For some women, the call to work with birthing women and undertake doula training may appear after birthing their own children.
For others, it may have been simmering in the back of their mind for some time.
No matter how the call might come to you, birth support skills can be found inside any one of us, and can be significantly enhanced by attending various doula training courses offered in-person and online.
You can choose to become a birth doula, a postpartum doula (called a postnatal doula in Australia), or both! Some doulas also teach childbirth education, which is a separate course altogether.
So if you want to become a doula but aren’t sure if you have what it takes, read on!
How to become a doula
The first question you will likely have is, do I really have what it takes to become a doula?
The answer is an emphatic yes!
Women have supported women during childbirth from the earliest of days – well before there were hospitals or obstetricians. But because all women were illiterate back then, they were unable to record their experiences with childbirth.
Of course, women still support women in labour, and we’re now seeing doulas gaining popularity in a big way, in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries around the world.
After giving birth to my second-born without drugs – something I assumed would be an impossible task after such a painful, induced first birth – everything I believed about birth changed in an instant.
I figured, if I could do this, then so could so many other women out there who wanted a drug-free birth – but didn’t have the support or confidence to do so.
- If you’d like an in-depth look into what life is like as a doula, grab a copy of my doula trainer endorsed, comprehensive ebook, Want To Be A Doula? Everything You Need To Know.
Important Things To Consider Before Starting Doula Training
Below are three important factors to consider before deciding to become a doula, or sign up to a doula training course. Of course, some of these points depend on if you decide to be a birth doula or postpartum doula.
#1: Who Is Going To Support Me While I Support Women?
This is a huge consideration which is important to discuss with friends, family, and especially your partner. This is because babies don’t arrive on anyone’s schedule but their own.
When it comes time for your client to give birth, you would have built a trusting relationship with a woman and her partner – and she’s relying on you to be there.
Most doulas have back-ups just in case, but it should be a last resort option only. Everyone wants to be supported by the person they’ve paid for and formed a relationship with.
When considering if you’ll become a doula or not, you need to know how critical it is to be reliable.
As a birth doula myself, I had to make the difficult decision to stop doula work for quite a while. When I became a single mother, things were trickier to navigate. I almost missed a birth after unexpected problems sorting out childcare. I realized I couldn’t offer the rock-solid reliability a pregnant woman and her (usually nervous!) partner wants and needs.
If you want to be a birth doula, even if you choose to attend just one or two births per month (it doesn’t sound like much, but it can be more emotionally and physically consuming than you think!), consider, do you truly have the support to do this work?
This is one of the most difficult and honest things you need to ask yourself if you want to become a birth doula.
#2: Will I Cope With On-Call Work?
You can never predict when a woman might go into labor. So do you think you would be able to work to a completely unpredictable timetable if you want to be a birth doula?
Even if you only support two births a month, they may end up on the same day, which does happen to some birth doulas! Not often, but you need to be realistic and prepared.
Being able to organize yourself and your family at very short notice is an important skill to have for those wanting to become a doula. Because a woman in labor needs you NOW and baby is NOT going to wait!
You also need to be able to put any party plans on hold if a birth is coming up – no celebratory drinks in case that phone rings.
Would you be perfectly happy to have an unpredictable work schedule, usually being called in the middle of the night? If on-call work could be problematic, you could start out by training as a postpartum doula. You’ll have more control over your schedule, and can support a new mother with newborn care too.
#3: What Are My Motivations For Being A Doula?
Want to become a doula because you love the idea of all those babies? You need to realize the role of a doula is all about supporting and mothering the woman (while supporting her partner too). She needs to be your focus.
There’s nothing more off-putting to a pregnant woman or new mother than someone who is so swept up in the idea of babies. She needs your support and presence the most.
If you’re hoping doula work will bring you lots of money, it will take some time before you can build up your business and have it replace full-time income. Remember, you’re starting a business, not creating a job, so your success will depend on you working on your business as well as in it.
If you have a young family, the nature of birth work means you will probably only be able to physically and mentally manage one or two births a month without compromising the quality of your work (and your energy!).
So if you don’t have the passion and drive for birth work and don’t understand the idea of being with woman, it will be exhausting work for you. I’d recommend going and finding something you are passionate about.
Still excited about becoming a doula? Below are some thoughts from some very experienced birth doulas.
Stories From Experienced Doulas
I interviewed some birth doulas to see how they decided birth work was for them and why they wanted to become a doula.
It was particularly important for me to share this with you, as proof that we all may come from completely different backgrounds, yet we are all very capable of becoming successful doulas.
Isis on Being a Birth Doula
When I spoke to Isis, she was a mama living in Victoria with two children under five.
She had come from a background in administration and customer service, but made the decision to become a stay-at-home mother since her daughter’s birth.
Isis felt called to birth work following the verbal support she received from a birth attendant, while planning for her son’s birth. It was then that I realized I wanted to help other women, as I felt the support I received had made such a huge difference.
It was then that I realized I wanted to help other women, as I felt the support I received had made such a huge difference.
