At Vernon Midwifery, we are honoured to have had many exceptional midwives contribute their care, compassion, and expertise over the years. Each midwife who has worked with our practice has brought their own unique perspective and dedication to supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
We recognize and celebrate both our current team and the midwives who have been part of our journey in the past. Their contributions have shaped the warm, professional, and inclusive care we offer today.
Below, you’ll find profiles of midwives who are currently practicing at Vernon Midwifery, as well as those who have previously worked with the practice.
We are deeply grateful to each of them for the heart and skill they have shared with the families of Vernon and the North Okanagan.
Current midwives
The midwives currently practicing at Vernon Midwifery offer full-scope maternity care with compassion, expertise, and respect.
Carrie Sizer, RM, BA (Hons), IEMBP
Carrie Sizer is a Registered Midwife and the current lead midwife at Vernon Midwifery. Originally from England, she began her career as a Registered Nurse before discovering her passion for midwifery during her student placements. Inspired by the opportunity to support women and families through one of life’s most meaningful transitions, Carrie pursued specialized training and earned her BA (Hons) in Midwifery from the University of York in 1998.
Carrie moved to Vernon in 2016 to join Sylvia Nicholson at Vernon Midwifery. Carrie was the driving force behind opening the expanded clinic at the Alpine Centre off Kalamalka Lake Rd. Together, Carrie and Sylvia provided care to local families until Sylvia’s retirement. Carrie now runs the practice, continuing the tradition of personalized, respectful, full-scope midwifery care.
In 2019, Carrie founded The Health Nest, a multidisciplinary clinic in Vernon that supports families through all stages of life. Vernon Midwifery has been The Health Nest’s midwifery care provider since the clinic opened, moving to the main Health Nest location on 32nd street in 2019.
Previous midwives
Vernon Midwifery is built on the legacy of the dedicated midwives who have served this community over the years. Each of these practitioners has helped shape the practice, bringing knowledge, care, and heart to the families they supported. We honor their contributions and remain grateful for the role they played in building a trusted and compassionate midwifery presence in the North Okanagan.
Sylvia Nicholson, CNM
Sylvia Nicholson is a retired Certified Nurse-Midwife and the founder of Vernon Midwifery (formerly North Okanagan Midwifery Care).
Sylvia Nicholson is the pioneering midwife who founded Vernon Midwifery, originally known as North Okanagan Midwifery Care. A registered nurse since 1974, Sylvia became interested in midwifery early in her career and pursued formal training in Wales at a time when midwifery was not yet an academic option in Canada. She later completed the Nurse-Midwifery program at the University of Utah, graduating with the Class of 2001.
Before settling in Vernon, Sylvia practiced in remote northern communities, including serving as a nurse-practitioner/midwife on North Baffin Island.
Sylvia’s clinic on 25th Avenue in the East Hill neighbourhood of Vernon was a mainstay in the decades that followed. Her vision brought the first free-standing midwifery clinic to the North Okanagan, offering families compassionate, evidence-based maternity care that centered client choice.
She supported hospital and home births, provided extended prenatal visits, made postpartum home visits for up to eight weeks, and ensured families had 24/7 access to care. Her deep respect for informed choice and continuous support laid the foundation for what Vernon Midwifery is today.
Sylvia’s legacy lives on in the hundreds of families she supported, the midwives she mentored, and the model of care she helped establish in the Okanagan.
“I cannot shower enough praise on Sylvia. I absolutely LOVED her approach. While she may be “no nonsense” she walked me through every single step of what to expect and I cannot imagine being more prepared going into my first labor/birth. When my first ended in a Csection, and they were prepping me for surgery, they wouldn’t let my husband in yet. I was so scared and she was there and held on to me, strong and sure. Now, second time around, there is no one I can imagine being there with me through every step.”
Meghan Price, RM, IBCLC
Meghan Price is a Registered Midwife, Lactation Consultant, and Birth Educator.
