You DO NOT have to attend a workshop. There is no
additional charge for certification and no requirement for
membership or recertification. Certification as a Childbirth
International Birth Doula is for life!
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Read your student materials |
You will receive a
comprehensive set of study guides which build up to form an
impressive reference library that you can refer to again and
again. Each study guide contains a variety of reading material,
learning activities and exercises which you complete in your own
time. The course is made up of three modules -
Communication, Physiology of pregnancy, birth and the early
postpartum period, and Birth Doula Skills. As each module is completed you simply
submit an on-line evaluation form.
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Support two women through labor |
To gain experience and put some of your new found knowledge into
practice, you will support two women through labor. After the
birth, you will write to your trainer and tell her what you
learnt at the birth. This may be the value of some of the skills
you used, the experience of working with the family and
caregivers, or simply describing the heady euphoria of being at
a birth! You do not need to provide an evaluation from
the doctor, midwife or nurses caring for the mother. You can use
the birth as a certifying birth even if the mother has a
cesarean or births so quickly that you do not make it to her
birth. These two births can take place any time after you begin
your training.
To broaden your knowledge and become exposed to different
viewpoints, you will read three books that are relevant to doula
work. You can choose any three books you like from the extensive
reading list.
Take a look at the
reading list here.
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Complete a childbirth survey |
To help you understand the options available for parents in
your area, you will complete a short survey on the childbirth
classes available in your community. This helps you to determine
not only the services available, but also to see any future
opportunities for yourself as you build your Birth Doula
business.
During the course of your training you will complete the
assignments at your own pace. The first, a communication
assignment, is a written account of one of your own births, or an event in your life that was
significant to you if you have never had a baby.
The second
assignment is an open book test of multiple
choice questions on different aspects of pregnancy,
labor, birth and the early postpartum period. You can use any
reference materials, including your student manuals, to research
and find the answers to the quiz.
