Doula Bios
Ananda Lowe
DIRECTOR
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Lactation Specialist
Workshop Instructor
Ananda has been a leader in the local, national, and international doula movements since 1995. She is co-author of The Doula Guide to Birth (Penguin Random House), as well as a Lamaze-trained childbirth educator and a retired Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in pregnancy. For seven years, she was Assistant Director of ALACE (now ToLABOR), the oldest doula training organization in North America. Ananda has spoken on parenting topics for The Boston Globe, FOX Television, NPR, and PBS. She is also an avid Latin dancer and has danced in Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Madrid, San Juan, and Tel Aviv!
Brenda Morris
Postpartum Doula
Brenda grew up in Ireland as the middle of thirteen children, and has cared for babies her whole life. She is a Postpartum Doula, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Eldercare expert. Her specialties include caring for multiples, kids with special needs, LGBTQ families, grandparents, furry friends and historic houses. A mother of teens, Brenda fully breastfed her twins for three years. She is an amazing cook, a former Journeyman carpenter, a long-distance cyclist, and an all-star fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. When she's not burping babies, Brenda runs her agency, Boston Caregivers Home Health, LLC.
Celeste LeMieux
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Celeste is an experienced birth and postpartum doula, an expert yoga teacher, and a women’s empowerment coach. In her twenties, Celeste decided that she wanted to help new families to bond deeply. She believes that this desire came from her own experience of being a preemie.
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Celeste is a born teacher, whether she's teaching yoga, coaching, or educating new parents on how to care for their newborn! She is calm, patient and kind. She will hold infinite space for how challenging new motherhood can be while reminding you how amazing you are and helping you to believe in yourself!
Celeste LeMieux
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Celeste is a longtime doula, a women's empowerment coach, and an expert yoga instructor who was the second person in all of Boston to specialize in teaching prenatal yoga starting in 2002. She has taught classes for new families at Isis Parenting, MIT, Harvard Vanguard, and Healthworks Fitness.
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Celeste is a born teacher, whether she's teaching yoga, coaching, or educating new parents on how to care for their newborn! She is calm, patient and kind. She will hold infinite space for how challenging new parenthood can be while reminding you how amazing you are and helping you to believe in yourself!
Sam Rodriguez
Birth Doula
Prior to becoming a birth doula, Sam was an early educator for a decade, as well as a traveling caregiver all over Massachusetts. She holds a degree in human services with a focus in substance use counseling, and currently works with women/mothers in early recovery in the Boston area. Sam is an IVF mother after years of infertility due to endometriosis. She stumbled upon birth work after having her own traumatic birth. Birth work has been rewarding and healing for her. She's a foodie and she enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, and being outdoors with her daughter!
Jillian Hollis
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Postpartum Doula
Lactation Specialist
Jillian has dedicated her career to supporting growing families and newborns and has provided expert support to new families for nearly two decades. She is a Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doula, Miscarriage Doula, Certified Infant Sleep Coach, and Lactation Counselor. Jillian and her husband recently welcomed their first daughter, after a 3-year fertility journey. They spend their time watching soccer, traveling, and snuggling their rescue dog, Hamilton.
Kerri Babish
Birth & Postpartum Doula
Lactation Specialist
Workshop Instructor
Kerri is a full-spectrum doula who provides birth and postpartum support for the Boston Doula Circle team. She has had a passion for helping children and families throughout her life, from babysitting as a teen, to her fourteen years as a public middle school teacher, to her current doula work. As a mother of three, Kerri often says she wishes she could go back and impart the wisdom she now has to the first-time mom version of herself. Since that's not possible, she's pleased to pass it along to new and growing families instead! Kerri loves working with families of all shapes and structures, and she has a special place in her heart for helping support big siblings as they welcome new babies into their homes!
Joanne Daley
Postpartum Doula
Workshop Instructor
Joanne is a doula as well as professional Massage Therapist with more than 20 years of experience in settings including hospitals, spas, and retreat environments. A teacher of Massage Therapy techniques for professionals and Infant Massage for parents, she specializes in Ayurvedic body treatments, and Swedish, Craniosacral, Prenatal and Postpartum Massage. Joanne’s personal experience with high-risk pregnancy, maternal bedrest, and parenting a preemie motivates her to support parents as they navigate gaps in their care and advocate for their needs.
Ellen Ellerbee
Birth and Postpartum Doula
Originally from the UK, Ellen has called the Boston area home for over a decade. With a background rooted in caring for her younger siblings and a deep-seated fascination with pregnancy and childbirth, Ellen's journey into doula work was a natural progression. She has attended continuing education workshops on pregnancy and infant loss and pregnancy massage. Ellen also works as an Early Learning Specialist for the ParentChild+ program in Medford. She enjoys spending quality time with her family, exploring nature through walks in the woods or along the beach.