FAQs

DONA Birth Doula Training Comfort Measures
Most Popular Questions

Frequently Ask Questions.

These are the questions we get asked the most about our Doula Programs. 

Still have questions? Connect with us directly.

General Questions

These are some general questions we get asked.

A birth doula is a professionally trained childbirth assistant who provides non-medical physical and emotional support during labor and birth and in the hours and early weeks after the baby is born. Birth doulas also usually work with families in late pregnancy to help them prepare for birth by providing education, information and resources.

See our blog: What is a Doula? for a more in-depth answer.

Postpartum doulas care for the family after their baby is born. They provide families with information and support on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from childbirth, infant soothing, and coping skills for new parents. They may help with practical chores like light housework and meal prep.

Training to become a birth or postpartum doula usually starts with attending a training workshop, either in-person or online. Attending our birth or postpartum doula workshop satisfies two-steps toward certification with DONA International and will prepare you to launch your doula practice as soon as you finish the workshop.

We offer several formats for our birth doula training workshops — 3 and 5 day workshops and weekly evening courses held over several weeks for those who learn better in smaller chunks. Our 3-day workshops are offered virtually and in-person at our school in Sacramento and the 5-day workshops are all held in-person. Evening classes are held virtually. Our postpartum workshops are all held over 3 days and are offered both in-person at our school in Sacramento, as well as live virtual trainings.

The doula profession is currently not regulated by any regulatory or accreditation system, however this is changing. Many hospitals in our country are now requiring specific training and some are requiring certification to be able to attend births in their hospitals. Many hospitals specifically require DONA certification. Attendance at our training workshops satisfy one step toward full certification with DONA International.

There are also reading assignments to complete and resources to gather in the community you’ll be serving. For our birth doula students, you’ll also need to attend a lactation course and complete a self-assessment questionnaire. For our postpartum students, there’s also an equity in birthwork education requirement to fulfill. We offer all of these classes for you at SCI. You’ll also be required to gain some practical experience after you attend your doula workshop. For birth doulas this means attending a three births as primary labor support and for postpartum doulas, serving three families.

Yes, we do offer payment plans. We can divide tuition into either 2 or 3 equal payments. You can choose whichever option is a better fit for you. For us to hold a spot for you in class, the first payment must be completed within 3 days of us sending you the invoice and tuition must be paid in full no later than one week before your workshop start date.

Birth Doula Training Questions

Most frequent questions regarding our DONA Birth Doula Workshops

After you finish your doula training workshop your trainer will have you register your workshop with DONA International. This is done in class at the end of the workshop, with the guidance of your trainer, and only takes a few minutes. Once you register your workshop, your certification packet will be emailed to you. There is no cost for this packet. Here are the requirements for certification, which can be completed in any order and at your own pace, but need to be completed and your application submitted to DONA within 3-years of attending your workshop:

  • Attend a DONA-approved birth doula training workshop that’s at least 16-hours, like the one we offer at SCI. The workshop can be held in-person, online, or can be a hybrid workshop.
  • Attend a childbirth education class. This must be as a doula student, not for education as a pregnant person. Our birth doula workshops at SCI include this in the curriculum—each training begins with this class.
  • Attend a lactation class that’s specifically for perinatal professionals and at least 3-hours in length, like our Essential Breastfeeding Skills for Doulas & Birth Workers class at SCI.
  • Complete reading assignments: 4 books + 2 Position Papers.
  • Complete a self-assessment questionnaire.
  • Create a resource list of providers and services in your community.
  • Attend and document 3 births as primary labor support (after you have attended your workshop.)
  • Purchase a DONA membership and pay the certification application fee.
  • Fill out the application, compile your application paperwork, and submit to DONA for approval. You will receive a confirmation email when your application has been received and another email once it has been given to an application reviewer. Generally this process takes anywhere from 3-8 weeks.
  • Celebrate your certification!

A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and after childbirth. Read the full blog post: “What is a Doula” 

Our doula workshops are never recorded, and all classes must be attended live (online or in-person) to receive a certificate of attendance. Missed classes and portions of missed classes cannot be made up. If you miss attending part of a class, or an entire class, you may be dropped from the course and will need to attend a new course in its entirety. If this occurs, you will be given the option to attend the same online workshop at SCI at no additional charge, but you will need to attend the entire workshop and not just the missed portion. (Please note: This policy does not pertain to in-person workshops or classes at SCI. Be sure to read over our Terms & Conditions page.)

