Beginning Doula Workshops

Course Content

The workshop is designed to help participants become expert labor support providers. It utilizes texts and supplementary literature, videos, slides and role play to build theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The workshop constitutes one step in the certification process for Doulas of North America (DONA).

During this intensive three day workshop, students will:

A Doula...

Who Relies On A Doula?

Childbearing women and couples, midwives, physicians, and labor and delivery nurses appreciate the resources, techniques, knowledge and continuous empathetic support a doula provides.

Historically women have relied on many different people to provide this kind of support: mothers, partners, friends and midwives. Today's maternity care is provided by unfamiliar care givers and nurses. Obstetric care relies on technology and can be complex and confusing, so parents are once again turning for help to those with experience and perspective. Recent studies indicate better outcomes for babies and their mothers; shorter, more comfortable labors; fewer complications; and greater maternal satisfaction when a doula is present.

Labor support is here to stay. Doulas are everywhere. Their nurturing patience, expertise, and commitment to childbearing women, their partners and their babies can help women to have safe and satisfying birth experiences. Doulas fill a void that has existed for generations in our maternity care system.

Course Prerequisites

Do I need to have completed a childbirth class?

Many doula workshops do require that you are enrolled or have completed a childbirth class prior to your doula workshop. For DONA certification, all doulas must take a childbirth class not as a pregnant person. We recommend, but do not require, that participants attend a quality childbirth class before taking the workshop. We also expect that you have read over the list of "things we expect you to know before attending" in our brochure or on our web site. Participants get the most out of our workshop when they are prepared and have a working knowledge of childbirth and its related procedures. For example, we will discuss how a doula helps a mother who has an epidural. We will not cover information that would be in a childbirth class, such as epidural administration, side effects, or when a mother can receive an epidural. We expect you to assess whether you are ready to attend the workshop, and have the knowledge that would be covered in a quality childbirth course. If you are uncertain about your readiness, please do not hesitate to email or phone one of us, we are willing to help.

We want this workshop to be a very satisfying experience for you and being prepared can make a big difference!

How do I prepare for the training?

If you have a background in childbirth education, midwifery, or labor and delivery nursing, or have attended other doula workshops then you have appropriate experience. Massage therapists with pregnancy certification, or women who have given birth and also have experience giving labor support, breast feeding support or grief counseling may also have enough experience. Please call one of the instructors to discuss your background. If none of these descriptions fit, you can prepare for the training by attending a complete series of childbirth preparation classes (taught by the best teacher you can find); viewing as many birth videos as possible; touring a hospital; reading the required texts; and, if possible, attending some births.

A required pre-test will be sent with your confirmation. The pre-test is designed to help us adapt each workshop to the needs of the participants. It will also help you focus on areas in which you may need more information or understanding. It must be returned at least two weeks prior to the workshop.

It is assumed all participants already know:

Required Texts

All participants are required to read the following four texts prior to the workshop. Discounted or loaned textbooks may be available. Call or email Karen Kohls at (608)831-0348. Many of these books are also available for loan through your local library.

  1. A Good Birth, A Safe Birth (third edition) by Diana Korte and Roberta Scaer
  2. The Birth Partner:Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth by Penny Simkin
  3. Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley and Ann Kepler
    or
    The Birth Book by William Sears, M.D.
  4. Special Women: the Role of the Professional Labor Assistant by Polly Perez and Cheryl Snedeker
    or
    The Doula Book by Marshall Klaus, John Kennell and Phyllis Klaus (The previous edition was titled Mothering the Mother. We highly recommend the new book over the old one. But if all you can find is MTM, that is better than not reading it.)

Also, if you have not attended a consumer-oriented or woman-centered childbirth class, we highly recommend that you read Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth and/or Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Both books are required for DONA Certification.

If you are interested in watching films, we highly recommend the documentaries, "Pregnant In America" (2009) and "Orgasmic Birth" (2008). "Born In The USA" (2000) is a very revealing PBS funded movie. We show "Giving Birth" by Suzanne Arms as an optional film during the workshop. The first three documentaries are available for rental through Netflix. There are other excellent films available, these are our favorites.

Course Schedule

We have two formats that are used for our workshops. The specific one for each workshop is listed on its respective page. Classes will be held during the hours listed below, and a complete outline will be provided with your registration confirmation.

Weekend Intensive Format:

Three Day Format:

Contact Hours

We will provide you with a completion certificate at the end of the workshop. The workshop length has been approved by DONA for 21 hours of instruction. We have been told that DONA contact hours are accepted as continuing education units by ALACE, AAHCC, CAPPA and Lamaze International for re-certification of childbirth educators. However, please check with your certifying organization to be sure. They are usually accepted by other childbirth organizations as well. We urge you to check with your organization's office for details.

If you would like ICEA continuing education units, you may apply for them individually. Several of our attendees have done this successfully in the past four years. If you would like details before attending the workshop, please contact Ruth Ancheta, who is our ICEA liaison.