Day 1: Intro to Childbirth (8 hours, optional)
Meets the childbirth education requirement for doula certification. You can skip this day if you:
Attended a childbirth education class as an educator or doula (not as a birthing person) in the past 3 years, with proof of attendance
Have attended more than 25 births as a doula
Were previously certified by a doula organization on the Minnesota Department of Health Registry
Are a certified childbirth educator
Days 2 and 3: Doula Training
Full attendance is required to receive your certificate of completion.
Day 2
9am–12pm: Training
12–12:30pm: Lunch
12:30–5pm: Training, with short breaks throughout
Day 3
8:30am–12pm: Training (hospital training day if labor room available)
12–12:30pm: Lunch
12:30–5:30pm: Training, with short breaks throughout
In this workshop you will learn the required topics on your path to becoming a Certified DONA International Doula. Topics include but are not limited to:
Photo: Gather Birth (Meredith Westin)
What we cover
History of birth in North America and the origins of doulas
Current birth inequities and outcomes
Evidence on doula support and its long-term impact on birthing people
Doula ethics and scope of practice
How values shape choices about birth location, provider, and interventions
Prenatal and postpartum meetings
Hands-on comfort measures and support skills
Inside the labor room: A full hour of hands-on practice in a not-in-use labor room at Methodist Hospital, building technical skills and confidence (when a room is available)
Birth complications, interventions, and cesarean support
The doula’s role in lactation support
Next steps toward certification
Basics of launching and organizing your birth business
All are welcome at birthED. We use terms like “birthing person” and “partner” in class, and it’s OK if you don’t use those terms for yourself.
Not planning to certify or earn CEUs? If you’d like a refresher focused on the Twin Cities market, inquire about pricing.
COST: $700
CANCELLATION POLICY (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AS IT IS ENFORCED)
By registering, you acknowledge reading and agreeing to these policies. This workshop requires your full in person participation for the entire series of the DOULA TRAINING portion of the workshop. Your name and email will be shared with DONA International for training evaluation. We do not offer refunds, however you can transfer to another birthED DONA Training within a year of registration, with a $200 fee if requested within one month of the class or once it has begun. Missing a class incurs a $100 fee, and you can reschedule by contacting the instructor. The instructor may cancel due to low enrollment, offering a switch to a preferred class without extra fees. TRANSFER students must pay all fees from their original registration before transferring to a new class.