Hey! Welcome to The Birth Chat!
We’re so glad you’re here!
The Birth Chat is a trusted resource for all things pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and parenting. Our mission is to empower families through education, evidence-based information, and community support.
🌍 Our blog is fueled by contributors from around the world—birth workers, parents, and experts—who share knowledge, experiences, and valuable resources to help families navigate every stage of their journey.
Meet Our Contributors
Below, you’ll find the incredible voices behind The Birth Chat!
📢 Interested in joining us as a contributor or guest blogger? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us today to learn more. 😊
Ashley Barksdale, LCSW, CFLE, CADC-II, PMH-C
Founder
Ashley Barksdale is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, Certified Family Life Educator, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She is also a doctoral candidate for marriage and family therapy at Liberty University.
As the owner of Barksdale Missions, LLC, a private group practice, Ashley serves as a therapist, social worker, educator, and advocate. She uses a person-centered, holistic approach to support individuals and families in her community. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Instructor of Psychology and Family Science at Mississippi University for Women (MUW) and a Support Coordinator for Postpartum Support International (PSI).
Ashley holds multiple certifications, including Certified Trauma Professional and Certified Grief Professional. She currently serves as the Certification Board President for the Mississippi Association for Addiction Professionals (MAAP) and is a board member for both the PSI Mississippi Chapter and the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE) Advisory Board.
Passionate about family well-being, perinatal mental health, and psychiatric care, Ashley is committed to supporting and educating healthcare providers to enhance their professional development and improve their quality of care.
Nneka Hall
Mom, Doula, Bereavement Specialist, ROSE Peer Counselor, Minister
Nneka Hall is a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness advocate with a primary focus on infant and maternal mortality within the African American Community. She is the founder of the Quietly United in Loss Together Campaign, which is a Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of all types of loss from conception through a child’s first two years of life, teach healthy fertility through womb health education, provide support to families who suffer these losses and provide support for memory programs so they won’t close due to inability to afford supplies.
Nneka is the mother of four: two Sunshines (Jelani and Symone), one angel (Annaya Marie, stillborn at 39 weeks gestational age on August 27, 2010), and one rainbow (Bradleigh).
Following her daughter’s stillbirth, Nneka sought ways to aid others in having a positive birth outcome. She stumbled across the doula profession and needed to learn more. She is a full-spectrum doula, holding certifications as a birth, bereavement, and postpartum doula. She is a certified International Bereavement Specialist, a Certified Community-Centered Herbalist, a Womb Health Specialist, a Crystal Healer, and a childbirth educator.
In June 2016, Nneka was selected due to her work in the pregnancy and infant loss community to participate in the US Women’s Summit as a Nominated Change Maker hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.
Mom, Doula, International Bereavement Specialist, Uterine Health Coach, Nominee Changemaker, and soon to add the title of “Author.”