Meet Our Birth & Postpartum Doulas

“Storms make trees take deeper roots”

Emily Massey

Emily became a Doula because she needed one. After going through her own traumatic pregnancy, having preeclampsia and an emergency c-section at 27 weeks, her baby girl, Eliza, came into the world weighing just one and a half pounds. She was searching for answers that she could have been given to her from the start. That experience lit a fire in her. Emily completed both of DoulaBrella’s birth and postpartum training sessions, each held over a weekend in a small, tight-knit group, and by the end, she truly felt like she found family. The experience was raw, personal, and deeply emotional. She left each weekend feeling more in touch with herself and with the work itself. Emily walked away from each training refreshed, rejuvenated, and hungry to keep learning. They left her confident she was on the right path, coming away with real skills in communication, deep listening, and a clearer understanding of how the medical field operates today. It was an experience that has stayed with her and inspired her to continue on this path to bring every family she serves, informational support, hope, understanding, and to always bring calm to any storm.

“A steady presence through birth, healing, and beautiful beginnings.”

Amanda Rojo

Amanda’s journey has taken her through classrooms, volunteer opportunities, work with infants and mothers, travel amongst underserved communities, and countless experiences caring for individuals and families in their everyday lives. Though these experiences may appear different, they have all taught her the same lesson - the greatest fulfillment she finds in life comes from being of service to others. Amanda learned the value of hard work, compassion, patience, and meeting people exactly where they are. She witnessed the vulnerability that comes with allowing another person to care for you, your child, your family, or your home. These experiences have shaped her perspective and strengthened her belief that care should never be limited to treating a condition; it should also mean seeing, hearing, and understanding the person behind it. Over the past few years, Amanda became a certified birth and postpartum doula, supporting families from all walks of life. Her work has developed a particular focus on infant care, trauma-informed support, and promoting healing and well-being through movement, yoga, nourishment, and compassionate care. She approaches each family with patience, warmth, and the understanding that no two journeys into pregnancy, birth, or parenthood are the same. Through this work, her purpose has become even clearer. Her future plans are to become an OB/GYN surgeon and help bridge the gap between midwifery, doula support, and modern obstetric and gynecologic medicine. Amanda hopes to become a physician who pairs clinical excellence with humanity; one who understands that bringing life into the world, protecting a patient's health, and supporting someone through their most vulnerable moments are extraordinary privileges.

“The body grows an entire new organ with the sole purpose to grow and nourish your baby, and then expels the organ after it’s done. How amazing that we can then utilize its benefits by nourishing ourselves with it.”

Melissa Carrick

Melissa has been providing comprehensive placenta services since 2017, including encapsulation, tinctures, umbilical keepsakes, and art prints. She brings a deep background in anatomy and physiology from her work as a surgical technologist, massage therapist, yoga teacher, and birth doula. Because of her surgical background, she is meticulous about setup and cleanup procedures, strictly adhering to all safety guidelines for food safety and bloodborne pathogen handling. Melissa is passionate about the natural benefits of placenta capsules and tinctures, though her favorite part of the process is creating artwork that permanently captures the beauty of the 'tree of life.' In addition to her hands-on services, Melissa offers a self-led, online placenta services training program for anyone interested in learning this practice.

“We’re all just walking each other home.”

Jamie Young

Jamie is a birth and postpartum doula with a background in psychology, public health, and plant-based nutrition.Before becoming a doula, she worked as a professional nanny and later built a career in the startup world. Missing the connection and purpose she found in supporting families, she expanded her work to include birth and postpartum care. Connection is at the heart of the way she supports families. Her goal is to become someone you genuinely trust and feel comfortable having in your corner, whether you need information, reassurance, practical help, or simply a steady presence beside you. Jamie brings a calm, practical, and judgment-free approach to every family she supports. She’s not there to tell you what your experience should look like, but to help you understand your options, trust yourself, and make the decisions that feel right for your family. Jamie is deeply invested in DoulaBrella and its mission to make compassionate, family-centered care more accessible. In addition to her work as a practicing birth and postpartum doula, she helps train new doulas and serves on the board of the DoulaBrella Institute. When Jamie is not working with clients or training doulas, she is helping redefine the way kids eat at FoodNerd, traveling and salsa dancing in South America, cheering on the Bills with friends and family, working out at F45, or singing way too loudly in her car. In between it all, she loves unwinding at home with her cats, Tofu and Cannellini.