Yes, we include the “Intro” class, although at SCI we call this class Childbirth Education for the Birth Professional. Our workshops all begin with this CBE class and are followed by the doula training workshop. This means you’ll leave our birth doula workshop with both certification requirements fulfilled. After you complete the workshop you will be able to begin attending births right away while you work on your other certification requirements with DONA. 

Our birth doula training workshops do not include the breastfeeding class in the curriculum– you will need to attend a separate class to fulfill that requirement. We offer that class with our 3-hour Essential Breastfeeding Skills for Doulas & Birth Workers class. This class is currently only offered in-person at our school in Sacramento, but we’re happy to provide you with resources for online breastfeeding classes. The breastfeeding class is included in the curriculum of our postpartum doula training workshops. 

Workshop days are shorter in the 5-day workshops-- 10am to 5pm, vs. 9am to 6:30pm for the 3-day workshops, with start time of 10am on the first day. The curriculum in our 3-day birth doula workshop is exactly the same as the 5-day workshop, but since there are 6 more hours of workshop hours in the 5-day, the pace is a bit slower and we have the time to dive a bit deeper into some topics. To make up for this, the trainer sends out additional, optional, self-study material for the 3-day workshops so students won't miss anything. Also, more time is spent on Q&A and hands-on learning in the 5-day-- role play, small group discussion, etc.

$650-$850, depending on the training workshop you choose.

Yes. 3-day in-person: $725.00 – $795.00 | Online: $650.00 – $720.00

Yes. You’ll be emailed a certificate of attendance after attending the entire online doula workshop. If you attend our birth doula workshop, you’ll also receive a certificate of attendance for the childbirth education portion of your training. If you attend our postpartum doula workshop, you’ll also receive a certificate of attendance for the breastfeeding portion of your training.

Postpartum Training Questions

Most frequent questions regarding our DONA Postpartum Doula Workshops

  • Complete a DONA-approved postpartum doula training workshop like ours.
  • You can choose to attend an in-person or an online doula workshop.
  • Become a member of DONA International.
  • Fulfill a lactation support education requirement, which are included in the workshops at SCI.
  • Fulfill the equity in birth education requirement, which is included in the workshops at SCI.
  • Complete a self-assessment check-list and read 6 books.
  • Complete a resource & referral list for your community.
  • After attending a workshop, support 3 postpartum families and document those experiences.
  • Pay the certification application fee, complete your application, and compile your certification packet materials and submit to DONA.
  • Celebrate!
A postpartum doula is a trained professional who helps families transition into their parenting role. They provide physical, emotional and practical support, evidence-based information and guidance, and sometimes sibling support.
The postpartum doula training at SCI is currently over 3 consecutive days.
Yes! At SCI we provide several in-person and online training workshops throughout the year.
Our early-bird tuition is $775. Enroll within 3 weeks of any of our workshops to qualify for this 10% discounted rate.
Immediately! At SCI we provide comprehensive training that will leave you prepared to launch your practice as soon as you leave the workshop. For those who don’t feel 100% prepared, we’re always available to guide you after attending one of our training workshops. Your relationship with our trainers doesn’t end when you leave our classroom!

Online Doula Trainings

Our most frequent questions about our Online Doula Trainings

  • Make sure you have a quiet, undisturbed environment where you’re not preoccupied or distracted by driving, riding in a car, walking, interacting with others, etc. If you have small children, please have a care person to attend to them to avoid distractions.
  • You’ll need to have a reliable Internet connection for the duration of the entire online course. Be sure to keep your video on at all times while the classes are in session so you’re visible on camera. Missing any portion of the live virtual workshop may result in forfeiting your certificate of attendance.
  • Please use a laptop or desktop for the best experience. If you try to use an iPad or phone you will not see all group participants and may miss interactive elements like videos and small group activities. You can sign up for a free Zoom account at www.zoom.us

