CAPPA Canada Labour Doula Trainer

Sonya is very excited to be a part of this organization and getting to know each and every one of you. She is a mother of two daughters, 8 and 10 years of age who were born at home with midwives. Currently, she home educates them both and has been working as a midwife in Regina Saskatchewan since 2002. She is also the Director of a non profit organization which she initiated with a sister organization called The Friends of the Midwives. It was created to provide information, support and education on family centered maternity care options promoting midwives and doulas called the Family Room. On top of that, she is also working on her Masters of Science in Midwifery through the Utah College of Midwives and sits on the Board of Advisors for the Canadian Doula Association.

Carolyn Thompson, RN, CCCE, CLD, CRT, CN, CLD, CPD (currently on leave)

CAPPA Canada Childbirth Educator Trainer, Labour doula Trainer and Postpartum Doula Trainer

Carolyn has worked in the nursing field for over 25 years and has been involved with training development and teaching for over 10 years. Carolyn serves as the Past CAPPA Canada Executive Director and has served as Past Vice- President of Doula CARE Inc., a Doula organization for Central and Eastern Canada. She is the founder and coordinator of the Military Family Centre Doula Program and actively volunteers in her community. Carolyn is certified in Perinatal Nursing and Nutrition. She teaches childbirth education, breastfeeding, early child development, newborn care and First Aid/CPR. She speaks French and is continuing her French language training. Carolyn also teaches Prenatal Classes through her local Public Health Unit. She provides nursing care, massage/reflexology, nutrition counseling and Doula Services. She, with her husband David, happily parents their two children, Caleb and Sarah.

CAPPA Canada Postpartum Doula Trainer

Nadine is a certified birth doula, postpartum doula and childbirth educator that has been working with birthing families since 1997. Her previous life as the co-coordinator of a fertility clinic showed her compassion for working with women, which just naturally turned to support during the birthing process and immediate postpartum time. She also taught prenatal classes for Sheridan College, and has combined all of these loves by training doulas. She sat on the Board of Directors for Doula C.A.R.E. Inc. from 1998-2006. Her own company is TLC by Nadine, and as she says, "that's what I do”. She is married, mother of three grown children, and the proud grandmother of four delightful grandchildren.

Attie Sandink, RN, IBLC, CLD

CAPPA Canada Lactation Educator

Attie has been a Registered Nurse for 35 years. She has worked in many areas of the hospital and community and as a Labour and Delivery Nurse, volunteer labour coach for unwed moms and involved in Prenatal Education for the past 30 years, initially teaching clients in the London area, with many First Nations Families. After becoming an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 1991 she was instrumental in setting up a Breastfeeding Clinic in her area 10 years ago and teaching many courses and workshops pertaining to Breastfeeding. She began in 1992 by teaching the 18 Hour WHO/UNICEF Lactation Management Course both privately, through several area hospitals, INFACT Canada and acted as a Facilitator for several training sessions with the Quintessence Foundation and has presented workshops for both the LLL Canada and The National Breastfeeding Conference in Toronto.

Her volunteer involvements include being a past Board and organizational member of a Christian counselling and Advanced Workshops agency in Hamilton Ontario. However it is her own private practice as a Prenatal Instructor and Breastfeeding Consultant through Breastfeeding and Prenatal Support Services that keeps her grounded in the reality of working with the people that really count; the new families. The individuals that really keep her on track though are the men in her life. They are her husband and her 4 sons, who, as they are going to college and university, feel that they know more than her and they probably do.

Merle Ling, RN, CCCE, CLD

CAPPA Canada Childbirth Educator Trainer

Merle is a certified Childbirth Educator from CAPPA Canada and a certified Labour Doula for both CAPPA Canada and DONA International. She is a member of Doula Care and volunteers for non-profit organizations in Burlington Ontario. Merle was born in Trinidad, W.I. where she started her career as a nurse. Merle has worked in obstetrical nursing for over 25 years as a labour and delivery, postpartum and neonatal nurse; the experience gained by working with new parents and their families and as a mentor to student nurses and new staff has been helpful in a successful career as a childbirth educator. She has earned the respect of her co-workers and medical practitioners. Merle is the owner and founder of a very successful independent business called Childbirth Basics & Beyond, that provides prenatal education, labour Doula services and breastfeeding support. Merle lives in Burlington Ontario with her very supportive husband; she is the proud mother of three adults and has three beautiful grand daughters.

Kimberley Fernandez, CLD, CBE

CAPPA Canada Labour Doula Trainer

Kimberley is a Certified Labour Doula, Certified Childbirth Educator and a Hypnobirthing Practitioner. She is also currently teaching prenatal classes and infant care classes at York Central Hospital. She has three children of her own and has many years of experience working with families and birthing mothers and she has attended over 85 births. She currently owns and works with her friend and doula sister Stephanie Alouche at the Toronto Doula Group and its satelite groups in Durham and York Region.

CAPPA Canada Labour Doula Trainer

Noreen began work in the childbirth field in 1997. Noreen is a certified labour doula (CLD), certified childbirth educator (CCCE) and approved labour doula trainer through CAPPA. She is also Manitoba's first certified Birthing From Within® Mentor and program advisor, as well as the province's first Happiest Baby on the Block® certified educator (CHBE). She is also a certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI) and a vinyasa yoga teacher. Noreen has served on many various boards and committees, including South East Manitoba's Maternal/Child Team, The College of Midwives of Manitoba (CMM) Education Committee and is a past-chairperson of the Manitoba Association for Childbirth and Family Education (MACFE) as well as past-chair of their Education Committee. Noreen is wife to her high-school sweetheart, Greg, and mother to five beautiful children.