About Us
Our training faculty are unique. All three instructors are published authors and accomplished speakers with varied yet effective approaches to labor support. As one of our participants said, "You are all so different in your style, but all so effective as doulas. It gave me confidence that I could be a good doula in my own way."
DONA International recently recognized members of our training team as "inspirational" and "logically organized, professional, non-judgmental, engaging and amazing." We are proud and excited to be recognized for our work as trainers, and the leadership role we have taken in the doula profession.
We limit our enrollment to 18 participants in order to make certain that your questions are answered and you learn critical "hands on" skills. Labor and delivery nurses and nursing students have taken our course to gain a deeper understanding of birth and new knowledge of effective comfort measures and positioning techniques.
Over 98% of our participants rate our training as "very good to excellent" and feel ready to begin doula work at the completion of the training. We are committed to helping you to feel the same way.
Training Faculty
Ruth Ancheta, M.A., ICCE, BDT(DONA)
Ruth is a DONA approved birth doula trainer, certified DONA doula, and a certified childbirth educator through ICEA for over twenty years. She has authored numerous childbirth education materials including the Childbirth Skills Teaching Kit and the VBAC Source Book and Teaching Kit (with Nicette Jukelevics).
She is the co-author of The Labor Progress Handbook (with Penny Simkin), which is used as a resource in many labor and delivery units throughout the English speaking world. It has been translated into four languages and will soon be available in its third edition! It is published by Blackwell Science and is available at our workshops and through Amazon.com.
Ruth has worked with pregnant women of various ages and cultures since 1981. One of her best learning experiences was interviewing 2,253 pregnant women as a research assistant. All of them were pregnant after prior cesareans and had much to say about their experiences. She is a member of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) Advisory Board, and has served on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care (WAPC). Her degrees are in Anthropology and Public Service/Medical Administration. She lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin and has two adult children.
Karen Kohls, PT, BDT(DONA)
Karen is a physical therapist, DONA approved birth doula trainer, and certified DONA doula. She was a certified childbirth educator through the Bradley Method for almost twenty years, and has attended over 200 home and hospital births. Karen lives in Middleton, Wisconsin and has three children.
Karen has been a leader in her local doula organization, Doulas of Southcentral Wisconsin, and is recognized as being instrumental in making important changes in labor and delivery care for mothers in the Madison area.
Amy L. Gilliland, Ph.D., BDT(DONA)
Amy is a DONA approved birth doula trainer, and a certified doula through DONA. She has been attending births off and on for over twenty years. She is the founder of Doulas of Southcentral Wisconsin (DSW) and a past member of the Board of Directors of Doulas of North America (now DONA International).
Amy has a graduate certificate in prenatal and perinatal psychology, and an Ph.D. degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the UW-Madison. She has interviewed doulas, parents, and nurses from all over the United States and Canada about labor support, and has conducted groundbreaking research on doula care. Amy is a professional speaker and published author of many articles about doulas and birth, including the International Doula, Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE), Journal of Obstetrical, Gynecological and Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN), and Midwifery . Her main areas of research interest are fathers and doulas; hospital-based doula care, and the attachment needs of parents during the labor process.
Amy is also an adjunct faculty member in the psychology department at Madison Area Technical College. Her specialty is teaching about human sexuality and intimate relationships. She is an AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator and has published original research in women's sexuality in the journal Sexuality and Culture . She lives in Madison, Wisconsin and has three children. For more information, go to her website, www.amygilliland.com.
Why Choose Midwest Doula Trainers?
Not all Doula Trainings or Doula Trainers are alike!
What does Midwest Doula Trainers have to offer that is unique and special?
- We are three experienced trainers with different areas of expertise to share.
- All of us are published authors and accomplished speakers, experienced in labor support, and have continually received the highest marks from peers and participants alike on our evaluation forms.
- Ninety eight percent of our participants tell us they feel ready to begin doula work at the completion of their training with us. Nurses feel energized and excited to try the new strategies and techniques they've learned.
Why are three doula trainers important?
- Having three trainers means you will get your questions answered.
- We each have our own area of expertise and areas of strength that complement one another.
- We each offer a different perspective on ways doulas can practice and solutions for dilemmas doulas face.
- Doula training participants may find they need to talk about the emotions that birth brings up. Having three trainers means you will get the attention and listening ear you need without diverting the rest of the group.
There is no other doula training team with our combination of qualifications, experience and high ratings from participants anywhere.
As doula trainers, we love what we do. Participants who attend our trainings change birth, and change people's lives for the better. They understand what is important and life changing, not just with doula work, but by listening and talking intelligently with all people about their birth experiences.
Nurses affect change every day, even when they are not able to offer one-on-one continuous care as a doula does. They are invaluable in creating a quality experience for laboring mothers and may see hundreds of mothers in their careers.
Doulas develop intimate relationships with women and their families throughout pregnancy and provide continuous care during labor and birth. By filling such an important niche in the maternity care team, doulas influence family life for the better - one birth at a time.
We care about offering the best labor support trainings we can to effect positive change in the world through acceptance and empowerment of mothers. In our trainings we can effect positive change in the world by helping all women understand the significance of birth events in all women's lives. In our trainings, doulas and nurses learn physical skills, receive emotional support, information and inspiration to begin and continue this important work.
We want to doula you through your workshop, and hope you will choose to join us at one of our trainings.
