We had the pleasure of chatting with Britni Sisco CBD, CPD (CBI), HCHD and are excited to shine a spotlight on all she is doing to serve growing families in our community.

Britni is the owner of Star of the Sea Doula Services. She is a St. Louis, Missouri based birth and postpartum doula, serving both the St. Louis and St. Charles areas.

Her heart for supporting and empowering women shines through as she talks about her work. The Office of NFP is excited to introduce you to Britni!

“My mission is to help you thrive”

Britni Sisco

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My husband Greg and I have been married for ten years. We have three beautiful children here with us on earth and one in heaven. We live a very active lifestyle and enjoy being outside as much as possible! We are huge fans of the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge. This year we are hoping to actually make our goal of 1000 hours outside! We love hiking, camping, everyone else in my family loves fishing, and can often be found at one of the amazing parks we have in the area.

When I’m not outside chasing my kiddos or doula-ing, I can be found gardening, reading, or attempting to finish a long forgotten embroidery project. 

I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology at Franciscan University and then trained as a doula through Childbirth International. I also received additional training and continuing education through Birth Arts International, Spinning Babies, and Newborn Care Solutions. 

Are you originally from St. Louis?

I grew up in Illinois in the Metro East, but I have always considered the St. Louis area home. This city holds a special place in my heart. I naturally root for all the St. Louis teams. Thankfully football is no longer a concern as my husband is a Seahawks fan, and that always caused some tension between us. I am mostly joking but it does help during football season! 

We love all the St. Louis things! We have an awesome parks system in the area and a number of State Parks close by that provide great opportunities for outdoor adventures for our family or for last minute “we want to hike today” outings. 

We love the food scene here too. While we don’t eat out a lot, it’s fun to try new, amazing restaurants when we can!  

What exactly is a doula?

As a birth and postpartum doula I support families through the life-changing experience of having a baby. I am a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during and after childbirth through her postpartum time. My goal is to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying journey into parenthood possible, whether it is the first journey or a familiar one. I provide supportive, nurturing care so that you not only feel loved but empowered. If you want to chat about if a doula is right for you contact me today!

How did you decide to become a Certified Birth Doula and a Postpartum Doula?

The knowledge about birth and babies had always been there for me! Having a mom who was open with us about her birth experiences, and having friends who did mission trips with midwives in college and share their experiences with me, the birth world (as us doulas call it) has always been a part of my life.

This led to me doing a lot of research with my oldest child and choosing what some considered a not-so-typical birth experience. Afterwards, I found that I really enjoyed helping my family and friends navigate their options in regards to their maternity care and labor and birth experiences. Most of them did not know what options were actually available to them. They did not know that they could change providers if they were not happy with the care they were receiving nor that they could have a voice in their care.

This discovery, along with the realization that this a large part of what doulas do, made me want to jump in head first and so I did! The postpartum training and certification came after I realized that I was also providing this level of care for a lot of my clients anyway, so I figured, why not? 

Have you done any interesting research or have specific professional areas of specialty?

I like to say that with doula work there is always something new to dive into. While my specific professional interest is in helping families achieve the unmedicated birth they are planning (often at home), I have helped families plan all kinds of birth experiences, at different types of locations which entails constant research and learning.

There is always new research being released, so we are constantly learning new things about how the way the birth experience is managed can impact both mom and baby. I, therefore, do my very best to make sure my families have access to that updated information, as I firmly believe that to make an informed choice families need research not opinion.

I also love to educate my families on how to maintain a healthy pregnancy through nutrition, physical activity, and the use of other professionals that can help to maintain the overall wellbeing of the body. I can and will do a lot for my clients to help them achieve their goals for the birth of their baby!  This is the great thing about being a non-medical person during this time for families as I can help them fill in the things that can be missed with the way we standardly do maternity care. 

Tell us about Star of the Sea Doula Services. Where are you located? Are you accepting new patients?

My practice is solo. I work on my own but partner with other awesome doulas in the area when needed. I take on a small client load because my children are still young and we are still growing our family, so I am always re-evaluating for my family’s needs. This is a huge pro to running your own business! The best way to know if I’m taking on any new families is through social media. I am based out of Saint Charles and try to stay close for postpartum work, but I have been known to travel quite a ways for my birth clients. 

What are your hopes for your patients, your practice, and your career?

My hope for my clients is that they leave their birth and postpartum experience feeling educated and empowered. I want them to feel they had a voice in their care and the care of their baby as confident parents. 

For me personally, I hope to continue to grow as a doula, always able to reflectively listen to my clients and help to meet their needs. As my children grow I hope to expand into more postpartum work, as well as childbirth education. I know this business and my ability to do this work is a gift from God and I have to be open to what His plan is for me.  

How has your Catholic faith helped you live out your vocation as a doula?

The Church’s teaching on life and womanhood have really shaped who I am as a person and as a doula. This has inspired me to help other women find the power in the “feminine genius”.  I think the beauty of these teachings are so desperately needed in today’s society on so many levels. I love to remind the mamas I work with that they are made for this. Made for birth, made for motherhood, made for inherently knowing what their babies and families need. 

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