Tegan,
Good on you for doing a Doula course first! I think it's the best way to do it, to go in with a view of normal birth - lots of people who I know who did Rhea's course in previous years have gone on to do midwifery have been disappointed that it goes into medical birth right away and that is the focus - I think all midwifery and medical (obstetric / doctor) degrees should begin with the same normal birth course - they should do the course we do!
I did lots of research before choosing to do Rhea's course, she is very well regarded in the industry and is lucky enough to rub shoulders with the like of Sheila Kitzinger and Janet Balaskas, so we were all very jealous. I hope one day I will get to meet them too!
I looked at online options which are great for those in more remote places or if you are unable to get to classes, some of the Doulas I asked about the whole thing found the online aspect great for them, others found it harder to be more disciplined and not get distracted. Personally I loved having a class to go to, as I made a whole heap of friends with the same passion and interest I had, I had instant back-ups to work with, I had access to lots of pregnant women when attending Rhea's pain workshop classes which is a course requirement (I had two couples ask me to attend their birth in one class!) and you have access to all Rhea's books and resources which saved me stacks of money having to buy books. Plus I loved my child-free days and no distraction during the learning
There aren't a huge amount of courses and options at the moment, I am sure more will immerge as it gets busier / bigger and there will be more options available. At the end of the day, we all have what it takes to become a Doula or Birth Attendant, it's just tapping into that and getting out there and exposed to birth. My first birth was so much different to what I do now, although the first mum I supported did a brilliant job of letting herself take over and do her thing, so I didn't feel that there was a huge amount I could do - just reassure, be there and get her drinks and all the practical things. *aaah the memories*. It also is a good stepping stone to mid, this year three out of three of Rhea's students got accepted into mid, but I am not sure this is what I want to do. At first I wanted to, but now, being there and seeing it all, I would much rather be with a mother from start to finish one on one, not get involved with the medical aspects, not have to deal with policies and paperwork etc. I love what I do because I love talking to a mother after her birth and hearing that she had a fantastic experience - might not have gone the way she hoped - but she felt held, supported and that she had the best outcome possible.
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