- Amy, Karen and Ruth
Comments
Comments Index
- The Overall Workshop
- Personal Experiences
- Teaching Style
- Individual Trainers
- The Pretest
The Overall Workshop
Personal Experiences
I thank you for the opportunity to learn as well as be challenged. I so need to be challenged in my opinions, because quite often I tend to get stuck in the "I'm right" mode. This frame of mind is not a good state of mind to be in when you're trying to communicate alternatives, such as natural childbirth. I have to thank you for modeling passion and persistence in your beliefs that every mother needs to be cared for during the hardest, most important thing she will ever do in her life. Your professionalism is inspiring and your dedication and passion moving; thank you for sharing it with me.
I did not feel ready for this work before the workshop and now I feel very ready. This training seems very thorough and the trainers worked well together.
I will have only good things to say to anyone who asks me about this class and the work of doulas! I really liked the way they taught us how doulas can make a big difference in a birth experience and memory by doing several small things. I'm so appreciative of being able to have shared time and knowledge with these women. Never once was anybody treated without respect. I applaud these women for working so hard and taking the time to further along our desire to become doulas!
Teaching Style
You have such a precious gift, not only as a doula-but a teacher also!
In many ways I find it hard to evaluate you as individuals-you work very well together, very respectful of each other. Clear on your own individual approaches, but respectful of others. I think you are all great speakers-in different ways, and effective.
Ruth, Amy and Karen worked as a synchronized team to bring us all of their best knowledge and experience as doulas. Ruth's personality and knowledge helped give the workshop stability and humor. Karen's calmness and quiet demeanor modeled many aspects of a doula at work, providing the second leg. Amy's strength and passion brought the third leg of the tripod which formed this doula workshop.
Individual Trainers
Ruth Ancheta
Ruth knows her material well, she showed many labor positions and how the pelvis changes with them and shared research and publications.
Ruth conveyed the material very well through the use of many visual aids. She is an excellent teacher, very inspirational and open, nurturing-excellent references.
Ruth is clear, compassionate and nurturing of newborn doulas. She was a Doula; and she trained us with lots of encouragement, praise and support.
Very well rounded discussions; she's not dogmatic. Wonderful, calm, soft-spoken. I love that she's so easy with a smile!
Ruth's emphasis throughout was about offering information, resources and options and them supporting mother's choice. She said that many times in many ways. Ruth has such a gentle manner and articulate, tactful way of expressing herself. She seems like an excellent model of doulaness herself.
Karen Kohls
Karen stressed so many different approaches to clients and many different ways to handle difficult labors. She shares her love for her work, her extensive background and experience very effectively.
Karen is very open, easy to communicate with-an excellent teacher.
She continuously told teaching stories illustrating freedom of choice for mothers. Karen has extensive hands on experience and it shows with all that she speaks about.
Karen is sensitive and effective and wonderful about answering questions.
Karen's knowledge and experience in non-medicated home births didn't effect her staunch support and emphasis of the mother's choices no matter what that was. She was so clear and organized in her presentations. She has a calm, rhythmic way of speaking that seems to command your attention. She is very clear about not letting your own biases and issues seep into the mother's birth experience.
I found Karen's experience and knowledge base very informative. She gave great examples of how to support and advocate for parents and remain in the background.
Amy Gilliland
Amy shares her passion for her work and extensive experience in a direct and meaningful way.
Amy brings practical wisdom, a sense of being well grounded and a juicy sense of humor! She is very clear about the importance of informed choices and gives great examples.
Amy was very specific about separating your own biases from mother's choices. She spoke often of making sure the mother was making choices for herself and getting info for herself. Amy has such obvious presence and humor when she speaks. She is concise and realistic when she portrays situations and information. I really enjoyed her sections, they were entertaining and informative.
Amy is an excellent speaker, she is very knowledgeable and has much experience to share.
Amy provided great support, great source of strength and inspiration.
Amy is "real" and very accessible and great at building my confidence.
Amy wonderfully and consistently demonstrated techniques of mediation and advocacy. She has obvious thorough knowledge of choices available.
The Pretest
I felt the pretest was valuable and helped to focus the readings for what the workshop would cover.
The pretest really showed me the range of knowledge and skill that would be covered by the instructors.
It was very helpful in helping me to clarify some of my values as well as reviewing important information-great studying too!!!
Good pretest. Made you think a bit. Soul searching is always a part of this type of work.
The reading and pretest were extensive and a challenge only due to my own late discovery of the course. (Yes I did do them.) Much was review, but there was helpful info!
The pretest and pre-workshop assignments are essential. They were very helpful to organize my thoughts and prepare me for this intensive workshop.
This was a great course. I loved your enthusiasm!
The training was very professional, well organized-I really enjoyed it!!!!
I can't believe how much I learned over the weekend!
I learned a wealth of new information and better ways to use the knowledge that I already have!
They gave alternatives for all situations and philosophies for clients and doctors and hospitals. They give a wide variety of viewpoints to meet everyone's needs and beliefs and training.
The role playing was extremely helpful! Watching the videos gave me a wide variety of situations and options to offer and teach. I really can't think of anything that I will not be able to use from this workshop!
The workshop was very thorough and comprehensive. I very much liked the information about the establishment of a ritual during labor and how important the building of memories are for the mother and family.
I really liked having 3 trainers for variety, for working in small groups, and for availability between sessions.
The material was well presented and thoughtful. Very relevant information, very useful and very applicable!
This has been a wonderful experience to help me clarify my values and re-energize my confidence that I can do it.
It is a good beginning and I have a much better idea of what I'm taking on. I've also learned so many new skills and tools to take with me to the next births not to mention tons of resources to help me expand my knowledge and skill base in the future.
The workshop and the course materials exceeded my expectations.
I think you guys have really thought this workshop through and have come up with a great program. I found value in all the sections. Thanks! This was a great experience!