Many seeds were planted to bring Full Circle to fruition. This is the beautiful growth story of both Full Circle and founder Sonya Duffee.
In 1994, Sonya was an art student in her last year at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary; when she and her husband Michael decided to start a family, and Sonya became pregnant with their first child.
After experiencing her father's hospitalization and death early in her pregnancy; something deep in Sonya’s heart told her the hospital was not where she wanted to birth. She ran into an old friend Rebecca, who recently had a home birth with community midwife, Sara Wendy Day. Rebecca and her husband spoke so positively about their home birth; sharing the intimacy and sacredness of the experience with Sonya and Michael. Sonya met Sara Wendy Day, and knew immediately a midwife-assisted home birth was the path she wanted to follow.
Now firmly convicted in her right to choose her birth place and sought out midwifery care during her pregnancy, Sonya’s home birth went beautifully. It opened her eyes to birth as a community experience without judgment; one where she and her husband felt cared for and supported by a strong relationship of trust and honoring.
Sonya was so drawn to the philosophy and practice of home birth, she actively sought out evidence-based research. She spent hours watching birth documentaries, talking to other home birthers, and eventually became active in the Calgary Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth community (later named Birth Unlimited). She had found her community; kindred people who were equally passionate about birth and maternity care choices in western Canada.
In 1994, midwifery was generally an underground practice in Alberta. Many women outside Sonya’s birthing community questioned her position on home birth, and challenged the safety of birthing outside the hospital setting. After the home birth of her second daughter, Sonya’s midwife encouraged her to attend an introductory midwifery and doula support course. She then participated in a DONA certified training and advanced doula training with Elaine Montgomery, a labour and delivery nurse at the Calgary Peter Lougheed Hospital.
At the training, she met Janna and Candace, who became part of the beginning stages of Full Circle's development and vision. On an evening walk together, admiring the full moon; it was decided Full Circle would be the name of the practice. Within the first year, Candace became pregnant and eventually unable to participate in the business. Janna and Sonya carried on providing birth support to families in Calgary. As members of the Calgary Doula Association, they worked in a shared care model while Sonya's children were younger.
In 2000, that love for birth and desire to become midwives led Sonya and Janna to pursue different midwifery programs; Janna in Oregon and Sonya in El Paso Texas. Upon completion of their studies, Janna and Sonya practiced together again briefly; working with midwives Sharyne Fraser and Barb Bodiguel in Red Deer, Alberta.
Sonya’s young family started to feel the strain of the demands of birth work, and they returned to Saskatchewan for extended family support. She pursued midwifery with mentor Cathy Ellis and her supportive physician husband, Mickey Rostoker.
For five years, Sonya was the only practicing midwife in Regina, Saskatchewan! She had a wonderful community of people supporting her endeavors in the right for choice of birth place and care provider. Many years of political work, community and personal advocacy led the Saskatchewan government to regulate and publicly fund midwifery. It was a victory accompanied by challenges and frustrations.
Sonya was appointed by the Saskatchewan Health Minister to sit on the Transitional Council, and over five years helped develop the regulated midwifery profession, and later the Saskatchewan College of Midwives,
Full Circle continued to provide care to Saskatchewan families and doula instruction and training to the community.
In 2012, her husband Michael accepted a position at the Royal Alberta Museum and their family settled in Edmonton. Vanessa Shynkaruk and Chrissy Boone joined the practice and later Angela Esplin was brought into the circle.
The Full Circle team continued to change, shift and evolve into its current team of ten doulas: providing a full circle of care from pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause and end of life care. Our circle has fully embraced all facets of life's transformative moments.
In 1994, Sonya was an art student in her last year at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary; when she and her husband Michael decided to start a family, and Sonya became pregnant with their first child.
After experiencing her father's hospitalization and death early in her pregnancy; something deep in Sonya’s heart told her the hospital was not where she wanted to birth. She ran into an old friend Rebecca, who recently had a home birth with community midwife, Sara Wendy Day. Rebecca and her husband spoke so positively about their home birth; sharing the intimacy and sacredness of the experience with Sonya and Michael. Sonya met Sara Wendy Day, and knew immediately a midwife-assisted home birth was the path she wanted to follow.
Now firmly convicted in her right to choose her birth place and sought out midwifery care during her pregnancy, Sonya’s home birth went beautifully. It opened her eyes to birth as a community experience without judgment; one where she and her husband felt cared for and supported by a strong relationship of trust and honoring.
Sonya was so drawn to the philosophy and practice of home birth, she actively sought out evidence-based research. She spent hours watching birth documentaries, talking to other home birthers, and eventually became active in the Calgary Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth community (later named Birth Unlimited). She had found her community; kindred people who were equally passionate about birth and maternity care choices in western Canada.
In 1994, midwifery was generally an underground practice in Alberta. Many women outside Sonya’s birthing community questioned her position on home birth, and challenged the safety of birthing outside the hospital setting. After the home birth of her second daughter, Sonya’s midwife encouraged her to attend an introductory midwifery and doula support course. She then participated in a DONA certified training and advanced doula training with Elaine Montgomery, a labour and delivery nurse at the Calgary Peter Lougheed Hospital.
At the training, she met Janna and Candace, who became part of the beginning stages of Full Circle's development and vision. On an evening walk together, admiring the full moon; it was decided Full Circle would be the name of the practice. Within the first year, Candace became pregnant and eventually unable to participate in the business. Janna and Sonya carried on providing birth support to families in Calgary. As members of the Calgary Doula Association, they worked in a shared care model while Sonya's children were younger.
In 2000, that love for birth and desire to become midwives led Sonya and Janna to pursue different midwifery programs; Janna in Oregon and Sonya in El Paso Texas. Upon completion of their studies, Janna and Sonya practiced together again briefly; working with midwives Sharyne Fraser and Barb Bodiguel in Red Deer, Alberta.
Sonya’s young family started to feel the strain of the demands of birth work, and they returned to Saskatchewan for extended family support. She pursued midwifery with mentor Cathy Ellis and her supportive physician husband, Mickey Rostoker.
For five years, Sonya was the only practicing midwife in Regina, Saskatchewan! She had a wonderful community of people supporting her endeavors in the right for choice of birth place and care provider. Many years of political work, community and personal advocacy led the Saskatchewan government to regulate and publicly fund midwifery. It was a victory accompanied by challenges and frustrations.
Sonya was appointed by the Saskatchewan Health Minister to sit on the Transitional Council, and over five years helped develop the regulated midwifery profession, and later the Saskatchewan College of Midwives,
Full Circle continued to provide care to Saskatchewan families and doula instruction and training to the community.
In 2012, her husband Michael accepted a position at the Royal Alberta Museum and their family settled in Edmonton. Vanessa Shynkaruk and Chrissy Boone joined the practice and later Angela Esplin was brought into the circle.
The Full Circle team continued to change, shift and evolve into its current team of ten doulas: providing a full circle of care from pregnancy, birth, postpartum, menopause and end of life care. Our circle has fully embraced all facets of life's transformative moments.
We applaud Sonya. this amazing prairie pioneer for women’s reproductive rights in Canada. Her legacy of dedication and education to the Canadian doula and midwife communities cannot be overestimated. Congratulations on celebrating Full Circle’s 25th year!