Ariel Swift

Ariel is a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator based in Chicago, IL.  With 14 years of experience serving families both directly and through curriculum and program development, Ariel has a wealth of knowledge to help families navigate pregnancy and the first year of parenting.  

While Ariel has experience serving a wide range of babies and family types (first-time parents, twins, and experienced birth-givers), Ariel delights in transitional care and system-building.  These transitions can include coming home from the hospital, the end of parental leave, transitions from room sharing to nursery, and beyond.  With an approach that seeks to understand family values and integrate biological norms appropriate to a baby's age, Ariel hopes to empower parents and reduce anxiety.  “Let’s figure this out so it works for you” means Ariel won’t tell you what to do, but she has several reasonable ideas that will make it feel possible to take the next steps.

Ariel has earned multiple birth and postpartum doula and childbirth education certifications (DONA International, Birth Arts International, ProDoula, Doula Trainings International, and Evidence Based Birth), helped open and run Chicago’s first freestanding birth center in 2021, and worked to advance Illinois legislation supporting equitable access to maternity care. She has also developed leadership teams inside birth centers nationwide to expand access to midwifery care and strengthen community-based birth support systems.

Originally from Washington State, Ariel has called Illinois home since 2005. She brings a common-sense, hands-on approach to both her professional and personal life, valuing clear communication (and humor!), healthy boundaries, and calm, intentional spaces.

Ariel is the parent of two midwife-attended births, is partnered with a supportive husband, and shares her home with a small herd of cats. She is honored to support Chicago-area families through pregnancy, birth, and early parenting with care that is rooted in experience, advocacy, and heart.

I have a deep belief that well-supported parents create ripples that can help strengthen our communities for generations to come.