the midwifery education program at Laurentian University in 2014 and since then have had the privilege to practise in BC, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and finally in Edmonton where I’ve called home since 2018.
What originally called me to birth work was just the magic of birth and witnessing the strength and determination of birthing people and families- but what makes me keep showing up to work is wanting to help families navigate a maternity care system that doesn’t see birth has a normal physiologic process but rather a medical event that needs managing. When I’m not catching babies, you can find me putzing around the kitchen in my 110 year old home in Alberta Ave and arranging enrichment activities for my dog, Effie. I look forward to working with you and your families!
Katharine has privileges at the Lucina Birth Centre and Royal Alexandra Hospital. Katharine & Janelle are on Team Sprout and share clients.
Kathleen Zenith, RM (she/her/hers)
My path toward midwifery was not straightforward but was threaded with the values I have come to incorporate into my practice today. I initially entered into Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Alberta but knew I wanted more hands-on work and the opportunity to build relationships in my community. Through this education I gained a deep appreciation of the social aspects of health care and developed a budding love of reproductive health. I initially learned about midwifery from my older sister who received care from midwives and I knew this was the path for me.
I graduated from McMaster University’s Bachelor of Midwifery gaining experience in several communities across southern Ontario. I was no doubt shaped by the power and vulnerability of clients as well as my fiercely wise mentors. Although I became a midwife in Ontario, Edmonton is home.
I believe pregnancy, birth and entry into parenthood deserve unique and personalized attention. Being a significant life transition, I value the relationship midwives can form with new parents and families. It is a privilege to witness and support families in this time and I am continually humbled by the strength and inner-knowing of clients. Central to my practice are honesty, warmth, and dignity in choice.
Like a stereotypical midwife I love knitting. I am also an avid reader, gardener and hiker. When off-call you can find me identifying plants and dipping into lakes and rivers!
Kathleen has privileges at the Lucina Birth Centre and Royal Alexandra Hospital. Kathleen is not taking clients who are due after August 2024. If you are a repeat of hers, please send us an email and we will be happy to find you another midwife to care for you.
Marcella Boyle, RM (she/her/hers)
Born and raised in Edmonton, my education began with a Bachelor’s degree in History where I happened to take an elective course on the history of medicine that covered (among other things) past and present midwifery. From there, my interest in the informed choice and education aspect of midwifery continued to grow.
In my pre-midwifery life, I found that conversations and assumptions around pregnancy and childbirth often incited more anxiety than joy and understanding – and I was drawn to a career that allowed me to work closely with clients in order to understand each person's unique decisions and feelings about their pregnancies and labours. In 2018 I was accepted to the midwifery program at Laurentian University and finished my degree through Toronto Metropolitan University. In my final year I was honoured to work in southwestern Ontario at a practice that strengthened my confidence with home and water births.
I was thrilled to be able to come back to Edmonton to begin my career in 2022. I am a big lover of the River Valley and its trail systems and also enjoy occupying my brain by starting different foraging, cooking and crafting projects (whether they are ever completed is a different story!)
Marcella has privileges at the Lucina Birth Centre, Rinita Birth Centre, Misericordia Community Hospital, and Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Melanna Mamo, RM (she/her/hers)
It first occurred to me to become a midwife when I was about 11. Being home-schooled and fairly self-directed, I found old birth videos, stories and eventually made it to a real birth at 12 years old! I truly felt attuned, at peace and loved nothing more than being present for that profound yet simple experience.
Fast forward many years and I finally made into a Canadian midwifery program, I graduated from MRU in 2015 and worked in Vancouver on a team of 3 midwives for my first year. It wasn’t quite the fit for me so I returned to Edmonton to work with Noreen Walker, a previous preceptor of mine who really embodied the joy, humour and trust in birth that I wanted to emulate. After she passed in 2017, I remained with Passages until 2021 working primarily as a solo midwife with a small client load. I gained trust and confidence in myself and the women and babes in my care. I value this trust in women above all other contributors to birth outcomes. My goal is to watch and keep a safe space for each family to discern their best options. I want nothing more than for each woman feel proud of herself and supported through her birth experience.
I am so happy to be with Aspen Community Midwives – a small and collaborative practice with outstanding midwives and clients. Thank you for reading this far and I look forward to meeting you.
Melanna is currently on a leave of absence from community work. You may see her at the hospital in her role as an In-House Registered Midwife! If you are a repeat of hers, please send us an email and we will be happy to find you another midwife to care for you.
Samantha Stupak, RM (she/her/hers)
I was in high school when I first learned about midwifery – at the time my cousin was planning a home birth in our home town of Winnipeg. I immediately became intrigued (and obsessed) with birth. I couldn’t explain it but I just knew in my heart there was nothing else I could do with my life. My idea of midwifery was so grand and perfect that I never thought it could live up to all that it was in my head and heart. As I entered my first midwifery placements, caught my first babies, and eventually started caring for my own clients, the realization set in that birth and caring for families was even better than I ever imagined it could be. I love being a midwife. Every part of this job is so important to me – helping families make decisions, watching the birth process unfold in its natural power, supporting breastfeeding relationships, watching babies grow. My philosophy as a midwife is grounded in informed choice and helping families make decisions that feel as right to them as being a midwife felt to me. I am especially passionate about caring for young families, attachment, and adoption. I believe that families have the ability to be empowered and responsible for their pregnancies, births, and parenting and I am thrilled that I get to spend every day witnessing this all unfold for each family.
Prior to being a midwife, I was a social worker in the inner city of Edmonton and have continued to be involved with activist work in my community. I love camping, hiking & canoeing with my family, cooking veggie food, reading memoirs, caring for my family’s urban honey bees, and taking my dogs for long walks.
Samantha has privileges at the Lucina Birth Centre, Rinita Birth Centre, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital.