About Doula Certification

Pregnancy has always been such an exciting time in a woman's life. Years ago when most births took place at home, women were supported by their friends, family and even by their community. With the mobile society that we live in today and with most births taking place in a hospital, it is not uncommon for a woman to feel alone during her pregnancy. Unfortunately, this can lead a new mother to fear a very normal event and miss out on what, otherwise, should be a very thrilling time in her life. As a BirthWays certified doula, you will not only aid your client in understanding the birth process, but you will also help her to feel safe about the wonderful journey that she has just embarked on. And when a woman feels educated, nurtured and safe, the joy in being pregnant will naturally come flooding back into her life.

Today, women are left to sort through all the confusing options regarding pregnancy alone and men are asked to juggle many different roles that they usually have no experience with. This predicament seems to prevent the new parents-to-be from reaping the rewards of giving birth. At BirthWays we know that having a doula present throughout labor and birth greatly eases this problem. Having a doula will help a woman understand all of the options available to her and will help a man to free himself of extraneous roles so that he can provide his partner with emotional comfort, a job that he knows well and is most competent in providing. This in turn, will allow the couple to enjoy the experience of becoming parents together. As a certified BirthWays doula, you will have an enormous impact on your clients' ability to have a good birth and having a good birth goes hand-in-hand with becoming good parents, something that every child needs and deserves.

BirthWays takes an apprenticeship approach in certifying all of its doulas, whether you are in town receiving your training or completing it at a distance. By the end of your certification process you will understand the key components of pregnancy, labor and birth and you will know how to apply this knowledge in your new role as a doula. We will teach you, step-by-step, how to establish a relationship with your pregnant mom, beginning with the initial phone call and ending with your client's first weeks at home postpartum. Within just one short year of beginning your training process, you will have enough knowledge and experience to make you confident in beginning your new role as a doula.