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Birth Doula Core Training: In Person

Name: Birth Doula Core Training: In Person
Brand: Michelle Welborn
Price: 999.0 USD
Availability: InStock

$999.00

Michelle Welborn

Please note: Access to the Reproductive Justice online course will be provided at the time of registration. This course is to be completed independently prior to the Q&A session on Oct 26.

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CLASS DESCRIPTION
DETAILS
CERTIFICATION
FACILITATOR(S)

The Natural Resources International Birth Doula Core Training is the oldest and most comprehensive live, in person training in the Bay Area. Our training includes 38 hours of engaging instruction that prepares you to work in the doula profession. NR also provides ongoing community support and professional perks to all of its new doulas.

IMPORTANT: All sessions will be held in person at Natural Resources except Reproductive Justice. This session will be held virtually. Zoom information will be provided to you prior to your session.
Birth Doulas act as a collaborator, support and advocate for the birthing person as they move through the transitional space known as labor. They use their continuous presence and knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, emotions and hormones of labor to empower the birthing person and facilitate best outcomes. The support of a Birth Doula may include helping to create a birth plan, suggestions of comfort measures and positions during labor and birth, and caring for the emotional well-being of the birthing person during and directly after labor. Research shows that continuous labor support reduces a person's likelihood of having pain medication, increases their satisfaction with their birth and their chances of a spontaneous vaginal birth. Birth doulas work in all birth settings including birth centers, homes & hospitals.
Please Note:
-Any in person session may be moved to Zoom pending COVID cases.
-Michelle is an active midwife. She may be called to attend a birth during a scheduled session. Please hold the following dates in the event one of your sessions needs to be rescheduled: Tuesday Oct. 29, Thursday Oct. 31, and Thursday Nov. 7.

-Course content is outlined in the Details tab.
-Payment details are outlined in the Details tab.
-Click here for the Birth Doula Certification Requirements.

Why train with Natural Resources?
- As an organization that directly educates and supports new and expecting families, we are uniquely positioned to have a holistic view of the needs of both doulas and parents.
- NR-trained doulas receive ongoing support and the opportunity to present their services to parents via multiple avenues, including our resource directory & monthly Find a Doula Meet & Greet.
- Our training is comprehensive, occurs over multiple weeks (rather than an intense weekend), and offers more lecture hours than many programs. This allows for:
- Attendees receive instruction from multiple facilitators, and various guest speakers present their experience, expertise, tips, and tricks throughout the course of the training.
- Our robust certification process allows doulas the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and get hands-on experience.
- You'll be able to confidently work with families and market yourselves to potential clients and even birthing facilities.
Upon completion of this training the Birth Doula will:

- Understand the stages of labor, common birth terminology and common interventions.
- Be versed in comfort measures and therapies for various stages of labor and circumstances.
- Feel confident in the knowledge and skills and ability to provide effective, continuous support to the birthing family.
- Learn how to facilitate partner and family involvement.
- Recognize intersections of oppression and some of the ways they impact birthing people and their families.
- Develop skills to effectively prepare, educate and empower families throughout the childbearing cycle.
- Learn ways to support families experiencing loss or unique birthing situations/complications.
- Be familiar with the differences in various birth environments – home, birth center and hospital.
- Understand the of roles of different types of providers.
- Possess the ability to establish a successful doula practice.

Reproductive Justice course (Racism and Privilege in Birthwork) was created and hosted by Sabia Wade. The session on Sat, Oct 26, 10am-11:00am is a LIVE, virtual Q&A session with Sabia to allow students the opportunity to further discuss the information presented throughout the online course. The course needs to be completed prior to Oct 26, and will be provided to you at the time of registration. Plan to spend 2-3 hours completing this online course.

Pricing:

-Regular price is $999.
-The Early Bird rate is $924 and available for a limited number of students.
-Payment plan price is $1,000 and requires a 50% deposit to hold your space. Balance is due 2 weeks prior to start date. Please call store to pay remainder of balance 415-550-2611.

Regular cancellation policy applies to all pricing options. We offer store credit only with at least 1 week notice, no refunds are given.
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BIRTH DOULA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Certification Requirements must be completed and submitted within 2 years of your training at Natural Resources.

If you are an "Established Doula" (have worked for 25 families within the last five years) click here to learn more about becoming a certified doula via our International Established Doula Certification Program.

1. Attendance Requirements - complete entire 38 hour training
- 1 session may be missed and attended (within 1 year) at a future training.
- If you miss more than 1 session, you must enroll in a new training to receive a Certificate of Class Completion.
2. Reading Requirements 

• Select 1 from each Category listed below

• Submit a 1 page personal response for each book. What is your reaction to the material? Do you agree/disagree? Why?

