the start.

When Michelle Tyliakos first dreamed up the My Powerful Birth education program, she wanted to build a class that was unlike what was available in  the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. While yes there was plenty of choice for classes, she was hearing from so many parents that they felt like they didn't actually get anything out of their classes. Families shared that it felt like they were just being TOLD what to do, and what they were told to do didn't feel right in their gut. Michelle knew that what was missing  was the essential elements of self discovery, informed choice and intuition. With that, she built the first version of My Powerful Birth Prenatal Classes.

And then...

In early 2020, as the world was shifting, pregnancy experiences were changing drastically and support was getting hard to access, it was time for Michelle to shift as well. She invited her long time doula friend, Samantha Garcia Gagnon, to join her in this mission.  Together, they revamped the MPB program, became more clear with the messaging and grew MPB to support so many families across Canada as they prepared to welcome their babies.  Together they were able to offer their participants  a more diverse knowledge base, different insights that stem from their vast doula experience and a whole lot of laughter. There was magic happening in those moments.

And a little bit more...

Now,  the My Powerful Birth team has grown a little bit more. While Michelle and Samantha love being able to offer in person classes in Pitt Meadows, and welcome families from across Ridge Meadows, Tricities, Langley and Surrey, they were hearing from families further in the Fraser Valley that they too wanted the same classes. They knew that having another duo teach makes a  big difference in the quality of the classes and there was really only one other couple that they knew who would perfectly fit the mold - Michelle (yes another one) Short and Stephanie Penner from Wildflower Birth Collective.

the teams

Michelle T. + Samantha

In Person Group Classes in Pitt Meadows
Online Group Classes
​Individually for Private Classes

Stephanie + Michelle S.

In Person Group Classes in Abbotsford
Online Group Classes
​Individually for Private Classes

Michelle Tyliakos

Michelle's passion for advocacy and medical rights shines brightly, fueled by her personal journey of supporting her husband through the challenging terrain of a rare form of heart cancer. As a widow and a mother of four children, she has experienced the depths of adversity firsthand. Yet, rather than allowing it to dim her spirit, Michelle invites others who have faced adversity to join her in crafting a future filled with brightness and hope, all while navigating the meaningful and everyday moments of life.
With unwavering dedication, Michelle is committed to the mission of My Powerful Birth: to continually enhance perinatal education in ways that profoundly impact families, birth workers, and medical professionals alike. Through her work, she aspires to uplift and empower all those involved in the birthing process, ensuring that informed choice and holistic care are at the forefront.
Join Michelle as she fearlessly champions the rights of individuals and families, and together, let's forge a path towards a future that embraces resilience, joy, and the transformative power of education.

Samantha Garcia Gagnon

With nearly a decade of experience as a birthworker  and educator, Samantha's world revolves around supporting families through this journey. She's not just passionate about her work; she's all about building tight-knit communities and forging meaningful connections. Growing up in the Philippines, Samantha witnessed the incredible strength that comes from supporting and nourishing new families as a close-knit village.
Now, Samantha brings that same sense of community to the My Powerful Birth program and perinatal groups at the Bellies Community Space in Pitt Meadows BC. She's on a mission to empower families with her unique perspective and  wisdom. Samantha is also the proud owner of bellies inc. which offers products designed to help individuals prepare, recover, and restore after birth.
Samantha is excited to meet so many new families through  the My Powerful Birth program where community, connection, and celebration of life's most transformative moments take centre stage.
​

Stephanie Penner

Steph has been practicing as a birth and postpartum doula for over 8 years and is currently studying to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Her and her husband live and work on their egg farm in the Fraser Valley with their two kids. She brings her own personal experience with pregnancy, birth, loss and parenting, as well as education from her multitude of trainings and wisdom gathered from working with birthing families to provide comprehensive and non-judgmental perinatal education. Her goal is to make sure families are making informed choices that feel good and right for them.

Michelle Short

Michelle has been a birth worker for 5 years, and came to this calling after experiencing the powerful births of her own two children at home surrounded by loving support and stellar midwifery care. She approaches this work knowing that it’s not about where a person gives birth or how they give birth. It’s all about how people feel in, and about their birthing time that makes the real difference. That’s why Michelle loves providing birthing people and their families with the knowledge and tools to navigate the incredibly personal, impactful, and sometimes challenging decision making processes that come with growing, birthing, and feeding a tiny human. Along the way, witnessing people discover what is possible in birth, postpartum, and beyond along the way, certainly doesn't suck either.

​Want to learn more?