09/14/2026
Today marks the end of an era for Friends of Muskoka Midwives and I put this shirt on for the last time. In celebrating the 21st year of Midwives of Muskoka with the annual Picnic, we announced the retirement of our little group of advocates, who educated and supported local families about this incomparable model of maternal care, since 2007. These caring, knowledgeable hands have caught thousands of beautiful babies, including our own, and a way to stay connected with the Clinic was to keep spreading the word.
Christy Giacomini and I joke we are FoMM Lifers, but also acknowledge that new membership is hard to secure, that we are living in a world where we can't keep up with digital platform communities, and technically our own babes are high schoollers and we live at the ice rink and soccer field now, instead of in breastfeeding circles sharing with other Mamas sharing the details of our births.
One thing is for sure: we will never forget the OG Muskoka Midwives Dianne Joyce Smith Barbara Borland Melissa Bevan Sarah Jean Smith, later joined by former FoMMers Dawn Dawson and Jocelyn Latter, plus many new midwives. Big shout-out to founding FoMM members Jo-Anne McCarthy Kailey Richter and Amanda Greavette and all other members we have had the joy of working alongside through the many ages and stages of FoMM.
It has been an absolute pleasure bringing midwifery films, Fill Your Cup events, plays, birth circles, Mom's Night Out, guest speakers, and parenting experts to the area to further support local families.
FoMM was often contacted by people thinking we were the midwives ourselves, and we couldn't imagine a higher honour 💗
Until next time, with so much love and adoration,
m.
