Liam Kali, LM (they/he)

Director & Licensed Midwife
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Education
  • Certificate of Midwifery, Seattle Midwifery School, 2005
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Religious Studies minor, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1994
Certifications
  • Licensed Midwife, Washington, 2014-Present
  • Licensed Midwife, California, 2006-2016
  • CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation, 2001-Present

Liam Kali, LM (they/he)

Areas of Focus
  • LGBTQ+ Family Building
  • Solo Parenthood by Choice
  • Donor Conception & IUI
About

Licensed Midwife Liam Kali (he/they) has dedicated their career to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ families having babies. Over the past 25+ years, Liam’s work has impacted countless queer and trans parents, both in private practice as a health care provider and as a strong advocate for gender inclusivity within the childbirth professions. Liam attended over 600 births before retiring from catching babies, and he still provides adjunct care to LGBTQ+ families and solo parents by choice through pregnancy groups, childbirth classes and early parenting support programs.

Broadly regarded as the foremost authority in queer family building, donor insemination and midwife-led IUI, Liam's current clinical focus is fertility and donor conception. Liam's approach is evidence-based, body-positive, queer-centered, and gender-inclusive, providing clinical reproductive care while nurturing the emotional and relational aspects of the transition to parenthood. In addition to providing tele-health consultations and individualized fertility care to families across the US, Canada and beyond, Liam's book, Queer Conception: The Complete Fertility Guide for Queer and Trans Parents-to-Be has expanded access to culturally sensitive, clinically appropriate information for families everywhere who make their babies with love and science.

Liam has expanded the practice of midwifery by providing an advanced practice course for midwives in Therapeutic Donor Insemination since 2016, and he continues to provide training and consulting services for midwives associations and midwifery education programs throughout the US and Canada. Liam continues to be an enthusiastically received speaker at conferences, professional associations and university lecture halls, as well as providing continuing education for all childbirth professionals.

Liam’s recent policy work includes co-authoring the forthcoming LGBTQ+ Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Guideline, “Fertility Care and Family Building for LGBTQ+ Individuals” as well as serving on the Expert Working Group and Technical Expert Panels for the forthcoming publication by the US Department of Health and Human Services, "Providing Quality Family Planning Services in the U.S.: Revised 2024 Recommendations of the U.S. Office of Population Affairs."

Liam is a parent of four grown children and shares their empty nest in Seattle, WA with two cats. Liam has marked major life transitions by taking on chosen names. In the late 1990s, as a student of religion and young parent heeding the call to midwifery, they chose the last name Kali in honor of the Hindu goddess and Divine Mother who embodies the paradigm of creation/destruction, which is so deeply integral to the transformation to parenthood. Now, as a nonbinary transmasculine person navigating hormonal gender affirmation during the passage into crone-hood, Liam has taken this new name in honor of their genetic Irish, German and English ancestry, in reflection of lived experience within Jewish communities, and in resonance with their dedication as an “unwavering protector” of “my people”.

More about Liam

Experience

  • Principal, Maia Midwifery & Fertility Services, PLLC, 2006-present
  • Founder, Babymoon Doula Care, 2000-2005
  • Group Facilitator, Community Birth & Family Center, 2002-2005
  • Admissions Director, Seattle Midwifery School, 2000-2001
  • Co-Founder, From the Heart Doula Services, 1997-2000
  • Assistant Teacher, Columbia Montessori School, 1997-2000

Auxiliary Training

  • Lactation Specialist Course, Simkin Center, 2014
  • Multiethnic Education Program for Family Serving Professionals, 2007
  • Lactation Specialist Course, Evergreen Medical Center, 2002
  • Postpartum Doula Training, Seattle Midwifery School, 2001
  • Labor Support Course Seattle Midwifery School, 2000
  • Labor Support Course, Doulas Of North America, 1999

