Doula's?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 27, 2006

I didn't follow the links, so I can't tell you if the info there is right or wrong. But I CAN tell you you cannot become certified as a legitimate doula in a two day workshop! I have known a number of women who chose certification, and it ALWAYS involved many months of working with pregnant women, attending LLL meetings, participating in various workshops and programs under supervision. But never anything remotely as fast as you described.

Mama2girls · Dec 27, 2006

Thanks, it doesn't seem right to me either. I thought maybe I was missing the part where you had to be an RN or something. I did see somewhere on one of the webpages that you have to have so many hours of live births but it wasn't much either.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 27, 2006

I am going to move this to the OB nursing forum. We have some members who visit this forum regularly who are doulas and may therefore, be of assistance to you.

I wish you luck in your pursuits and welcome to allnurses.com!

deb, Moderator, OB/GYN Nursing Forum

tinyscrafts · Dec 27, 2006

Yup it's not that much. But then again, it's a non clinical role. You don't need to be an nurse. The DONA requirements are detailed here DONA International – Birth Doula Certification

ALACE requires a bit more , I think it's 6 births before certification. I didn't certify for the longest time because I thought the requirements were lame. In the end I finally did because the public at least looks to that as some measure of competency. Most doulas work for themselves. In a big city you can make a modest living if you really work at it.

Mama2girls · Dec 27, 2006

Ah, thanks. I guess I missed that page. So you are a doula? Is it the same as a midwife? I don't know much about all of that, but think it's pretty interesting.

tinyscrafts · Dec 27, 2006

yup I'm a doula.

A midwife is a clinical care provider so requires much more education, like masters level (advanced practice nurse). State laws on registered/liscensed (non nurse) midwives vary but usually need similar education- the nurse stuff. Midwives Alliance of North America

CEG · Dec 30, 2006

There is actually quite lot more than just that class involved- you attend the class, three births of at least 15 hours total, a childbirth class series of at least 10 hours, write two papers on birth issues, read three books and write reports, and a couple of other things I am probably forgetting.

There's so much I haven't been able to complete my certification while in nursing school! I really recommend the classes for all nurses- I have done clinicals with quite a few nurses who have absolutely no idea how to support a natural birth or how a natural labor progresses.

So a doula provides emotional and physical support to a woman in labor. A doula doesn't perform medical procedures or give medical advice. She is there to educate, inform, and assist the client. A midwife as you know catches babies in hospital/birth center/ home and provides medical care.

May_baby · Dec 30, 2006

I have worked as a professional hospital-based Doula.

I think my DONA training in 2001 was three days plus a full sequence of childbirth education courses (eight weeks).

Again, remember that Doula's do not perform any clinical tasks.

They do not assess patients or make treatment recommendations.

The role of a Doula is to support women and support normal labor.

Doulas are also typically able to provide support during c-sections whether scheduled or emergent.

In my experience working with Nursing staff was almost always extremely positive.