Tell me how long it took you to finish the program.
from receiving the materials until I had my first class? almost .1.5 years. (But a had 2 babies and worked full time in the same time period.) I had read all the books before beginning. and This might not be the program for a procrastinator (like me!) since it's completely self-paced, distance learning. You will only have yourself to hold you to task.
Are you teaching classes? If so, how is it going?
yes. great. I'm also an ALACE trained doula.
Do you have many people interested in taking your classes?
I'm constantly working. But you won't have full classes unless you know how and where and when to advertise. that's true for any area. The first year you'll probably be putting everything you make into supplies for classes and advertising.
If it were me all over again I'd have started sooner. Before I even got my provisional cert. The program didn't make be a better teacher, but I just didn't believe in myself enough.
you are already a trained doula. Yeah, it's not the same as being a trained CBE but you have all the basics and IMO can teach a decent class already. (If you are already attending births, even better. you have inside info that you won't learn in the manual) I don't think you need the extra certification to teach. so call people, put up flyers and save whatever you make to get the CBE program.
other options: there are currently two manuals listed for sale for less then the usual program. Call ALACE (I 888 ALACE) but they are listed in Special Delivery, which I think you already getting as a member? It's on the last page, in the classified ads.
Make payment arrangements with ALACE. I believe you get a discount as a trained doula and member? They also typically have an end of year discount/sale on top of that if you just wait a month (can't guarantee that but the last 3 years they have I've noticed one started running late Nov/Dec.
I've also found that people (pregnant mothers) for the most part don't care which program you took, or if you are certifying, fully certified or whatever.
If you know enough, you can just put together a comprehensive class and teach it. Experience and honesty means more then the letters after your name. I know doulas and cbe's with alphabet soup after their names who don't seem to know whats what that I wouldn't recommend to anyone and brand new not even training mama's who could teach me a thing or two.
goodluck. I hope others speak up. I never regretted going with ALACE for an instant.
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but dh's income alone is modest, so that mine REALLY adds a lot. For us it's the difference between having a savings acct at all or being able to do anything beyond make ends meet.
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Miss ya!