Publications

Podcasts, Interviews & Readings

Public Speaking

  • "Midwifery Management of Therapeutic Donor Insemination" Colorado Midwives Association, 2023
  • "Supporting Queer and Trans Parents in their Lactation Goals" LA Breastfeeding Coalition, 2023
  • “Paths to Pregnancy” Family Equality, Seattle WA, 2019
  • “Preconception and Prenatal Care for LGBTQ2S Families” Swedish Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, 2017-2019
  • “Preconception and Prenatal Care for LGBTQ2S Families” Gold Learning Online Conference, 2018
  • “Gender Inclusivity: How do we do it right?” Midwives Association of British Columbia, 2017
  • “Childbirth in the United States: Birth and Power” Gender and Women’s Studies, U of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017
  • “Including LGBTQ Families in Your Childbirth Ed Course” Gold Learning Online Conference, 2017
  • “Creating Systemic Change for Gender Inclusivity in Midwifery” Canadian Association of Midwives, 2016
  • “Gender Inclusivity in Midwifery Care” Midwives Association of Washington State, 2016
  • “Transgender Fertility and Family Building” Gender Odyssey Conference, 2016
  • “Including LGBTQ Families in Childbirth Education” Lamaze International, 2016
  • “LGBTQ Inclusivity in Midwifery Care” Association of Ontario Midwives, 2016
  • “Providing Culturally Sensitive Care for LGBTQ Families” Association of Ontario Midwives, 2016
  • “Providing Culturally Sensitive, Midwifery Model Care” University of Toronto, 2016
  • “LGBTQ Inclusivity” University of Washington DNP Program, 2016
  • “Conception Options for LGBTQ Families” Seattle, 2016
  • “Serving LGBTQ Families” Northwest Doula Conference, 2015
  • “The Science and Politics of Reproductive Health Care” guest lecture, U of Wisconsin-Madison, 2013-2014
  • “Gender Inclusive Language for Childbirth Educators” Great Starts, Seattle, 2014
  • “Solo Conception” Choice Moms Expo Seattle, 2014
  • “Providing Culturally Specific Care to LGBTQ Families” Midwives Alliance of North America, 2013
  • “Solo Conception” Choice Moms Expo, San Francisco, 2013
  • “Fertility Preservation for Transgender Children and Youth” Gender Spectrum Family Conference, 2013
  • “Donor Insemination” Our Family Coalition, Oakland, 2008-2013
  • “Stress and Fertility” Choice Moms, 2010
  • “Cultivating Cultural Sensitivity in Your Practice” Midwives Alliance of N. America, 2009
  • “Surviving the Emotional Roller Coaster of Insemination” Queer Families, Healthy Families, 2009
  • “Lesbian Pregnancy” National Youth Leadership Forum Medical Division, 2007-2009
  • “Getting the timing right” The Sperm Bank of California Resource Group, 2007-2009
  • “Nutrition for Optimal Fertility” Resolve of N. California Symposium, 2007
  • “Lesbian Pregnancy” Resolve of N. California Symposium, 2007
  • “Nutrition and Fertility” Resolve of N. California Resource Group, 2007
  • “Lesbian Pregnancy” PFLAG, 2007
  • “Queer Midwifery” UC Berkeley Women’s Studies, 2006
  • “Serving Lesbian Families” Keynote, Association for Pre and Perinatal Psychology and Health, 2005

Professional Memberships

  • Seattle Tacoma Area Reproductive Society, Board Member, 2014-present
  • American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2006-present
  • National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, 2014-2018
  • Midwives Alliance of Hawaii, 2011-2013
  • California Association of Midwives, 2006-2014
  • Midwives Alliance of North America, 2004-2018
  • Midwives Association of Washington State, Board Member, 2002-2018
  • Pacific Association for Labor Support, 2000-2005
  • Northwest Association for Postpartum Support, 2000-2005
  • Friends of Missouri Midwives, Vice President, 1998-2000
  • Missouri Midwives Association, 1997-2000

Awards & Recognition

  • Pride Foundation Scholarship, 2005
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Thank you for going slow and explaining everything.

- Jack T.
Transmasculine IUI recipient, age 32

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