“I am grateful to be a woman. I must have done something great in another life.”

Elle Gross

Elle is DoulaBrella certified birth and postpartum doula. Before becoming a doula she was a nanny and had the privilege of working with multiple families who were expecting a newborn as she was caring for their other children. After observing firsthand the final moments of pregnancy unfolding into the beginning of labor and birth, Elle saw an opportunity to provide a different type of support to families. Being a doula is particularly rewarding because she gets to witness some of the most intimate and special moments of someone's life, which in itself Elle finds an honor, but she also feels privileged to nurture and care for families during their transitions. Entering this new role, Elle instantly fell in love with the beautiful chaos that is the postpartum experience. She truly appreciates the unique nature of each child and family that she has supported and believes each situation deserves to be approached with respect, knowledge, and unwavering kindness. Elle graduated from the University at Buffalo with a bachelor degree in Health and Human Services with a concentration in Child and Family Studies. She is currently practicing in the Buffalo NY area. When she’s not working she loves spending time with family, cozying up with a good book, or being outside with my dog Ollie.

“Birth and postpartum can be calm and peaceful. These transitions may be magical and powerful and should be supported.”

Vanessa Guitte

Vanessa is a DoulaBrella certified birth and postpartum doula who brings a unique blend of analytical expertise, fierce advocacy, and deep compassion to perinatal care. After spending years navigating the complexities of family law as a practicing attorney, Vanessa felt a profound pull toward more heart-centered work. Driven by a desire to support individuals and families during life’s most transformative transitions in a deeply personal, nurturing way, she shifted her professional focus to doula care. Her background in law provides her with a sharp, grounded perspective on client rights, clear communication, and informed choice, while her doula training allows her to show up with emotional intuition and steady presence. Whether guiding parents through the birth process, offering gentle, practical support during the postpartum trimester, or supporting new doulas, Vanessa creates a safe, empowering space for growing families. She blends professional rigor with heartfelt empathy, ensuring her clients feel heard, respected, and thoroughly cared for every step of the way.

“NO QUOTE”

Kirsten Bryce

Kirsten is a certified birth and postpartum doula who truly loves her work and feels it is her calling to provide comprehensive, compassionate evidence based support to her clients. Empowering birthing people and newly postpartum parents, she encourages her clients to make the best decisions for themselves while also helping them to pivot and provide alternative solutions when necessary. Kirsten cares for the family as a whole, including non-birthing partners, siblings, grandparents, and pets to assist with the transition of adding a new family member. She prides herself in making meaningful connections with her clients and is able to anticipate their specific needs so they can focus on their birth, healing and caring for their newborn.

“We're all just walking each other home.”

Annastasia Marburger

Annastasia connected with DoulaBrella to learn more about doula work, and left their training feeling truly called to this practice. They are honored to have the opportunity to support families through the sacred and vulnerable process of welcoming a child. After years of working in the childcare and social work spheres, Annastasia is ready to grow into the role of Birth and Postpartum Doula. They completed both trainings in January and March of 2026, and they also maintain their Adult and Pediatric CPR certification. Annastasia is inspired by doula work, and loves to learn something new about it every day. They stay up to date on the latest evidence-based birth practices, and pull information from multiple sources to provide well-rounded support. Annastasia's doula practice focuses on families of all backgrounds, including those going through adoption or surrogacy journeys. They believe the best path to having a child is the one that feels most right to the individuals involved, and their goal is to empower parents as they tap into their own physical, mental, and spiritual instincts.

“A doula is like a light in the dark, bringing calm to the storm.”

Maria Hunter

Maria is a passionate birth and postpartum doula, newborn specialist, night nanny, and proud mother of four from Western New York. Deeply committed to supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, Maria brings both personal experience as a NICU mom and specialized professional expertise in multiples and preemies. As an infant care expert and night nanny, she provides the guidance, rest support, and nurturing care families need to thrive. Her mission is to deliver compassionate, personalized support that helps every family feel confident and cared for every step of the way. Outside of her work, Maria enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and cheering for the Buffalo Bills.

Western New York Doulas