Shianna Pace

Founder & Registered Midwife

Shianna Pace has a deep-rooted connection to the Cochrane community, having grown up there and now serving its residents as a midwife for 17 years. As a wife and mother of four, she brings a wealth of personal and professional experience to her practice. Shianna felt a divine calling to midwifery, which fuels her passion for empowering women to advocate for their own health care needs. Her faith-driven approach, combined with her dedication to her community, makes her a cherished and trusted figure in Cochrane.​

In addition to her hands-on work as a midwife, Shianna is the proud owner of the Cochrane Community Midwives and Shifra Centre for Wellness. Through these establishments, she provides comprehensive care and support to women and their families, ensuring they have access to the best possible resources and services.

Shianna’s commitment to her calling, extends beyond her professional life. She is a devoted wife and mother of four, which gives her a unique perspective on the challenges and joys of motherhood. This personal experience enriches her professional practice, allowing her to connect with her clients on a deeper level. Whether she is guiding a new mother through her first pregnancy or supporting a family through the birthing process, Shianna’s compassionate and knowledgeable approach, ensures that every woman she works with feels empowered and supported.

Chelsea McLeod Schneider

Registered Midwife

I thought I wanted to be a midwife because I loved babies so much, which I do. Along the way, I discovered that I love empowering women even more! My path to this vocation was a bit of a long and winding one. I started my midwifery education in Ontario in 2003 at Laurentian University and completed 2 years of the program.

I married my incredible husband, Dean in 2004 and our family began to grow. I was able to be home with my children for 7 years on an extended maternity leave. In those years, I stayed connected to the birthing world by attending friends births, teaching prenatal education and running a baby sling business. We spent time living in Ontario, along with a few years in Saskatchewan, before returning

home in Alberta in 2008.

In 2012, the Midwifery program opened at Mount Royal University and I was able to return to my formal Midwifery education. I was so blessed to be placed in Cochrane for my practicum in my final year. I graduated from MRU in 2016 and

Shifra has been my home ever since.

I have a heart for supporting couples with natural fertility awareness and helping them achieve their goals and vision for their family. I’m currently working on an advanced competency in hormone studies and reproductive restorative principles, to support women’s health at every stage of life.

When I’m not catching babies, I have the honour of being a Mumma to 8 of my own beautiful growing children/teens/young adults! I feel in so many ways, that my experiences of pregnancy, birth and mothering, have been a real compliment to my formal training. I am blessed and honoured to journey with so many incredible people and to work in such a supportive team dynamic at Shifra! I feel so grateful that I get to do my passion work and have my passion family!

Cher Majaesic

Registered Midwife

Cher’s passion for health care started at a young age. Her grandfather was an obstetrician for 35 years and her father followed in those same footsteps by becoming a physician. Growing up in a medical family, she often thought she would follow suit because she loved listening to their medical stories. Being so relational, Cher knew she wanted a career where she could support, help, and advocate for people.

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Part way through her first university degree, she took time off to volunteer with Youth With A Mission and travel. One of her trips took her to Honduras to work in a hospital as a doula. It was there that she caught her first baby and realized that she didn’t want to just catch babies, she also wanted to support families throughout the labour and postpartum journey. She realized she felt called to be a midwife. Cher is passionate about providing continuity of care to families throughout their childbearing journey.

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Cher received her Bachelor of Midwifery from Mount Royal University in 2018. Following graduation, she worked at Airdrie Briar Hill Midwives for 5 years where she gained extensive rural, hospital, and home birth experience. Cher had a memorable adventure living in and exploring Australia for the past year with her husband. She is excited to be joining the Shifra community to offer care for families in Cochrane, Calgary and the surrounding areas. Cher continues to be amazed at how unique and special each birth is. She feels like it is a privilege and a blessing to be a part of each family’s care and is honoured to be one of the first people to welcome each baby into the world.​

When Cher isn’t working as a midwife, you can find her spending time with the love of her life Karl, her son Levi, and her family and friends. She loves to be outside and enjoys horseback riding, hiking, snowshoeing, gardening, photography and traveling. After a busy week on call Cher can be found with a good book curled up by a fireplace or on the deck soaking up the sun.

Erin Braaten

Registered Midwife

I graduated with a Bachelor of Midwifery from Mount Royal University in 2018. Since then, I have been serving my community at Cochrane Community Midwives (part of the Shifra family), where I hope to build strong relationships, provide evidence-based care, and honor each family’s unique journey.

