Danielle Chancellor-Checketts
Midwife, CPM-LDEM

She is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and is also licensed through Utah and Idaho as an LDEM (Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife).
She became interested in childbirth after suffering a late miscarriage in 1998 and found her life’s passion in it while teaching childbirth classes and attending births as a Doula in the remote area of Oregon that she lived in for 11 years.

Danielle has 6 children. She birthed her first baby in the hospital. She found this experience to be tolerable but wanted to feel more “listened to” and in control of her birth. So for her next birth, she had her baby at home underwater and has never looked back.

Danielle’s cardinal rule about birth is to listen to the Mother. She believes in birth and a Mother’s ability to birth. She feels so honored to be able to attend to expecting Mothers and families. Danielle is business savvy but she also very much enjoys working one on one with each client, so that she is able to give personal care to every woman needs & deserves.  Thant is why most of the care given at Mermaid Birth will be with Danielle.

Danielle has a gentle considerate touch.  She is very aware of the mother as she births and assists her in the ways that the mother has asked her to.  Danielle is very sharp and can spot a problem and head it off before a bigger issue arises.  She has seen all kinds of situations and is able to handle things calmly and quickly.  She’s exactly who you need in an urgent situation.

The skills she has gained through the years is truly a great benefit to those she cares for!

Interested in birthing with us?

Contact us to see if we would be a good fit for you and your birth experience.

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Anastasia Shepherd, CPM-LDEM
Supporting Midwife

Anastasia came into the birth world because of her best friend but found early on that it was for her!  She is one of 9 girls in her family.  She knew someone should take on the task to help her sisters have their babies!  And she is fabulous at it!  She has a very clear, calm mind that helps you feel safe but can also act quickly if any urgent need arises.  She is extremely patience.   She works closely with Danielle to provide excellent care for all the Mermaid Birth clients.
She is a licensed midwife as well as a CPM.
She has worked with Danielle since 2016 attending over 200 births.

Mindy Wheeler, LMT
Massage Therapist

Mindy is our expert pregnancy Massage Therapist. Mindy has worked as a part of our team since 2018, providing an excellent massage that is included in our birth package! She is a licensed Massage Therapist and offers massage in our office(s) and can even travel to your home, for an additional fee.  She also has skills in Craniosacral sacral therapy and is certified to offer that technique to clients and even babies. Mindy’s massage skills have come in handy quite often for births when we call her in special to get her expertise. Her skills have helped many mothers have faster, more comfortable births.

Danielle and all of her team are certified in CPR and neonatal resuscitation.

Birth Assistants, Student Midwives & Doulas

Rebekah Rowles
Student Midwife, CNA

Hi friends! I’m Rebekah and I was born and raised Chihuahua, Mexico. My whole life I’ve been super passionate about the human body and the gifts that God has given us to help heal and support it naturally. I started my journey in Arizona to become a nurse hoping to one day become a nurse midwife, but after I got accepted into the nursing program, I just knew there must be something better out there! Then, to my delight, I ran into a Certified Professional Midwife while going to school in Idaho! I started apprenticing with Mermaid Birth in 2020 and I absolutely love helping our momas birth naturally! I’m very grateful and thrilled to be on this journey to become a midwife. I think it’s quite an honor to help families bring their new little ones into this world! I’ve been a CNA, am a certified footzonist and have done a little training in craniosacral therapy along with other healing modalities such as herbs, homepoathy and essential oils. You can bet I’ll do my best to serve you to the best of my ability!

Kara Layton
Birth Assistant, CNA & Doula in training

I am Kara, and I love helping women and families through the birth and postpartum process. I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Boise, ID. My first experience with birth was in my 20’s when my sisters had their babies in a hospital, and then my own birth of my oldest. In 2010 I moved to Riverdale, UT to start a family with my husband and daughter. We have four boys together, one daughter and two bonus kids. After a few not-so-great experiences with hospital births, I decided I wanted to be at home. With the help of my doulas and Midwife, I had my last two babies in the comfort of my own home. As my youngest gets older, I am finding joy in helping other families have their best birth experience. I love to practice all things natural and I am an experienced breastfeeding mama.
I am a trained Birth Assistant since 2022. I am a Certified Nursing Assistant, and I am a doula in training. I am CPR and Neonatal Resuscitation Certified. I have experience in Hypnobabies and The Bradley Method.
I am a homeschool mom and a volunteer for the BSA. I enjoy spending time with my husband, Ryan, and our 7 kids, traveling, golfing, watching basketball, camping, and the outdoors.

Beth Roholt
Birth Assistant & Doula

“My name is Beth. I’m a single mommy of two from Brigham City Utah. My first birth ended in an emergency c-section and my second birth was a natural out of hospital VBAC. It was during planning for my daughter’s birth that I started to realize I wanted to help other families on their birth journey too! Shortly after my VBAC I trained with Bebo Mia to become a fertility, birth and postpartum doula. I have since trained to specialize in VBAC birth, childbirth education, and am now a midwives assistant with Mermaid Birth (where I had my second birth!). My favorite part about this job is witnessing the autonomy of natural birth and seeing the power and strength these mamas harness to bring their babies into their arms. I am absolutely in awe of birth and hope to be part of it in one way or another always.”

Sarah Burnett
Doula

I’m thrilled to introduce myself to you as a part of the fabulous team here at Mermaid birth center. My name is Sarah Burnett. I’m an Ogden raised, turned Tremonton local, homeschooling mama, fashion guru, craft enthusiast, health and wellness advocate, and lover of all things motherhood.
My journey into the world of birth work began in 2017 when I stepped into the transformative path of motherhood with the pregnancy of my first daughter. As young new parents, we initially contemplated the hospital setting. However, upon discovering the alarming statistics low risk mothers-to-be face when delivering in a hospital setting, I felt compelled to seek out midwifery care as a safer alternative for myself.
I went on to deliver my first two daughters at Mermaid birthing center. Following those two experiences, in 2022 I had miraculous twin home birth and that’s when my calling to birth work truly began to blossom.
Eager to make a difference and provide support to other families, I was trained as a doula through the DONA program and started my path as The Bloom Doula.
Only a little bit later, I’m embarking on my journey into birth assisting at a place I hold dear to my heart. This is a decision that has solidified my passion and purpose in life. The world of birth has resonated with me on a profound level, as I’ve discovered the immense joy and fulfillment that comes from caring for families and “holding women” during one of the most intimate and transformative experiences of their lives. With every opportunity to serve and support families during their childbirth journeys, I strive to empower and uplift, ensuring they experience the beauty, safety, and respect they deserve.

Hailee Swank
Student Midwife & Doula

Hey! My name is Hailee. I am a mother to one wonderful and rambunctious little girl. My pregnancy was fairly uncomplicated and the birth went relatively well, though I didn’t feel like my OBGYN cared much about me or my wishes. His communication with me was less than ideal, to say the least. I’ve always been interested in pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I watched SO many birth videos on YouTube long before I got pregnant. My mom had 6 C-Sections! I didn’t know much about midwifes or doulas or out-of-hospital births until after I had my daughter. The more I learned though, the more my soul hungered to know more, and to get involved! I took my doula training in March of 2020, just before Covid hit. From there, I connected with Anastasia at an event in Ogden and she got me in touch with Danielle. Ever since getting to attend my first birth, I’ve gotten passionate about this kind of empowering healthcare for women. I can’t imagine a greater privilege than being a part of such sacred moments; getting to witness the incredible strength and love that women posses and watching families grow closer together. I’ve been attending births at Mermaid Birth for over a year now. I’ve enjoyed every moment, from the in-depth trainings to supporting women and families through their unique experiences with labor, delivery, and postpartum. Every birth I attend gets me even more anxious to continue my own family so that I can experience the incredible support I’ve seen Danielle and her team give others!

Get the SUPPORT you need to have the birth YOU want!

Interested in birthing with us?

Contact us to see if we would be a good fit for you and your birth experience.

Click Here