Articles on doula training, certification, recognition and building a practice from Birth & Baby University.
Doulas often hear that experience is the best teacher. Research suggests it is a teacher who needs help. This article looks at the debate about deliberate practice, the evidence that years in practice do…
Read the article: From New Doula to Experienced Professional: Building Competence Through Deliberate PracticeThe honest answer to "how long does it take?" is "it depends on what you mean by becoming a doula." You can finish a workshop in a weekend, but certification usually adds attended births,…
Read the article: How Long Does It Take to Become a Doula, and What Does Training Involve?Plenty of families feed their babies both breast milk and formula. Some plan it, some arrive at it after a hard first week, and some need it because of work, medical advice or exhaustion.…
Read the article: Combination Feeding: Supporting Families Without Judgment or MisinformationLow blood sugar in newborns is a topic where doulas hear strong statements from both directions. Some families are told their baby needs formula, a gel or a NICU stay because of a number…
Read the article: Neonatal Hypoglycemia: What Nonclinical Birth Workers Should UnderstandSome doulas now work with people before pregnancy, supporting them through fertility testing, cycle tracking, insemination or in vitro fertilization. The role is new, informal and unevenly defined. This article summarizes how training programs…
Read the article: Fertility Doulas: Exploring an Emerging Area of Reproductive SupportTrust is the working material of doula practice. Families share fears, sleep patterns, relationships and medical histories with someone they have known for weeks. Research on trust and communication comes mostly from clinical settings,…
Read the article: How to Build Trust With Clients Using Evidence-Based Communication StrategiesNew parents are bombarded with advice about eating for milk supply, drinking gallons of water and taking supplements. The research is more careful than the advice. This article summarizes what it shows about postpartum…
Read the article: Postpartum Nutrition and Hydration: What Does the Evidence Support?Second-stage support is full of strong opinions: "purple pushing" is bad, "follow your body" is best, wait an hour with an epidural. The trials are more nuanced. This article summarizes what meta-analyses of randomized…
Read the article: Spontaneous Versus Directed Pushing: What Does the Evidence Support?Everyone knows new parents are tired. Fewer people can say what the research shows about how that tiredness affects mood, how much sleep interventions help, and what is practical in a household with a…
Read the article: How Sleep Deprivation Affects Maternal Emotional Regulation and Mental HealthOnline doula training teaches the emotional, physical, and informational support skills needed to work with birthing and postpartum families — through self-paced coursework you complete from home. Strong programs cover labor physiology, comfort measures,…
Read the article: Online Doula Training: Everything You Need to KnowPage 6 of 23
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