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My journey into midwifery was inspired by my own experiences during pregnancy, where I was cared for by the same midwives I now have the privilege of working alongside. It’s very rewarding to know our clinic meets a unique and ever-growing need for maternity & postpartum care in Cochrane and surrounding areas. It was during midwifery school, that I discovered my own family history of midwifery. My grandmother served as a lay midwife in a rural farming community generations ago. That affirmed my decision to change careers after having my own babies.

When I am not providing care to families, you can find me enjoying a busy family life, with my husband and two daughters. Whether at the local recreation center or on the lake in the summer, I believe in living a well-rounded and fulfilling life both personally and professionally. I am committed to providing compassionate and personalized care to each and every family I work with. I look forward to supporting you on your own journey to parenthood.

Holly Umana

Registered Midwife

With an early interest in pregnancy and childbirth, Holly attended her first home waterbirth at 18 years of age. This was a life changing experience that ultimately led her to seek out midwifery care for her own pregnancies and become a midwife herself!

Holly obtained a bachelor of science in midwifery in the united states and worked internationally in low resource settings before becoming a registered midwife in Canada. A longtime advocate of midwifery care, Holly knows the transformative impact midwives can have upon individuals and their families.

As a result, she is passionate about increasing access to midwifery care in all settings. She believes client-centered healthcare is a basic human right and carefully discusses evidence-based options with clients, so they can make informed choices that are both clinically sound and empower them to become advocates of their own healthcare.

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Holly’s professional interests include vaginal breech birth, natural fertility awareness, and improving inter-professional relationships. Holly is married to her greatest supporter and mum to more than a bunch of kids. Her favourite moments in life include time with family and friends, slow mornings with a great cup of coffee, trail walking and exploring the world. She is thrilled to join the Shifra team!

“The Greatest joy is to become a mother; the second greatest joy is to be a midwife.” -Norwegian Proverb

Kate Kennedy

Registered Midwife

My name is Kate Kennedy, and I am thrilled to join you on your pregnancy journey. I began my own journey towards becoming a midwife in 2007, when my first daughter was born into the hands of midwives. The entire pregnancy and birth helped me realize that people can be better served in a maternity care system when caregivers listen to clients and present them with the information they need to make decisions that are right for them and their families. This felt revolutionary to me at that time, and it was the first time I had ever considered a career in a medical field. By the time my second daughter was born in our bedroom while her sister slept, I was sure I wanted to be a midwife and help other families experience the warm, competent, relationship focused care that I had received. I knew it would be difficult to go back to school with young babies, so I enjoyed my time as a mother and the owner of my own landscaping business, while I volunteered and sat on the board of local parenting and birth related non-profits.

My passions lie in holistic care. Outside of my midwifery schooling, I have studied parenting and infant communication, natural systems of healing such as herbalism and homeopathy, positioning and rebozo work in pregnancy and birth, as well as the human gut biome. I graduated in the spring of 2020 from Mount Royal University’s Bachelor of Midwifery program. Additionally, I have completed workshops in “Spinning Babies”, rebozo, homeopathy and attachment parenting. I have also taken specialized training in physiologic vaginal breech birth through the University of British Columbia, as well as the “Breech without Borders” training. My philosophy of birth is that it is a beautiful, transformative rite of passage, that only occasionally requires emergency skills. I am there to walk beside you on your journey, and while my job is to explain to you the options and the evidence behind them, your job is to choose what is right for you, your baby and your family.

When I’m not busy catching babies and supporting clients, I enjoy spending time with my children, our many pets, and growing as many vegetables, fruit and flowers that I possibly can in our short season. I look forward to meeting you and being your midwife!

Kersti Ojamaa

Registered Midwife

Coming to midwifery was not a straight path for me. In 2007, I realized I wanted to be involved with women’s and children’s health during a medical mission trip to Nepal. After that experience, I pursued my desire to help families through volunteering, and graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology with honours, from the University of British Columbia with the goal of becoming a doctor. After my older sister had her first baby at home with the support and care of midwives, my goal shifted, and I determined that midwifery would be the perfect combination for me. It was the first time I had seen the level of care and commitment midwives provide, and I was immediately attracted to the profession.

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In 2020, I graduated from McMaster University with a Bachelors in Health Sciences in Midwifery having begun to learn the art and skill of our profession. As a midwife, I love the personalized care I can offer women, providing information and allowing them space to make the best decisions for their family. I also love the relationships that form. I cherish being able to support, care for, and work with mothers, babies and families during this monumental time in their lives. I find it such an honor to be able to be present in such beautiful moments.

When not working, I love being around my friends and family. Many times, that means I am exploring the mountains both locally and internationally, getting into a new project, or sitting in the backyard with a good glass of wine.

