About Inlet

Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.
~Barbara Katz Rothman

I am very excited to be a part of the wonderful community of caregivers and families at Inlet Birth. As a long-time resident of the Tri-Cities, I am thrilled to be supporting families in my home community. I am a mother who has been profoundly shaped by my own journeys through birth and parenthood. Though my three births unfolded under vastly different circumstances, the spirit that connects them is one of support, informed decision making and empowerment. These three principles are what I hope to bring to the birthing women of this community. We can’t know how birth will unfold, but it is my greatest wish that women emerge feeling respected and honoured for the work that they have done.

I hold a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery from UBC. Prior to becoming a midwife, I worked as a doula and childbirth educator, and I loved my role as a teacher. I always felt inspired and motivated by the energy in the classes I taught, but what pleased me most was the relationship I was able to build with clients. This is without a doubt my favourite part of midwifery – getting to know you and your families. The babies are a sweet added bonus!

Prior to midwifery, I also received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UBC. I am a passionate reader and a passionate – though often misguided – gardener. I look forward to walking this journey with you, as you welcome your little ones into your lives.

Birth – as experienced by the mother – is the Mount Everest of physical functions in any mammal. Unless we have seen it before, we can barely imagine that something so relatively huge can come out of a place that usually looks so small. And yet, it happens every day.
~Ina May Gaskin

My name is Tshengi Ndlovu, and I am a mother of three. Prior to moving to Canada, I lived in London, England where I trained and worked briefly as a Registered General Nurse. I decided during my nurse training that I wanted to be a midwife. I gained a Midwifery Degree in 1997 (BSc Honours) from Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, England.

As a midwife in London, I had various roles and gained experience in all areas of midwifery care. I practised as a midwife for 12 years before moving to Canada in 2010. I completed the Multi-jurisdictional Midwifery Bridging Programme (MMBP) in March 2013. I began working with the team at Inlet Birth (when it was Beautiful Babies Midwifery) in November 2013, and I have been enjoying working with the families in our area.

I have been a Perinatal Registered Nurse at Royal Columbian Hospital since 2013 working in both Maternity and Labour and Delivery and became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2016 working in both the hospital and community settings with mother baby dyads. I am very passionate about my work and it is such an honour to be able to help provide support to families during such a special time in their lives.

I am very excited to be able to work alongside an amazing group of individuals at Inlet Community Birth Program. Successful breastfeeding takes time, patience and support. As an interdisciplinary team we will work together to help make everyone’s breastfeeding goals successful.

Outside of working as a Nurse and Lactation Consultant I spend much of my time with my nephew, as well as enjoying the outdoors hiking and camping, and in the winter months curled up on the couch reading a good book or crocheting.

You are a midwife, assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening. If you must take the lead, lead so that the mother is helped, yet still free and in charge. When the baby is born, the mother will rightly say: “We did it ourselves!”
~Tao Te Ching

I am thrilled to be one of the founders of Inlet Community Birth Program. My midwifery career is my second one—I was originally educated at Ryerson University in the field of journalism, and spent two decades working in publishing as a writer and editor.

In 2003, I changed course and began my midwifery education with the Midwives College of Utah. My clinical training sites included a birth centre in El Paso, Texas; a midwifery practice in New Westminster, BC; a remote health centre in Fort Smith, NT; and a hospital-based midwifery practice in Thunder Bay, ON. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery in 2010, and completed the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program (a Canadian bridging program that orients internationally trained midwives to Canadian practise) in 2012. It’s been a long haul, but rather like a long labour, the results have been worth the effort. I love my work.

I was born and raised in British Columbia, and have lived in the Tri-Cities area for most of my life. I am also a mother to five children, and I am blessed with a partner who supports my career in innumerable ways. When I am not at work, I am parenting, practising yoga, cycling, reading, knitting, and travelling.

Eighteen years ago, I was asked to join a team providing support and education to a wonderful group of teen mothers, I hesitantly accepted the opportunity because I wasn’t sure I wanted to work with babies. Little did I know that decision would spur my passion for maternal-child health and wellness. When I began my own family, I quickly learned that my birth stories were unique, and I developed an insatiable need to know everything I could about natural, family centered birth. I started my own business as a labour support doula providing support to about 150 families over an eight-year period with a goal to help more families have the types of births they desired.

When my youngest started kindergarten in 2010, I made the decision to go back to school for nursing, knowing that I had found my home in the birthing units with families. When I think about this, it was an inevitable path as I am now the third generation of perinatal nurses, following my grandmothers and mother to this work.

I am excited to join the collaborative team at Inlet Birth to continue to provide support and education to families. I believe that birth begins long before labour starts and love that I have an opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with so many families helping them to have the birth experience they deserve.

Outside of my RN role, I manage the life of a blended family with four active kids, enjoy camping and being outdoors, creating DIY things for our home, and exploring the benefits of essential oils and natural health products.

My interest in midwifery began when I sought midwifery care for my first pregnancy.  After personally experiencing and witnessing midwifery care, from the initial consultation to the final 6-week visit, I was convinced.

I completed my midwifery training at University of British Columbia where I had the opportunity to work with and learn from midwives, physicians and other health care providers in various communities.   Prior to midwifery, I received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Simon Fraser University with a certificate in Health and Fitness.

