A.Swift Doula Support

  • Ariel helps families have a great birth experience, regardless of birth location. With 14 years of birth experience in hospitals and birth centers, you’ll find out quickly in the first conversation if this will be a good fit. Ariel knows when to ask questions so you can come up with the answer with guided help, and she knows when you are looking for someone to tell you what to do next.

    Ariel’s Labor support starts at $2000 for first time parents.

  • Ariel is an experienced overnight postpartum doula. From twilight to firstlight, the work that happens is foundational to little ones having great experiences for the remainder of the day.

    Daytime postpartum doula work is accepted on a case-by-case basis, so ask for what you want, and let’s create a care plan that works for everyone.

    Ariel’s hourly rate is $45 an hour, or $40 an hour for labor clients who continue on with her care.

  • Ariel has been training, mentoring, and supporting doulas since 2015. Ariel was gifted tremendous support when she was a new doula, and believes sharing information and offering ongoing care to other doulas is key to reducing burn-out, and essential to reducing horizontial violence.

    If you are a doula and would like to connect, please use the contact form.

Connect for Doula Inquiry

About Your Doula

Ariel Swift has been officially working with birthing populations for 14 years. But her connection to this work traces back to July 13, 1998, when she witnessed her first birth at the age of 15. 

Since that time, Ariel has gathered several doula certifications and childbirth education initials, helped open Chicago’s first freestanding birth center, worked to progress legislation benefiting all birthing people in Illinois, and developed leadership teams across the country to further maternity health care with expanded access to midwives.  Through it all, Ariel has kept her focus close to the heart of her work.

Ariel comes from a play-filled homeschooling start in Washington State and has been building a life in Illinois since 2005. She finds purpose by staying connected to her belief that creating spaces where children enter the world with a well-supported family can start a ripple of positive healing that could impact our entire world for the better. Ariel likes to approach problems with common sense or creative solutions, both at home and elsewhere. She greatly appreciates hands-on projects, small people, boundaries, and clean countertops.

Ariel has two midwife-caught children, a gracious husband, and a small herd of cats.

What Other Doulas Say

  • Ariel is a doula's doula. She offered the support we all need to feel successful in this work, which involves so much giving of ourselves. With patience and without judgement, Ariel is present for whatever questions come up. She helps pull out the wisdom you already have inside of yourself, cheerleading you on every step of the way. I wish for all doulas to have a mentor like Ariel.

    Sarah P.

  • I felt incredibly seen and heard. Ariel is a curious and effective facilitator. She is responsive and attentive to the needs in the space.

    Nyehla I., community doula

  • Ariel, I cannot thank you enough! I talk about what I learned all the time to anyone who will listen.

    Melissa H., doula and childbirth educator

  • The Doula Guide Post is a time of collective idea generation, support, encouragement, and guidance from incredible peers and the brilliant Ariel, who provided so much insight from her years of experience. The Guide Post was and is a launching point for me to take the steps I needed to do doula work well in my community. It helped me understand my values, 'why's', and goals. I felt seen, heard, pushed, and challenged in this group, which brought about real growth. I know that I have not only left this experience with new knowledge but with long-term relationships that will be vital to my growth as a doula.

    Ama M., Doula and Photographer

  • Ariel's expertise is VAST and I'm blown away by how generous she was in sharing her knowledge. She did such a great job encouraging us to consider our own values for our doula practices, while emulating how to bring a collaborative, compassionate and nonjudgmental practice to our clients. Her grasp on birth equity and what antiracism looks like was really helpful to see, and gave me a lot to think about how I can raise my own bar for how I approach this within my work.

    Michelle E., doula

  • A real must for building community with new doulas and learning from a pro!

    Darnicia H., doula