With Childbirth International you can get started right away and
complete your training with complete flexibility and
convenience.
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 Postpartum Doula is for life! Once you have
successfully completed all the requirements you will be eligible
to apply for certification as a Postpartum Doula with Childbirth
International.
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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, Postpartum Physiology and Postpartum Doula Skills. As each module is completed you simply
submit an on-line evaluation form.
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Support two women in the early postpartum period |
To gain experience and put some of your new found knowledge into
practice, you will support two women who have recently had a
baby. They may have given birth themselves, or have newly
adopted a baby. After working with the family, you will write to your trainer and tell her what you
learned through this experience. This may be the value of some of the skills
you used, the experience of working with the family and
caregivers, or simply becoming more experienced in exploring
different parenting styles! You do not need to provide an evaluation from
the mother or her caregivers. If the mother has had twins (or
more!) it will count as one postpartum experience for the
purposes of your training. These two postpartum experiences 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
postpartum 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 postpartum services survey |
To help you understand the options available for parents in
your area, you will complete a short survey on the postpartum
services available in your community. This helps you to build a
comprehensive list of resources for families you work with, but also to see any future
opportunities for yourself as you build your Postpartum 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 postpartum
experiences, or an experience of being parented that was
significant to you if you have never had a baby.
A pass grade is necessary to be eligible for certification.
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.
A pass grade must be accomplished for each test to be
eligible for certification.