Outside of being a midwife, I spend most of my time finding ways to keep my two energetic boys busy.  Occasionally, you might find me on a rock climbing wall trying to conquer a new route.

I am delighted to be joining the wonderful caregivers here at Inlet Birth.  To the families receiving midwifery care:  I am so grateful to be part of your pregnancy and birth experience, thank you for sharing your journey with me.

I am a Registered Nurse with 18 years of perinatal experience at Royal Columbian Hospital, working both in Maternity and Labour and Delivery. I obtained my IBCLC in 2015 and did some casual Lactation Consultant work on the Maternity ward until I started a permanant part-time position in 2017. I love working with families, and helping mothers and babies get off to a successful start.

With the move to increasingly early discharge from hospital, I am so excited to be part of the Inlet Community Birth Program which provides an opportunity for closer follow-up with families that may be struggling as they transition home. I feel privileged to work with such great professionals both in the hospital and now in the Community. My role is to support and provide education, guidance and encouragement through the early days and to help families reach their goals.

I am a mother of 2 adult daughters and, in my spare time, I love to travel, paint and spend time in nature.

I have been a Registered Nurse for 11 years in the specialty area of Perinatal nursing at Royal Columbian Hospital. I am very passionate about my work and feel honoured to be a part of the unique birth story of each family I care for. I learned, 24 years ago, when my own daughter was born, that few “stories” are more significant and more recounted in life, than the one depicting the way each child became part of the family.

I am excited to be working with the Inlet Community Birth Program as part of the collaborative, interdisciplinary team. I feel that families need our support before, during and after the experience of giving birth. Educating soon to be parents and listening to what their hopes are for their birth experience is vital, and the idea of being able to follow up with our families in the postpartum period is reassuring for them, given the fact that hospital stays are shorter these days.

I was born in Vancouver, raised in Burnaby, and currently live in New Westminster with my husband.

As a full-service family physician in Coquitlam, BC, I am dedicated to providing patient-centered care to all-comers, from children to seniors. I particularly delight in the opportunity to help welcome babies into the world.

After finishing my family practice residency in 2010, I began catching babies at Royal Columbian Hospital where I have benefited from learning from many excellent colleagues; from obstetricians, fellow family doctors, nurses and midwives alike. Giving birth to my daughters in 2013 and 2015 solidified my passion for accompanying women and their partners on their journey into parenthood. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Inlet Community Birth Program where I can further my experience in providing interdisciplinary care.

In all cultures, the midwife’s place is on the threshold of life, where intense human emotions – fear, hope, longing, triumph, and incredible physical power – enable a new human being to emerge.

~Sheila Kitzinger

My path to midwifery evolved through experiences in my own life.  I have degrees in both Psychology and Physical Therapy.  Since 2003 I have been an orthopaedic physiotherapist in private practice with a special interest in the pelvis and pelvic floor rehabilitation.  After having my own children, my practice evolved into treating many pre and postnatal women and their pregnancy and postpartum related physical concerns. 

I have a wonderful family including my husband and 3 children.  My own birth

experiences were faced with many challenges, through which I came to recognize the needs of women for support and advocacy through this transitional time of their lives.  I realized that I wanted to not only be involved in the physical rehabilitative process, but that I wanted to be involved in all aspects of maternity care.

I graduated from the UBC midwifery program in 2014.  I have since worked in a busy group practice in New Westminster. I have come to realize that it is important to me to slow down and really get to know the families that I am privileged to work with as I have in my physiotherapy practice. I am thrilled to be a part of Beautiful Babies Midwifery, caring for women and their families as a solo practitioner in my home community.  I envision my role as a midwife as one of empowerment through knowledge, education, support and advocacy. It is my goal to provide care that supports parents in creating the pregnancy, birth and new parenting experiences that feel right for their families. 

I feel honored to have shared in the experiences of the women and their families that I have already had the privilege of being involved with, and look forward to sharing many more special times new families that I will encounter.

Experience of the phenomenal capacity of our birthing body can give us an enduring sense of our own power as women. Birth is the beginning of life; the beginning of mothering, and of fathering. We all deserve a good beginning.
~Sarah J. Buckley

I was drawn to midwifery from a very different professional path, through my own experience of the transformative power of giving birth.  Having experienced its magical power first-hand as a birthing mother, I knew that birth was a place I wanted to return to as a midwife, with a wish to provide the same quiet, confident care my own midwives provided to me.  I treasure the relationships I develop with growing families prenatally, and consider it a great privilege to witness the “birth” of a new family — whether they are welcoming baby #1 or #12!  Gaining the trust and confidence of families is a deeply rewarding part of my work.  My reverence for supporting the autonomy of birthing women is great, and I take my role as a facilitator of women’s informed decision-making very seriously.

I am a graduate of the UBC Midwifery education program.  My training took place chiefly in the tri-cities and at RCH, with a rural year spent in Vernon BC.  Being a part of Inlet Community Birth Program is a sort of coming full circle for me, since some of the the midwives here served as my very first mentors when I began midwifery school!  I was born and raised in Port Moody and my family and I call the area home today.

I look forward to meeting the families at Inlet Birth and being a part of your journey into this amazing chapter of your lives!