Ines Serna
Owner/ CEO of the Labor Lounge
We are a compassionate team of professional birth workers dedicated to supporting women, birthing people, and their families throughout the perinatal experience. Each of us has answered a personal calling to this work, and we are united in upholding our shared values in every aspect of what we do.
This group of doulas provides backup doula support to the Labor Lounge LLC as needed. Please note that these doulas are independent community birth doula partners for referral services listed on this website and are not employed by Ines Serna or the Labor Lounge LLC.
Community Partners
Araceli Neri
I am Ara, a certified doula walking with families across Northern New Jersey and New York. My path is braided with the wisdom of my Mexican and Indigenous ancestry, guided by the medicine of my abuelas whose hands, prayers, and stories still echo through my work. I weave these ancestral teachings into modern birthwork, tending to the thresholds of life with reverence.
As a mother of three, my greatest teachers, my mirror, my constant source of inspiration, I am reminded each day of the sacredness, mystery, and transformation that birth carries. Their presence shapes the way I show up: humble, open-hearted, and committed to honoring every family’s unique journey. My studies in Criminal Justice and Psychology deepen my understanding of the systems surrounding birth and the emotional landscapes families navigate.
A practitioner of cacao ceremonies, blessingways, and postpartum bone closing, I hold space like a hearth warm, intentional, and rooted in cultural respect. My Gestalt therapy training in Mexico allows me to listen not only with my ears, but with my body, attuned to the emotional and somatic needs that arise during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
I walk this path as a lifelong student. Each birth, each story, each mother and birthing person teaches me something new. My devotion is to support others in remembering their power, trusting their intuition, and reclaiming birth as the sacred rite it has always been.
May every family I serve feel safe, seen, and deeply held, wrapped in the tenderness of tradition, the strength of community, and the quiet magic of their own becoming.
Susan Bellocq
(Su/She/Her) is a mother of one sassy little girl. Her passion to advocacy began as a child, being 1 of 3 siblings with no health condition. Her brother had respiratory issues, and her sister had cerebral palsy. Life seen and experienced through my mother’s eyes made her realize women need to be heard.
Recently, Susan trained as a birth doula at the Partnership Of Maternal And Child Health. Currently, she is training as a lactation counselor.
As your Doula, she will provide you with that voice of advocacy. You will be provided emotional support, hands-on learning, virtual learning, and guidance throughout your pregnancy journey.
She holds a master’s degree in public administration and has 15 years of experience working in pediatrics. In addition, she has received a certificate of completion for BLS, CMA, New Jersey’s Perinatal Bereavement Training for Community Health, and breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support. Her goal is to empower you through your life events that will forever be giving.
“I want to enhance your pregnancy experience and change the birth narrative. Let me be your voice.”
Elizabeth Cano
Elizabeth Cano (Ella/she/her) is a Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator. Her passion for childbirth began with her birthing her four children within five years and learning the amazing power of the mind, soul, and body in physiologic birth and thereafter. Becoming a DONA-trained Doula has given her the professional skills and resources to help other birthing people and their partner(s) awaken and tune into this power.
As your Doula, she is honored to hold space for you and meet you where you are along your reproductive journey. She will provide emotional, informational, and physical support and hold your hand as you learn to advocate for your preferences in what is the most personal and sacred time in your life. By encouraging you to feel confident, fully supported, in control of your choices, and well-equipped with the tools and comfort measures, her goal is to help you optimize any path your birth takes.
She especially wants to do all she can to educate the community about the power of birth support, increase access to these evidence-based services, and work with BBIPOC and trans and queer birthing people who often experience trauma and inequitable care during their gestational journey. As a Latinx Doula, she is a strong proponent of reclaiming and honoring the cultural roots of birthing communities and their traditional practices. Elizabeth is a member of Evidence-Based Birth and VBAC Facts Professionals.
Maria Hierro
Maria is a passionate maternal health advocate who graduated in May 2020 from William Paterson University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. Her dedication to supporting mothers, especially those from low-income communities, has been a lifelong calling that began in childhood.
Currently working as a Prenatal Educator, Maria provides education and support to expecting parents, helping them navigate the journey of pregnancy with confidence and care. Her deep commitment to maternal and infant well-being led her to train with HealthConnect One, where she earned her certification as a birth doula.
Maria has had the privilege of supporting multiple births and considers it an honor to be part of such a transformative moment in a family’s life. As a doula, she is devoted to offering each expecting parent the support, education, and advocacy they deserve. With compassion and dedication, Maria is there every step of the way—empowering families through informed, respectful, and personalized care.
Yareni Sime
Yareni Sime graduated in May 2020 with a Master of Public Health in Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and in 2018 from the University of Rochester with a dual bachelor’s in Public Health and Psychology. Her professional and academic backgrounds are in maternal and child health and sexual and reproductive health. Yareni is a birth doula certified by Health Connect One, a postpartum doula trained through by BPBS and a recently certified Lactation Counselor certified by ALPP.