After you finish your doula training workshop your trainer will have you register your workshop with DONA International. This is done in class at the end of the workshop, with the guidance of your trainer, and only takes a few minutes. Once you register your workshop, your certification packet will be emailed to you. There is no cost for this packet. Here are the requirements for certification, which can be completed in any order and at your own pace, but need to be completed and your application submitted to DONA within 3-years of attending your workshop:

  • Attend a DONA-approved birth doula training workshop that’s at least 16-hours, like the one we offer at SCI. The workshop can be held in-person, online, or can be a hybrid workshop.
  • Attend a childbirth education class. This must be as a doula student, not for education as a pregnant person. Our birth doula workshops at SCI include this in the curriculum—each training begins with this class.
  • Attend a lactation class that’s specifically for perinatal professionals and at least 3-hours in length, like our Essential Breastfeeding Skills for Doulas & Birth Workers class at SCI.
  • Complete reading assignments: 4 books + 2 Position Papers.
  • Complete a self-assessment questionnaire.
  • Create a resource list of providers and services in your community.
  • Attend and document 3 births as primary labor support (after you have attended your workshop.)
  • Purchase a DONA membership and pay the certification application fee.
  • Fill out the application, compile your application paperwork, and submit to DONA for approval. You will receive a confirmation email when your application has been received and another email once it has been given to an application reviewer. Generally this process takes anywhere from 3-8 weeks.
  • Celebrate your certification!
Our trainings provide an in-depth look into all the CM’s used during birth. You will watch videos that include demonstrations on how to use specific comfort measures techniques, as well as a comprehensive description of when to use them and how and why they work. For the most used techniques, we also provide a live demonstration on camera so you can practice at home. And since not all comfort measures involve physical contact (think relaxation and breathing techniques) students gather in pairs or small groups in the “breakout rooms” to practice with one another.
You’ll need to have a reliable Internet connection for the duration of the entire online course. Please use a laptop or desktop for the best experience. If you try to use an iPad or phone you will not see all group participants and may miss interactive elements like videos and small group activities. You can sign up for a free Zoom account at www.zoom.us
Your video needs to be on at all times while the classes are in session so you’re visible on camera. Missing any portion of the live virtual workshop may result in forfeiting your certificate of attendance.

A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and after childbirth. Read the full blog post: “What is a Doula” 

Our doula workshops are never recorded, and all classes must be attended live (online or in-person) to receive a certificate of attendance. Missed classes and portions of missed classes cannot be made up. If you miss attending part of a class, or an entire class, you may be dropped from the course and will need to attend a new course in its entirety. If this occurs, you will be given the option to attend the same online workshop at SCI at no additional charge, but you will need to attend the entire workshop and not just the missed portion. (Please note: This policy does not pertain to in-person workshops or classes at SCI. Be sure to read over our Terms & Conditions page.)

Yes, we include the “Intro” class, although at SCI we call this class Childbirth Education for the Birth Professional. Our workshops all begin with this CBE class and are followed by the doula training workshop. This means you’ll leave our birth doula workshop with both certification requirements fulfilled. After you complete the workshop you will be able to begin attending births right away while you work on your other certification requirements with DONA. 

Our birth doula training workshops do not include the breastfeeding class in the curriculum– you will need to attend a separate class to fulfill that requirement. We offer that class with our 3-hour Essential Breastfeeding Skills for Doulas & Birth Workers class. This class is currently only offered in-person at our school in Sacramento, but we’re happy to provide you with resources for online breastfeeding classes. The breastfeeding class is included in the curriculum of our postpartum doula training workshops. 

$650-$850, depending on the training workshop you choose.

Yes. You’ll be emailed a certificate of attendance after attending the entire online doula workshop. If you attend our birth doula workshop, you’ll also receive a certificate of attendance for the childbirth education portion of your training. If you attend our postpartum doula workshop, you’ll also receive a certificate of attendance for the breastfeeding portion of your training.

Doula Mentoring Questions

Frequently Asked Questions regarding our Doula Mentorship Program

New Birth and Postpartum Doulas who are motivated to launch their doula business. Doulas with established practices who are ready to take their current doula practice to the next level.
Completion of birth or postpartum doula training. Training at SCI not required.
This is an 8-week program that’s held online over the Zoom platform.

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