Blog / Doula Resources
Doulas need support too! We’re here for you with information, research, news and more to help you stay up to date and inspired with articles written just for doulas.
Looking for support to grow your practice? Our Doula Business collection of articles has you covered!
Sailing Through Certification: Packet Reviewer Tips Part 2
This is the second installment in our Sailing through Certification: Tips from a Packet Reviewer series. Birth doula certification packet reviewer, Julia Schetky, posts tips on DONA International’s Facebook groups each week with tips for those preparing that precious...
Sailing through Certification: Tips from a Packet Reviewer Part 1
Obtaining those CD(DONA) or PCD(DONA) credentials comes from a combination of training, experience, independent learning and reflection. Doula certification demonstrates proficiency, professionalism and dedication to the field. The documentation of all of the...
Best of the International Doula: What Women Want … in a Doula
Do you ever wonder what clients are really looking for in a doula? In this essay titled “What Women Want…In a Doula,” Anna Merrill shares her observations from her busy career. As the owner of a successful birth business in New York City, she’s seen a lot of...
Deadline Approaching for Advanced Doula Applications
Are you working to advance the maternal-child field? Know a doula who is? The deadline to submit for the Advanced Doula designation is fast approaching! Apply by May 31, 2016 for consideration. Your next opportunity to apply won’t come again until May 2017, so don’t...
Nine Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Doula Workshop
Your doula workshop (also called doula training) is an important first step in your journey to become a birth or postpartum support professional. We asked DONA International approved birth doula trainer Penny Stansfield, who has trained over 1,000 doulas, to give us...
Staying Connected: DONA International Publications & Social Media Channels
We’ve recently shared an updated list of who you can contact at DONA International to answer questions and get support. Here, we’re sharing the communication channels and publications available from DONA International offering resources, inspiration and community....
Help! I need somebody. Help, not just anybody! — 2016 edition
Sometimes a doula needs a little help and not just from anyone, but someone with specific knowledge to solve our challenge or get us the resource that we need. In our work, we know the value of having a trusted source of information. There are many people at DONA...
Cesarean Resources for Doulas: Updated & Expanded
Cesarean Awareness Month is organized by the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) to bring awareness to the number of cesarean births worldwide and prevent unnecessary cesarean births. The month of April also brings additional information and resources...
Clients and Marijuana Use… What’s a Doula to do?!
By Jen Chandlee, CD(DONA), PCD(DONA), ICCE (ICEA), RYT200 In a time when the legalities of marijuana are rapidly changing, it is important for birth professionals to know how to respond to clients about the recreational and medicinal uses of this controversial plant....
Doulas Reduce Preterm & Cesarean Birth Rates, Reduce Cost of Care
A recently published study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of birth doula care found that women who received doula support during pregnancy and labor had lower rates of both preterm and cesarean birth, compared to those who did not. Not only are these findings...
ACOG: OB-GYNs to be a Resource for Breastfeeding Women
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued an updated Opinion from their Committee on Obstetric Practice on the role of obstetric care providers in supporting breastfeeding. In it, ACOG states that the offices of obstetric providers such as...
ACOG Updates: PROM, Preterm Labor, Magnesium Sulfate
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recently updated two Practice Bulletins and a Committee Opinion on interrelated topics: Premature Rupture of Membranes, preterm labor management, and the use of magnesium sulfate to stop preterm labor. We...
Best of International Doula: A Critical Review of the ACOG Committee Opinion on Screening for Perinatal Depression
In the December 2015 issue, Walker Karraa, PhD provided a critique of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion on perinatal depression screening. Dr. Karraa is a world renowned expert on perinatal mood disorders and was previously a DONA International certified birth doula. She is a researcher and advocate for maternal mental health and powerful voice in the birth community.
Best of The DONA Doula Chronicles 2015
As 2015 comes to a close, we thought we’d share the most popular posts from The DONA Doula Chronicles this year. If you’ve missed any of these articles, here’s your chance to catch up! Thank you for making 2015 the best year yet for DONA International’s blog. Top 5...
International Doula Features Article on Nitrous Oxide in Labor
The next issue of the International Doula features an article written by Catherine McGovern and Dr. William Camann titled “Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain Relief.” Dr. Camann is Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Associate Professor...
New ACOG Opinion on Exercise in the Childbearing Year
There have been a number of articles around the Internet lately about exercise during the childbearing year. They have come as a result of a recent Opinion by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice on Physical Activity...
New Obstetric Care Consensus: Periviable Birth
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) released their third joint consensus statement last month, this one addresses care during the periviability period - between 20 weeks and 25 weeks 6 days...
Best of International Doula: Trauma to Triumph – Why You Shouldn’t Ask: Tools for Working with Pregnant Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors
Our feature article in September's International Doula was about supporting sexual abuse survivors, and we had a lot of great feedback from readers about how this will help them in their doula work. If you don't know how to approach this topic with your clients or if...