Doula Trainings

Doula Trainings

A Comprehensive Birth and Postpartum Doula Foundation Training

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This course lays the foundation for anyone pursuing a path as a birth doula. A collaboration between Carriage House Birth, Woven Bodies, Samantha Huggins and Dorcas Davis Consulting, this training will supply you with the baseline information you need to support families and individuals in the perinatal health space with confidence, compassion, and professionalism.

Every birth experience is unique so we think it’s critical that our doula training students learn from teachers with a breadth of lived experiences. Your teachers will include experienced doulas, seasoned mentors focused on the perinatal space, esteemed birth educators, and antiracist and LGBTQIA+ activists. Building a solid base of medical knowledge around birth is crucial, but so too is work that goes beyond the physical acts of laboring and delivery. In the CHB training program you will also dig deep into questions of bias, privilege, race, and inequalities, which all intersect the birthing process.

Learning, particularly this kind of learning, is not an island. So each week to support more nuanced exploration of the chosen material there will be Share Circles led by peers or mentors that foster a more collective approach to learning. Assignments and coursework will test both your acquired knowledge and offer opportunities for thoughtful reflection in various formats.

Our goal is to make our doula training as accessible as possible: if this kind of work is calling you, we can make it work for you. We have the option for you to take this training In-person over the course of 4 days or —3 hour sessions once a week over 9 weeks—via Zoom.

Celebrate Yourself

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Celebrate Yourself •

WHAT YOU'LL EXPERIENCE EACH WEEK

This is a sample of the topics discussed to give you a glimpse of what we will cover over the course of our time together. It is not the entire list and may not be taught in this exact order.

Session 1: Welcome, Overview of Training + Scope of Work

Session 2: Dorcas Davis Consulting Antiracism Workshop

Session 3: Woven Bodies • LGBTQIA+ Workshop with Morgane Richardson

Session 4: History of American Obstetrics and Midwifery Care

Session 5: Anatomy and Physiology of Birth, High Risk Pregnancy and Interventions

Session 6: Comfort Techniques and Your Doula Bag

Session 7: Building Your Doula Business

Session 8: Supporting The Postpartum Period

Session 9: Closing The Space

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FAQs

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  • A combination of self-led learning, hands-on training, and continuing education, this program builds an essential foundation for birth doulas. Completed over the course of two years participants will earn a lifetime birth doula certification from Carriage House Birth x Woven Bodies. The core curriculum will provide students a deep understanding of childbirth education and labor and immediate postpartum support, and teach the fundamentals of how to build and market an independent doula business.

  • Held over the course of four days in person or nine weeks virtually, our program builds an essential foundation for postpartum doulas who are looking to adequately serve families in the months beyond birth. In partnership with Carriage House Birth, Samatha Huggins, Woven Bodies, and Dorcas Davis Consulting this program takes an immersive approach to teaching participants both fundamental newborn care and understanding and supporting the psycho-spiritual shifts that occur for new families. The curriculum spans the breadth of practical tools like belly binding, multiples care and overnight work and softer skills like deep listening, maintaining personal self-care while providing deep care for others, and holding space. 

  • Yes, anyone and everyone interested in learning how to provide support to birthing people is welcome. Our class rosters reflect a broad diversity from trained experienced doulas seeking to enrich or expand their work to new doulas just entering the field to those keen to hone the services of a doula without becoming a practicing one. People under the age of 18 will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.

  • Yes. For students enrolling in the birth and/or postpartum doula training there are materials you will be required to read, listen to andwatch before your session starts. Plus, you will be required to write a brief reflection on the assigned materials.  By diving into this prerequisite learning, it allows you to show up to your training with some baseline knowledge and information to give you the confidence to add to the conversation.

  • As a birth worker the learning process never really stops. As for specific requirements, following completion of your training, students will be required to independently attend additional workshops and classes (these are not included in the cost of training). All your pre-and-post training requirements can either be completed from home and within your local community with Woven Bodies or Carriage House Birth.

  • While class sizes can vary widely there will never be more than 30 students in any in-person training.

  • Yes, though your success will depend as much on your skillset as a doula, your skillset as a marketer and where in the world you are located. Some places already know what a doula is and others will take some investment in educating with the importance of this work with the community. We cover the business of marketing yourself in both our trainings and in our supplemental continuing education workshops where you’ll learn some essential tools.