Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Ralph.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I had been working in a Labor and Delivery unit as a CNA for 4 years when I had a patient who had a birth doula. I got to chatting with the doula during one of her breaks and fell in love with the work. I kept in touch with this doula and started my training a few months later. 6 months after I met this doula, the hospital closed the L&D unit and we all got laid off. Luckily I had finished all my training and had started the process to work for this other doula and her agency. I started with my first postpartum doula client the very next day and have been a postpartum and birth doula since. I’m going on 2 years of being a doula and love it!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say for the most part it has been a smooth journey. I was already a mom by the time I started and had been a CNA for 18 years so the caring for other people part was second nature. Starting your own business and learning the legalities of starting a business was not easy but I had a village that I could ask questions and get guidance from.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a birth and postpartum doula, and soon-to-be certified Lamaze Childbirth Educator. My main focus and what I’m more known for is postpartum work. My heart is really in those early, tender weeks after birth — the messy, beautiful, emotional part of becoming a mom that no one can quite prepare you for. I love walking beside women in that space — helping them feel grounded, supported, and seen when everything in their world is changing.
A lot of my clients say it feels like having a best friend come over to take care of them after having a baby. They feel supported, educated, and confident in their ability to care for their baby — and that’s exactly what I hope for. I’m able to validate their feelings because I’ve been there too. I don’t hide the struggles I’ve had as a mom; I share them openly, because I think it’s important to show that we don’t always have it all figured out — and that’s okay.
What sets me apart is that I focus just as much on how moms feel as I do on what they do. I believe postpartum is meant to be slower, softer, and more intentional — and that it’s okay to ask for help, to rest, and to find your rhythm in your own time. Watching moms start to trust themselves again, to exhale a little deeper, and realize they’re actually doing an incredible job — that’s my favorite part of what I do.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people are surprised to learn that before becoming a doula, I worked in high intensity ICUs and a freestanding ER. It’s a completely different world than working with mom’s and babies, but it taught me to stay calm under pressure and to trust the body’s natural ability to heal — something I carry with me into birth and postpartum work every day. Outside of doula life, I’m a total homebody. I love slow days with my husband and kids, crocheting or embroidering something my kids ask me for while they play nearby, and just soaking in the simple moments. That peaceful, family-centered energy is what helps me show up so fully for the moms I support.
Pricing:
- $1500 Birth Doula package
- $32/hour Postpartum Doula rate
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.preparedmotherhoodcollective.com
- Instagram: @ashleyralphdoula
