DTD Postpartum
Doula Certification
Welcome to Our Postpartum Doula
Certification Process
Doulaing The Doula’s Postpartum Doula Certification Program is unique in its focus and scope of practice. Because of Dr. Gilliland’s extensive background in attachment, infant mental health, and human development, our focus is on supporting the infant and their caregivers in creating mutually satisfying relationships. While we do “mother the mother”, we also strive to assist family members in understanding each other and their infant’s unique methods of communication.
Rather than being overtly instructive, our style is to observe and assess a family’s strengths and build on them. We work with a family to maximize their enjoyment of their postpartum experience and enhance all of the family’s relationships.
Why Choose DTD for Your Postpartum Education
Postpartum doula businesses don’t have a clear path to follow. Succeeding requires support from others and continuous work towards your goals throughout the first year. We don’t just offer training and let you go –that’s already easy to find. In our program, you work in small groups with your Coach for almost year. You can certify at anytime you complete the requirements. It’s typical for a postpartum doula to have their own small business. We’re also looking way beyond that – we want to create a whole new work force and job category.
The goal of our program is to provide job training for postpartum doulas to easily fit into established home visiting programs. Many programs are recognizing the value of more frequent and longer visits by paraprofessional doulas. Until now there haven’t been training programs that emphasize that mix of communication skill, attachment knowledge and adopting a strengths-based approach in supporting families. Those principles are at the core of home visiting skills and we are excited to see what our alumni will be able to accomplish.
What Postpartum Doula Certification Means
When you complete the DTD Postpartum Doula Certification Program, our organization certifies that you have:
Demonstrated, through observation or interaction, that you possess the appropriate emotional and physical postpartum support skill set as a doula.
Read, understand, and abide by the description of our Postpartum Doula Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics.
Continued to show signs of predictable growth as a postpartum doula.
Postpartum Doula Certification Recognition
When you begin the program, you receive provisional certification to begin your fieldwork.
When you complete Doulaing The Doula’s Postpartum Doula Certification program, you will receive:
- A frameable certificate recognizing your achievement
- An electronic copy of your certificate
- The credential of Certified Postpartum Doula, or CPD to use after your name
- One year’s free listing with photo and Certification status in our online, searchable, doula directory (provides additional identification for hospital entry)
- Our continued support and possible mediation if there are any parent/doula or facility/doula conflicts that require discussion or mediation
- Fun and useful Doulaing The Doula swag
Your Pathway to Postpartum Doula Certification
At Doulaing The Doula, we have developed a unique and engaging training and certification process based on Dr. Gilliland’s twenty plus years of research.
Before and after your in-person training, you will be working with Doulaing The Doula’s Postpartum Doula Programs Coordinator and Foundations of Doula Practice Coach, Jaime Healy-Plotkin, whose home base is Madison, Wisconsin. Jaime will be there for your training and work with you for the next six months as you engage your first families and plan and grow your own successful postpartum doula practice.
Rather than just providing you with training, we want to provide you with community. You’ll progress through your courses, training, and Foundations and Book Club groups with the same people, developing sustaining relationships and lifelong friendships.
Coursework & Workshops
Attend our core courses and workshops, in-person and online.
Take our core courses: the DTD Childbirth Course, the DTD Postpartum Course, and our DTD Postpartum Doula Training.
Read and agree to abide by our Postpartum Doula Standards of Practice and Postpartum Doula Code of Ethics.
Apply for our postpartum certification program and receive your directory listing and provisional certification, which communicates to clients that you are ready to do fieldwork.
Self-Paced Learning & Fieldwork
Complete our online, self-paced certification program. Please note, you can work through steps 4-6 at the same time.
Complete all additional courses: the Infant Feeding Course, the Newborn Comm. Skills Course, Foundations of Practice, one hour bloodborne pathogens course, and a one hour food handling course.
Work with three families for 15 hours or four families for 10 hours within the first four months of postpartum, and submit all required feedback and reflective work.
Read six books from our list of essential works and submit an essay or video response for each, while attending our regular Postpartum Book Club meetings. You can do this in tandem with the required postpartum family support.
Submit your materials for final review by our DTD team.
Support on Your Postpartum Doula Certification Journey
Our Postpartum Doula Certification Program is a self-paced, interactive set of coursework and in-field work designed to help you learn the needed physical, emotional, and mental support skills to help parents during the postpartum period. To help you get the most of your postpartum education and training, and to jumpstart your career as a professional postpartum doula, our certification program also includes:
The Foundations of Postpartum Doula Practice Course
Facilitated by our Director of Postpartum Programs, Jaime, that is designed to help you focus on your target clients; set up your practice paperwork; decide on a media/marketing strategy; and to support you through your first birth support experiences.
The Postpartum Book Club
Facilitated by our Director of Postpartum Programs, Jaime, that covers key works from our reading list and allows you to connect with other postpartum doulas and dive deeper into the content.
Postpartum Doula Certification Materials
When you sign up for our Postpartum Doula Certification program, you will receive:
- Observation sheets for fieldwork with families
- Gifts for parents for filling out your Observation Sheet
- A copy of Birth and Attachment
- The ability to Identify yourself as a Doulaing The Doula “trainee,” “doula in training” or “certification candidate” on your social media, website, and professional resume
- One year’s free listing with photo and “trainee” Certification status in our online, searchable, doula directory (provides identification for hospital entry)
- Discounts on online and in person courses offered by Amy Gilliland or Doulaing The Doula
- Twice monthly discounts for a Doulaing The Doula t-shirt or favorite item on TeePublic
- Doulaing The Doula unscented bath salts for self-care
- Fun and useful Doulaing The Doula swag
Postpartum Doula: Essential Success Package
- DTD Postpartum Course
- Postpartum Doula Training 3-Day Workshop
- DTD Childbirth Course
- DTD Infant Feeding Course
- Newborn Communication Skills Course
- Certification Program
- DTD Directory Listing
- Postpartum group webpage & social media promotion for 1 year
- Book Club group meetings
- Foundations of Postpartum Doula Practice Course
Postpartum Doula Premier Success Package
- DTD Postpartum Course
- Postpartum Doula Training 3-Day Workshop
- DTD Childbirth Course
- DTD Infant Feeding Course
- Newborn Communication Skills Course
- Certification Program
- DTD Directory Listing
- Postpartum group webpage & social media promotion for 1 year
- Book Club group meetings
- Foundations of Postpartum Doula Practice Course
- One year membership to our Advanced Learning Community
- Two private coaching sessions with your trainer
