Aspiring Doulas

Education & Training Pathways for the Aspiring Doula

Our birth doula and postpartum doula education pathways are as rigorous as they are rewarding. As a doula, you will play a critical role in the lives of birthing parents, from sharing key information and education to providing emotional support before, during, and after birth. It is an incredible responsibility that cannot be taken lightly. At Doulaing The Doula, we’ve developed a trauma-informed, evidence-based, culturally-aware curriculum to help you be the best doula you can be. We don’t stop there. These themes continue in our Book Club, Certification Programs, Foundations of Doula Practice coaching course, and our online learning community of moderated Thinkific courses – which continues our relationship with you as you become established as a doula.

Training sessions with aspiring doulas
Birth parent holding her newborn with a big smile

Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, or Both?

At Doulaing The Doula, we offer birth doula and postpartum doula trainings, a variety of post training and continuing education courses, and certifications. It’s up to you to determine which are best for your life and your practice. As a birth doula, you will provide support during labor and birth and often during pregnancy and the first month postpartum. As a postpartum doula, you will support new parents in their home transitioning to parenthood, helping them to get to know their new baby, intentional diapering, and managing their new life. We find that many of our doulas start as one type and then seek to build their skills and practice in the other.

Getting Certified as a Birth Doula Through DTD

As a birth doula student of Doulaing The Doula, you will start by completing two core courses:
Experienced doula is doing training with aspiring doulas

This childbirth class focuses on giving you the information you need to feel well versed in basic pregnancy and childbirth issues and tools to discuss with families. Unlike a traditional childbirth class for parents, our DTD Childbirth Course is targeted to your emotional and educational preparation to be a supportive professional. This course comes with a comprehensive prep course to help you prepare for successful learning.

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Aspiring doulas are working together in a training session

This three-day intensive in-person or online live workshop covers a wide range of topics including the emotional and physical processes associated with labor and birth; the role of the labor support person during the prenatal period, labor, and delivery; how to enable laboring people and their partners to cope with pregnancy complications; how to communicate effectively with medical staff, and more. This workshop also comes with a comprehensive prep course to help you make the most of your time at the workshop.

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Next, you will take two shorter courses to expand your doula knowledge:
Birthing parent is breastfeeding her newborn child

This infant feeding course is designed for you to help parents with their feeding journey – whether that includes breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both – without judgment. This interactive course includes topics like breastfeeding basics, the journey of lactation, common problems and solutions, human milk expression, optimizing formula feeding, and more.

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A doula is speaking to the newborn while the birthing parent holds him

In this comprehensive examination of the first year postpartum, we begin with a broad view of what’s happening during this time period. In detail we examine physical changes; typical psychological recovery; atypical recoveries; the importance of grief in order to complete the adjustment to parenthood; discovering the new baby including infant state, cues, temperament, sleep, and crying; the postpartum journey for partners and supportive parents; intimate relationships including sexuality, body, and genital self-image; and best practices to support postpartum families.

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In-Field Observation & At-Home Study

You’ll continue your doula education with in-field birth observation and at-home study through our Birth Doula Certification Progra:

  • Support six families during their pregnancy, labor, and birth. All support experiences count.
  • Write or record a birth story summarizing what happened with each family.
  • Provide the parent feedback forms and nurse/midwife observation sheets from the six births you attended. This feedback offers their point of view on your support.
  • Ponder on what you learned at each birth by filling out the six DTD Reflection Questions.
  • Bring along a DTD Certified Birth Doula or other Certified Doula mentor to assist and observe you for a few hours during a birth if you like, or chat about all your births for 30-60 minutes with a DTD Trainer or Coach.
  • Complete six books from our 21 item reading list and submit a response paper or video about each book. We also offer a Book Club throughout the year designed to help you complete your reading requirements in a social and supportive atmosphere. Book Club is open to non-certifying doulas for six DTD CE’s.

Certification Course Bundles

Training & certification is easier than ever with our Basic and Premier Success packages.

Birth Doula: Certification Package

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Birth Doula: Essential Success Package

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Birth Doula: Premier Success Package

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Postpartum Doula: Essential Success Package

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Postpartum Doula: Premier Success Package

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An experienced doula is training with an aspiring doula

Certification & Recognition

Once you’ve completed your in-field work and at home study, you’ll share your work with Dr. Amy Gilliland and the DTD team for review. Upon approval, you’ll receive your certificate! Once certified, you’ll receive:

  • A frameable certificate recognizing your achievement
  • An electronic copy of your certificate
  • The credential of Certified Birth Doula (CBD) or Certified Postpartum Doula (CPD) to use after your name
  • A laminated photo ID badge and lanyard for secure identification
  • Two year’s free listing with photo and certification status in our online, searchable, doula directory (provides additional identification for hospital entry)[1]
  • The privilege to observe other doulas who are in the process of certifying with DTD (either virtually or in person) and affirm and nurture their skills by filling out the Observation Form
  • Our continued support and possible mediation if there is a parent/doula or facility/doula conflict that requires discussion or mediation
  • Fun and useful Doulaing The Doula swag

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Post-Certification Training and Support

Enhance your doula practice with our Foundations of Doula Practice six-month course where we’ll 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, support for attending your first births, an opportunity to discuss pertinent cultural awareness issues, deeper support skills for loss and relationships with medical staff, and much more.

You can also socialize and grow with other doulas from around the country in our Book Club. Together, we’ll meet and cover books from our reading list and discuss their impact.

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Check out our Course Calendar

Check Your Schedule!

Doulaing The Doula offers a wide range of courses and workshops throughout the year. Check out our course calendar to see what educational opportunities are waiting for you.

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