In 2017, pregnant with my daughter and sitting on her nursery floor with my sister, I described my entire birth plan and my reasoning behind my wishes for an hour while she graciously listened with intent. At that point my sister said, “whenever I have a baby, I need you to be there.”

It was now two weeks after my due date and I was in denial that my baby was ever leaving my body. I wish there was someone telling my husband and I when active labor began, “This is it! Your baby is on her way. It is time to use all you have learned and practiced!” While we had an overall positive experience, having a comforting and knowledgeable support person by our side the entire process, and giving pointers to my husband on how to use counter pressure and help me get and stay in a rhythm would have been the one thing I would have changed.

Fast forward to 2018 when my sister was pregnant. While being nervous about talk of labor and delivery, she remained confident on one thing; she wanted me there. I did more research on what a doula was, and what it takes. Having a background in psychology, health education, and as a Pilates instructor and personal trainer, I thought, “I can do this!” Liking to be as prepared as possible, I signed up to take the DONA International birth and postpartum doula certification workshops. Using the tools I acquired to prepare my sister and her husband for their child’s birth, I watched my sister break down her walls and even get slightly excited and interested in doing further research into their hopes and wishes.

This is exactly why I am in this field. I now want to help others learn their options, not be afraid, and feel calm as their birth dates approach and their babies make their grand entrance.

• Certifying DONA Birth Doula
• Certifying DONA Postpartum Doula
• MPH (Health Behavior and Education) from the University of Michigan
• BA in Psychology from Oakland University
• ACSM Certified Personal Trainer since 2013
• Certified NY Pilates Instructor since 2018
• Red Cross CPR and First Aid Certified

In Ashley’s free time she enjoys being crafty and doing DIY projects, checking out local restaurants and breweries, organizing, going to barre, yoga and pilates classes, hanging out with her husband and daughter, playing games with friends, and listening to audiobooks/podcasts.