My Story & Approach
Hi, I’m Samantha — Mama, home birth advocate, and seasoned doula here to help you prepare with confidence and calm.
Samantha Mae Ashley
Founder, Virtual Birth Coach & Doula
Growing Into This Calling
Growing up as the oldest of six, I learned early how to care for others — and that sense of responsibility stayed with me. My passion for supporting families began when I witnessed my brother’s birth at age 14.
Years later, while working as a nursing assistant in a hospital, I started asking questions about hospital policies, evidence-based practices, and why so many families felt unprepared for birth and postpartum. That curiosity led me to a 36-hour in-person doula training in 2016 — a transformative experience that shaped my path and ignited a deep love for birth work.
Experience That Grows With Every Family
Since that first training, I’ve been honored to support over 400 families through birth and beyond—offering coaching, postpartum care, lactation guidance, and placenta services. Each journey has taught me something new, humbling me with the trust families place in me during one of life’s most intimate moments.
Today, I specialize in personalized virtual birth coaching, blending evidence-based education with intuitive care, alongside a limited number of in-person clients near Monticello, Minnesota. I help families prepare with intention, confidence, and connection.
My Own Birth Story
In June 2024, I welcomed my son at home, in the water — a deeply personal and transformative experience that reaffirmed everything I believe about birth: that it deserves sacred space, respect, and the gentlest support possible.
If you’d like to read the full story of this special day and how it shaped my approach, you can find it on my birth story blog post.
Life Beyond Birth
When I’m not supporting families, I’m nurturing life on our small homestead just northwest of Minneapolis. My husband, our gentle pitbull Sadie, our chatty cat Fish, and our growing flock of chickens fill our days with joy and rhythm.
I love tending our garden, birdwatching (hummingbirds are my favorite!), exploring new corners of the world, and enjoying quiet evenings with a good podcast or a glass of wine.
How I Support You
My approach is simple but powerful:
Personalized virtual coaching to guide you through every step of birth preparation, wherever you are.
Body Ready Method® movement plans tailored to strengthen your body and ease labor.
Holistic, evidence-based education that honors your unique needs and choices.
Client-led care where your voice, wishes, and instincts come first.
Selective in-person doula support for families within a 50-minute radius of Monticello, MN.
Ready to Prepare for Your Birth?
Whether you’re seeking virtual coaching or in-person doula care, I’m here to help you feel safe, confident, and deeply supported through your pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
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Attendance of 200+ births since 2016
Home Births
Freestanding Birth Center Births
Hospital Births with OB and Midwives
Breech Birth
Unmedicated and Medicated Births
Planned and Unplanned Cesareans
Water Births
Low and High-Risk Pregnancies
Pregnancy after 35
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
IVF/IUI
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Doula Workshops (80+ hrs)
Childbirth Educator (40+ hrs)
Lactation Certification (90+ hrs)
Body Ready Method®Pro (100+ hrs)
Pelvic Floor Health (12+ hrs)
Spinning Babies Workshops (16+ hrs)
Placenta Encapsulation (20+ hrs)
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Save $10 with code: DOULAMAE
You will gain confidence, knowledge, and strength for this amazing journey into parenthood. We designed this program to give you the tools to thrive in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The exercise classes offer you the strength to carry while the educational component covers.
Birth Boot Camp Childbirth & Lactation Classes
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Birth Boot Camp excels in preparing couples for an exceptional birth and breastfeeding journey through global online classes. Their education and doula programs are rooted in the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative principles, shaping our curriculum's foundation.
