About this course
Our online Holistic Birth Doula Training Course is a rich comprehensive resource that you can study anywhere, anytime. This holistic training covers a broad range of knowledge and skills needed to become a Birth Doula so you can offer support and experience to birthing women and families.
This course is a collaboration between Bliss Baby Yoga & the Celebration of Birth Doula Academy, founded by Anna Watts in 2011. This Doula Academy holds the vision for educating, protecting and developing sacred birthing and post-partum practices through the training of Doulas to support women, babies and families during the transformational time of pregnancy, birth and beyond.
This comprehensive Birth Doula Training has the foundation of our combined birth and Doula wisdom, over 50 years of practical experience in this specialist field, with backgrounds in Childbirth Education, Doula Training & Mentoring, Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training and Women’s Health and Wellbeing. Many of the students who choose to train with us are interested in the mother-centred holistic approach, as well as the sacred birthing wisdom offered in the training.
The course also includes evidence based information including the Stages of Labour, Role of a Doula, Active Birth Support, Communication skills, Postpartum Support, Marketing, Establishing your Doula Business and more.
Why holistic? This training invites you on a path of self reflection and deeper self-knowledge as you prepare for this sacred role in supporting others through the birth portal.
See the full course curriculum here or click on the following tab ‘Course Content’.
Be fully certified as a Birth Doula by enrolling in the Doula Certification Bundle which also includes our Certification Module. You can read more about the Certification Module here.
BONUS CONTENT – learn how to create and facilitate a beautiful Blessing Way circle for mothers-to-be as they approach the time to give birth. A wonderful way to expand your doula services in your community.
This Doula Training is accessible to anyone, anywhere, all over the world, with audio and video recordings that can be accessed at anytime – either streamed, or download and listen on the go! If you choose to complete the full Doula certification, you will have a choice of times for the live calls that will suit your time zone.
Via the full Doula Certification Course Bundle you will gain the confidence and skills you need to serve those in your community who are giving birth – be it in a hospital, home birth or birth centre.
Interested? Sign up for a free preview below including a downloadable Grounding & Balancing Meditation for Doulas audio.
This course will take you approximately 30 hours to complete and includes a total of 9.5 hours of video footage and 6 hours of audio lessons as well as a comprehensive manual, 5 quizzes, journalling, reading and self reflection.
The course content is broken down as follows:
Role of A Doula
Introductory Grounding Visualisation (audio 16:56)
The What is a Doula? (video 39.45)
Physiological Birth and the Stages of Labour
Lecture: Pre-labour, First Stage, Transition (video 45:27)
Lecture: 2nd Stage, Birth, Placenta & the Golden Hour (video 57:07)
Birthing & the Stages of Labour (video 55:23)
Lecture: Hormones of Pregnancy & Birth (video 40:14)
Medical Intervention
Lecture: What is Medical Intervention and the Cascade of Intervention? (video 59:53)
Gentle Caesarian Birth (video 27:15)
Practical: Active Birth
Positions for Labour (video 21:04)
Acupressure for Birth (video 10:51)
Hands on Massage for Birth (video 13:25)
Rebozo for Pregnancy & Birth (video 15:57)
Birth Stories
Trish’s Birth Story (audio 32:17)
Abby’s Birth Story (audio 36:46)
Birth Plans (video 12:06)
Tools and Tips for Doulas
What’s in my Doula Bag (video 14:41)
Practical Tips for Doulas (video 37:34)
Communication Skills
Reflective and Active Listening (video 10:56)
Supporting Trauma and when to Refer (audio 49:14)
Postpartum Support
Lecture: Breast Feeding Support (video 31:50)
Self Awareness/ Personal Growth for Doulas (audio 12:00)
Establishing Doula Practice/ Client Completion
Marketing & Finding Clients (video 13:54)
PRACTICAL: Connecting with the Soul of your Doula Business (video 20:04)
Doula Client Meetings and Saying Goodbye (audio 11:20)
Virtual Doula Support (video 5:49)
BONUS CONTENT! Mother Blessing/Blessing Way Circle (video 3:36 plus detailed guide in manual)
Course Completion
Imposter Syndrome (video 2:17)
Where to next? (video 3:28)
NB The Doula Certification Module is an extra level of study not listed above and includes 3 live one to one video calls, attendance at 3 trainee births, and attendance at a childbirth education class/course.
This course is offered in two sections.
The first section is the main Doula Training Course as outlined in the previous tab and is pre-recorded for you to work through the videos, audio, journaling and self practice in your own time. The videos and audio are in bite-size chunks for you to fit them into your busy life!
