Krysta Sears RM MScM BScN

I am originally from a small town outside of Nelson, BC, where I was lucky enough to be born and raised on a little Christmas tree farm in the Kootenay mountains. I graduated as a Registered Nurse in 2008, and found myself working right out of graduation on the amazing maternity unit in the Nelson hospital - it was there that I was first exposed to midwifery care. The quiet, caring way the midwives moved with families through their birth and early postpartum stuck with me, and through years of maternity nursing in urban and rural hospitals, paediatric and maternity care through MSF/Doctors Without Borders, and travels near and far I kept the spark of interest in midwifery care. In 2012 I took the leap and began the Masters program in Midwifery through Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington.

Since graduation I have had the privilege of walking along side families in Calgary, High River and the surrounding communities as they grow and welcome new little ones.

I have also experienced the profound impact of midwifery care myself, as both my son and daughter were born with the help of wonderful midwives.

It is my privilege to offer care to the families in Southern Alberta - I can’t wait to see your family grow!

Deepali Upadhyaya RM PhD

Having a child can be one of life's greatest milestones. People come into parenthood from unique backgrounds and there is not just one way to give birth. I became a midwife to increase choices for individuals and families.

I have a Ph.D. in Medical Education from the University of Calgary (2021), a Masters's Degree in Nurse-Midwifery from Oregon Health Sciences University (Portland, OR 2001), and a Bachelor in Nursing Degree from Metropolitan State University (St. Paul, MN 1999).

I have been fortunate to practice midwifery and nursing in many places around the world including Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, Ireland, Scotland, and the US states of Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota. In 2003-2004 I volunteered in Afghanistan as a midwife with MSF (Médecins sans Frontières = Doctors without Borders) and have continued my passion for global perinatal and newborn health by teaching midwifery in Ethiopia (2017, 2018) and Ghana (2018).

All my experiences have taught me that as much as we are different, we are the same. It is an honour to be invited to provide your care.

Cassie Evans RM MN BScN

I first became interested in midwifery during the mid-90s because of the positive experiences of a family friend. I was fascinated and started researching midwives. I came to believe that midwifery is the best way to provide care to pregnant women. About a year later I entered the Bachelor of Nursing program at the University of Alberta and graduated in 1998. I worked as an obstetrical nurse for nine years in Alberta and Arizona. While in Arizona, I witnessed midwives in a hospital environment for the first time. Their approach was woman-centred, non-interventive, gentle and safe. I completed my Master’s degree in Nurse-Midwifery in 2005. Since then I have been blessed to have had two children of my own, and have been practicing midwifery in Calgary since 2008.

Reanne Ravlo, RM

I have been interested in health care since an early age and originally wanted to be a family doctor.  I loved the idea of caring for people in a community setting and following them through all of life’s transitions, particularly when they were growing their families and having their babies.  It wasn’t until I was vacationing in the UK as a teen that I was exposed to midwifery and realized there was a profession out there that allowed me the continuity similar to a GP’s but that focused solely on the expectant family.

Although my first degree was a BSC in Psychology from Acadia University, it was always my desire to pursue midwifery.  I volunteered at various women’s organizations, women’s health clinics and took Doula courses all to further my interest in women’s health.  After working briefly in the social services field, I applied and was accepted to the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University in Ontario and in 2008 I graduated with a BHSc in Midwifery. 

Following graduation, I  moved to Calgary and began my midwifery career with a practice that served both urban and rural populations.  From 2008- 2014, I had the honour of helping hundreds of families grow and welcome new babies into the world.  After the birth of my second baby, my family and I took an opportunity to move overseas.  During that time, I was a stay at home mom raising 3 boys.  Luckily, I was still able to be part of a birthing community while I was away, teaching prenatal classes to English speaking expat families.

In the spring of 2019, my family and I returned to Canada so that I could begin practice as a midwife again.  I believe that pregnancy and birth are deeply transformative and spiritual life occurrences. I feel so grateful that families and babies choose me to be part of their life story.