Blog

By: Hillary Melchiors PhD, MPH, CD(DONA) LCC The structure and function of DONA International should be important to you as a doula. If you’ve spent any time looking around at different doula organizations, this post is specifically for you. There are many different ways these doula organizations work, and understanding the DONA difference honestly made […]

Muchas veces nos toca acompañar ahí, en ese océano en el cuál se sumerge la mujer recién parida. En ese puerperio abrumador, donde su identidad queda confundida y aplastada por el derrumbe que originó el ingreso a la maternidad. Y entonces se nos plantea otra vez el interrogante: qué es acompañar? Acompañar es estar junto […]

Once you complete your DONA International doula training you’ll have all of the knowledge and skills you need to get out there and start serving pregnant people and new families. Then It’s time to find those first three certifying families to support! It can be challenging, so here are some tips on how to get […]

This past year has been a tumultuous one for most people. The emergence of COVID-19 turned our world upside down as our loved ones fell ill, our children schooled from home and our employment changed in major ways. It was, and still is, a time of drastic adjustment, shifting priorities, and emotional upheaval. In March […]

In early 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread across the world, and most hospitals and birth centers revised their visitor policies, many doulas scrambled to offer their clients the best support they could over the phone via FaceTime, or through a webcam set up in their birthing space. While this support may have felt harried […]

I became a birth doula because I thought birth was beautiful – and it certainly can be. But I’ll never forget the first birth I attended that forced me to see the dark side of birth. The side that makes your heart ache and brings tears to your eyes. Unfortunately, the pandemic has brought out […]

While most of us know we should prioritize “self-care,” we tend to put it at the bottom of our to-do list. We sometimes believe we’ll get around to it when we have time and sometimes even feel guilty about taking time for ourselves when there are so many other people we need to take care […]

Haga clic aquí para la traducción en español Dear Friends, In recent weeks, a petition calling for doula education and certification organizations to stop providing Rebozo training has circulated throughout the worldwide birth community. We have heard from those within the Indigenous Mexican birth community, as well as many others who hold this issue in […]

DONA International has exciting plans for the DONA International Leadership Summit in Houston, TX, USA, and you are invited. The first thing you should do is hold the dates October 3-5, 2019 on your calendar so that you know you are free to attend. Then read below for five great reasons that you will not […]

It’s been often said that we don’t know what we don’t know. That statement rings true during the postpartum period and most especially during those first six weeks if you are a new parent. There’s a new book on the scene which seeks to bring to light many of the lesser known facts and experiences […]

By Jenn Fontaine Introduction One of the most common questions I get as a DONA Approved birth doula trainer and a birth doula certification packet reviewer is: “I am a certified birth doula through DONA International, how do I properly show my credentials?” It may surprise some people, but this very question is part of […]

By Eleni Tsigas, Chief Executive Officer, Preeclampsia Foundation May is Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Preeclampsia is one of the three largest causes of maternal mortality in the USA and around the world. Postpartum doulas are in a unique position to encourage parents to watch for symptoms because postpartum doulas are offering their services in those vulnerable […]

DONA International offers opportunities to become a doula by attending one of the many doula workshops offered around the world by a DONA-Approved Trainer. A doula workshop is the first step on the path to becoming a certified birth or postpartum doula. You will receive world-class training and become a member of the largest and most recognized and respected doula organization in the world.

May is International Doula Month, and 2019 is the 21st year that DONA International, perinatal organizations and consumers around the globe all take time during the month of May to recognize the contributions that birth and postpartum doulas make to support families during the childbearing year. DONA International is an outstanding doula organization, maintaining a […]

May 6th through 12th is National Nurses Week in the USA. As birth doulas know and research shows, nurses can make or break a client experience during their client’s labor and birth. While doulas and nurses have clear and distinct roles when there is a collaboration between them, everyone, especially the family benefits.

Long before birth moved into the hospital, in communities all across the globe, there have been women serving women in the role of midwife, traditional birth attendant and crone to care for people through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. The role of the midwife once celebrated and deeply respected, declined as birth moved into […]

Cesarean Awareness Month April is Cesarean Awareness Month (CAM) and this month, many perinatal organizations are focusing on the impact cesarean birth has on parents and babies. In the USA, the current cesarean rate is just under 32%. While this rate has been slowly declining, many professionals support the belief that nearly half of all […]

Introduction to March for Moms March for Moms (MfM) is gearing up for their third annual event on the National Mall in Washington DC, to rally and raise awareness of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States in the childbearing year. On Saturday, May 11th, from 1-3 PM, perinatal organizations including DONA International will […]

Cesarean Awareness Month April is Cesarean Awareness Month (CAM) and this month, many perinatal organizations are focusing on the impact cesarean birth has on parents and babies. In the USA, the current cesarean rate is just under 32%. While this rate has been slowly declining, many professionals support the belief that nearly half of all […]

By Sharon Muza, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Introduction to Black Maternal Health Week April is Minority Health Month in the United States. Minority Health Month is a “month-long initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities.” Within Minority Health Week, April 11th through 17th is the second […]

By Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, CLE March 22nd-28th is World Doula Week, originally designated in 2011 as “Doula Day” by Ruti Karni Horowitz. Since then, the celebration has expanded to a full week and is recognized by doula organizations all around the world. As you recognize World Doula Week, now is the time to […]

By Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, LCE Introduction Just about two years ago, the DONA Doula Chronicles blog shared about the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee Opinion released in 2017 regarding recommendations to reduce interventions and improve birth outcomes. This opinion was endorsed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) […]

By Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE Today is the sixth post in the occasional series, “Doula Me This!” Each post in the series provides a common scenario that a birth or postpartum (or both) doula may face. The “correct” answer (if there is one) requires some synthesis of the situation and at times […]

Amy Gilliland, Ph.D., Adv/BDT(DONA), CSE (AASECT) believes that doulas have the potential to change the world through connection and caring for another person, and this book is one way that she seeks to help doulas do exactly that. Dr. Gilliland has conducted qualitative research with more than 60 doulas since 2002, and her new book, […]