Isis began her doula training online, and felt the training she received had adequately prepared her for birth work. “It gave me more tangible facts and practices to work with. It also helped me to understand more about myself and my beliefs and how they affect my work,” she said.
Isis attended her first birth as a doula in September 2004 and has been certified since February 2005.
What do you love most about being a birth doula?
“Being able to empower women to having a birth that is truly theirs. No matter the factors that make up the birth, seeing my clients working with their care providers is priceless. Plus witnessing a new life join us here in this world is a true wonder.”
What are the most difficult things about being a birth doula?
“Ignorance of what a doula is and what they offer to both birthing women and medical professionals. Also trying to be an advocate for a birthing couple when my experience is still being gained. Being an advocate without ruffling feathers is an intricate art!”
How do you balance work/home/family life?
“I have an extremely supportive husband and wonderful friends who are happy to help out. Admittedly, I don’t take on many clients, so the time away from family and disruption to routines isn’t great. The trick is to not overextend yourself. Most prospective clients understand the fact that a doula usually has a family herself, so setting the limits and being up front about availability and commitments is the key.”
How many births do you attend per month?
“Currently, I attend one every couple of months. That is an ideal number for me, there is little chance of being called to two labours at the same time and there is little disruption to my own life. Perhaps once my children aren’t so little, I will take on one every month, yet backup arrangements with another doula would be needed.”
Can you describe the most memorable birth you attended?
“It was a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) with a 42-year-old woman, who was a total inspiration. She:
- Negotiated to cruise past her due date by two weeks
- Quelled hospital worries over a ‘small’ baby
- Suggested induction alternatives that the hospital hadn’t used for years
- Was powerful and in control of her augmented (sped up) and monitored labor
- Seemed to be in the early hours of active labor, when all of a sudden she hit second stage and pushed her baby out, into her husbands hands.
To witness her journey to achieving a VBAC, when she had so many hurdles to navigate was a true honor. This birth of course is followed closely in memorability by the first birth I supported at, a water birth of a 10lb baby girl, unmedicated, un-intervened, a totally pure birth!”
Some books Isis recommends for potential doulas:
- Mother’s Intention: How Belief Shapes Birth
- Special Women: The Role of the Professional Labor Assistant
- The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth
Heather on Becoming a Birth Doula
When I interviewed Heather, she was a 29-year-old mum from Western Australia, also with two children under five.
Prior to becoming a birth doula, she was working in the hospitality industry.
Heather received her call to birth work after deciding that she’d like to become a midwife. “I really wanted to help women and their families through their birth experience and to see if I liked doing it, as one day I wish to become a midwife and thought being a birth doula would be a great stepping stone.”
Heather did her training with Australian Doulas in Western Australia, which was in-person and not online.
She also felt her training had prepared her very well for birth work. “It taught me the general physiology of birth, how to conduct myself, what to expect, what resources are available etc. But of course, actually being present at a birth teaches you many things as well,” she said.
What are the most difficult things about being a birth doula?
“I think the most difficult thing is being so passionate about the job but not getting much work. It takes a lot of networking to get the doula word out there. Also, other difficult things are the very long hours, sometimes you’re with a mother for 2-3 days. On some occasions, medical profession prejudice is difficult.”
How do you balance work/home/family life?
“I think the most important thing is having a very supporting partner and family. You have to be able to leave at a minutes notice and make sure everything runs smoothly after you have gone.”
How many births do you attend a month?
“I have attended three births in the last year, and that’s with full-time networking, pamphlet dropping, and doing doula talks on weekends.”
Can you describe the most memorable birth you attended?
“That’s hard as they are all so special. To pick one I would have to say my first. It was a VBAC birth and the mum was doing incredibly well, but toward the end, the baby’s heart rate was dipping dramatically.
A c-section was called for, but just as she was to be wheeled out of the room, the midwife announced that she saw a head. The mother-to-be asked me to go and look, as she didn’t believe the midwife. There indeed was a head!
About 10 huge pushes later, mum birthed her beautiful baby boy just the way she wanted. Seeing her and her hubby on cloud nine was awesome.”
Some books Heather recommends for potential doulas:
Heather hopes that more women find themselves going along the doula path. More birth doulas mean more women being supported to achieve their birth goals, and less hospital policy makers dictating how a natural process should be managed.
So you’ve read all this and are even more excited about becoming a doula than ever before, then doula work sounds like it might be for you!
If you’d like an in-depth look into how to become a doula, grab a copy of my industry endorsed, comprehensive ebook, Want To Be A Doula? Everything You Need To Know.
Recommended Reading About Becoming A Doula
Three books which are great to read about the work of a doula are:
- The Doula Book by By Dr. Klaus, Dr. Kennell & Marshall which has just had a 2012 reprint. Klaus and Kennell are founding members of DONA (Doulas of North America, est. 1992) and are seen as foremost experts on doulas in the world.
- Doulas: Why Every Pregnant Woman Deserves One by Susan Ross (AUS)
- The Doula Advantage by Rachel Gurevich
Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links for books we recommend. This means if you decide to make a purchase, BellyBelly will receive a small commission. There is no extra cost to you, it simply helps support the running of BellyBelly.
