birthED DONA Approved Doula Training - FAQ
Welcome Future Doula!
We are so excited you’re here and have followed the path of your curiosity to begin your doula journey. Often times we get calls from future and current doulas who have questions about our trainings. Here’s a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions and answers:
Is the 3 day workshop all I need to certify?
No, this workshop includes 2 out of 3 required educational requirements to become a DONA International Certified Birth Doula. Here’s what is required to become fully certified with DONA International:
Attend a 16 hour minimum DONA Approved Birth Doula Training (birthED’s workshop counts for this!)
Attend a 7 hour minimum Childbirth Education course as a doula (not as a pregnant person). The birthED full workshop counts for this. Also note that if you are personally already certified as a Childbirth Educator - you do not need this portion.
Attend a 3 hour minimum Lactation for Birth Professionals workshop, which birthED offers quarterly and you would receive a discount code for that course after you complete a birthED Doula Training.
Complete reading assignments (2 position papers and 4 books)
Complete a self assessment questionnaire
Compile a resource list that you’ll utilize for future doula clients when referrals are needed outside of your scope (birthED Doula Trainings offer many suggestions for this list during class)
Attend and get evaluated on 3 birth support experiences
Pay for your certification fee in the DONA International Boutique in the member section of the website.
Fill out the application and submit all your materials!
How much does it cost to certify?
These cost estimates are general and may vary per person:
Childbirth Education Course: $150 - $350
DONA Approved Doula Workshop: $550 - $750
DONA International Membership (1 year w/discount): $50
Lactation for Birth Professionals Workshop: $150 - $200
Books and Position Papers: $50 - $150
Certification Application Fee: $110
TOTAL: $1050 - $1610
Are there scholarships available for certification and training?
Yes, DONA International has a scholarship program called IMPACT. You can read about that here and apply. We also have a scholarship system at birthED where our Childbirth Education and Wellness clients can choose to donate towards the training of BIPOC or marginalized communities. This fund gets used as needed and first come first served. Contact us if you identify in these groups and would like to know how much is in the fund.
I have already been a doula and have experience - would this training work for me?
Yes, our birthED DONA Approved Doula Training is customized to whomever is in the room and we welcome all skill and experience levels. If you’ve been trained by DONA or certified in the past, please check out the Alternate Path to Certification on the DONA website.
I need to miss a portion of the workshop, is this possible?
Unfortunately, attendance in full is required and any absence from the class would mean that you did not receive the entirety of the content that DONA International requires for certification. This also means if you’re an on-call doula you should find back-up for your clients during your workshop.
I have a conflict, can I attend the Doula Training portion of the workshop and attend the Childbirth Education portion later?
If you have never attended a birth, never taken a Childbirth Education Class, and are NOT a Childbirth Educator yourself we require that you take the Childbirth Education requirement prior to doula training. While you are not required to take it with us, we find that it is very difficult to move through the Doula Training without core information about the physiology of birth.
Can I bring my baby with me to class?
We welcome babes in arms, but have noticed that crawling babies make it very difficult for the parent to learn and allow their focus to be on the class content. So we do require that if you bring your child they are non-crawling infants.
I’m a lactating parent, is there opportunity to pump?
We have several breaks built into our day. You are welcome to pump anytime you want, whether that be in our adjacent private room or in the room when class is happening. We also have a fridge for your to store your milk if needed.
Can I start attending births right after the training is over?
In Minnesota there is no requirement that you be a certified doula to attend private pay births. This is how you will be able to attend your 3 births to submit in your application for certification. However, you won’t be able to register on the Minnesota Department of Health doula registry or take clients who get employer-reimbursed doula services until you are certified.
Is there an age requirement for attendance?
We have trained 17 - 70 year olds in our training and their are no age restrictions. However, you must do your own self discovery on whether you plan to use your education to become a working doula.
Consider how will you get to births (transportation)?
Can you leave your job, school, life at a moments notice to attend a birth that can last anywhere from 5 - 45 hours?
Who will hire you and would that person have the means or resources to pay you?
Do you plan to build a website to sell your services? If so, do you have the means or the skills to build that online presence?
Do you feel comfortable viewing raw and graphic birth videos and discussing all levels of lived experience that we come across when serving families (history of trauma, sexual abuse, domestic violence, cultural violence, obstetric violence, etc)?
Who will you work for? This work is often very self driven and independent, if your plan is to work for a hospital or agency they will require that you have transportation, 24/7 availability and be ALREADY certified. We only have one hospital locally that pays doulas (HCMC) and the agencies require experienced and certified doulas.