soul - congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm currently a student doula, studying through Optimum Birth. Are you doing the course by distance education? I am, and it works really well around family. This sunday I'm attending a tutorial for Optimum Birth at another students home in my suburb, as well as a Melbourne doula network meeting....it's been really good to find like-minded, passionate individuals in my area. I've just about completed the course, and I've loved every minute of it. It involves a lot of reading, which is time-consuming, but fun and, of course, exceptionally important. I'm also really excited, as I've just figured out my business name, and designed a logo for it, and put together a brochure, which I'm leaving all around town! (Proud of myself for figuring out how to scan my own graphics into the computer, etc. haha).

I can't recommend becoming a doula enough - and if your studying by distance, you can work at your own pace. Man, I could go on all day about doula stuff, but I have to go to Mothers Group with a big bottle of champagne, 'cause it's "ma burthdaay!!"

Good luck....I'll share more later