[janna05]

I read in another post that this was a great way to gain experience if you want to go into women's health.

I have been a CNA for 2 years now and am just about to finish up my first year of college ( I am in a BSN program).

Honestly being a CNA in the area I live in limits me to what I have been doing, dementia units in nursing homes and senior behavioral units in hospitals. The idea of a Doula really excites me! I absolutey love the subject of labor and childbirth. I am suprised I have never heard of this because I am always out there looking for ways to learn more about my profession. My guess is that they just aren't popular in this area.

This really sounds like a great opprotunity for me though, so if you could give me some advise, maybe I can talk the hospital I work for into hiring its first one!

my questions are:

what is the best way to be trained as a Doula?

I saw there are differnt providers such as DONA among others - is there a better one?

How long does the process take?

Is the training expensive?

Am i elibable? I am only 19 and have not yet had a child.

How are they hired? I read that Doulas can charge anywhere from $200-800
do they work for agencies or freelance or for hospital and dr. offices?

any other advice your could give out would be greatly appreciated! thanks soo much!!!!!!!!!!!!

[futureTMA]

Hi, welcome janna;

I'm a nursing student and currently certifying to be a doula. Here's two threads (not long) that convinced me to be a doula:

http://allnurses.com/forums/f35/glor...es-139427.html

http://allnurses.com/forums/f35/doula-150988.html

Those threads will answer some of your questions.

I would definitely recommend it if you're interested in birth but you need some flexibility in your schedule.

There are several certifying organizations, DONA being the biggest and most well known. There is also CAPPA, ALACE, and ICEA. Who is better is a matter of opinion. I'm going through DONA because the training was sooner and it has a bigger base and reputation.

You have to read 5 birth books from their list, become a member, attend a 3 day workshop, log a certain number of hours doing it, and some other writing. The length depends on the org and you.

The workshop is about $300 plus the books unless you use the library. However, you'll need the books for reference. There will also be the cost of various supplies you'll want to bring as decided by you.

You're eligible.

You heard right about the price range. Doulas, as a majority, are freelance. There are doula service groups that you can work for where they'll send you referrals. Look for a doula group or service in your area and give them a call/email.

Hope this helps and if you have any more questions, just ask.

[cnmmsn]

We have just had 2 of our patients become certified as labor and postpartum doulsa. There are 2 major certifing bodies (as far as I understand) DONA and CAPPA. They both have pros and cons to which you might choose as a certifiyingbody, so read up on them and see which one fits your goals and time. It is a great way to gain experience if you ahve a good relationship with the hosp/doc/cnms that you work with.
Vicki

[tinyscrafts]

Theres a bunch.
also
childbirth international
ALACE
seattle midwifery school
birthing from within
I think birthworks too.

[demetria]

Janna05
There are a lot of great places listed. www.birtharts.com is a wonderful organization also.