It’s lovely to welcome you here.

I’m Ashleigh, a certified birth and postpartum doula, wife and mum of two boys. I spent much of my life in regional Australia before putting down roots in Redland City (commonly known as the Redlands). I had both of my boys here, my first at Redland Hospital and my second at Mater Private Hospital Redland.

Life is pretty full between mothering, supporting women, working in my other role as a counsellor, and looking after our hobby farm. There are usually chickens wandering around, and more than a few jobs around the house have been waiting longer than I’d like to admit.

I’m still figuring out motherhood as I go, but I’ve learned a lot along the way, and much of that is what I’m most excited to bring to my work with families.

How I got into birth work.

Before becoming a doula, my work had always centred around children, young people and families. I spent several years as a private nanny before moving into education and boarding schools, and eventually into mental health and counselling.

I still work as a counsellor with children and young people, and there is actually a lot of crossover between the two roles. Much of my counselling work is about helping young people understand what is happening around them, know their options, and feel confident having a say in decisions that affect them. Advocacy, autonomy and choice have always mattered deeply in how I work, so in many ways, finding my way into birth work made a lot of sense.

When I fell pregnant with my first baby, I had hyperemesis gravidarum and was incredibly unwell for much of the pregnancy. His birth was highly medicalised and very different from what I had prepared for, and I entered motherhood feeling anxious and unsure of myself.

With my second baby, I prepared for a VBAC and had the support of a doula. That birth was one of the best days of my life. I had never felt more capable, confident or powerful in myself.

Having two very different birth experiences made it impossible not to see how much the experience around birth matters. The people beside you, the information you have, the way conversations happen around you, and whether you are treated as the person at the centre of your own care can make an enormous difference, and those experiences can stay with you long after your baby is born.

In my case, preparing for a VBAC also turned out to be surprisingly countercultural. I became very aware of just how much there is to understand when you are trying to make informed decisions about birth, and how difficult that can be when you are only given pieces of information. It made me want to understand more, and ultimately became a big part of what led me to train as a doula and found Redlands Doula Co.

My approach to doula support.

Doulas vary widely in how they approach their work. Some work from a more clinical lens, while others lean towards spirituality or traditional care. I take a holistic approach, prioritising practical information and evidence-based techniques. I only use tools and techniques I value, and I won’t introduce something for its own sake.

Fairy lights, deep breathing and a birth ball absolutely have a place in birth. But birth preparation has to go further than that. Particularly if you’re planning to give birth in hospital, it is important to understand things like induction, continuous monitoring and other interventions that may be offered, why they are recommended and what your alternatives are. The candles and breathing techniques will only take you so far if you are not also prepared for the realities of modern maternity care.

Advocacy is a big part of how I support you, because it is one thing to know what you want during pregnancy and another to speak up for it when you are in labour, tired, overwhelmed, or being asked to decide on the spot. I can help slow things down, make sure you understand what is being said, and bring the conversation back to what matters to you. Hospital staff will still look to you for the final word on your care, as they should, because you are the person at the centre of it. Part of our work together is helping you and your partner feel more confident in your own voice, so those conversations feel less daunting if they come up in labour.

My approach during labour is just as intentional. There is good evidence for the benefits of continuous doula support during birth, but I am also mindful that my presence influences the birth environment. That’s why I don’t believe in constantly doing something just for the sake of it. During a birth, I am usually seated quietly, observing and offering reassurance. If you’re in labour and your body is doing what it needs to do, I don’t see the need to intervene. If I suggest a position change, coping strategy, or something else to try, there's a reason.

And when you do need more hands-on support, I’m right there. That might mean helping you regulate your nervous system, applying counter-pressure, finding a different position, using Optimal Maternal Positioning if labour is prolonged, or offering other comfort measures. If you need or want medical support, I want you to feel supported in that decision too. Medical care and intervention are not failures of preparation; sometimes they are wanted or needed.

Preparing your birth partner is another important part of this work. I want them to understand what labour may look like, how to comfort and support you practically, and how to advocate alongside you for what matters to you. There is something really special about having the person you love beside you through birth, and that shared experience can become a positive foundation as you begin parenting together.

