Birth Doula Workshops

During the Birth Doula Workshop we will cover many topics including:

  • Birth: Not just another day in a woman’s life
  • Emotional support in the first and second stages of labor
  • Communication Skills
  • Working with hospital staff and care providers
  • What do we mean by advocacy?
  • Guest speakers can include: Doulas, midwives, couples that have recently birthed with a doula, volunteer coordinators from doula programs and much more
  • Doula business skills
  • DONA Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice
  • DONA Certification Process and Requirements
  • How to set up and market your doula practice
  • How to interview with a potential client
  • How to conduct a client prenatal visit
  • What happens in a postpartum visit?
  • How to find birth clients, network with other birth workers, resources for your clients, doula education and products
  • How to physically and emotionally comfort and support a woman in labor
  • Tried and True Tricks of the Trade
  • Role Play: contractions, breathing techniques, massage techniques, comfort measures, positions to rotate a baby, and much more
  • The 3 R’s – Rhythm, Relaxation and Ritual
  • What’s in a birth bag?
  • Working with Cesarean and VBAC
  • Understanding the Newborn
  • How to help a new mother get the baby on the breast and so much more!

 

One of the most important elements of the weekend does not come from a manual or research study. It is the quality time we spend connecting as a group and with individuals. Together we create the intimate, safe, women centered space that most replicates the birth space. You will understand and practice what it means to “hold space’ for another woman and how to find that place in yourself that honors the strength, courage and beauty of transformation.

 

 

 

 

Required reading for this course:

The Doula Book
by Klaus, Kennell & Klaus

**You must also attend the Childbirth Overview Workshop**

DONA requires for certification that you attend a childbirth preparation Series (not as an expectant parent) for a total of 12 hours. I do not offer a 12 hour course (I offer a 4 hour course) and here’s why:

  1. I believe that it is important for you to attend a public course to hear what the couples in your community are learning.
  2. You can combine the course that I provide (4 hours) with a one day intensive (8 hours) that most hospitals or centers are offering to total 12 hours. This frees you up from having to commit to a 6 – 8 week course.
  3. By attending a public class you have the opportunity to network with the childbirth educator who may give you referrals to clients.
  4. The public class you attend is a great way to reach your first birth clients.

Childbirth Overview Workshops
(required)

During the Childbirth Overview Workshop we will cover:

  • Physiology and anatomy of pregnancy, labor and birth
  • Stages of labor – physical and emotional
  • The dynamics of labor and birth
  • Hospital procedures, treatments, protocols including: monitoring devices, tools used for birth, surgical procedures
  • Medications used in labor and their purposes

Required reading for this course:

The Birth Partner
by Penny Simkin

Childbirth Overview is a requirement unless you are a Childbirth Educator, Midwife, Labor/Delivery Nurse or a practicing Doula having attended more than 25 births. Please contact us to discuss if you qualify and to get approval to skip this portion of the training.

This requirement is extremely beneficial to you. Without a thorough understanding of pregnancy, labor, birth and hospital procedures from a professional perspective you will find yourself missing out on key components during the doula training. You can combine this course
with another 8 hour childbirth prep course to qualify for DONA certification.

 

After registration and upon your request we can provide you with carpooling information with other participants (if available).