Conversations with Amie Ray

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amie Ray.

Hi Amie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey into birth work began with the births of my own two children. Both were born peacefully at home in Venice, California, supported by my midwife Davi Khalsa. Those experiences were life-changing—they awakened something in me. I felt powerful, connected, and deeply inspired to support other women in experiencing birth as something transformative and empowering.

With a background in early childhood education and years of nurturing families as a preschool teacher and nanny, it felt like a natural step. I stayed connected to my midwives, and in 2016, I was invited to join their team as a midwife assistant. Since then, I’ve supported hundreds of births across home, hospital, and birth center settings.

In 2022, my work took me to Oaxaca, Mexico, where I had the honor of learning from traditional midwives. That time reaffirmed my belief in the wisdom of the body, the sacredness of birth, and the power of being held in trust and love.

Today, I support families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with calm, grounded presence and deep respect. To me, birth is not just about babies—it’s about the transformation of mothers.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, my path in birth work has been incredibly smooth. I’m so passionate about what I do—it truly feels like my life’s calling. I feel deeply grateful every day to have found work that lights me up and allows me to support others in such a meaningful way.

The biggest challenge in the early years was balancing birth work with raising two very young children. Attending births often means waking up in the middle of the night and being gone for long stretches of time, and that was definitely an adjustment. But over time, my kids adapted beautifully. They’ve grown up with a deep understanding of what I do and why it matters. Now that they’re 11 and 12, they fully support it—and I think they see how alive and fulfilled this work makes me feel.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I support families through the entire journey of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum—as a birth doula and midwife’s assistant. I specialize in holding calm, grounded, intuitive space during labor and birth, whether that’s at home, in a hospital, or at a birth center. I’ve supported everything from unmedicated births to planned cesareans, and my role is always to help families feel informed, empowered, and deeply supported.

What I’m most proud of is the trust I’ve built with the families I serve. Birth is such a vulnerable, powerful experience, and I never take it lightly when someone invites me into that space. I bring a steady, nurturing presence, and I think what sets me apart is the unique combination of my background and training.

Before becoming a doula, I worked for many years as a nanny and preschool teacher, so I’m incredibly comfortable in family homes and attuned to the dynamics that come with children and siblings. I understand how to support not just the birthing person, but the whole family—including sibling integration and helping older children feel seen and included in the process.

In addition to being a doula, I’m also a trained midwife assistant, which allows me to bring a more clinical layer of support when needed. I regularly take vitals, listen to fetal heart tones, assist with IVs, administer medications, and support midwives with hands-on care during labor and postpartum. That dual perspective—emotional and medical—gives me a deeper understanding of birth and allows me to move fluidly between roles, always in service to the birthing person’s needs.

Most recently, I’ve co-founded a business with a dear friend focused on postpartum healing and ritual. While this is something I’ve practiced for some time, we’ve recently brought it into the world as a formal offering—and it’s been such a beautiful extension of the work I already do. We offer postpartum ceremonies such as Closing of the Bones, ceremonial baths, vaginal steams, abhyanga massage, and other deeply intentional, curated rites of passage. It’s a way of honoring the mother’s journey—not just through the physical recovery, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

At the heart of it, I believe birth is not just about delivering a baby—it’s about the transformation of the mother. I’m honored to walk beside people during one of life’s most sacred and powerful rites of passage.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When it comes to birth work, I don’t consider myself a risk-taker—and I don’t think this is the kind of work where taking risks is appropriate. As a midwife assistant, the midwives I work with are very conservative and careful in their approach. We monitor closely, always listening to the baby and tracking vitals, and we stay attuned to any changes that may indicate it’s time to transport to the hospital. Safety is always the priority.

As a doula, my role is more about emotional and physical support. The risks I take come from advocating for my clients, which, while not frequent, can sometimes feel a bit risky—especially in hospital settings. When necessary, I calmly and respectfully speak up to ensure my clients are fully informed and their voices are heard. I usually work through the partner first to create a united, peaceful front, but I will step in directly if needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: amie@amieraybirth.com
• Instagram: amieraybirth