Answering a Divine Assignment: Nia Ashay’s Journey Into Birthwork

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The Moment I Knew I Wanted to Be a Doula

At bebo mia, we are building a future where doula training is both accessible and comprehensive. Our online doula training prepares students to work as birth doulas, postpartum doulas, fertility doulas, and full spectrum doulas. Through our scholarship program, we have awarded over $500,000 in doula scholarships and doula awards. This blog is part of that work, sharing the voice of one of our recipients.

A Path That Evolved Into Purpose

Greetings, fellow birth workers! My name is Nia Ashay and I was recently awarded a scholarship for the BIPOC Doula Journey. Born and raised in Orlando, FL, my aspirations for becoming a birth worker originally looked like becoming a pediatrician. Through learned experiences and new discoveries, I found the world of doula-ing on three separate occasions: 2016, 2022, and 2023. Fast forward to today, I have aspirations of becoming a full spectrum doula and midwife.

Finding Alignment Through Community and Shared Values

I was introduced to bebo mia by Tyler B. of By Tyler B., a well-known birth worker in the bebo mia community. Upon doing my research on the company, I knew I wanted to be part of the cohort because of shared values regarding connecting with your unique value and power in order to overcome adversities in life. I have a deep reverence for community; seeing how bebo mia does the same let me know I was in the right company. Being a woman of color, I overstand the disparities we face living in Amerikkka. It’s because of this that I admire the work bebo mia does in ensuring all bodies feel represented, seen, and cared for and is another reason why I desire to train under this company.

A Childhood Rooted in Care and Early Influences

Since I was a young girl, I’ve always loved babies and strongly desired to work with them. Even though I was the youngest child and only girl for 7 years, the innate ability to provide nurture and care has been ever-present. In having a love for working with children, I grew to become someone that equally loved assisting and supporting others; when my middle school friends wanted to pursue advanced chorus, I chose to go the route of teacher’s assistant. Before embarking on my adolescent journey, my mother experienced a stillbirth due to medical negligence. I didn’t know this then, however, what she went through would eventually become one of the reasons why I aspire to become a birth worker.

When Social Justice Reshaped the Direction

Upon completing my high school years at a medical magnet program, I started my freshman year at the University of Florida with my mind set on becoming a pediatrician. However, once Trayvon Martin was murdered in 2013 (less than 45 minutes from my hometown), my inner social justice warrior woke up; this led to my boycott against all Amerikkkan systems, including medical. Even though the dream of practicing traditional medicine died, my desire to work with women and their babies never did. Fast forward to 2023, I attended my first doula information workshop, where I discovered the various types of doulas: sex, fertility, birth, postpartum, abortion, and death. It was then that I knew I didn’t want to just be a doula: I learned that it’s part of my divine assignment to become a birth worker.

A Commitment to Healing Generational Impact

Having been raised in a Black family, I have grown to cultivate a deep love and reverence for all that it represents. History has both taught and shown me how the systems in place have been used against the Black family; the effects of it are deeply ingrained in our DNA. Knowing how the “powers that be” work against us, my goal as a birth worker is to shine light on these disparities and to equip my community with what we need in order to create thriving cycles of abundance.

A Vision to Educate, Empower, and Build Legacy

The services I desire to offer will be ones that equip, support, and empower families to make the best decisions for their lineage; this starts before conception. While I aim to focus on fertility, birth, and postpartum, I aspire to host workshops and events that shine a light on all spectrums of doula-ing and how it translates into the creation or continuation of a family; they will be both interactive and educational. My long term goals include opening birthing and wellness centers and starting a non-profit.

Join Our Next Online Doula Training Cohort

 If you’re ready to explore this work more deeply, our doula training and certification programs are here to support you. Apply for a doula scholarship or join our live online classroom offered each March and September. Your path into birth, postpartum, or full spectrum doula work can start here.