Want to become a doula
Birth and postpartum doula training, online and self-paced, for people starting out.
Start here: becoming a doulaBirth and postpartum doula training, online and self-paced, for aspiring doulas across Washington. Education grounded in Anna Rodney’s work with families and her own doula team.
Four starting points for doulas in Washington, each with the training, certification or mentorship that fits it.
Birth and postpartum doula training, online and self-paced, for people starting out.
Start here: becoming a doulaA previously trained or certified doula? Cross certification is $175 and online.
Recertify with BBUProvisionally certified and aiming for full certification, or trained and ready to grow your practice.
Mentorship for doulasTurning referrals into a team, or leading an agency that depends too much on you.
For agency ownersTestimonials from doulas who trained with BBU.
“If this is something that you've ever considered, to be a doula or just find your niche within birth work, I highly recommend Birth & Baby University — you can feel very confident once that you've taken a training with Birth & Baby University that you're ready to go.”
“If you're on the fence of going into the doula profession, or if you're already decided and know you want to become a doula, I would not hesitate to recommend Birth & Baby University — it truly touches on everything that is important for this profession.”
I love how much passion she put in her class
“Anna’s labor doula class was absolutely amazing. I love how much passion she put in her class and her passion for birth. Even as a birth worker I had so much to learn from her. I’m so happy I decided to take the labor doula class with Anna and would highly recommend it to anyone planning taking a class. I’m sure her parenting classes are just as incredible as this was.”
“The course was incredibly informative, well-paced, and full of practical details that truly prepared me for the day-to-day work of being a postpartum doula.”
Her training took me to a new level!
“Anna is the best teacher. She craves knowledge and then shares it! Thank goodness!! I have been a doula for 10 yrs and an IBCLC for 3. I have taken training through DONA, CAPPA, Lactation Education Recources, PRO DOULA as well as a few others!! Anna’s training actually changed how I do things!! I’d been pretty settled, in my groove too!! Her training took me to a new level! I learned so much! I honestly figured it was just a refresher at first!! Go Anna!! Keep it up!!! You are amazing at what you do!”
She made it personal with tips and advice for new doulas
“I took Anna’s postpartum doula training a few weeks ago and she was awesome! What I loved about her training is that she incorporated her years of experience as a doula into it and made it personal with tips and advice for new doulas. I would highly recommend training with Anna if you have the chance!”
I feel lucky to have Anna as a resource for post training
“I took an Childbirth Educator Training with Anna, and it was AMAZING. She is so incredibly kind, gentle and knows SO MUCH. Not only did she provide amazing material but she brought the entire class together in a way where we were learning from each other as well. I feel lucky to have Anna as a resource for post training. Thanks Anna!”
So knowledgeable and a true leader in the birth and baby world.
“I took the postpartum doula training through Birth & Baby University. It was engaging, informative, and evidence based. It was nice to have Anna Rodney teaching the class rather than just scrolling through PowerPoint. She is so knowledgeable and a true leader in the birth and baby world. I loved the real life stories she weaves in. I learned so much, was never bored and would highly recommend!”
If I could give Birth & Baby University 10 stars I would!
“If I could give Birth & Baby University 10 stars I would! I took my recertification for Postpartum Doula and a Breastfeeding training recently and the training was so amazing! Anna is so great at explaining things and her trainings were easy to get through and it’s self pace, which I needed. Thank you, Anna and Birth & Baby University for your wonderful trainings! I will definitely be coming back to take more trainings!”
“Times are changing, families are changing, we're all learning to adapt, and as care professionals we all need to keep up with those standards — that's why I turned to Birth & Baby University.”
This is the most informative and useful course I have taken
“I am so grateful I completed the Birth and Baby University Labor Doula training. I have completed multiple other labor doula courses over the years and I can confidently say this is the most informative and useful course I have taken. It gives you answers that you really need working as a labor doula and I wish I would have had this when I started out in my career!”
Incredibly valuable for returning or seasoned doulas who want to deepen their understanding and expand their skills
“Even after six years as a certified birth and postpartum doula, I gained so much from my training with Birth & Baby University. Anna Rodney has built a program that’s not only solid for doulas just starting out and working toward certification, but also incredibly valuable for returning or seasoned doulas who want to deepen their understanding and expand their skills. This wasn’t just a general refresher, it truly helped me fill in gaps, sharpen my approach, and walk away with practical, evidence-based tools I’m already using with clients. The content was thoughtful, comprehensive, and grounded in real life doula work. Whether you’re brand new or years into your practice, I can’t recommend Birth & Baby University enough. Anna’s experience and passion shine through in every part of the course, and it left me feeling more confident, informed, and re-energized in my work.”
Accessible, easy to follow, and overall a great resource to come back to
“I took the postpartum certification training with B&B University earlier this year! I really appreciated Anna’s, the instructor, calm and reassuring demeanor throughout each section of the course. Her knowledge and how she structures the information makes this training accessible, easy to follow, and overall a great resource to come back to.”
Anna is extremely knowledgeable about birth and radiates that passion onto everyone she teaches!
“I had such a wonderful experience attending the Labor Doula training course at Arizona Doulas with Anna Rodney. She was extremely warm and welcoming and made sure we were all comfortable throughout the two days. Anna is extremely knowledgeable about birth and radiates that passion onto everyone she teaches. I would highly recommend taking any and all courses with Anna!”
She is a role model and I am very thankful for what I learned in her classes
“As a seasoned doula, I have taken many trainings, but I must say that the training on Child Birth Education I experienced with Anna Rodney was exceptionally good. She is clear, kind, and brings light to any subject she encounters. She has a deep understanding of how students learn and adapts her teaching to all learning abilities. Her classes are interesting, engaging and full of useful information. In her class I learned, not only the subjects matter but also how to kindly include the student and make her/him feel comfortable and knowledgeable. She is a role model and I am very thankful for what I learned in her classes.”
