Ellen Guthrie

5/10/2024

Ari provided me with both prenatal and postpartum support. Before birth, she held a Mother’s Ceremony for me. We chose a spot outdoors that was meaningful to me, and she prepared a beautiful ceremony to welcome and celebrate my transition from single “maiden” to mother, complete with herbal foot bath, ancestral chanting, and words of affirmation from my loved ones. It was such a deeply significant moment for me. She also supported me postpartum in my home, talking me through my birth experience and offering hands-on support in the form of guided yoga, hands-on massage, and Closing of the Bones - a unique ceremony where she helped my body heal and come together. Her energy is calming and full of love. I always felt comforted knowing that she was coming to be with me, and she will always be such a high point of my motherhood journey.

Vlad Moskovski

5/9/2024

Ari attended our birth and then stayed on the next day to help us. She was incredibly attentive, support my wife and I during the 15+ hours of labor. She educated us, cared to all of our needs even before we knew we had them and the following day cooked delicious food. I would recommend her services to anybody and everybody!

Grazia

5/5/2024

Choosing Ari as our doula was one of the best decisions we made for our birth journey. Her calming presence during labor gave me the support I needed to manage the surges as they became more intense. Her gentle demeanor and soothing reassurance helped create the ideal atmosphere. Thanks to her support I achieved my dream birth - an unmedicated, physiological birth at the hospital.

Leading up to the birth, Ari not only heard our questions and desires but truly understood them, guiding us through every step with empathy and understanding.

But her support didn't end with the birth. She provided postpartum meals for a month. These nourishing meals were a blessing - they were delicious and more than anything allowed me to focus on bonding with my newborn without worrying about meal preparation. 

Thanks to Ari I felt supported every step of the way, from labor to postpartum recovery. I can't recommend her highly enough for her invaluable role in our journey to motherhood

Kylie McBeath

1/28/2024

Ari's ability to nourish a mother is unmatched. Her calm and attuned presence is medicine during these life-changing times. As a new mother I felt so held and nourished by Ari, her amazing food and caring touch. Hands down the best investment!!!

Becky Jensen

12/11/2022

I'm so lucky that I had Ariana with me for the birth of my first child! My husband and I interviewed several doulas and chose Ariana because she was so easy to talk to, had a very calm presence, and had attended births at our local hospital in Santa Cruz. The in-person meetings and text/phone exchanges that we had prior to birth were a good opportunity for us to discuss my birth preferences and concerns. When labor started, Ariana checked in with my husband and I by phone several times and later helped us judge when it was time to go to the hospital. She was there to support me in the waiting room while my husband was stuck filling out paperwork at the front desk (I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through that period of time without her). Once we were in the delivery room she was a fierce defender of my birth preferences in a way that my husband and I, as first-time parents in an unfamiliar situation, could not possibly have been on our own. Right after the birth (which had some unexpected complications), Ariana was there to offer the calm reassurance that I really needed, and that I generally did not get from the hospital staff. She even fed me my first post-birth meal when I couldn't feed myself! Overall Ariana did an amazing job of making me feel cared for before, during, and after my birth experience and I can't recommend her enough! 

Frances DeJongh

12/7/2022

Ariana was an incredible help to our family during our postpartum months. She had the perfect calming energy to help me with my physical and emotional healing after giving birth. She answered our questions each week regarding newborn care which made us feel more comfortable and confident that we were making the right choices for our family. Her postpartum massage was deeply relaxing and made me realize how important it was for me to make space for self care in my healing process. Ariana is a talented and thoughtful postpartum chef. The food she made was delicious, healthy, and vital to my recovery with ingredients that were specifically chosen for postpartum nutritional needs. She was gracious enough to extend our meal service for several extra weeks when we lost use of our kitchen due to water damage. She is a genuine and caring person who is devoted to helping mothers and families thrive during the intimate, important, and challenging experience of bringing a new baby into the world. We were so thankful to have her on our birth team.

Greg and Christie

7/25/2022

We are so thankful for Ariana!  From the moment she entered our pregnancy journey she brought a calm, reassuing and empowering presence to our experience.  Throughout our labor and delivery we felt Ariana in our corner, walking us through what was happening, expectations and laying out our decision options.  She educated us on new positions that advanced our labor succesfully and resulted in the fullfillment of our birth plan.  Our child is now three months old and looking back, we are tremendously grateful for Ariana's role in our birth experience.  We look forward to Ariana being present for everytime our family grows and cannot recommend her enough!