Raised in the Thompson-Okanagan, Meghan Price brought a strong sense of community and connection to her midwifery practice. While studying International Relations at the University of British Columbia, she attended a maternal health conference that sparked a profound shift in focus leading her to pursue a career supporting birthing families.
After graduating from UBC’s Bachelor of Midwifery program in 2016, Meghan began her midwifery career in Vernon, working alongside Birte Paschen at Kalamalka Midwives. When the clinic closed in 2018, Meghan joined Vernon Midwifery to support Carrie Sizer during Sylvia Nicholson’s transition into retirement.
Known for her respectful, collaborative approach, Meghan is deeply committed to informed decision-making and supporting families to birth with dignity. In 2021, she became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) to offer specialized infant feeding support. She also shares her knowledge as a Clinical Instructor at UBC and a Fetal Health Surveillance Instructor.
Meghan is currently completing a Master of Health Studies at Athabasca University with the goal of educating future midwives. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys exploring the Okanagan with her family, learning new crafts, and staying active in continuing education.
You can learn more about Meghan on her personal blog.
“I view working with birthing women as an incredible honour and privilege that continues to amaze me, and perpetually fills me with wonder.”
Birte Paschen
Birte Paschen is a Registered Midwife and founder of Mountain Midwifery Vernon.
Birte Paschen brings decades of international experience to her midwifery practice. She began her training in 1998 at a large women’s hospital in Berlin, Germany, and went on to work in two high-volume maternity wards where she gained extensive experience supporting complex and high-risk births. She also provided postpartum home visits, which sparked her lasting commitment to individualized support for new families.
After relocating to British Columbia, Birte became registered as a midwife in BC in 2007 through the PLEA bridging program for internationally educated midwives. She has since practiced in a range of communities across the province including Duncan, Revelstoke, Abbotsford, Kamloops, and Vernon. In 2009, she opened Mountain Midwifery Revelstoke, the city’s first midwifery clinic, where she practiced solo for eight years.
Birte moved to Vernon in 2016 with her family and joined Vernon Midwifery in 2018–2019 to work alongside Carrie Sizer during a period of growth and transition in the practice as Sylvia retired and the clinic moved to its current location. Today, Birte continues to serve families in the North Okanagan through her independent practice, Mountain Midwifery.
A strong advocate for breastfeeding support, Birte is pursuing IBCLC certification and has personal insight into the challenges new parents can face in the early weeks. She is also a Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Instructor and a member of the MoreOB Core Team at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Outside of her local practice, Birte travels annually with The Safe Motherhood Project to train traditional birth attendants in rural Guatemala.
Birte’s care is grounded in clinical excellence, heartfelt compassion, and a deep respect for each family’s journey.
Katia Haslam
Katia Haslam was a Midwifery Student (UBC Class of 2022) who completed her clinical placement with Vernon Midwifery in 2021
Katia Haslam joined Vernon Midwifery in the fall of 2021 as a fourth-year student in the University of British Columbia’s Bachelor of Midwifery program. During her time in Vernon, she completed her final clinical placement and supported local families under the guidance of Registered Midwives until her graduation in March 2022.
An Indigenous (Coast Salish) mother, Katia brings cultural insight, compassion, and lived experience to her practice. Her path to midwifery was inspired by her own mother’s birth stories – powerful recollections that reflected strength but also a lack of culturally sensitive care. This realization led Katia to midwifery, where she found a model of care rooted in respect, partnership, and informed choice.
Katia and her family made the Okanagan their home shortly before her placement began. She quickly became an integral part of the Vernon Midwifery team, known for her warmth, curiosity, and dedication to families.
Outside of midwifery, Katia spends her time adventuring with her toddler Kismet, her partner, and their dog. Whether hiking, biking, or swimming, her love of the outdoors is part of the vibrant energy she brings into her work with clients.
Vernon Midwifery was honored to support Katia in her final steps toward becoming a Registered Midwife and is proud to be part of her journey.