This main body of the training provides you with the knowledge and skills you will need as a Birth Doula, and also suitable should you simply want to deepen your knowledge in the area of birth and not yet ready to attend births.
The second part of this course is the Doula Certification Module which comprises of three live one on one video calls with one of our senior Doula trainers, and also requires you to attend a childbirth education class. You will need to attend three ‘trainee’ births to fulfil this part of the course. This part of the course gives you the support you will need as a new Birth Doula. You can read more about the Mentoring & Certification Module here.
So if you’re wanting to deepen your knowledge of birth but not quite ready to be a practicing Doula, you can choose to do the first part of the course only. However if you plan to practice as a Birth Doula it is strongly encouraged that you complete both the Birth Doula Training and the Doula Certification Module – we offer these both as a bundle together. The Doula Certification Module will offer you the one on one guidance and support via mentoring that will help you step confidently into being a Doula.
If you choose to do the Doula Training alone, you have two years to enrol in the Doula Mentoring & Certification Module should you wish to pursue Doula Certification.
Time wise, we estimate it will take you approximately 30 hours to complete this course, give or take. Plus, the recommended reading you choose from the comprehensive list given, personal exploration and any further research you wish to undertake. You will have 12 months to access and complete this core course although the materials are yours to download forever.
If you enrol in the full Doula Training, Mentoring & Certification Bundle you will have 18 months to complete both elements of the training. (NB Extensions are available for a small fee). It’s impossible to estimate how long you will spend in birth preparation sessions and attending births as a student doula (as we know the labour and birthing process may be l-o-n-g, or sometimes very fast!). However, please know that every hour you spend with pregnant and birthing families is invaluable in building your body of knowledge and hands-on experience as a birth doula.
At the present time, Doula as a profession is not regulated in any countries around the world.
There is no national or international body that recognizes a standard of training for Doulas. Rest assured that our trainers are fully recognised as experts in their field and the training curriculum meets all the requirements for you to confidently work as a Birth Doula. The Celebration of Birth Academy/Bliss Baby Yoga Certificate is in-line with other doula training organisations, such as Childbirth International or DONA. From a legal perspective a doula is not practicing as a medical professional and, as long as you are working under the guidelines covered in the training, has no legal liability to clients.
A Certificate of Attendance is issued on completion of the Birth Doula Training. If you choose the Certification module you will receive an additional Certificate of Completion once you have completed all the requirements, including attendance at 3 births as a student doula and participation in a childbirth education class.
If you are a Prenatal Yoga Teacher you will be able to register 12 hours of this course as CEP points with Yoga Alliance or Yoga Australia (and possibly other local Yoga Organisations, we suggest you check within your community).
For Prenatal Yoga Teachers wanting to claim CEP/CPD points:
A Certificate of Attendance (PDF electronic file) is provided once you’ve completed the course. The total course hours on this completion certificate is 12 non-contact hours.
You can either print out the certificate or keep it digitally to upload to registration bodies (eg: Yoga Alliance / Yoga Australia) to gain all-important CPD (Continuing Professional Development Points).
When claiming under Yoga Alliance, please use Nadine O’Mara under Bliss Baby Yoga as the YACEP provider.
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions about this course, delivery and accreditation, please see below.
- How is this Doula Training different to other trainings? Many of our students who choose to train with us are interested in the mother-centred holistic approach, as well as the sacred birthing wisdom offered in the training. The major difference in our training is the combination of educational, experiential, creative and hands-on skills, plus the personal discovery aspects, which we believe are essential when working in this intimate and sensitive area with pregnant people and their partners.
- What is the difference between this Doula Training Course & the Doula Certification Course Bundle? If you are interested in knowing more about birth and perhaps not quite ready to start practicing as a Doula, you can complete the Birth Doula Training course alone. You may also just love learning about birth and want to enrich what you already know, then this is the course for you! If you plan to start practicing as a Doula soon, we highly recommend enrolling in the Certification Mentoring Module as you launch your Doula career and begin to attend births. This additional mentoring module includes three live video calls to support your attendance at the required 3 births as a Student Doula and participation in a Childbirth Education Course. NB You can always purchase the Certification Module later when you are ready to start practicing as a Doula.
- Do I need to have a background in birth or be a yoga teacher to begin training as a Birth Doula? No previous qualifications are necessary to join the training, apart from a desire to support and empower women in their choices for a fulfilling birth experience. Unlike our other courses, this is not a yoga teacher training course and you do not need to have completed any yoga teacher training. You can train as a Birth Doula to begin a new career path, or to expand your existing knowledge and services in the area of pregnancy and birth. This course is a perfect complement to many other professions, such as Prenatal Yoga Teaching, Naturopathy, Massage Therapy, Women’s Health etc.