Paige Layden

Registered Midwife

When I was having my own babies, I came to midwifery looking for a connection to my care provider and the freedom to make informed choices about my care. Now, as a midwife, connection and informed choices are the reasons why midwifery is the place I have chosen to stay. My journey to midwifery began long before I knew what a midwife was. As a child I was fascinated by birth. I believe I have always wanted to be a midwife, though I did not have the words. I completed a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in biology and psychology at Dalhousie University in 2010 and graduated with both a valuable understanding of how the body works, as well as a profound respect for all of the miraculous things our bodies are capable of.

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During my first pregnancy, I found midwifery and immediately felt a sense of purpose and direction. I graduated from Mount Royal University on the Dean’s List with a Bachelor of Midwifery, by the time I’d had three babies of my own. I believe in our body’s incredible design for this process and trust families to make well-informed choices about their care. Pregnancy, birth and post partum are all incredibly transformative experiences and I aim to provide safe, compassionate and empowering support to women and their families throughout each of these important stages. I am grateful to each and every family that has invited me to be a part of their care and into their birth spaces. There is nothing more humbling than watching you bring your babies into the world.

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I have called Cochrane home since 2010 and feel so grateful to be serving the families of this lovely little community. My husband and I have grown our family here with these midwives and have four ‘’little’’ Laydens that keep us on our toes. Outside of midwifery, you can find me on a boat, at the barn, with a book, or in my vehicle as a personal

chauffeur to my children.​​

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters’’ - Colossians 3:23

Shannon Sutherland

Registered Midwife

I was blessed with knowing from a very early age that I wanted to help bring babies into the world. Although I had the heart of a midwife for some time, I did not move directly into midwifery. I first graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing in 2003 and worked as a labour and delivery nurse at a high risk hospital in Calgary. I then embarked on a traveling adventure and worked in Scotland, where I was not permitted to provide maternity care without being a midwife. This time away from birthing families created a longing to return to maternity care and allowed me space to reflect on my philosophy of birth. While I loved being part of one of the most exciting, rewarding, and intimate moments that an individual and family can experience, I struggled with having no connection afterward. I also knew that I was not able to serve growing families to the best of my ability with no relationship before the birth.

I had a desire to learn more about how to support normal birth and protect nature’s process from unnecessary interventions. With this realization I enrolled in a Master of Midwifery program in Melbourne, Australia. Upon completion in 2009 I returned to my hometown, Calgary, and began practicing midwifery full time. I deeply appreciate that I now have the opportunity to build bonds before the birth which creates the foundation for how I can best support mothers and their families. I value the opportunity to offer informed choice and to help families feel empowered to make their own best decisions. My reward is the joy I experience the moment a mother emerges from her deepest, darkest place and truly realizes her own strength. The beautiful human connections I make fill my vessel and remind me of the gift bestowed upon me; the gift of having discovered with such ease that I am meant to be a midwife. I look forward to being with you, as you welcome your little one into your world.

I recently brought another dream to life. Since childhood I longed to experience pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. In 2021 I welcomed my beautiful son into my own hands at home as a solo mother by choice. My experience created a deeper understanding of the the innate wisdom and intuitive knowing that mothers possess. During my journey to cultivate my family as a solo mother, I sought support to navigate my decision and the strong emotions I was experiencing about becoming a mother in a different way than I once imagined. I found no professionals specifically focusing on this niche topic. I have endeavoured to close that gap for others struggling to make this immense, life changing decision by offering one on one coaching as a transformational life coach. I look forward to connecting and holding space for those navigating the decision to start or grow their family as a solo mother. For more information regarding coaching, or to arrange a complimentary 30min call I may be contacted at shannon@shifracentre.com

Tara Swalm

Registered Midwife

My journey into midwifery was sparked by the birth experiences of my own two boys which instilled in me a profound appreciation for the transformative power of childbirth. This firsthand understanding fuels my dedication to providing compassionate, woman-centered care to every family I have the privilege of serving.

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In my personal life, I am a dedicated wife and mother to two wonderful boys who bring joy and energy to our home. My husband and I enjoy sharing our love for the outdoors with our children, making the most of our time together through activities like fishing, hiking, and exploring the natural beauty around

us. This connection to nature not only enriches our family life but also inspires and rejuvenates me. Allowing me to bring a sense of balance and enthusiasm to both my professional and personal endeavors.

My job as a midwife is more than just a career; it’s a reflection of my passion for nurturing and supporting families. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of our community and look forward to continuing this rewarding journey alongside of you.