Founders & co-OWNERS
Christy Muscato, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, SbBCPE, Founder
(585) 576-0665
christy@bbcroc.com
Christy is a lover of many things including music, books, art, her kids and has sometimes been known to series binge on Netflix. She has lived in many states and many homes. This gives her understanding of being away from family and close friends during life changing events like the birth of your child. She has been honored to be invited into a variety of births and to provide support. Some have included VBACs, high risk, single parent, twins, c-sections, even a vaginal breech delivery! She has supported many natural and medicated births as well as hospital and homebirth. After an “emergency” c-section for her 1st daughter she knew there was more to birth. She looked and was amazed at what she found. Doulas, Lamaze, amazing networks of supportive women. Her tribe. Her second daughter was a beautiful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) supported by her amazing doula.
Christy is a Certified Birth Doula with DONA® International (2006), a Lamaze® Certified Childbirth Educator(2006) , an Approved Birth Doula Trainer with DONA International (2016), a Postpartum Doula and has trained with Postpartum Support International which is a great resource for families dealing with postpartum mood disorders. In addition to being a Spinning Babies® Parent Educator (2018), and a Certified Body Ready Method℠ Pro (2022), she is also a founding member of the Doula Cooperative and proud member Rochester Area Birth Network in Rochester, NY. Her witness to how birth can change a woman’s life gives purpose to her goals of educating and empowering families before and during labor as well as provide support during the postpartum period. She is excited to share with women the strength and choices they have.
Julia Sittig, MSW, AdvCD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, SpBCPE, Founder
(585) 613-1051
julia@bbcroc.com
Julia has had the honor of accompanying women and their partners through pregnancy and birth since 2004, years of invaluable experience that have led her to deeply appreciate the time honored truth that women have been designed to participate in birth, not just experience it! She has supported women and their families through so many different journeys in birth, from first births and singles to multiples, vaginal and cesarean, VBAC and VBA2C, hospital and home, natural, high risk, and more. Julia is an Advanced DONA International Certified Birth Doula (2004) and Birth Doula Trainer (2011), a Lamaze International Certified Childbirth Educator (Passion for Birth, 2004), and has many years of experience as a homebirth midwifery assistant. She is also a Spinning Babies Parent Educator (2018), a Certified Body Ready Method℠ Pro (2022), and has completed coursework with Amy Wright Glenn on “Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss.”
Julia’s goal as a doula is to offer continuous support for women and their families throughout pregnancy and birth through prenatal discussions and birth planning, assisting with comfort measures and positions during labor, and providing emotional support and immediate postpartum guidance. In her role as a childbirth educator, Julia seeks to bring a wealth of research based information to the table. Her passion is educating parents about their choices in pregnancy and birth, in order to help guide them through the best possible healthy mom/healthy baby scenario and a wonderful birth experience. There are few joys quite like walking with a family through birth!
Julia is the mother of five, wife to a fabulous and supportive husband, a home school educator, and now – believe it or not – an Oma to a beautiful granddaughter. She stays active in the birth community through the Doula Cooperative (Community Liaison) and has been a member of the Rochester Area Birth Network and a board member for the Institute for Family Centered Childbirth. With a heart for community, Julia has worked alongside the Perinatal Network of Monroe County to grow a Community Based Doula Program, and frequently works alongside of refugee families in the Rochester area as they give birth for the first time in the US. Her goal is to keep learning and growing in her knowledge and understanding of the miracle of birth, and to keep actively sharing what she learns with others.
Side hobbies? Julia loves to walk with her husband and her dog in the woods, attend kid’s sporting events, go camping with her family, sit on her front porch and read, craft, watch movies, and you can always find her at the Roc Public Market on a Saturday, coffee in hand. Unless she’s at a birth.
Alison Spath, IBCLC, CD(DONA), RYT 200, Co-owner
(585) 451-9968
alison@bbcroc.com
Alison began her work in the birth community in 2007 as a Chapter Leader of Rochester’s International Cesarean Awareness Network and in 2008 as a breastfeeding support group leader offering mother-to-mother breastfeeding support. Today Alison is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) (2018), Certified Birth Doula with DONA International (2014) and Registered Yoga Teacher (2014).
Alison is honored to support families from early pregnancy through early parenthood. Her goal is to help you work toward your goals; whether you desire a non-medicated or medicated birth, to exclusive breastfeed/chestfeed, exclusively pump or to combo feed your baby, Alison cares deeply about the importance of personal and informed decision making and aims to provide her clients with evidence based information in all things related to pregnancy, birth, feeding and early parenthood. Alison’s own birth and breastfeeding experiences along with her work with hundreds of families over the years has taught her that there are often some unpredictable bumps and turns on this journey. What’s most important to her is that you were informed of your options, feel supported, heard and respected throughout all the many decisions you will make during this time in your life.
Alison enjoys teaching prenatal yoga because her personal prenatal yoga practice played a very important role in her own physical, mental and emotional preparation for her VBA2C (Vaginal Birth After Two Cesareans). Alison loves guiding people through a safe and gentle yoga practice that has the potential to positively impact your pregnancy, labor and birth. She believes that birth is a sacred and transformational journey, a journey that will change your life forever.
At BBC, Alison teaches our Intro to Breastfeeding class for expecting parents, facilitates our weekly breastfeeding support group Breastfeeding Cafe, offers private in home (or at BBC) lactation consults and teaches weekly prenatal yoga classes. Alison is a seeker of knowledge and enjoys continuous professional development through reading, listening to podcasts, connecting with other professionals in birth, lactation and related fields and attending birth and lactation workshops, classes and conferences.
Alison loves to learn and talk about health and wellness and enjoys staying active through hiking, walking, contra dancing, biking and yoga. She loves being a mother to her three children and has always enjoyed talking about, learning about and sharing memes about all the ups and downs of parenthood.