About Me
Hi! My name is Ariel. I am a mom of three and a lover of cookie dough icecream, wine nights with fellow birth junkies, and movie nights with hot cocoa. My drink of choice while I am out and about will almost always be a mocha late! Even better if it has whipped cream and chocolate syrup! I dream of beaches, but miss the mountains if I am ever far. I don’t think my husband would ever be down for us leaving these amazing mountains anyways! We both grew up in Colorado and are happy to call it our home.
I became a doula in April of 2015 after giving birth to my daughter and shortly after, in January of 2016, I started my birth photography journey.
I have had a hospital birth and two home births. Home birth definitely has MY heart, but I love supporting my clients so that they can have the birth that THEIR heart desires.
My biggest bragging right is that I birthed a 10lb 3oz baby at home after an only two hour labor. My daughter brags about it too! Homebirth is a family affair in my home and the kids are a big part of their siblings joining earthside too.
Photo by Brezi Merryman from my most recent birth
Photo by Brezi Merryman. Birth is obviously a family affair in my family! And you see that squishy baby… he was 10lbs 3oz!
See the pen on my arm? My daughter wants to be a hairstylist, midwife, and a tattoo artist. She’s got big dreams… You will see me with pen on my arms at least once!
Photo from the birth of my son by Brezi Merryman. You’ll probably hear me talk about how my daughter got to catch her brother. Best moment of my life!
Photo from the birth of my son by Brezi Merryman
How it all started...
I watched my mom give birth to my sister when I was 14 and I was in love with how the birth process worked. The strength a woman holds on the day she gives birth is truly magical. Fast forward to when I gave birth to my daughter in 2015 and I truly realized that birth work was my calling. Throughout my pregnancy I had researched everything I could think of that I wanted for my birth and I was convinced I was going to have an amazing birth experience. I got to the hospital feeling strong and ready for the magic. I was induced which was not in my birth plan, but I thought it was okay. From there, the start of my daughter's birth was okay, but by the end I was feeling vulnerable and torn down. No one was listening to my wishes and no one was there to stand up for me. I gave birth to my daughter in a way I never imagined. I struggled with my birth experience because it wasn't anything that I wanted... but at least I had a healthy baby, right? Wrong! I am beyond grateful for my healthy baby, but what about my emotional health?! I'm not telling you this so that you are scared of birth, but so you understand why and how I got here today. So from there, I looked for how I could help women achieve the birth they desired. 3 months after my daughter's birth I attended my doula training. I want to help people feel empowered and educated throughout their experiences.