- Can I practice as a Doula with the standard initial Doula Training course only? We suggest that for safe practice and insurance reasons, if you plan to be a practicing Doula you complete the full certification stream so that you have one on one mentoring with our senior doula trainers who can help guide you through your first births.
- Is there a time limit to complete the Bliss Baby Yoga online courses? Yes, you have access to this course online for 12 months. However you can download all the videos and keep them forever. If you purchase the bundle of Doula Course and Certification Module, you have 18 months in total to complete your training.
- If I’m not sure I want to become a practicing Doula but love birth! At this stage if I do the Doula Training only, is there a time limit to return to do the Certification Module? Yes, you have up to two years to enrol in the Certification Module after you finish the initial Doula Training and then another 12 months to complete your 3 student births.
- Is this course registered with Yoga Alliance? If you are a Prenatal Yoga teacher doing this course , you can register your hours as CEP with Yoga Alliance (or Yoga Australia) for 12 non-contact hours. Please download your certificate after you have provided your feedback.
ENROL
Who is this course for?
This online Holistic Birth Doula Training is for anyone for has a passion for birth and wants to learn more!
You may be called to be a Birth Doula, gaining all the knowledge, tools and support you require via this training, or you may be a Prenatal Yoga Teacher wanting to understand more about birth to support your students.
This course is also suitable for anyone in any other therapeutic modalities working with pregnant people, such as acupuncturists, masseurs, naturopaths etc, who want to know more about birth.
You may have recently had a baby and feel so passionately about birth that you want to dive deeper, even if you are not yet ready to become a practicing Doula.
As a Doula, you are choosing a role that can be deeply fulfilling as you support birthing women and people in your local community at one of the most sacred times in their life.
Course Teacher
Anna Watts
Anna Watts, a beloved guest teacher for Bliss Baby Yoga since it’s beginning in Byron Bay, is a professional Childbirth Educator and Doula Trainer (Celebration of Birth Doula Academy) who has been working with pregnant women/couples for over 28 years.
Her wide experience includes Diploma in Childbirth Education, Diploma in Counselling, Cert IV Training & Assessment, training prenatal yoga teachers, facilitating women’s circles, birth classes, prenatal yoga and supporting many births as a doula. Anna is a mother to two beautiful, adult daughters.
Anna is the founding presenter on our Doula Training and is a specialty guest presenter on our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course.
Nadine O'Mara
Nadine O’Mara is a Doula, experienced Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Trainer, Childbirth Educator and our Bliss Baby Yoga Director. She is passionate about supporting women’s health, especially around birth.
In addition to sharing her knowledge via many of our Bliss Baby Yoga online courses & classes, Nadine runs her business “Conscious Birth” providing doula support and yoga for women, their babies and partners around Bellingen on the NSW Mid-North Coast. She also offers birth education, self care and restorative yoga workshops for mothers, facilitates mother’s circles, family yoga and retreats for women and/or families. She believes that a gentle birth and the creation of a positive family life helps shape a more peaceful planet.
Rosie Matheson
Rosie Matheson (E-RYT 200, RPYT, YACEP) is a passionate women’s health and wellbeing educator. She has trained extensively in Hatha Yoga, and is also a qualified Doula. Rosie’s many offerings for women include classes, workshops, and teacher training courses in yoga for fertility, healthy menstruation, women’s life cycles, and both the prenatal and postnatal phases of life.
Rosie’s foundational work in women’s yoga was conducted during a three year residency on Koh Phangan, Thailand. There she participated in over 700 hours of Yoga Alliance certified Yoga Teacher Training courses in addition to attending Yoga Therapy workshops, meditation courses, and a variety of women’s retreats and classes.
Teaching women close to home and across the globe, Rosie regularly leads trainings for students in the USA, Japan, Italy, and Australia. Rosie’s passion is in educating women on the power of their bodies, and the undeniable correlation between celebrating your feminine form and living an empowered and vital life.
Her genius is in presenting these ideas in a way that is accessible, nurturing, and inspiring to women everywhere.
Rosie is a Senior Course Facilitator for our Bliss Baby Yoga Prenatal & Postnatal and Fertility Yoga Teacher Training courses, online, throughout Australia and internationally, and also offers Online 1:1 Mentoring for yoga teachers and personalised yoga classes.
Nisha Gill
Nisha Gill is a Somatic Experiencing® (trauma) Practitioner and counsellor
Nisha practises using a range of bodymind approaches with her clients. Her special focus is on the resolution of birth, developmental, sexual, pre- & peri-natal and medical traumas.
