Postpartum Doula Certification

Book List for Postpartum Doula Training

Mothering the New Mother by Placksin

Nurturing the New Family by Kelleher

Recommended:

Pregnancy, Childbirth & the Newborn: The Complete Guide, revised by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley & Ann Keppler

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League

Aromatherapy and Massage for Mother and Baby by England

The Breastfeeding Answer Book by Mohrbacher, Stock & Newman

The Baby Book by Sears

Your Amazing Newborn by Marshall and Phyllis Klaus

Having Twins and More by Noble

Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year by Noble

Postpartum Survival Guide by Ann Dunnewold

Nursing Mother, Working Mother by Pryor

Breastfeeding Your Baby by Kitzinger

Bestfeeding: How to Breastfeed Your baby, by Renfrew, Fisher & Arms

Postpartum Doula Certification Course Overview

What you will learn during this six-week program:

• The scope, practice and history of the postpartum doula

• Basic anatomy and physiology of the postpartum female reproductive system and breasts

• The benefits of mothering through breastfeeding

• Postpartum support in other cultures

• The basic needs of the new mother

• Comfort measures after vaginal and surgical birth

• Basic hand, foot and back massage for the new mother and basic infant massage

• The normal course of breastfeeding during the first postpartum weeks

• Overcoming breastfeeding difficulties

• Basic infant care, bathing and feeding

• Supporting mothers of multiples

• Active listening and communication skills

• Types of Postpartum Mood Disorders and how to assist families in finding local help

• Ethical conduct with clients and peers

• Setting up your practice and business aspects for postpartum doulas

• Networking and community resources

This course is taught in a cohort group to allow interaction between all participants, you are not learning on your own. This course meets the Aviva Institute Standards of being both comprehensive and accessible. This is a complete program designed to prepare students for postpartum doula practice. This is a non-credit, pass/fail course with a certificate of completion is provided at the end of the course.  Course includes information about the different doula certifying agencies for those who wish to pursue additional certification, however no further classes or certification is required for postpartum doula practice.  

Certification requirements:

1. Successful completion of the six week online course. Includes compiling a referral guide for postpartum families with local resources in doula's local area.
2. Practicum "hands-on" experience in your home community. Provide positive evaluations from a minimum of two postpartum families where there were documented eight hours (min) of postpartum doula care for each family.
3. Breastfeeding experience or additional course work. That can be obtained by:
   • Attend two La Leche League series meetings, submit scanned documentation or
   • Shadow a lactation professional for four hours, submit scanned documentation or
   • Completion of the Aviva Institute Breastfeeding Educator Course
     or other equitable course is also acceptable.
   Participants have six months from the end of the course to obtain the practicum required.
   

Instructors

Kathryn Lane Berkowitz, LCCE, CPD, CLA, CIR 

For as long as she can remember, Kathryn has had a fascination with the miracles of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. A mother of four grown children, and now a grandmother, she has provided support and information to many other mothers during these milestones, since 1993. She has earned certifications with ALACE, CAPPA and Lamaze and is also a Certified Integrative Reflexologist. As a La Leche League Leader, she serves her community as a breastfeeding support resource. Kathryn currently practices as a birth and postpartum doula and teaches Lamaze childbirth classes.
Kathryn and her husband of 31 years make their home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.

Jesse Remer Henderson, BCD, PCD, CDT, LCCE
Jesse has supported postpartum families for over a decade as a Lactation Educator and Postpartum Doula. Jesse is very committed to the professionalism of the doula role. As a doula trainer she provides advanced mentorship training for doulas of all experience levels. Jesse completed an intensive midwifery curriculum to give her a strong understanding of the physiology the childbearing year as well as trained with the Providence Breastfeeding Clinic in Portland's only open clinic. She founded Mother Tree, Portland, OR's largest full service doula group in 2001 that serves hundreds of families each year. She is a DONA-approved trainer as well as as a lead instructor with the Adventist Medical Center. She also spent six years as the Infant Hearing Screening Coordinator for all five of the Legacy Health System's hospitals, training staff and working in the NICU and Well Baby units supporting hundreds of postpartum families each week. She  received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon and also has ten years experience in event planning. She uses these skills to assist families in preparing joyfully with love, trust, resiliency and authenticity for the sacred journey into parenthood. When not teaching, training or supporting families first-hand she can be found on her own urban-farmstead raising her free-range boys and matchmaking moms and rocking chairs.

Prerequisities: None, although previous doula or childbirth study is helpful.

Computer Requirements: Click here

Course Dates:  8/16-9/27.

This is a non credit, open enrollment, pass/fail course.

Tuition: $350.00 ( there may some partial scholarships for low income students, for this course, contact us for details)