Alegria

7/8/2022

I had Ari as my doula and post-partum chef/doula and she was simply amazing. The love and care she puts into what she does is incredible and I always felt so calm and secure when I was with her. She listened to me and my husband's birth expectations and gave us valuable information and feedback to prepare as best as we could. We had regular checkins via phone/email and the home visits were priceless. I wanted an unmedicated hospital birth and got the birth of my dreams. I can honestly say a huge part of that was because of Ari. She gave me resources to follow and prepare, and the level of trust and support she gave me really helped. The day of the birth we were constantly in touch and, once she arrived at my house, the support she provided me with (From breathing to exercises) really made a difference. At the hospital, she set up a wonderful environment with music and low lights and the entire birth experience with her and my husband by my side was one of the most amazing things I've ever gone through. Ari also provided me with homecooked meals after birth and she gave incredible postpartum massages that really helped me. I really felt her love, passion, calmness and friendship during my entire pregnancy and postpartum and felt very lucky to have her as my doula. Overall, I would not hesitate to have Ari as my doula again. She is simply the best. 

Calista

6/23/2022

Ari was an integral part of my pregnancy.  I could not have asked for a more loving or caring doula.  She came to me, checked in via text and email, allowed me to check in whenever I needed to, and was the first person to arrive for my first birth, which was a homebirth.  She, along with my husband, was my rock.  Truly.  Having an unmedicated birth at home is not for the weak, and Ari helped me breathe through it all, she encouraged me, and sometimes I would just look up at her, she would give me a look, and it was like strength was sent back to me, and I knew I could do this!  I also hired her on as mt postpartum doula, and she cooked delicious, nutrient-dense meals for me and my husband.  You cannot cook the first month; one really needs to rest, and Ari saved us!  I love you, Ari!  Thank you for being a huge part of my first homebirth, and I can't wait to do it again with you in the future if I'm lucky enough again!

Emily Helbush

5/18/2022

We hired Ariana to provide postpartum meal delivery for us after the birth of our son and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Having access to such nutritious and flavorful food felt very grounding during a time with so much transition and change. All of her foods contain ingredients that are easy on the digestive system and help revitalize the body after the major event of birth. Not to mention her food was absolutely delicious. Some of our favorites were the Date Chicken Broth Soup, the myriad of roasted vegetable dishes, and the Peanut Butter Mamas Cookies which were frequently eaten in just a few days (and enjoyed by the entire family). We would absolutely hire Ariana for this service again.

Rosa Angelica Hoyos

1/14/2022

El haber conectado con Ariana fue lo mejor,ella me ayudó en todo el proceso de mi embarazo y el nacimiento,el soporte que ella brinda  es único,desde empoderarte de tu propio cuerpo con muchas afirmaciones para el nacimiento y mentalmente .

ella me ayudo y me apoyo  a llevar un plan para el único nacimiento de mi hijo ezekiel , tal y como yo lo quería, ella alzo la voz por mi en un momento en que yo estaba más vulnerable , ella estaba hay como un ángel apoyándome para que todo saliera bien.

Mis contracciones empezaron leves y sus consejos de cómo sobrellevar todo me ayudaron a sentirme más segura y empoderada de mi cuerpo y el nacimiento , ella estaba hay en cada contracción , con masajes, música , aceites,su voz  es única fue una de las cosas que me ayudaba a seguir cada contracción y concentrarme , ella me ofreció sus brazos para poder descansar en una contracción bastante fuerte.

la música que ella tocaba me conectaba con mi cuerpo , cada afirmación  que ella susurraba a mi oído era clave para llevar cada contracción cuando se ponían  mas intensas y fuertes .

finalmente después de todas esas horas en las que ella estuvo conectándome con mi interior , nace mi hijo ezekiel , ella hizo todo más llevadero y calmado, ella es un ángel.

sin ella no hubiera sido posible  tener esa experiencia de tener mi hijo ezekiel en un ambiente tranquilo y conectado con mi interior.

ariana sabe lo que hace y definitivamente yo la recomendaría a ojo cerrado, gracias Ariana por apoyar a la tribu y la comunidad.

Rosa Angelica Hoyos.

Patricia Gorman

11/24/2021

To whom it may concern,

My name is Patricia Gorman and I am the director of  the Jesus Mary Joseph Home, a long term transitional shelter for  women, children and those in need of end of life care. I was looking for support for a young mother named Rosa  living at our shelter.  Ariana Kaback came highly recommended by a dear friend of mine, Salle Webber, author of "The Gentle Art of Newborn Family Care: A guide for postpartum doulas and caregivers. Ariana turned out to be a perfect match for Rosa, who was in need of prenatal, birth and postpartum doula support.

