Maryanne Zuzak and I were introduced to each other by our daughters, who had became best friends in kindergarten. By the time the girls were in Grade 2 the two of us had also become close friends. Maryanne was a member of a group called Friends of the Midwives (FOM), a consumer advocacy group founded to support the Midwives Association of Saskatchewan (MAS) in its attempt to persuade the government of Saskatchewan to legalize midwifery in the province. The FOM and the MAS worked closely together, sharing resources and coordinating their message.

I was at home with a preschooler, but had begun writing and producing the newsletter and membership appeals for various local non-profit organizations. When the MAS decided to publish a newsletter, Maryanne gave me a call. My own interest in midwifery grew with every new study or report that I read and subsequently turned into an article for the newsletter.