Vanessa Taylor

Registered Midwife

I am delighted to be joining Midwifery Services of Haliburton Bancroft in January 2020! I feel so privileged to become a part of the team providing care to the families of this community.

As a youngster I read every story and book about birth and midwives that I could find. A neighbour growing up had a home birth with midwives and I remember realizing that midwifery wasn't just in my books, it was something I could grow up to be! I graduated in 2010 from the University of Toronto with an honours bachelor of arts in Women and Gender Studies and English, which provided the foundation for my studies of women in healthcare. It was there I received encouragement to pursue midwifery school after graduation from a much loved professor.

During summers I had been working as a wilderness canoe guide, and I took a bit of a break from studying to work in guiding and outdoor education for a few years, before going back to Laurentian University for the Midwifery Education Program. I did midwifery placements in a few rural communities in Ontario, as well as in Barrie and Peterborough. Those experiences gave me a solid grounding in supporting families through pregnancy, labour and birth, and the early postpartum period. I did my final year of midwifery education in Peterborough, and have been working as a midwife there since I graduated in 2018.

I am passionate about respectful and compassionate healthcare, and have had the privilege to witness how empowering pregnancy and birth can be. I strive to provide supportive and informed care, and to encourage families navigate the healthcare system with the confidence that they can make the best choices for themselves and their little ones! I am grateful to be a part of your experience of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.

My partner and I are looking forward to returning to life in a rural community after quite a few years of urban living. When not midwifing you can find me out on the trails with our dog Shelby, on the lake in a canoe, puttering around my garden growing strange tomato varieties or in the hammock with a good book!