Welcome to BEST Doula Training! We are so glad you are here.
Here you’ll find a few things to help you with your training weekend.
The slides will help you follow along. We do not use content heavy slides, so no reason to have them up all the time or focus on them.
Videos below will be used in training and we’ll let you know when it’s time to watch them.
Let the folks at home know how awesome you are!
Complete your first challenge by being as cool as these BESTies and share with everyone that it’s your first day in training! You might just leave training with a signed contract.
grab some best swag in the doula store!
Password is d0ulascan
BREAK OUT ACTIVITY
You are divided into groups and will receive an email with your group
Click the link in the email and wait for us to let you in.
You can stay in the main group if you like, but please stay muted here. We will stay muted too. Use chat feature in the main group if you have any issues and need to communicate with us.
You will need to wait for us to let you in your breakout group. We'll get you all in, just takes a moment.
Have fun.
Meet us back in the main group at the stated time.
Want to learn more about Maternal Mortality in the US? Check out the Lost Mothers Series.
inclusivity
Here are some additional resources about inclusive language and experiences in birth. Go ahead and book mark these and begin exploring them in breaks and after training. Your learning doesn’t end on Sunday!
We know you want to see this again! Click the button below to watch BESTie Caitlin, in the chicago area, practicing with her partner. Everything is awkward the first time and we promise this will get easier with practice. We recommend practicing with family and friends - whoever is in your bubble!
Affirmations
Build your skills, or have fun with skills you have, and visit canva, or any other service you like, and create a digital affirmation card for the next group of besties. Upload your affirmation here.
lovingly created for you
The BESTies before you want to inspire and encourage you in your own journey. Click the button below to see the affirmations that have been created and left, just for you.
We’ll watch this video when we talk about marketing. Maria will let you know when to press play.
get your creative juices flowing
homework for tonight!
Have fun with these and we’ll go over it a bit tomorrow! Be sure to save these pages and your work
A FEW BUSINESS LINKS FOR YOU
Here are two companies offering liability insurance for doulas. There may be more options in your area and we are not recommending either of these. Just sharing the resources.
You’ll need to visit your state’s Secretary of State website to set up your LLC, DBA, etc. Beware predatory 3rd parties who charge a lot to set up your EIN and business registration in your state. Only use the site below to set up your EIN.
SOME HELPFUL POSTPARTUM LINKS AMANDA MIGHT MENTION.
Looking for a mental health care provider trained in perinatal mental health? Contact PSI and ask for referrals in your area. No one in your area? Reach out to therapists who may note on their site or in their bio that they support families/women/birthing people and tell them you’d love to refer to them, tell them about the training PSI offers, and suggest they get some CEUs and learn about how to best support your clients all at the same time!
Sometimes clients just need to share with us. Culturally, we aren’t really socialized to just hear folks share with us, but to instead try to fix what is upsetting someone. Most of the time, we can’t really fix anything for anyone, but what is helpful is feeling heard and not being alone.
This is Amanda and her daughter Ingrid talking to you about how this last position of Walchers works! Remember, the first step of Walchers is to do a belly lift through three contractions. And then you’ll hold this position through three contractions.
Why use Walchers? Well, this can help if a baby is sort of hung up at -2, so they are below the back of the pelvis but still navigating entering the pelvic inlet in the front (getting under the pubic bone). You might see contractions slow, dilation not move forward, and the baby not move below -2 station.
BREAK OUT ACTIVITY
You will be divided into groups and will receive link to your group in the Google Meet Chat
Click the link in your email and wait for us to let you in.
Each group will have a group reader, a pregnant/laboring person, a partner, a doula, and if you are in a group of 5 you have two doulas.
You can stay in the main group if you like, but please stay muted here. We will stay muted too. Use chat feature in the main group if you have any issues.
You will need to wait for us to let you in your breakout group. We'll get you all in, just takes a moment.
Have fun. You will get out of it what you put into it.
Meet us back in the main group at the stated time.