And part of being transparent about how I work is being clear about what doula support can and cannot do. I cannot guarantee a particular birth outcome or protect you from every difficult interaction with your care team, but you won’t be left to navigate those moments alone. I see hiring a doula as a way of becoming more intentional about your own preparation, while also creating continuity of support through pregnancy, birth and the early postpartum period.

What it’s like to have a doula.

Think of my role as that of an experienced Sherpa with you as you climb Mount Everest. You and your partner are the ones making the climb in unfamiliar territory. I haven’t climbed this mountain with you before, and everyone’s experience is different. There is no way to know exactly what the conditions will be like on the day, but I understand the terrain, know what can come up along the way, and know how to help you when conditions change.

I trust you are strong and capable. I am not there to take over or do for you what you are already doing well. You are still carrying your own pack and making the climb, but sometimes that pack gets heavy. I carry one too. When you need more support, I can take some of that weight for a while, help you through a difficult section, or pull out something useful from my toolkit.

And if the conditions change or we reach a difficult section, I am right there. I can help you understand what is happening, talk through your options, offer practical support, and help you find your way forward without taking the experience away from you.

Professional Development & Advocacy

Professional Memberships

Homebirth Queensland – Current member following volunteer involvement with the organisation in 2025 and 2026

Training & Certifications

Optimal Maternal Positioning (OMP) for Professionals (2026) – With Ginny Phang-Davey

Better Births With Consent (2025) – With the Maternity Consumer Network

Postpartum Essentials Workshop (2026) – With Jessica Brodie

Lactation Training with Vijaya Hunt, IBCLC (2025)

Spinning Babies® Training (2025) – With Jenny Blyth

Certified Birth Doula, Childbirth International (2025)

Get to know me.

  • My own two births were a major reason I became a doula. My first birth was very medicalised, and the best way I can describe how I felt afterwards was shaken and disoriented by the whole experience. My second was very different. It was supported and empowering. Experiencing those two births made me want to become the person I wish I had beside me the first time.

  • I'd probably be a stay-at-home mum. I love spending time with my boys (most of the time), and I think I'd enjoy having a little more freedom to be spontaneous, rather than always having somewhere to be or something to get done.

  • I'm definitely drawn to the countryside, especially anywhere with mountains. I recently travelled through Montana and Wyoming and felt incredibly at peace there. There's something about those mountains and the sheer scale of the landscape that's hard to put into words.

    But I think I feel my deepest sense of peace when I'm with my family. Not that life with two young children is particularly peaceful. It's often noisy, chaotic, and exhausting, but being together brings a real sense of contentment. I think that's the difference for me between being somewhere that feels peaceful and feeling at peace with my life.

  • Fresh pasta, a couple of glasses of wine, and either tiramisu or gelato. 

  • When a woman realises what she has just done. I love seeing that moment when she recognises her strength and what she’s capable of.

  • Probably a long shower, a massage, a yoga class, or preparing/enjoying a nourishing meal.

  • I support families without judgment. Every woman, baby and circumstance is different, and I respect that the right choice will not look the same for everyone. And at the same time, I believe in women’s capacity to birth, and I think the current rates of intervention can sometimes make us forget how capable women and their bodies are.

  • I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up in regional and remote parts of Australia, including on sheep and cattle stations. 

  • I want women to come away from birth feeling proud of themselves and able to look back knowing they understood their options and made the decisions that were right for them. Birth does not have to go exactly to plan to be a positive experience, but I want women to feel that their voice mattered, their choices were respected, and they stayed connected to themselves throughout it.

Outside of birth work, I’m a wife and mum to two boys. I’m happiest outdoors, and I’m one of those people who enjoys camping (even the less glamorous parts). I also enjoy writing and painting, though I wouldn't claim to be particularly talented. I just think there's something lovely about having a creative outlet and doing something simply because you enjoy it, rather than needing to be good at it.

I’ve always been more interested in meaningful conversations than small talk. I love getting to know people beyond the surface, hearing about their experiences, and understanding what matters to them. And if you have a birth story to tell, I will happily listen to every detail (even better if you have photos).

I wanted to share a little more about who I am outside of being a doula, because I know that choosing someone to invite into your birth space is a very personal decision. It matters that you feel comfortable with that person and enjoy having them around.

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