MEET THE BFF TEAM

SADIE HODSWOOD

  • Sadie Hodswood is a mother of two, a full spectrum doula and an artist who lives and works within the ancestral and unceded traditional territory of the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples.

    She is a co-founder and Managing Director of the Birthing Families Foundation (BFF) which is a project she envisioned when she first became a doula, 9 years ago. At that time Sadie recognized that the birth world had many inequities and she felt compelled to make doula support available to all families, not just the privileged few.

    Always keen to grow, in 2017 she traveled to Brooklyn NY, for 4 months, to take part in another doula training with Ancient Song Doula services, offered by leaders in reproductive and birth justice. This training was transformative and helped to anchor her dedication to advocate for families back at home.

    Sadie is passionate about systems change and reproductive justice and she is driven to learn new ways to show up in this world. When not working with BFF, and of course parenting 24/7, you will find her getting creative in her studio or playing in nature.

PAMELA SHAKESPEARE

  • Pamela Shakespeare is a mother of two amazing children, a doula, bookkeeper and gardener living in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. She felt the call to birth work after experiencing two very different birth experiences with her children which led her to co-found the Birthing Families Foundation where she has served as the Administrative Director for the past 5 years. She oversees all administrative functions and plays a key role in ensuring the smooth operation of the organization.

    With a passion for supporting birthing families and promoting maternal and infant health she is committed to advancing the goals of BFF to provide support, resources and education to families during the perinatal period. She works with the board of directors, staff, volunteers and community partners to develop and implement programs that meet the needs of expectant and new parents. By focusing on grant writing and relationship building, Pamela has been able to help secure funds for BFF’s ongoing sustainability and put those funds to good use serving families with quality doula care that all families deserve.

    Prior to joining the Birthing Families Foundation Pamela completed a BA degree in Global Studies from the Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo which inspired her to pursue systems level changes that have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of society and the planet.

    When she is not working for the Birthing Families Foundation or bookkeeping for other companies, Pamela can be found in her garden, spending time with her children, playing in nature or surfing.

ALLISON RUNNALLS

  • Allison has been on the board of the Birthing Families Foundation since March of 2021 in multiple board roles while holding the cross role as the Doula Program Director.

    A birth doula since 1996, she has worked with thousands of birthing families in her private practice as well as with community based programs such as S.M.I.L.E., CBP, and YPP throughout her career. Allison continues to be passionate about supporting vulnerable families throughout their birthing journey. She also mentors other doulas across the island and in the Lower Mainland.

    Allison is a mother of four and enjoys spending time with her grand-doggies, dying her hair multiple colours and wearing mismatched socks.

PAULA COLE

  • Paula works hard at connecting Families who are struggling with barriers in the community, with doula support. Her
    words are below…


    “I am a doula with a passion for supporting and sharing knowledge with families so they feel informed about their choices through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. I also provide breast/chest feeding support In the postpartum period. I am a mother of 5 wonderful children who have all added exceptional amounts of knowledge to my work. It excites me to pass on the old knowledge of birth that has somehow been lost in our modern times. I believe that all parents deserve to be supported through such a transformational time in their lives. I aim to walk beside them on that journey Knowledge is power. “

MINDAN GUNTHER-MOORE

  • Mindan is an experienced labour and birth doula with a passion for helping people have the birth experience they want. Her hope is for all birthing people to feel empowered, supported, and informed as they start or continue their family journey. She is kind and knowledgeable, and will be there with you in whatever way feels good for you... after all, it's your birth and your family!

    Mindan was inspired to become a certified doula after attending many friends' births and having two wonderful home births of her own. She worked in Vancouver before relocating 3 years ago to Nanaimo and investing her care in island families.

SAUVAN MARGAUX

  • Sauvanne (or Sauv) is a full-spectrum doula and the Victoria Referral Coordinator at Birthing Families Foundation.

    She is passionate about accompanying all reproductive journeys, and believes that above all people deserve to be held, seen, and uplifted, as they move through these beautiful and new experiences.

    Sauv loves all things reproductive support and justice, but is especially drawn to supporting folks in postpartum, abortion, and loss, and creating safe containers where her clients can feel the full breadth of their experience. A member of the francophone community, Sauvanne loves to support French-speaking families as well. In her spare time you can find Sauvanne cooking up something good, running, and discovering new bike trails around town. She looks forward to connecting with you!

