Baby Bird Birth & Doula Services

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Baby Bird Birth & Doula Services

Your birth experience matters, your intuition is mighty and I will always be your supporter. 🤍

01/27/2026

My first three births of the year are in the books, and they reminded me of a few basic but important things about doula support.

At least this doula’s support. 🥰

If adding a doula to your birth team is interesting but you’re just not sure, these are for you…

☝🏻 Hiring a doula isn’t about outcomes, it’s about feeling seen & heard. I’m not here to push my own agenda or belief in how birth should look. I’m here to help you find your own vision and even more importantly, to help you navigate the journey when the vision gets a little blurry.

✌🏻 We’ve been fed this quiet lie that doulas are extra or luxurious, but the truth is that feeling supported during birth is what you deserve. Birth was designed to be primal and intimate, instinctual. But our society has lost the mark on that.

Enter: a doula to remind you what your intuition already knows. Do you “need” her to have a positive experience? Nope. But do you (and your husband) deserve her? Without a doubt.

👌🏻 Not being at your birth is rare (so rare). But it does happen because… I’m a normal person living a normal life. 🤪 Here’s what I promise every client — clear communication, full transparency, my best effort and only a backup doula that I would hire for my own birth.

Now that I’ve started, it feels almost impossible to end the list here. 😆 If this has piqued your curiosity, shoot me a message, let’s consult.

You deserve it. 😘

01/15/2026

If you think your story is easy for me to forget… you’re wrong. 🤍

There’s a lot to process after a birth like yours. I recount all of my steps and my choices.

Did I say the things that made you feel seen and do the things that gave you relief? Did I use the right position changes at the right time and make suggestions that felt like direction?

Was I calm enough, confident enough? Did I bring enough light, laughter, snacks and peace?

Every detail gets replayed again and again.

And that’s why I check in with you so often. Because I’m thinking of you, and I want you to know it’s ok to replay your own story again and again.

Whether you have questions or gaps, joy or relief. If it was redemptive or traumatic, a total surprise or the hardest thing you’ve ever done.

Your birth story matters. And I’ll forever be here to process and love ya through it. 🤍

01/14/2026

💙✨🥹

Banks' birth was the first birth I "attended" after becoming a doula. I was my own first client. And the lessons I learned were of such high value for me personally and for my work in the birthing space.

-the reminder that plans are good but building out your priorities & preferences will help you identify how you actually want to feel during your birth

-the realization that making one good, informed decision at a time will lead you as close as possible to your desired outcome

-the understanding that a provider is only as good as your relationship and comfort with them

-and the confirmation that doulas should still hire their own doula (Steady Ground Doula Services LLC 😘)

More than two years later, and I'm still putting these lessons into practice as I support other mamas, especially VBAC moms. And I'll keep working to find, support and love on as many of them as I can because, after all... your birth experience matters, your intuition is mighty and I will always be your supporter. 🤍

PS - What a joy & privilege it was to record this episode with my teammates and the brand new hosts of The VBAC Link Podcast! The VBAC Link will forever be my number one resource and recommendation for moms planning to birth better after a Cesarean.

01/06/2026

Hi! I’m Ashley, and I have four littles. They are wild and loud, and they have taken over my home. 🤪

If we meet virtually for a consultation or prenatal visit, please don’t take it personally if I’m in my car — it’s likely the most quiet & peaceful place I can find.

I don’t have my own office or a fancy background, but that doesn’t mean you were a last-minute thought or not important to me. Every detail of your story, every question you have.. it all matters, and I want to hear every word.

Which is why, in this season of life, I’ll be alone in my van. 😉

01/05/2026

January babies are delightful. ❄️🤍🌲

01/01/2026

Becoming a doula has given me even more to reflect on as one year transitions to the next.

I didn’t calculate stats on births or types of births, baby names or miles driven, but what I do know is that this work makes me a better person.

For another year, I was privileged to see brand new babies meet their parents and watch first time moms & dads fall in love with parenting. I supported long births and a couple too fast for me to see! I stayed awake for days on end, ate dozens of granola bars, drove miles across West Michigan and baked homemade treats for tired, beautiful mamas.

I have some unbelievable stories and gorgeous photos but most of all… I got to create some lifelong relationships. Birth bonds are a real thing, and it just might be my favorite part of birth work.

Sending the biggest hug to all of the families I was blessed enough to support and another one to those I’ll be joining in the New Year. 🤍

Looking ahead, I hope to find more balance, more growth in my knowledge & ability, more confidence in building my own brand, more food during long births and more second-time clients (you know who you are 😉😘).

