Train to become a birth doula. Practice being one.

Yes. I'm a DONA International Approved Birth Doula Trainer, and this workshop is an approved birth doula training for DONA certification. Introduction to Childbirth and Lactation for Birth Professionals are also included in your tuition. DONA International handles certification itself, so this training is one part of the certification process.

Yes. You do not need to have given birth, attended a birth, or worked in healthcare to take this training. There is no prerequisite, and most people arrive with no clients at all. The training is built to be the starting point.

Tuition is $650, or $610 if you pay in full at least 30 days before your class starts. That covers the live workshop, Introduction to Childbirth, Lactation for Birth Professionals, bereavement support, a HIPAA training for doulas, doula business basics, a separate certificate for each part, the Guided Notes workbook, a listing on MeetYourDoula.com, and weekly support after you graduate. Payment plans are available at checkout.

Yes. Payment plans and pay-later options are available at checkout. A limited number of reduced-cost seats are also available by application.

Yes. The training is 100 percent virtual and taught live on Zoom, with no in-person component and nothing self-paced. Class times are listed in Eastern Time, so check the schedule against your own time zone before you pick a format. DONA International is international in scope, not United States only.

The schedule is the only difference. All three cover the same curriculum and put you on the same DONA certification path. The 3-day intensive runs three days in a row from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern. The 5-week evening format meets one evening a week for five weeks from 6:00 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern. The 5-day morning format runs five days in a row from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern. Pick the one that fits your life, not the one that sounds most impressive.

Yes. Throughout the training, students work through birth and client scenarios, role plays, demonstrations, and small-group discussion. On the last day, every student coaches a live person in the room with them through an active-labor practice while I observe on Zoom, and the practice client gives feedback on what the experience felt like from their side. A student without a partner that day does the same practice on video afterward, and I review it before the certificate is issued.

That depends on you. I've had students certify in as little as three weeks, while others take longer. DONA International gives you up to three years after your training to finish the requirements. People come to training for different reasons. Some aren't planning to work right away, and others have clients waiting, and either one works. You don't have to wait until you're certified to start working, either. Many doulas take paying clients while they finish certification. You'll have the weekly live group Q&A if you want support along the way.

The training puts you on the path to DONA International certification, and once you complete certification, it can help qualify you for Medicaid in states that cover doula care and for TRICARE, which lists DONA as an approved certifying organization. Each state Medicaid program sets its own rules, so check your state's requirements before you count on it. The training does not teach billing. That support happens in the alumni community after you graduate.