How Can I Become a Doula?
Being a doula can be extremely rewarding. It lets you be an integral part of someone’s pregnancy and birth and allows you to make ever-lasting emotional connections and memories that you’ll cherish for years to come.
What Exactly Does a Doula Do?
A doula is basically someone who provides non-medical support before, during, and after pregnancy. They are trained individuals who are meant to provide emotional and physical support to pregnant people and make their birth journey easier.
Some ways a doula can help include:
- Providing reassurance to mothers whenever they need it
- Being a source of constant emotional support
- Providing informational support from knowledge and experience
- Helping mothers prepare for labor and assisting with their birth plan
- Providing physical support during labor if the mother wants to sit or walk
- Get things like water or ice for the mother during labor
- Providing support to the partner throughout labor and making sure they’re okay
- Assist with breastfeeding and newborn care during the initial days after birth
Can you make a career out of being a doula?
Yes, doulas are trained individuals who are hired and paid for their services for however long they work. Some doulas are hired for clients during the entirety of their pregnancy. Others may be hired by birth centers or hospitals.
Becoming a doula requires certification and training, which varies according to state requirements but usually requires childbirth education, basic breastfeeding education, and attending a certain number of births under the supervision of a trained doula.
One can also specialize in certain aspects of birth and pregnancy like labor or post-partum, which would require further education and training.
The National Black Doulas Association offers training for doulas. This training requires three months of mentoring which helps ensure that doulas learn the required skills.
Baby, Please Birth Services
This program includes one-on-one private sessions, group sessions, and access to a Google Classroom with additional training modules. They focus on teaching practical skills for various birth scenarios that enable doulas to tackle every citation with ease. If you’re interested in becoming a mentee, reach out through the birth center or babypleasebirthservices.com