Happiest New Year! ✨

12/03/2025

Always making it a priority to be all there when I’m with you. 😘

Even if my mind is… 😵‍💫🤪😆

11/17/2025

It’s tempting, I get it… to scroll past a million different “tips & tricks” for a smoother labor or “the one thing” to get the birth of your dreams and feel like you must do all of it.

But you don’t.

And I actually believe that shouldn’t.

To put it simply, your baby knows when to be born, and your body will follow. Trying to keep up with an ever-growing to do list just causes pressure, which leads to stress and probably anxiety. None of which helps labor start or progress smoothly.

So, here’s your permission to focus on two things: calm & confidence. 💕

Take a course, read a book, build the team, process the fear, breathe deep and trust yourself.

You’ve got this. 😘

PS - when it’s hard to find your own calm & confidence, hire a doula who brings hers and shares it with the room. 🤍

10/27/2025

… help them feel fully present, involved, confident & supported in labor.

After all, it’s their experience, too.

My goal is never (ever) to take over for your husband or other birth partner. I believe that we can work together so well that you have seamless support.

That’s the goal.

Doulas support the entire birth experience by not only providing you with information, emotional & physical support but by doing the same for them.

We help train them to know what movements, positions, touches and reminders you might need.

We provide them education so they feel confident making informed decisions that may arise.

We offer them opportunities to rest, hydrate, eat and be involved, all things that help them feel present.

The goal is never to take over… it’s to remind BOTH of you that what you’re doing is sacred, special, once in a lifetime. And it’s the connection the two of you have (and build during birth) that will carry you through labor and beyond. ✨

Doula tip: if your husband is skeptical about hiring a doula, have him chat with your friend’s husband who did. He’ll get it. 😉

📸: shared with permission

10/23/2025

Hi! 👋🏻 ✨🤍

If you just clicked follow or have been scrolling along for a bit, I’m glad you’re here. This account is meant to be the intersection of my passion for birth work, the highs + lows of my motherhood journey and my love for all things pregnancy, birth & postpartum.

Whether you’re interested in doula support, curious about my VBAC journey or just here for the realistic parenting stories… I hope you’ll hang a while, reach out & interact.

A couple things to know:

✨ I am a C-section mama (x2) and a VBAC mama (x2).

✨ West Michigan is my favorite and where I provide the majority of my birth support, but I also offer virtual services.

✨ My doula style is reminding you that your birth experience matters, your intuition is mighty & I will always be your supporter.

✨ I’m a team member over at which is the coolest kind of opportunity.

✨ I promise to always show up real & honest, running on little sleep + some kind of natural energy boosters, and grateful to be cheering for you.

Again, I hope you’ll hang stick around and send me a DM if there is any way I can support you.

You’ve got this. 🤍

10/21/2025

I still can’t believe these two share a birthday. 💙✨

Since his big sister was born at 42 weeks, I should have assumed he would be, too, but I just thought… it would be different.

And that was really the extent of my birth & VBAC prep at that point, S E V E N years ago.

I really (really) didn’t want another C-section, and I guess I thought that willing it into existence would be enough.

It wasn’t for me.

42 weeks, 54 hours of labor, another “failure to progress” and this guy’s birth story looked almost identical to his sister’s.

I’m not saying there is a formula or a secret checklist for a VBAC. But I am saying that… intentional processing + preparation matters.

It really matters.

I wish I would have unpacked the fear, hired the team, done the mental & physical work for his birth. I didn’t know, I didn’t realize the depth it required for me until the next baby.

I can’t really wrap a pretty bow on his birth story, but I can wrap the prettiest blue bow on him. Because he’s the coolest dude who shares a birthday with the coolest man.

I am forever grateful these are my boys. 💙

10/16/2025

September 2013. Man, we were young, and life was just beginning to get messy. We didn’t really realize what we’d just been through... and didn’t talk about it much.

Our twins would be 11 years old right now, and I still don’t think we’ve given them enough of our thoughts because... it’s a hard thing to process. It’s hard to make sense and cope with the the grief of the actual loss and the untamable fear that accompanies every other possible & positive pregnancy.

I don’t share this for sympathy. God has blessed us beyond measure with miracles I don’t deserve, and I know I’ll meet those twin babies one day. 💕

For me, this is just one opportunity to join the voices of other families who have lost, who are grieving and let them know... we’re with ya. 😘

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Grand Rapids, MI

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http://www.babybirdbirthanddoulaservices.com/, https://www.babybirdbirthanddoulaservices.com/resources/you-are-not-alone

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