Rosa is Spanish speaking so  Ariana being bi-lingual was a big plus. They were able to connect with each other immediately. Ariana's professionalism, compassion, vibrance and knowledge were apparent from the start. Ariana was able to answer many of our resident's concerns, assisted her in her birth plan and helping her to make sure her birth was as natural as possible. Ariana provided encouragement, physical comfort, massage,  educational videos, props for laboring, and  to Rosa's other young children at the same time. She is an excellent birthing coach and emotional support to Rosa. The birth of Rosa's baby boy was a truly sacred event and Ariana Kaback contributed to the best possible birth outcome one could hope for. 

I highly recommend Ariana to anyone looking for the support of a doula. She's one of the best.

Sincerely,

Patricia Gorman, Director

Jesus Mary Joseph Home

Santa Cruz, Ca. 

Nicole L

9/4/2021

Ariana was an essential team-member of our birth team and we can't imagine our pregnancy or labor without her. She brought a positive energy and always said the right thing to encourage me! During pregnancy, she helped calm anxieties and taught me lots of exellent stretches and exercises that I did everyday. She helped mentally prepare me and my husband for labor and gave us peace of mind that an experienced doula would be there to guide us. She is very knowledgable and a calming presence. She goes above and beyond, for example offering to look up acupuncture services near our home. 

My labor was 35 hours, without an epidural or any pain medication. This journey would not have been possible without my amazing team of Ariana and my husband. They took turns being with me, massaging my back, holding my hand, giving me water, encouraging me, and counseling me when the medical staff presented us with options for encouarging labor to progress. Ariana was with us the entire time, making our hospital room comfortable and cozy.

We loved working with Ariana and 100% recommend her to anyone looking for a birth doula. She has such a special place in our heart and if we have another child, we'll want Ariana there with us. 

Kathryn

8/26/2021

Ariana is an amazing doula; she is kind, warm, nurturing and healing! Because of timing I could only have her as my postpartum doula, and she was absolutely a god send. Her cooking, company and massages were exactly what I needed. Ariana is a loving presence who truly cares and loves what she does. Her passion coupled with her generous personality makes for an amazing doula! I loved working with Ariana for the first six weeks postpartum, and I am so glad that if I need more, I can reach out and she will be there to help me. I cannot recommend Ariana more for a postpartum Ayurvedic doula!

Amy Coy

8/8/2021

Ariana was a wonderful support for our family postpartum. My husband is a first responder and is away for multiple days a week having Ari come help made my postpartum period much more manageable. She is a great cook and kept me nourished with healthy food. Ari is so  easy to talk to and some days having an adult to talk to was just as important as having a break. I would definitely recommend her for postpartum support. 

Mara

6/11/2021

Hiring Ari as my birth and post-partum doula was hands-down the best decision I made in preparing for the birth of my second child. She’s amazing. Warm, caring and encouraging - she’s exactly who I needed in my corner when I was in labor. I don’t think I could have made it through labor without pain meds if it hadn’t been for Ari. She demonstrated extremely helpful counter pressure techniques for my partner to use on my back during each contraction that provided much needed relief. She knew when to step in with supportive suggestions and when to sit back and let my husband take over. She also comes with a network of supportive people which I didn’t know I needed but was wonderful to have. When I was a week past my due-date, and facing another unwanted induction, she suggested acupuncture. Lo and behold, I went into labor that night. Im so grateful that I got to have the spontaneous natural birth that I had hoped for - all very much thanks to Ari. I also hired Ari as my postpartum doula to help me with my recovery, cooking and to watch our toddler while I got some much needed rest. She’s fantastic with kids and an amazing chef. If you’re considering hiring Ariana as you’re doula, do it. I cannot recommend her highly enough. And ask her to make a batch of her awesome oatmeal cookies :)

Nicole Rodrigues

6/2/2021

Words can't even begin to describe how incredibly grateful I am for all that Ariana did for me and my daughter. Her presence is warm, accepting, gentle, and filled with love. She is passionate about helping mama's be the best version of themselves so they can in turn pour out from an overflowing cup to their littles. Having her prepare my meals to keep me nourished was a game changer! I don't think my mental health would have survived had she not made sure I was fed. Having a hot bath drawn and the chance to take a cat nap to rejuvenate was AMAZING! I knew my daughter was safe and loved well when Ariana was here so I could rest easy. I looked forward to the days she would come, and as I write this, I realize how incredibly missed she is now that we have come to an end with our time together. I would hire Ariana time and time again if I had more children. She truly is an amazing human being! 

Lindsay

5/30/2021

Ariana is a lifesaver! (or in this case a birth saver!) Since I started working with Ariana in the second half of my pregnancy, she was there for me through all the ups and downs. She was there to encourage me when I felt overwhelmed and able to offer advice when I felt confused about how to address different pregnancy challenges. She and her friend Katya (also a doula) also performed an amazing mother blessing ceremony for my husband and I. The ceremony brought me so much peace and joy leading up to my birth.