Supportive and welcoming learning environment.
“I cannot recommend Birth and Baby University highly enough. The content was incredibly well-organized and digestible, making it easy to absorb even complex topics. The instructor, Anna, is outstanding—patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind. Throughout the program, I felt fully supported, with a wealth of resources available at my fingertips any time I needed them. Whether you’re pursuing a path as a doula or simply want to feel more confident caring for babies, this is the place to start. The program empowers you with both practical skills and meaningful insight, all within a supportive and welcoming learning environment. I’m so grateful I chose Birth and Baby University.”
The training is thorough, evidence-based, compassionate, and deeply respectful of families and the role of doulas.
“The best place to become a birth & postpartum doula. I completed my birth and postpartum doula certification through Birth and Baby University, and I can confidently say it was the best decision I could have made for my professional journey. The training is thorough, evidence-based, compassionate, and deeply respectful of families and the role of doulas. It prepares you not just to become certified, but to truly serve families with confidence, professionalism, and heart. One of the biggest strengths of this program is that it is approved training, which directly helped me become certified as a Medicaid doula in Illinois. Having a program that is recognized and aligned with state requirements made a huge difference in my ability to expand access to care and serve families who rely on Medicaid. Anna Rodney is absolutely incredible. She is an outstanding educator and mentor whose teaching style is clear, supportive, empowering, and rooted in real-world experience. You can truly feel how much she cares about her students and about raising the standard of doula care. If you are looking for high-quality training that is respected, approved, and truly prepares you for real-world birth and postpartum work, Birth and Baby University is hands down the best place to get certified. I am incredibly grateful for this education and proudly carry it into my work with families.”
The material keeps me engaged, it was so informative!
“This course is designed to help anyone who is passionate about becoming a successful Doula. The material keeps me engaged it was so informative I didn’t even skip a single session. Great job! continue to share your knowledge with us!”
New to doula work or building on your experience in Washington, choose the education that fits your next step.

For aspiring doulas, nurses, CNAs, nannies, newborn care specialists and career changers.
Each is a standalone training. An optional mentorship purchase is not required.
Recertification for an expired credential is $175, online and self-paced, about 6–8 hours; many people finish within one to two days. Cross-certification eligibility and pricing are separate.
Compare certification pathsGuidance with skills, confidence and the business of being a doula. Designed by Anna Rodney, led by Chelsea Derrico.
Explore optional mentorshipWork on hiring, leadership, systems and client experience with agency owner mentorship.
Explore agency mentorshipDoulas talk about the Certified Birth Doula Training and the Certified Postpartum Doula Training in their own words.
Find the program that fits where you are.
Two short introductions from Anna Rodney: Certified Birth Doula Training and Certified Postpartum Doula Training.
Explore the work before choosing a training. See which webinars and live programs BBU has scheduled for doulas.
The same free tools families use also work well when you are supporting a client. Each runs on one page, prints a clean copy to hand to your client or their provider, and clears what you type when you close the page, so client details are not kept.

Master’s degree in education
Anna spent more than a decade teaching special education before focusing on birth and baby education. She has supported families and mentored doulas since 2013.
Former Hypnobirth instructor.
Read Anna’s full backgroundYes. BBU’s Certified Birth Doula Training and Certified Postpartum Doula Training are online and self-paced, so you can take either one from Washington. Each is $550 and a standalone training.
That is set by each state and can change. Check Washington’s current requirements for doula registration, certification and Medicaid reimbursement before you plan around them. Contact your state Medicaid agency.
Birth doulas support families through labor and birth. Postpartum doulas support the transition with a newborn.
BBU’s initial doula trainings are online and self-paced.
Initial doula training is offered as a standalone product. Doula Mentorship is a separate, optional professional-development offering.
The doula events page lists the dates and times of upcoming webinars and live programs, and keeps past sessions separate.
What to know before you choose a training, wherever you live in Washington.
BBU’s birth and postpartum doula trainings are online and self-paced, so you can complete one from Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma, or anywhere else in Washington, on your own schedule. Each training is $550.
Whether Washington requires or offers its own registration, certification or Medicaid enrollment for doulas is decided by the state, and the rules change, so check the current requirements before you plan around them. Find your state Medicaid agency on Medicaid.gov.
Many families get doula support through employer benefits such as Carrot, Maven and Progyny. See how certification relates to each: Carrot, Maven and Progyny.
Doula Mentorship is optional and separate from training. See mentorship for doulas, or agency mentorship if you are building a team. Families in Washington can also take BBU’s classes: Childbirth classes in Washington.
Certification, cross-certification and mentorship, and where each one leads.
Doulas come to this work from everywhere: nurses and nursing students, CNAs, nannies and newborn care specialists, parents who were inspired by their own birth, and people whose children have grown up and who want meaningful work that fits around a life.
Our trainings are self-paced and online. You can start your career immediately, work flexibly, and build something of your own.
Families using Carrot, Maven and Progyny are looking for certified doulas, and benefit companies need certified doulas to serve them. We do not make people jump through silly hoops – everything we teach is usable, and none of it wastes your time.
Certified does not automatically mean confident. Doula Mentorship is for doulas who want to build a sustainable practice, and for anyone whose provisional certification is coming up for its full three-year certification.
Cross-certification exists for doulas who trained with another organization. You keep the experience you already have, and we bring you across.
Ask about a training or an upcoming doula event.