This past weekend a facebook group I love (and Admin) had 12 fun and informative video sessions about doula work and more.  I wanted to share the talk I did on blogging and some small bits to consider about this flexible communication medium.  If you are a doula and would like to join in our next live sessions in January, join the Tough Love Doula Group on Facebook.  We'd love to have you! Cheers, Ariel PS -  WARNING: I cuss in this video ..read more

Goal setting.  It's proven to be a part of "successful" people's approach to life, and it is often part of any coaching, therapy session, or exercise consultation.  And that makes sense!  Where do you want to go, what do you want to be able to do, and how do you want to feel are all incredible questions that give our actions direction and purpose.   And I am one of the best at goal setting.  I can make some serious goals.  I can goal with the best goalers out there goaling.   But.   Um. I need to admit something.  Hi.  My name is Ariel and I'm a recovering start-overer.  While I a ..read more

I had 2,074 days to prepare for these mornings, but apparently it wasn't enough time.  My daughter started kindergarten this week, and I started the next phase of parenting: protecting her self esteem.  I didn't realize this was what Kindergarten was going to be.  I remember 6th grade being hard, and of course middle school...but I should realize by now all ages are hard... In these three days we have gotten up on time 2/3 mornings, packed lunches, successfully found all the parts of her uniform, and had rather enjoyable walks on the 4 blocks to her school's door. Two of the three days ..read more

Making friends as an adult is just not the same as childhood.  On the same day my daughter came home crying because she had “too many friends and couldn’t play with them all,” I was wondering if my recent invite to have people over (to help this very pregnant person paint a room) would have even one person show up.  How much time is required for adult people to become friends?  Where is the threshold?  When is it ok to go from waving and hellos at daycare pick up to invites to events, having coffee, to eventually “I’ve been around you long enough that I know you won’t judge me as a horr ..read more

I became a doula after I became a mother.  But I didn’t feel like I became myself until I realized 5 things… I have no idea what men feel when they go through life, but it has been shared over and over that women feel pretty bad, for a myriad of things: guilt, shame, body image, expectation. We get labeled as “emotional.”  And our voices become invalid. But guess what.  I’m pretty emotional.  I’m full of emotions like pride, wonder, excitement, compassion, and joy. What I see when I’m with women who are about to give birth, or who have recently given birth, are some pretty intense emotions ..read more

It's a new year and great new things are on the horizon! Ariel Swift was selected to join the ProDoula Training and Development Team starting this month, January 2016!  What does this mean?  It means that the support that Ariel has been able to provide to families will now be extended to other professionals who are curious about doula services, or in becoming a doula themselves.  Ariel Swift is available as a labor and postpartum doula trainer.  Questions can be directed to Ariel here through her Contact page, or you can call the ProDoula office directly at # 914-400-3494 to discuss bringing ..read more

Visit this blog at www.DoulasofChicago.com! Authored by Ariel Swift ..read more

  "Let's talk about it." It's not flashy, but it may be the most creative thing that I have ever shared with my daughter.  And I say this because, of something I just heard yesterday. I was listening to an interview with Todd Henry, author of the The Accidental Creative and most recently Louder Than Words where he talked about the "U shape journey" of the creative process.  He described what was involved in the work of being a creative; the layers, experience, learning, time, challenges, and struggle that made success look easy...from the outside.  And he affirmed that you can't get ..read more

It is not often, but there are times when I am the Scapegoat Doula.   It is not a comfortable spot to be, but it is recognized by birth workers that sometimes families need a release of tension and anger.  Sometime it comes out as blame.  And sometimes that blame is laid upon the doula.   Birth is unpredictable.  A "perfect" pregnancy can turn into a high risk delivery extremely fast.  A well-progressing labor can turn into an emergency cesarean delivery.  Families are left with little opportunity to choose any option other than to follow their care provider's lead. People know that t ..read more

I am so excited to share a conversation with Shannon Griffith, owner of Green Diaper Babies, Chicago's premier cloth diaper delivery service.  I used disposable diapers with my daughter when she was a newborn, but was happy to convert to cloth diapers when she was about a month old.  Using cloth diaper with my daughter I fell in love with their ease, baby-friendly fabrics, and how well she was able to convert from diaper to using the toilet. What was most surprising for me getting started is that they can be just as simple as disposables.  There is something out there called an All-I ..read more