Now for the birth itself. Ariana was a true birth saver! My husband and I chose to do a homebirth for our son, who is also our first child. In doing a homebirth for our first birth, it was so helpful to have Ariana's wisdom and experience from the many birth's she has attended. I had some challenges arise during my birth as well that I truly don't know how we would have navigated without her. Did I mention she also gives amazing massages? Her gentle, loving precense was not only grounding for me but for my husband as well. With Ariana helping us navigate unfamiliar aspects of the birth process, my husband felt free to support me in ways he knew best. All in all, Ariana was an amazing source of support and joy for my pregnancy and our son's homebirth. Thanks, Ari!

Shadaye H.

4/27/2021

I am so glad that Ari reached out and offered to do a mother's blessing for me. I did not know what to expect at first but the blessing unfolded in such a beautiful way. I felt very held and comforted by the sacred space Ari and her assistant doula Katia created for us. It really was something special that I did not even realize I needed. The blessing was pure sweetness and full of great energy. Thank you for offering your love and practice in this way.We feel so ready to embark on this journey of parenthood and to leave behind all the fears. So much gratitude for you sharing your prayers, time, kind words, and beautiful voice with our family. 

Elena Blebea

4/23/2021

We loved working with Ariana! She is such a warm and accepting person, which really made me feel safe and supported working through some of the "hang ups" I had about natural birth so that I felt really ready when labor came. She is also amazing at meeting us where we are at- we hired her as a post-partum doula and our needs have basically been continually changing, but she has been flexible and helpful every step of the way. I would highly recommend working with her! 

Sofia Romero

4/7/2021

SHE RADIATES LOVE

I feel so much love and good energy when speaking with Ariana, she really helped reinforce my feeling of trust and confidence in my body throughout my pregnancy. She also was so proactive in helping find the right doula for me, I am so inspired by how passionate she is about the true magic of pregnancy and birth and anyone who lands in her care will be treated with the utmost respect and love! 

Kelly

3/26/2021

I decided to work with a birth doula to have a spiritual and natural birth experience with my second child.  I immediately knew Ariana was the right doula for me becasue of her passion, knowledge and experience with the birthing process.  I had no idea at the time how influential Ariana's support would be.  My prenatial visists with Ariana helped me get very clear on the birth experience I was seeking and she helped me develop my birth plan.  Shortly after we started working together I broke my foot and had to have surgery at 8.5 months pregnant. Following my surgery Ariana was extremely supportive and helpful.  When I decided at 36 weeks that I wanted a home birth, she helped me find a fantastic midwife and I ended up having a truly exceptional birth experience.  Ariana also facilitated a beautiful ceremony called a blessing way to celebrate me and my unborn daughter with a few close family and friends.  The blessing way was one of the most precious experiences during my pregnancy and I will cherish that memory forever. Ariana went grocery shopping stocked my home with nourishing, healthy foods that she prepared for me and my partner after the birth. She also helped me with placenta encapsulation. Ariana provided postpartum doula services to us for the 6 weeks after my daughter was born.  During that time, she helped me navigate life with a new baby and a broken foot.  She prepared amazing meals that were tailored to my preferences and supported my milk supply and healing from the birth.  She also helped my son adjust to having a baby sister.  Words cannot fully express the deep gratitude I have for Ariana's compassion, nurturing and support.  We even gave our daughter the middle name Ariana as a way to honor the beautiful impact she has had on our lives.

Daniella

2/11/2021

Ari was kind, thoughtful, proactive and very helpful. She took care of me and my husband, not only of our baby. She showed us tips and tricks regarding mindfullness to cope with the stress, played with our baby daughter, advised us on healthy eating and cooking for breastfeeding and relaxation techniques and was there to spend time with our daughter and be kind and empathic to us. She is great and I recommend her very much!

Julie Schwalbach CD(DONA)

2/6/2021

I met Ariana in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in February 2020 while we were volunteering for Dar a Luz Honduras. It was my pleasure to work with Ariana for two weeks as we supported birthing mothers at two public hospitals. The reality of giving birth in Honduras is intense and difficult for mothers, and emotionally challenging for doulas supporting them. Ariana's gentle and caring manner, along with her persistence in making certain to do her best to meet the laboring moms' needs was heartwarming and impressive. She was able to adapt quickly to the specific manner in which doulas are able to support moms in the hospitals there, a crucial trait of flexibility so important to doula work. Ariana was also a strong support for me as witness to the emotional work we did while in Honduras. I wholeheartedly recommend Ariana for both birth and postpartum doula care.
Julie Schwalbach CD(DONA)