Birth Doula Training
An Intensive, Interactive Three-Day Doula Workshop
This workshop trains participants to become expert labor support providers. During this course we will utilize a 300+ page training and reference manual; leverage videos, slides, games, and activities to increase your knowledge; and use simulations to build confidence and practical skills. This workshop is one step in the process of certifying as a birth doula with Doulaing The Doula.
The DTD Childbirth Course is required to complete our Birth Doula Training workshop. This is a one-day course that you can take the day before the three-day Birth Doula Training workshop. This course covers the basic knowledge to get started as a doula.
Course Recognition
After attending all the required components of the workshop, participants receive a completion certificate. The course offers 24 interactive CE hours and 4 self paced online CE hours for a total of 28 instructional hours. When taught by Amy Gilliland, this course offers 28 CE hours by the California Board of Nursing.
Course Content
During our Birth Doula Training workshop, you will work directly with a DTD Doula Trainer and other students to:
- Recognize the emotions and psychological processes associated with labor and birth.
- Discuss the role of the labor support person during the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum periods; emphasizing the importance of appropriate, culturally sensitive support.
- Practice hands on skills in positioning and comfort measures.
- Learn how to enable laboring people and their partners to cope with complications in pregnancy, labor and early postpartum.
- Adapt to treating every client and family with trauma informed care.
- Assist clients to empower themselves in labor and advocate effectively.
- Develop strategies to guide the supportive parent through their own unique journey of labor and birth
- Describe the doula’s standards of practice and ethical code of behavior.
- Learn the practical aspects of setting up a doula practice, including the establishment of fees and records, finding your first clients, and planning your own first steps. (Over 50+ pages of business resources!)
Doula Integration Strategies
- The Unique Power of the Doula
- Working with Doctors, Midwives and Nurses
- Creating A Team Atmosphere in the Labor Room
- How Community Doulas Mend Racial Disparities in Birth Outcomes
- Doula Self Care
Pre- and Post-Labor Support Skills
- Best Practices for Prenatal Visits
- Immediate Postpartum and Third Stage
- Supporting the “Golden Hour” for the Infant and Parents
- Postpartum Visits
- Challenging Labors
Emotional Support & Addressing Trauma
- Emotional Support Strategies
- Trauma Informed Care/ Doula’s Role in Trauma Prevention
- Supporting Partners and Family Members
- Crafting Relationships with Male Partners and Fathers
- When the Doula or Client is Traumatized by the Birth
- Recognizing Postpartum Depression and Anxiety
Physical Support
- Touch and no touch ways to stimulate oxytocin
- Neurologically Based Comfort Measures
- Positions for Back Labor, Epidurals, and Stalled Labors
- Optimizing Pain Medications
- Use of the Peanut Ball
- First Latch and Feeding Positioning
Growing Your Doula Practice
- Writing a Birth Story
- Doulaing The Doula Birth Doula Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
- Doulaing The Doula Certification Requirements
- Running a Business Resources
- Targeting and Defining Your Client Market
- Individual Plan for Locating Clients
- First Steps for Growing Your Business
Hear From a
Former Participant:
“It is a good beginning and I have a much better idea of what I’m taking on. I’ve also learned so many new skills and tools to take with me to the next births not to mention tons of resources to help me expand my knowledge and skill base in the future.”
Is This Workshop Right For You?
To answer this question, review the roles and responsibilities of a doula listed below and explore if these statements are true to your goals as a birth support professional or supporting person in a birthing parent’s life.
A Doula…
- recognizes birth as a transformational life experience.
- understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a person in labor.
- assists a laboring person in preparing and carrying out plans for the birth.
- provides a “secure base” in labor by staying by their side throughout the birth.
- provides emotional support, practical comfort measures, and objective viewpoint and information to aid decision making.
- supports the laboring person’s partner(s) in their own experience of the birth
- enhances the birthing family’s communication with clinical care providers.
- treats a person’s birth experience as a source of positive memories, rich rewards and feelings of accomplishment.
- empathizes with the different perspectives of the laboring person, partner(s), and clinical care providers.
Enhance Your Doula Training Experience
The DTD Childbirth Course is required for the Birth Doula Training. We’ve included a bundle discount that saves you $50, but you can enhance your training experience with additional courses to improve your foundational knowledge.
Bundle These Courses and Save!
Post-Training Options
Once you’ve completed the Birth Doula Training workshop, either in person or online, we offer three pathways to help you build your skills and your practice:
Option 1
Become a Doulaing The Doula Certified Birth Doula. Sign up for our online, self paced certification course. It is designed to assist you in your growth as you attend births, and is structured as an online course.
Option 2
Enhance your current doula practice with our Foundations of Practice six-month course where we’ll cover focus on your target clients; set up your paperwork; decide on a media/marketing strategy; your vision for your doula life; preparation for client meetings, and support for attending your first births.
Option 3
Spend more time with our doula community in our six-meeting book club. You’ll go over required reading and dive deeper with an experienced doula coach.