TANIS BONAR

  • Paula works hard at connecting Families who are struggling with barriers in the community, with doula support. Her
    words are below…


    “I am a doula with a passion for supporting and sharing knowledge with families so they feel informed about their choices through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. I also provide breast/chest feeding support In the postpartum period. I am a mother of 5 wonderful children who have all added exceptional amounts of knowledge to my work. It excites me to pass on the old knowledge of birth that has somehow been lost in our modern times. I believe that all parents deserve to be supported through such a transformational time in their lives. I aim to walk beside them on that journey Knowledge is power. “

MADISON GREGGAINS

  • Madison is a full-spectrum doula living on Salt Spring Island. She earned her Holistic Doula Certificate from Pacific Rim College in 2014, an experience that ignited her passion for birthwork and reproductive rights. Since returning to the island in 2015, Madison has been an active member of the Salt Spring Doula Collective, driven by her commitment to enhancing access to vital postpartum care in this rural community that can be isolating. Guided by her values of community, contribution and access to well-being, she finds birth work and advocacy with the Birthing Families Foundation to be a natural and fulfilling path. In her personal time, Madison enjoys traveling, skiing, practicing yoga and Pilates, and walking her dog, Theo.

CINDY JASWAL

  • My passion for pregnancy & birth developed during the pregnancy and birth of my first child, born with midwives. I attended Seattle Midwifery School  / Bastyr University and had the honour of hundreds of births in homebirths, birth centres, and hospital settings in a number of high-volume clinics, in Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria, providing prenatal, postpartum, and well-woman care. It is my philosophy that if a mother feels supported and informed then she can take ownership of her health care at this very important and profound transition in her life. It is my privilege to bear witness. Midwifery and reproductive healthcare is the wonderful convergence of art and science. 

ALANA LUDINGTON

  • Alana Ludington is a full spectrum doula and social worker living on the traditional territories of the Sinixt, the Syilx, and the Ktunaxa peoples. She finds big passion in supporting folks going through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, termination and loss. Reproductive justice, accessible service and inclusivity are the core values of her doula practice.

    These root values led her to Birthing Families Foundation where she hopes to collaborate with this beautiful team, support BFF’s mission and deepen her learning about reproductive justice.

JANICE LIM HING

  • Janice is a Full Spectrum Birth worker. Janice was born in the Philippines, grew up on Turtle Island in a settler village known as Richmond, BC, and their ancestry is Chinese. They currently live and work on the traditional and stolen shared land and territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples, including xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen).

    “In my work I am influenced by the belief that how you give birth and how you are born can have a lifelong impact. I value the traditional and ancestral knowledge and ways of birthing that continue to be practiced around the world and aim to provide culturally affirming support to enable pregnant people and their partners to feel confident, grounded and connected in their choices and capable in their abilities to birth and parent. I am committed to helping birthing families access informative, non-judgmental, inclusive, anti-oppressive & compassionate care that speak to their values.

    When I am not spending time with my lovely clients and their sweet little ones, I am with my animals in my garden or out exploring our beautiful province. I also love to sit in community and laugh with my family.”

MELISSA FORSYTH

  • Melissa is a Doula and Sociologist and a mother of four amazing kids ages 28 down to 12. She currently lives in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island and has a dog named Lily and three cats,

    “I love going out in nature walking my dog and exploring this wonderful place. I have lived here since 2017 when I began my PhD studies at UVIC.

    Currently, I am completing my dissertation. I have about 30 years of experience in birth activism via sociological research, Le Leche League, Doula work, and midwifery training.

    As well, I teach university courses in sociology and gender, including reproductive rights/justice at UVIC and Kwantlen University.

    My research area has been broad as I also studied Midwifery from 2014-2016 at The University of British Columbia where I focused on social determinants of health, reproductive rights, Indigenous Midwifery, decolonizing birth, culturally sensitive care, trauma informed care, and marginalized populations. Now my research has evolved from the sociology of health to more critical, feminist theory, and has expanded to explore social movements surrounding climate change, birth, and reproduction. I explore social reproduction and the care economy, calling for the societal valuation of unpaid/underpaid reproductive labor.”

CLOVER HALPERIN

  • Clover is a certified birth and postpartum doula, aspiring midwife, and passionate advocate for reproductive justice. After several years in the film and communications industry, she followed a deep calling into birth work. Clover currently works at a midwifery clinic and is pursuing further studies in reproductive health and social sciences. In 2024, she deepened her learning with Indigenous midwives in Ecuador, an experience that continues to shape her commitment to culturally informed, compassionate care for birthing people and families.