(A) Pregnancy & Birth

- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

- The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin

- Babies Are Not Pizzas by Rebecca Dekker

- Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood and Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi Cohen

- Expecting Better by Emily Oster

- The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Genevieve Howland

- Ancient Map for Modern Birth by Pam England

- Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach by Goer & Romano

- Having Your Baby: For the Special Needs of Black Mothers-To-Be, from Conception to Newborn Care by Hutcherson with Williams

(B) Doula Profession

- The Doula Book by Klaus, Kennel and Klaus

- Birth Ambassadors: Doulas and the Re-emergence of Woman-Supported Birth in America by Morton with Clift

- The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business by Patty Brennan

- The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People by Mahoney & Mitchell

- The Heart of a Doula by Amy Gilliland

- Birth Work as Care Work by Alana Apfel

(C) Healing from Trauma

- When Survivors Give Birth by Klaus & Simkin

- The VBAC Companion by Diane Korte

- Cut, Stapled and Mended by Roanna Rosewood

- Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self while Caring for Others by Lipsky

- A Good Birth: Finding the Positive and Profound in Your Childbirth Experience by Lyerly

- Survivor Moms: Women’s Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing after Sexual Abuse by Spertich and Seng

(D) Reproductive Justice & Cultural Competency

- Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts

- Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy by Angela Garbes

- Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth by Dana-Ain Davis

- Reproductive Justice: An Introduction by Ross & Solinger

- Birth in Eight Cultures by Davis-Floyd & Cheyney

- Where’s the Mother? Stories from a Transgender Dad by Trevor MacDonald

- Journey to Same-Sex Parenthood by Eric Rosswood

- Red Medicine: Traditional Indigenous Rites of Birth and Healing by Patrisia Gonzales

- Battling Over Birth: Black Women and the Maternal Health Care Crisis by Oparah, Arega, Hudson, Jones, Oseguera

(E) Postpartum & Lactation

- Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher

- The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality by Kimberly Ann Johnson

- The First Forty Days: The Essential Art to Nourishing the New Mother by Ou with Greeven and Belger

- Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage by Robin Kaplan

- A Taste of Our Own Medicine: 3 Vital Keys To Ending Postnatal Depletion, Nurturing Mothers And Improving Communities by Danett Bean

- The Black Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding: The Definitive Guide to Nursing for African American Mothers by Katherine Barber

(F) Films

- The Business of Being Born produced by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein

- More Business of Being Born (2011) produced by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein

- Microbirth produced by Harman and Wakeford

- Why Not Home? produced by Jessica Moore

3. Proof of current Adult and Infant/Child CPR certification (Neonatal Resuscitation class is strongly recommended, though not required.)

4. Attendance at 6 births (occurring during or after the training) At least 3 births must include at least 1 prenatal meeting, continuous labor support, and at least 1 postpartum meeting within two weeks of baby’s birth. Must include Evaluation of Family Support Services form and Doulas Reflection on Family Support form for each birth.

5. Agree to Natural Resources Doula Code of Ethics/Standards of Practice

Natural Resources trained Doulas will receive our Certification Packet at the time of training. Once you have completed all of the required paperwork, you will purchase the Certification Application (linked inside the packet) for a $75 fee. If you trained with Natural Resources and need access to the Certification Packet, please email classes@naturalresources-sf.com.
Michelle Welborn Michelle Welborn is a Homebirth Midwife, Childbirth Educator and Doula. She has attended nearly 1000 births in homes, hospitals and birth centers and worked with hundreds of families during their pregnancies and postpartums. Michelle trained with The National Midwifery Institute, DONA, Lamaze International, Natural Resources, and The Farm Midwifery Clinic, but she considers birthing women and their partners to be her greatest teachers. For more information, visit www.welbornbaby.com

Claudia was born and raised in San Francisco's Mission district. She utilized NR many years ago following the birth of her oldest child, now 27 years later- she is giving back to the very place that helped her. Claudia is a mother of two loving sons. She has a background in nursing and worked in Oncology and Hospice for 15 years and in Reproductive Health since 2016. Claudia loves helping families in their journey with compassion, support and empowerment. She believes through her experiences as a Nurse and as a Mother;that is what has prepared her to become a doula. Claudia completed her birth and postpartum doula training with Natural Resources in 2021. She felt the training just solidified her drive and desire to do birth work. She has been working as a Doula in the SF Bay Area since 2021 and has helped over 130 families in hospital, home and birth center settings.

Sabia Wade (she/they) was called to birthwork after witnessing the variance in quality of treatment and outcomes across races while working in hospitals and across the medical industrial complex. Inspired, she shifted her career path from a desire to support people through nursing to advocating for reproductive justice as a Full Spectrum Doula. Every part of Sabia’s work points back to Reproductive Justice as the solution to building systems, patterns, and defying expectations in ways that allow possibilities for shifting the dominance of capitalism and racism within the ways we exist as a society.

Confidence and knowledge.

I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed this course. This course has expanded my awareness of birth and the scope of what a doula provides to birthing peoples. I am leaving this course feeling more confident, not only in myself and my abilities, but in birthing people in general, and their innate awareness of how to birth.

A solid understanding of pregnancy, birth, and the way doulas can support birthing people and the...

The teacher is incredible. She's such a humble yet powerful guide in this process, and I felt really inspired by her and supported by her through the entire training. A lot of encouragement and a strong support system to learn alongside.

I gained the knowledge that I have the power to be a doula and that my presence could be the most...

The facilitators were amazing! Their approach to teaching is inclusive and encourages questions and discussion. They both are very knowledgable about their work and they communicate their experiences well.

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Birth Doula Core Training: In Person

BIRTH DOULA CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

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