How To Become A Doula
If I had a nickel for every time someone contacted me asking how to become a doula…well, I’d have quite a few nickels by now. But nickels aside, I realize that so many people reach out asking for this information because it is quite hard to come by online. Professional doulas aren’t necessarily found on every corner, but luckily you’ve found one that is willing to write a step-by-step guide to help you make sense of how to become a doula. So grab your pen and paper and get ready to take some notes.
Step One: Determine What Kind of Doula You Want to Be
Did you know there is more than one type of doula out there? Yep, that’s right, doulas come in many varities. From death doulas to bereavement doulas, this field is varied. But the two most popular types of doulas (and the ones that will get the most from this blog) are labor doulas and postpartum doulas.
A labor doula is there to help and support families through pregnancy and birth. This is the doula that will be with clients when they actually give birth to their baby. As a labor doula, you will be a constant source of educational, physical, and emotional support to your clients. You will be the one to learn about their birth preferences and wishes and help them figure out what matters most to them on that big day. When your clients actually go into labor, you will be the one they call at 2:00am when it’s go time. You will bring physical comfort to them during the hardest parts of labor and emotional strength to them when they just don’t think they can do it anymore. You will cheer them on as they birth their baby and be one of the first to welcome them into their new family dynamic and wish their baby a happy birth day.
Sounds amazing, right? But you will also need to consider some of the hard parts of labor doula work. Being on call - meaning being available to answer the phone day or night, to be ready to head out the door at a moment’s notice and possibly miss important family events - is not always easy. Labor doulas are notorious for saying, “I’ll be there…if I’m not at a birth.” If you have children, you need to have reliable childcare that can step in day or night. And you have to be prepared to witness ALL types of births, from the joyous to the traumatic.
The other most in demand type of doula out there is the postpartum doula. Postpartum doulas are there to support families after the birth of the baby. Preparing for labor can be a family’s singular focus and many can forget to prepare for postpartum too. Enter the postpartum doula. They are there to safeguard the family’s physical and emotional well-being as they step into parenthood - from checking on the birthing person’s physical recovery to making sure both parents are getting the sleep and rest they need to properly function to staying alert for any signs of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The postpartum family’s overall health is their number one priority. Postpartum doulas are also there to help the new parents learn their baby. There are SO many questions when it comes to newborn sleep and feeding and care, and having a truly nonjudgmental support person to provide evidence based information when they have questions is invaluable.
The work of a postpartum doula can be more predictable and schedule-able than a labor doula. But it can also be more demanding - some postpartum doulas work with clients 5-7 days a week versus just being present for the birth. If you have very young children yourself at home, it can sometimes feel like a whole lot of caring for other people and not enough time to care for yourself, when you are doing the same things at work and at home.
Or you can do both! Many doulas work as both labor and postpartum doulas. If you can fill both roles, you can support your clients through the entire birth and postpartum journey. And diversifying your services also helps to bring in the most amount of income for you. So weigh the pros and cons. Consider your own strengths and passions. And once you know which kind of doula (or both) you want to be, it’s time to get trained.
Step Two: Get Trained by a Training Organization that Aligns with Your Goals
Step Two is one of the most important parts on your journey to becoming a doula. While it’s true that doula work is not an industry regulated at the federal or state level, it is still SUPER important to pursue formal training in this field. There are things you will learn in a doula training that go well beyond the practical side of the work - such as how to release judgment and bias, how to attune with your clients, and how to perfect the skill of active listening - that will make you into a standout doula. Formal training also shows a level of professionalism that your clients will seek out.
So how do you pick a doula training organization? Because there are a lot out there! For Doulas of Raleigh, our top doula training and certifying organization is hands down, ProDoula. And that’s because ProDoula has all of the things that are extremely important for a training and certifying organization to have.
First, ProDoula’s curriculum is top notch. They have a Training and Development Team that works hard to deliver a standardized curriculum. (This means that the trainers don’t just teach what they want to or what matters to their own biases.) This curriculum is evidenced-based and heavily researched. Each year the ProDoula trainers meet to update and revise the trainings and incorporate member feedback and any other recent updates and developments. Every five years, the ProDoula training manuals are re-researched, updated and revised, and re-printed. ProDoula prides itself on being the leaders in the field when it comes to relevant and up-to-date education and their trainings always reflect that.
Second, when it comes to membership support, ProDoula is hands down the best doula training and certifying organization for this. Every ProDoula training incorporates information about how to start a doula business and how to begin attracting and working with clients. But once the training ends, ProDoula trainers are still there to guide you along the way. (I know this personally, because I am one!) Anytime you have a question about your business, a tough situation with a client, or just need a little encouragement, you can reach out to your trainer. Or reach all the way up the ladder - ProDoula’s CEO, Randy Patterson, makes herself available to each and every ProDoula member anytime they need support. I don’t know any other organization out there doing that.
So check out the training schedule on the ProDoula website and sign up for an in-person doula training happening near you. (ProDoula also offers virtual training options, but taking your doula training in-person really can’t be beat!)
Step Three: Complete Certification
So you’ve picked a doula training organization (hopefully it was ProDoula). Now what? Well, first you will need to take your training. Most doula trainings are 2-3 days (or about 20-27 hours) of hands-on learning. If you picked ProDoula, this training will be everything you need to confidently go out there and begin supporting clients. Yep, that’s right. A stellar training is all you really need in order to know how to doula.
But it’s important to complete your doula certification following your training. Certification shows a level of commitment and professionalism that clients will look for. And with the right organization, certification is also a continuation of your learning. So by completing it, you really expand your knowledge (and your confidence) when it comes to all things doula.
Certification will look different for each training and certifying organization. At ProDoula, after you complete your training, you will need to thoroughly read your training manual, complete the Cultural Competency component, pass a comprehensive online exam, and submit proof of CPR/First Aid certification. And that’s it - you’re certified. The ease and efficiency of their certification process is just one more reason that we love ProDoula.
Step Four: Start Your Doula Business
Once you are a trained and certified doula, what comes next? Well, now it’s time to start working with clients. There are lots of options in the doula world to do this, but the most popular routes are to start your own independent doula business OR to join an established doula agency and work as an independent contractor for them.
Many new doulas choose to join an agency. The right agency will connect you with a consistent stream of clients, which will allow you to get experience - and income - right away. A good agency will also provide mentorship and guidance to new doulas so that you have a level of built-in support as your embark on your new career. Working within an agency can also alleviate the stress of having to run a business - marketing and networking, finding clients, handling contracts and money, or even dealing with finding backups or managing tough client situations - all of that is handled by the agency owners.
But if you have a little business know-how (and if you took a ProDoula training, you should!), then maybe you want to start your own business. While it takes a little time to get things off the ground and begin attracting a steady stream of client inquiries, it is also super rewarding to be your own boss and work at a job that matters to you and your community.