My name is Candace Plohman (she/her) and I am a Registered Midwife and Lactation Consultant (IBCLC certified), living and working in the Tri-Cities in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I humbly acknowledge the privilege and pleasure of living, working, and playing on the traditional territories of the Kwikwetlem, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Stó:lō, Qayqayt, and Stz’uminus people.

  I grew up in beautiful central Canada in a small town in rural Manitoba. It was evident to me from a young age that my passion lied in healthcare and I initially pursued my studies in Biology at the University of Winnipeg with intent to pursue a career in medicine or nursing. While studying, I became a volunteer unplanned pregnancy and contraception counselor at the Women’s Health Clinic, and this is where my passion for reproductive health began to flourish. I serendipitously encountered a midwife for the first time while volunteering there, which led me down a path of exploration into the world of midwifery. I became fascinated with the concept of informed choice and reproductive autonomy, as well as with the idea of home birth. While exploring midwifery as a career, I was fortunate to come across the University of British Columbia Midwifery program, where I had the privilege of being accepted in 2002.

  During my studies at UBC, I trained throughout the beautiful west coast, with training placements in Campbell River, Victoria, Kamloops and the lower mainland. In addition, I took part in an international placement facilitated by UBC, where I worked in Katete, Zambia in southern Africa at a rural hospital for two months. This international experience motivated me to volunteer as a midwife in a birthing center in southern Haiti following the tragic earthquake in 2010.

  Vancouver became home to me following my graduation from the program in 2007. I worked at The Midwifery Group (formally on Main St.), at BC Women’s Hospital as well as St. Paul’s Hospital for 12 years, and in that time I also attended many home deliveries as well. In 2019, I made the move to the Tri-Cities with my little family and have been working at the Inlet Community Birth Program and Tri-Cities Infant Feeding Clinic. While breast/chest feeding has always been a passion of mine, I took the plunge to become a certified Lactation Consultant this past year.

  The past 6 months of working as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) have been both fascinating for me, but have brought me immense joy in that I have been able to assist families with achieving their feeding goals. For myself personally, as a mom who breastfed my 3 children for 7 years straight, while encountering my own challenges along the way, it has been extremely satisfying to be able to provide the same support to other new parents and infants.