Nisha’s practice is informed by her experiences as birth and postnatal doula, birth educator, integrative bodyworker and female embodiment teacher. She is guided in her work by the profound intelligence of our mammalian bodies, and her mission is to promote perinatal experiences for babies and their families to the blueprint of birth with safety and close attunement in order to set them up for a lifetime of thriving.
Nisha delivers trauma education to birth professionals, body-centred practitioners, sexuality coaches and families. Applying a neuro-physiological lens to trauma, Nisha supports birth workers to value their therapeutic presence with the families they serve more wholly in minimising trauma and promoting resilience.
Valerie Hamilton
Valerie Hamilton is a registered nurse/midwife, childbirth educator and a qualified yoga teacher with a Masters of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Health Research. Valerie has lectured in anatomy and physiology, women’s health, life science, midwifery and prenatal yoga throughout Australia and overseas, with her most recent lecturing position being at Griffith University, Queensland. She has also presented her qualitative midwifery research on student led antenatal clinics both nationally and internationally.
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“The training exceeded my expectations in the holistic and spiritual approach to being a Doula” – Veronica
BIRTH DOULA TRAINING is for you if you are:
- Passionate to follow your heart and offer holistic mother-centred support to women and families on the transformational journey of pregnancy, birth and becoming parents.
- Believe in birth as an opportunity for inner exploration, growth and empowerment and wish to support informed choices for the most fulfilling experience possible.
- Honour the spiritual aspects of conception, pregnancy and birth and celebrate them as stepping stones along the path of parenting our children in a more conscious and connected way.
- Ready to take the next step on the path of being a Birth Keeper– you understand this takes commitment, enthusiasm, focus and self-motivation, with the back-up of professional mentoring and peer support.
- Excited to develop your own business with your unique offerings and the expertise most aligned with your personal vision and career goals.
What past course participants of have to say about this Online Doula Training and Celebration of Birth/Bliss Baby Yoga Courses
Watch a sneak peak of the online Doula Training as an enrolled student below!
Purchase Options
Choose from purchase options below — stand-alone or course bundle options
All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST for Australian residents.
.
Stand-alone Holistic Birth Doula Training:
$990 AUD
(OR 3 X $345 Payment Plan)
You receive:
Online Birth Doula Training Course
Holistic Birth Doula Training plus Doula Mentoring & Certification Bundle:
$1430.00 AUD
(OR 3 X $490 Payment Plan)
You receive:
Doula Training
Doula Certification Module
NB: Extended access of 18 months to complete for this bundle.
Ultimate Pregnancy & Birth Support Bundle:
$1578.00 AUD
or 3 x $540 Payment Plan
You receive:
Doula Training
Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training
Option: Add Doula Certification Module at checkout for an extra AUD $440 special bundle price.
NB This bundle offers a full 18 months time to complete.
About this bundle
Doula Training
plus
Complete Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training
Stand Alone Doula Mentoring & Certification Module :
$495.00 AUD
You receive:
Doula Certification Module
HOW DO I ENROLL & GET STARTED?
1: Register
Register and pay the full course fee. You can pay securely online via Credit Card or PayPal. (Note: that you don’t need your own Paypal account, you can pay via ‘guest checkout’ if you select this option).
2: Access
Once your payment has been confirmed, you’ll receive an email with your log-in details and a direct link to go ahead and log-in. (You can also always log in directly on our website using the “Log In” link in the top right hand corner.)
If this is not your first purchase on our site, you’ll receive a reminder email with your log in details for the account you already have with us. Once you log in to the site, you’ll be directed to your member page where you can access your course and get started!
(Note: if you have previously purchased other courses or classes with us, you’ll be able to conveniently see and access all of your courses here in the member section of the website)
3: Learn
Enjoy the learning!
You can work at your own pace, and because we appreciate that you may be busy juggling teaching, parenting, and/or other work with your study, you have one full year from your date of enrolment to access and complete our courses and download all resources included within the course to keep forever for future reference. Our courses are designed to fit around your busy life.
Navigating your way through the course is simple and easy, but if you have any questions or issues at any time, we are only an email away!
(NB You have 18 months access for the Doula Bundles)
4: Certificate
After completing the course you’ll be prompted to complete a Feedback Form on the website. You will receive your course Completion Certificate that you can either print out or keep digitally to send to registration bodies if you are a yoga teadcher (eg: Yoga Alliance / Yoga Australia) to gain all-important CPD (Continuing Professional Development Points).
If you have enrolled in the Certification Module you can schedule in your one on one calls either during the Doula Training or proceed to do these once you have finished the first part of the training.
