About Ashley
My name is Ashley Williams. I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, birth doula, wife, and mother of two. Journey Physical Therapy and Childbirth Services LLC is a project of love that was inspired from my own pregnancy and childbirth experiences.
I feel that too many times, a pregnant or postpartum individual is given the answer “because you’re pregnant” or “because you had a baby” as to why they may be experiencing discomfort or having trouble with taboo items such as leaking, pressure in their pelvis, or pain with sex. These answers are not good enough and pregnant and postpartum individuals deserve more than their problems being dismissed because they are carrying or have carried a child. There are things that can be done to resolve or at the very least reduce their complaints at any time during the perinatal or postpartum journey.
In my role of a physical therapist, I love helping people identify and rehabilitate from various injuries in order to live their life to the fullest potential. Having children opened my eyes to the multitude of complications that people encounter in pregnancy and postpartum and ignited my passion for seeking out further education related to pelvic floor physical therapy and pre and postnatal exercise. My passion for doula services came after having children and being so fascinated by the birthing process. I love to hear every person’s unique birth story and as a doula, my hope is to help every person look back on their birth with pride and amazement at what their body accomplished regardless of how their child was brought into the world.
With the birth of my daughter in 2019, I used every pain intervention I could, had a very long labor process, and struggled with return to activity in my postpartum phase as I thought I could use my knowledge as a PT to recover on my own. I realized afterwards how physically and mentally unprepared I was going into this life changing event. In 2021 when I was pregnant with my son, I sought out all the resources I could to have a more empowered and educated birthing process. There are many factors that go into the labor and delivery process but, I truly believe that the extra preparation and knowledge I had going into my second birth helped me to have a faster and unmedicated birth with my son. I have also had a smoother recovery process and easier return to activity thus far and I attribute that to being more prepared for my delivery process and seeking out pelvic floor physical therapy to aid with my recovery as well.
By combining my services as a physical therapist and doula, I provide a unique service to individuals as they journey through pregnancy and childbirth by:
addressing orthopedic and pelvic floor issues in pregnancy to allow them to stay active and minimize discomfort
physically and mentally preparing their body for childbirth
supporting them through labor and delivery
providing resources to allow for a quicker and easier recovery in the postpartum phase
addressing common orthopedic and pelvic floor issues that occur postpartum to allow them to fully return to the activities that they enjoy
If any of this sounds appealing, get in touch to see how we could work together!
Disclaimer: You do not need to be pregnant or have had a child to receive my services. As a physical therapist, I enjoy treating a variety of orthopedic and pelvic floor disorders. Please do not hesitate to reach out for questions regarding my services as a physical therapist!