Whether you are already a birth doula or you are simply exploring birth work, becoming a postpartum doula is a wonderful career option! However, does one become a postpartum doula?
Also, you might be surprised to learn how straightforward the process is! In fact, you can become a postpartum doula in less than 12 weeks. However, you can also take up to a year to complete training at your own pace.
In fact, postpartum doula training at the International Doula Institute is accessible for people in all stages of life. The first step to becoming a postpartum doula is to understand what exactly a postpartum doula does. Then, you simply complete the training steps and certification, and you are on your way to a brand-new career.
What is a Postpartum Doula?
At the International Doula Institute, we define a postpartum doula as:
“A professional support person trained in the needs of the family in the days, weeks and months after birth or the addition of a new baby. The doula offers non-judgmental support, guidance, evidence-based education, and practical hands-on support immediately after birth through the first year.”
To sum it up, a postpartum doula is an extra set of hands with extensive knowledge to support growing families in an evidenced-based way.
Perhaps you are wondering what the difference is between a supportive friend or relative and a postpartum doula. One of the biggest things is the requirement to be up to date with evidenced-based information and offering completely non-judgmental support.
When it comes to feeding practices, safe infant sleep, etc., it is vital to have evidenced-based information. The postpartum period is a vulnerable time for new families. Having an impartial third party supporting you, without the added worries of maintaining relationship and navigating judgement, is a major support.
The First Step to Become a Postpartum Doula – Register Now!
The first step in your journey to becoming a postpartum doula is to register for training. At the International Doula Institute, we make this easy. As you read above, we design our training to be truly accessible for all.
With IDI’s enrollment process, you have the chance to register for a truly self-paced program. Our fully online course is designed to be completed in under 12 weeks. However, it is also designed so you have up to a year to complete it. This means you can work through quickly, or whenever you have just a few minutes of time to set aside. You can start your new career sooner than you think.
We know work, school, and kid schedules can get busy. Our unique online platform works right on your smartphone!
Your first step in this journey to your new career is simply registering. Register today and get started in our next monthly cohort!
Completing Your Online Training
At IDI, our online training is a fully comprehensive course. You will begin with learning the basics of pregnancy and postpartum adjustment. You will go on to learn all about infant care, maternal mental health, and even how to develop your business.
Our online training includes five core competencies which include:
- Being able to Care for and Understand the Needs of the Postpartum Person and Partner
- Caring for and Understanding the Needs of Baby/Babies
- Caring for and Understanding the Needs of the Siblings
- Being able to Care for and Understand the Needs of the Home
- Caring for the Whole Family Utilizing Emotional Intelligence
When you have mastered those skills, along with our business development information, you will be fully equipped to embark on your postpartum doula career. You can begin as soon as you certify!
Begin Supporting Growing Families
To finalize your certification, you will need to demonstrate your ability to work with growing families. Upon completing your reading, course work, and showing you understand the five core competencies, you will provide support for two growing families.
After you work with two new families, you will simply submit their evaluations of your services to IDI. With that, along with completing all course work, you will be a certified postpartum doula!
It might sound overwhelming to jump into a new career. However, we assure you that when you dive into our coursework, you will feel confident in learning all you need to become a postpartum doula. Our comprehensive training will help you support families in breastfeeding, reducing or managing perinatal mental health concerns, and support overall healing and adjustment.
Start your career today! Be sure to register now.
Author: Aliza Juliette Bancoff
Aliza Juliette Bancoff is a well-known doula and doula trainer who has been providing doula services to families for over a decade. She is the founder of Main Line Doulas, a doula group providing doula support in the great Philadelphia area for the last decade, the International Doula Institute, which provides online doula training and lactation training and certification programs and the International Breastfeeding Institute which provides lactation training and certification. She is the co-founder of United Birth, a company devoted to increasing access to doulas across the country to make the perinatal time safer both physically and emotionally. “Every birthing person deserves access to quality doula support. And we are working to make that a reality across the country. The work we are doing to get doulas to every birthing person will decrease the black infant and maternal mortality rate significantly by 2030.” Says Bancoff. Aliza is known for her compassionate and empowering approach to doula work, and she has been featured in numerous media outlets, including United Nations Maternal Health Report, Parent Magazine, CafeMom, theBump and many more. Aliza's journey into doula work began when she gave birth to her first child and felt a strong calling...