BECOME A POSTPARTUM DOULA
Caring for families through wholistic, evidence based practice, to help everyone have a wonderful postpartum. You can help postpartum families be well.
LEAVE TRAINING CERTIFIED AND READY TO START YOUR BUSINESS.
Postpartum doulas support families through the transition into parenthood that our society and culture hasn’t prepared them for. Postpartum doulas are the community new parents need.
There are three steps to beginning your career supporting families through their postpartum transition.
Complete your precertification course and required reading.
Complete your food handler's course
Attend your one day workshop
Upcoming Training Dates
Topics Included in Training Dialogue Include
Mental Health
Postpartum doulas are certainly not perinatal mental health experts (unless you are!), but we are in a position to truly be world changers here. By understanding some basics of perinatal mental health, you may recognize changes or warning signs in your clients. You can be a bridge to further care. And that can mean a world of difference!
Attachment
What is infant attachment, attachment styles, and why do they matter? We will work through these ideas and how you as a postpartum doula can support secure infant attachment.
Infant Sleep
The dream of new parents, the topic of so many authors, one of the greatest postpartum challenges, and just one of the areas you’ll be prepared to support. The resources in this section will help you to have a better understanding of infant development and how we can help our clients get a little more needed sleep. Sleep will help our clients heal physically and emotionally, and be better able to care for their babies.
The Hard Stuff
We’ll explore some of the pressures new parents feel and we dive into some of our ideas about parenting, crying, do some myth debunking, and checkout what we really know. Who knew the hardest things could actually be so much better with a postpartum doula? We did.
Infant Feeding
However your clients feed their baby, you will be prepared to support them and help them have a positive feeding journey.
Business Development
You will leave training ready to launch your business or grow your existing one. Topics included are marketing, web development and seo, community, and understanding your audience. At best we practice an abundance model, so be ready for growth!
Diversity
There is no one way a family is made and no one way to support a family. We will explore racial implications, gender, sexuality, income diversity, family background, and intersectionality as factors that impact the postpartum period and how we care for our clients.
Becoming a Postpartum Doula should not be complicated - in fact there are only 5 steps to becoming a BEST certified Postpartum Doula:
Register (pay in full or use a payment plan) for your training. Get excited!
Access the precertification resources in our hub, including the reading list, Prepared Feeding (breast/chest feeding course) and more.
Enjoy preparing for your workshop in our BEST online community.
Fill out your Think Log and….
ATTEND TRAINING!
LEAVE TRAINING A CERTIFIED POSTPARTUM DOULA
“Training was phenomenal! Thanks for creating such a wonderful program!”
Answers to your questions!
Can I attend virtual training from anywhere or does it have to be in the location or state I plan to be a doula?
You do NOT have to attend training where you will actually be a doula! Pick a date or city that works for you and join in-person or online from anywhere. Our certification is valid in all 50 states and around the world.
How much DOes it Cost?
Our $649 registration fee* covers everything but required books and your food handler’s course. BEST has no packets and no membership fees. We also offer BIPOC, Single Parent and Queer scholarships.
Do you offer payment plans?
YES! Make a deposit when you register and you will receive a link to make further payments. Pay your balance at one time, or pay a little at a time up until a week before your training date. Whatever works for you!
What books am I required to read?
Your awesome books can be found right here. You can also learn more about what you receive with registration as well.
I am traveling to come to the workshop. Where should I stay?
Many people travel to attend BEST workshops and so we make it easy. Stay with Amanda and Maria and have a "Birth Pro-Sleepover." Enjoy an easy (ie no) commute and extra time to talk business or pleasure with them and your new BESTies. We always try to choose locations where participants can walk to food and have a fridge available for food and human milk storage.
I have attended A POSTPARTUM doula training elsewhere. Is Coming to a BEST Training worth it?
Many experienced doulas attend BEST trainings. Our workshop is unique in both the information covered and how it is presented. We promise you will learn a ton no matter how long you have been in birth work, and you’ve never been in a birth community like this! If you have already taken a previous postpartum doula training though, we do offer cross training. Read more about doula cross training and how we honor the knowledge you have as you join BEST.
How often do I need to recertify and how much does it cost?
Recertification happens every two years. The cost is $75, and is discounted for referring others and further growing your birth community. Recertification is like the rest of our program - straightforward, user friendly and not meant to create needless work.
*reflects pricing for 2022