Have you ever wondered what attending a birth doula training would be like? Here is a sneak peek into my Birth Arts International class.
People attending the workshop range widely in experiences and beliefs surrounding birth. You may be sitting next to someone who has had six homebirths, on your other side someone who has never given birth, and across from you someone who has had a c-section. My workshops are a place filled with openness, curiosity, and respect for all birth experiences.
Although no one is required to speak, we will share birth and pregnancy stories and dig deep to gain wisdom from each other and discover things about ourselves. Each student is also a teacher as they share and gain perspectives together. These will be valuable on each person’s journey to becoming a doula.
Supporting birth requires the strength of body, mind, and spirit. This workshop recognizes that there is far more to doula work than a simple back rub or knowledge of birth.
There are many layers to doula work, and at BAI we encourage each doula to make it their own and bring their energy and style to the practice so they can uniquely serve their community.
If you are interested in becoming a doula, something is already stirring inside of you that leads you to this path. At Birth Arts International, we help you harness that initial spark and follow it to fruition.
Attending a workshop allows for the space to explore deep within yourself and find the pieces you will need to remain strong and grounded when you begin your practice. A doula is often the calm during the storm. It is a very intimate and sacred job. Families are allowing you into the most important and private moment of their lives and counting on you to provide support and encouragement no matter what twists and turns take place.
We will do interactive activities to support your growth, and being able to do them in a group of people on the same journey has great value. There is camaraderie, and many students stay in contact to support each other after the weekend. There is also an option to join our online group for BAI students to connect to our doulas worldwide.
While the mind is a powerful part of doula work, we also will spend a good amount of time learning to use our hands. I will demo several comfort positions and techniques and then you will put them into practice as you work in partners. My goal is for you to leave the weekend confident in your ability to provide physical support in labor.
Doulas use many tools. I will share what things I pack in my doula bag and also share other healing practices such as sound and energy work to support yourself and your clients.
We will explore using birth balls in both round and peanut shapes and a few techniques with the Mexican rebozo. You will leave with the skills to help encourage fewer interventions and a comfortable labor.
For many, the workshop is a healing experience. Some students come from a place of birth trauma or fear, perhaps from stories of the birth that their mother experienced bringing them into the world or the experience of birthing their own child.
Students who are still processing things that happened in the past may be too shaken to be ready to attend a birth. I recognize this, and the workshop is a safe place to begin healing and listen to your wisdom for a time when you are ready to begin attending births. This process can continue after the workshop with the support of our online classroom and connection to myself and Global Director Demetria Clark.
I love getting to know my students throughout the weekend. As a trainer, I appreciate staying connected to my students after the workshop and supporting them as they grow their doula practice. The BAI community always supported me when I was a student and newer doula, and it feels great to be able to offer that support to others as a trainer.
