Ready to launch your career as a Professional Doula?
Training to become a Professional Doula is an amazing journey. My goal is to help you focus your passion into a fulfilling career, provide you with resources and information you’ll need, and nurture you as you grow into the unique doula you will become.
Rocky Mountain Doula’s Professional Doula Program is a 60+ hour course that combines self-paced online content, eight weekly live online training sessions, in-person skills instruction, and much more. The course will prepare you for your exciting career as a Professional Doula!
Not only will you learn a variety of support skills for all types of labor and birth, we’ll cover business skills for the doula as well. Come prepared to laugh, cry, learn, and connect to the doula community. I’ve been a Professional Doula since 1998 and I love sharing not only the wisdom I’ve learned, but also the funny moments, the mistakes I’ve made, and all the amazing resources I’ve gathered.
Why take the Professional Doula Program course?
You are preparing for a career that requires a nurturing heart, strong labor support skills, and business savvy. Training with Rocky Mountain Doula will connect your nurturing heart to the skills and knowledge you’ll need to be successful as a Professional Doula. The certification course is designed to engage a variety of learning styles as well as encourage interaction rather than passive learning. Training workshops are 18 hours, and include plenty of hands-on, role-playing, and discussion-based learning.
Why am I teaching independent doula certification courses?
A LOCAL training is a RELEVANT training. As an independent trainer who has worked in your community since 1998, I understand the local birth community and culture, the options available to families in this particular region, and the challenges particular to doulas in our area. In fact, my priority and focus is you and our community, nothing else. I tailor instruction to the community needs (rather than trying to comply with rules set down by a certifying body with little or no connection to your community). I have experience in YOUR community, can speak to the issues you will face, and I provide you with support after your class.
What about certification? Certification is INCLUDED in your Professional Doula Program course fee! Learn more here!
Topics covered at the Doula Training
Professionalism & Business Success
· Practical application of standards of practice, ethics, and integrity
· Modeling and teaching positive communication and self-advocacy
· Building bridges with medical/midwifery professionals
· Business development, marketing, and networking to create a successful career
Comprehensive Labor Support
· Support for every stage of labor and birth
· Hands on practice of proven comfort measures and labor support techniques
· Emotional support for labor and birth, as well as unexpected events
· Hospital procedures – risk/benefit as well as alternatives and support
· Cesarean birth and VBAC support
Client Support
· Prenatal and postpartum consultations
· Prenatal and postpartum specific support
· Breastfeeding initiation and support
· Interviews, contracts, & pricing
Included in the training class is your copy of the Doula Manual, handouts, tools and supplies to help you build your doula bag, and goodies to support your learning throughout the class.
You will complete your course with confidence to begin your practice and the skills to become successful!
Ready to join us for the Professional Doula Program course?
Summer 2023 Course
& Mentoring Session
Course begins June 16, 2023
Online meetings Fridays 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Registration: $1,795
I took Ana Hill’s Doula training in the summer of 2012 in Denver. I was already a certified doula and former midwifery student with quite a lot of experience and academic training, but I learned much more about doula techniques and scope of practice issues.
Even more importantly to me, Ana projects such a sense of calm and demonstrates extraordinary communication skills that I was keen to emulate them in my birth and training businesses–successfully!
– Terri A. Woods, CLD
Blessed Childbirth
“Shouldn’t I take the cheapest training I can find?”
In a word, no. First of all, your career and YOU are worth more! Also, do you remember the saying “You get what you pay for”? A cheaper training is not going to be as complete, will not include all of the skills you need. If you’ve done some research, you’ve seen online boards and groups where doulas discuss aspects of their work. Look for boards or pages not owned by any particular certifying body and check out what these professionals say about what has been most important about their training.
“Does it matter who is teaching the course?”
Definitely! Look for organizations that have rigorous standards for their instructors, and for instructors who have a great deal of experience both in the field and as instructors. I’ve been working as a doula since 1998, and teaching doula training workshops and course since 2005. I love seeing new doulas begin their journey with confidence!
After training with Ana, I felt so much more prepared and comfortable with supporting families through their pregnancy and birth!
Ana is a great teacher; she makes the class so interactive and enjoyable, while providing a vast amount of knowledge and wisdom. Now, after training with Ana, I am positive I made the right choice! I never imagined I would walk away feeling so fully supported by my team, and so confident in my skills and education!
This training was worth so much more than what is charged! Thank you, Ana, for an excellent experience!
– Jodi Schultz, CLD
Peaceful Beginnings Doula Services
I also love seeing new doulas find their unique gifts as birth professionals, as well as helping them get a strong start on the most fulfilling career imaginable.
Soon after starting my doula career in 1998 I became active in the birth community. I have spoken at regional and national conferences on such topics as breastfeeding support, induction, perinatal mood disorder, scope of practice for doulas, and creating effective change in the birth community. I have served as CAPPA State Representative for Colorado, and also as the President of the Colorado Doulas Association.
I began training doulas for in 2005, and have served as CAPPA Executive Director of Labor Doula Programs from 2009 until the board positions were eliminated in 2017. I have owned Rocky Mountain Doula since 2005 and provided independent training and certification since 2017.