Holistic Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Support in Nosara

Women who desire to feel safe, loved, nourished, understood, and respected during their journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum:

welcome home.

Somatic therapy + conscious midwifery

Hi, I’m Ashley!

I am a mama to three amazing children, all of whom were born at home.

I have an embodied knowing that choosing to conceive, give birth, and support ourselves and each other in the postpartum time in alignment with our spirituality and physiological + emotional needs… will change the world for the better in drastic ways.

I am a certified midwife through Indie Birth Midwifery School, and have completed my somatics training through VITA. Prior to this, I became a doula through Childbirth International.

After spending three years completing my midwifery apprenticeship and studies in Sedona, Arizona, I had my own practice for only a short period of time (6 months) before “retiring” from midwifery.

Since completing my somatics training, establishing my therapy practice, and moving to Nosara, I’ve realized that I just can’t “quit” working in the birth community.

I will always feel called to support women through all seasons of life, but especially the beautiful liminal space and rite of passage that is conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum/Motherhood.

It’s one of my highest honors in this life, the act of witnessing women and families during birth. And every time I am invited into this space, I can feel the wonder and awe at our capacity and power as women, as families, as humans.

I’m glad you’re here. <3 I hope you take a look around and get to know the different ways I can support your vision in this beautiful time in your life.

If you feel called to weave together more deeply, please reach out.

What our work together can look and feel like:

  • Nourishing and healing somatic sessions where we work through fears, mindset shifts, coping patterns, and limiting beliefs that no longer serve you

  • Nervous system restructuring to embody safety, love, and connection with your higher power, deeply within the cells of the body and on all levels

  • Priming your conscious + subconscious mind, your body, your emotions, and your spirit for the journey of birth and motherhood ahead

  • Nutritional counseling for optimal physical support of both your body + your babies, for the pregnancy, birth, and the nourishment you’ll need in your postpartum/during breastfeeding

  • Recommendations for supportive herbs, homeopathy, and alternative therapies like acupuncture, reiki, cranio-sacral, chiropractic, and more

  • Family-centered discussions about ALL choices you can make throughout this journey, their impacts, and your ability to navigate them in the moment of birth

  • Holistic childbirth education which weaves spirituality, mindset, physiology, anatomy, and somatic adaptation in order to maintain your sovereignty and mastery of your own experience

  • Support for siblings and family members who may be at your birth

  • Relationship counseling for when your pregnancy, birth, or postpartum brings things to light that need to be addressed and navigated before the baby comes

  • Worthiness, confidence, and empowerment building during pregnancy

  • Full education and discussion on the ceremony of birth + the rite of passage of matrescence.

  • Conversation about the return to fertility after birth.

  • The importance of the newborn transition, supporting the golden hours after birth

  • Full postpartum preparation session to make sure you’re as ready as can be for an easeful transition once baby arrives

Optional Additional Ceremonies:

Motherblessing:

A motherblessing is inspired by traditional indigenous gatherings where the mother is blessed and nourished deeply, during pregnancy. This is a special moment for you to share, be seen, be heard, be witnessed, and be nourished and loved on by the women in your life. Elders in your life can offer their own supportive stories of navigating the rite of passage of childbirth, as well as their love and honoring of your unique journey of becoming a mother. Expect to leave this Blessingway feeling connected to your closest circle of support, confident in your journey ahead, and full-to-the-brim with love.

Closing Of The Bones:

This is a very special and traditional ceremony used by native cultures around the world, but specifically central and South American ones, where the transition from initial postpartum to the rest of life as Mother is marked, honored, celebrated. This typically involves a cleansing bath, a nourishing massage with warming oils, a closing-of-the-bones which involves wrapping each part of the body closed again after the porousness, liminality, and openness of pregnancy and birth, and then ceremonially honoring the end of the initial postpartum period and beginning of the rest of life. Invite your dearest sisters and supportive family members.

Structure Of Our Time Together:

  • 2 prenatal meetings per month of your pregnancy

    • Each meeting is 90-120 minutes long, and we will alternate between emotional processing/somatic work and traditional midwifery care. These are held in the comfort of your own home, with your partner present. These are our opportunity to become friends, dive deeper into who you are and what you desire, and to paint the clear vision for your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences.

  • Attendance at birth (within an hour of Nosara)

    • I come to your home to join you when you feel you are ready for support, and remain with you throughout birth and immediate postpartum.

    • (Note: I do not attend births in San Jose. I understand many women desire this to be closer to a hospital, and we can dialogue about this point, but I am not attending home births in San Jose at this time.)

  • Immediate postpartum

    • Once baby is born, I transition into nourishing and supporting you and your connection with your baby. Support your + your baby’s transition, getting you comfortable, fed, nourished, nurtured, and supporting with initial breastfeeding/latch.

    • Tending to your placenta, protecting the golden hours, and getting you and your partner set up for your first 24 hours with baby. I remain for the first 2-4 hours post-birth.

  • Long term postpartum care

    • I will come to see you in your home 4 times in the 3 months after you give birth. Generally this occurs 24-48 hours after birth, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.

    • These postpartum visits are for you to be heard, honored, witnessed in your emotional process, and nourished on all levels. You can share and integrate your birth story when you are ready, ask any questions, and receive nurturing mother-to-mother support.

    • Practical/physical support in this time can include massage, prepping nourishing food, preparing herbal baths, demonstrating baby-wearing and baby massage techniques, checking in on your physical healing and your baby’s physical transition into newborn-hood.

Price for all of the above (not including optional additional ceremonies) is $4999 USD. Please send me an email at love@ashleycarver.com or WhatsApp at +13126136777 if you’d like to set up a free phone call to chat and see if we’d be a good fit. <3

Testimonials:

“Ashley is AMAZING! We hired her last minute - about one month before our due date - and I wish we started to work with her sooner because she was so supportive. I love her calming energy, which was extremely helpful during my labor process. She was attentive to my every need, providing massages, water, snacks, essential oils, and supporting words throughout my labor and delivery. She truly was so sweet and the perfect support person I needed to get me through my first childbirth experience. I highly recommend her!” — Jessica

“I am a first time mama, and having Ashley was so amazing! It was so great to have the support for both my husband and me. Loved having her as a part of our journey and would definitely hire her again if I ever do this again!” — Julia

“Ashley was one of my biggest supporters through my pregnancy. Not only did she answer any questions I had about physical symptoms and check in with me frequently to see how I was doing, but she also just listened without judgement and validated my feelings as I accepted the reality of my unexpected pregnancy without a supportive partner. She is truly an amazing advocate for natural, empowered birth, and I am so grateful to have had her support throughout this journey!” — Rachel

“Ashley had such a transformative role in creating the most incredible space for me to birth, mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Every day I wake up grateful to have met her and to have gotten to have my birth with her. Her presence impacted me so much and now I want to empower all mamas too, as much as she empowered me. She impacted my life in so many ways, even besides birth and labor. She accepted me for me, always made me feel really beautiful in my pregnant body, and extra beautiful after, even as I sat on the toilet and she rinsed blood off me. She is such a gift to the world. A real friend who showed me real love, compassion, and honesty.” — Ali