Doula.... DONA, ALACE, or other?

[IrelandsMama]

Hi my name is Savannah and I'm starting some doula work. I have been asked to assist a midwife next year but until I'm working on some other things. I have also started working with a doula who is getting certified with DONA. I am not yet certified and cannot decide who to go through. Everyone tells me go with DONA because they are the most widely recognized and the philosphies that I don't agree with I can just throw out.

I don't know how great I feel about that honestly though. I have been looking at ALACE and feel more like I belong there. I also feel like I would gain some extra training like palpation with them.

Can anyone provide prospective about ALACE specifically? There are other companies out there as well. I need some help in deciding.

savannah

added: My philosophy is best described as holistic I guess. I would rather be at homebirths than hospital births. I am confident in herbs, although I don't feel like I know near enough about them. (if that makes any sense)

[MamaRabbit]

ALACE is definitely more homebirth oriented. But you won't learn palpation. You get to practice it during the training to understand it better. But it's not in the scope of what a doula does.

Have you looked at CBI: Childbirth International. On their website they also have a page where you can compare all of the doula programs out there side by side.

[DoomaYula]

ALACE all the way, if you are more holistic.

[trimestersdoula]

I went through Childbirth International and LOVED it!

[IrelandsMama]

Thanks to all three of u for responding...NAK

Ok so DONA is out but i still cant decide between CBI and alace. I loved how cbi compared all of the programs. any other suggestions?

sav

[Rockies5]

Just wishing you luck. I haven't looked into CBI but LOVED my ALACE training.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Having done both ALACE and DONA, I highly recommend ALACE. I was already a CBE when I did my DONA training, and learned some and it was okay, nothing life-altering. ALACE was totally different. Even having already done CBE certification and DONA training, I learned a lot, and it had so much more of an emotional/women-bonding feel to it. I LOVED it. I'm hoping to have another workshop in Atlanta this year even though I don't even attend births anymore!

[IrelandsMama]

With CBI you don't have to attend a workshop I noticed and with ALACE you do ... any comments on if that was good or not so good. If I choose ALACE I think I would have to drive a ways to attend the workshop, but it might be fun. I also noticed that CBI has free memberships and it looks like they try to help their doulas out, do you ALACE doulas feel like you have to pay unfair membership fees? Also I noticed sublimebirthgirls said that ALACE had an emotional/women-bonding feel do you CBI feel the same about CBI?

thanks again

sav

[MamaRabbit]

I did not have that woman-bonding feeling with CBI. It's very professional. Very into teaching communication skills (very important IMO), looking at evidence-based information. I did love that it was a distance program but would have like a workshop.

I live overseas and CBI was my best option. If I were in the USA, I'd have done ALACE. I do think thougth CBI trained me very well! And they're very helpful.

[BrooklynDoula]

CBI for me and I love them. Highly recommended.

[tree_hugger]

I've just started training with CBI and this thread is making me feel very good about my decision! Thankyou!

[SublimeBirthGirl]

The ALACE workshop rocked. 100% awesome.

[BirthWithFaith]

This is my first post here so bear with me...

I'm with DONA. So far, I appreciate their history, size and name recognition. I have noticed they love Simkin's work so much that they require all of their doulas to subscribe to their approach to childbirth which is supporting whatever the mother wants free of any childbirth influences and beliefs of your own (also a common approach by Lamaze educators/students which most of DONA is made up of). So if mom wants a doula and an elec c/s or epidural at 2 cms then so be it. Whatever mom wants you as the doula supports that and are there for her leaving your beliefs at the door.

Fortunately, my clients beliefs are in line with my own so I don't have to worry about that bothering me at all. I only offer doula services to my couples trained in the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth. Now, could my couple request drugs still or consent to a c/s. Sure. But they are at least well informed on those things through TBM classes and therefore are making a decision based on their perception of it being medically necessary or necessary for them in their situation with full knowledge of risks/benefits. My clients, after all, sought out and took a "natural" childbirth method for that reason - to birth naturally, normally and free of drugs/interventions.

I also know that DONA requires more through its certification process so it takes longer and is harder to become a CD. That's a good thing. Anyone pushing certification through easily is doing the doula name a disservice.

Hope this info helps,

[courtenay_e]

Mmmmm...I wouldn't say that DONA takes longer to certify (my partner and I cert'd at the same time...me through ALACE and her through DONA) but it's more of a PITA to certify...more small stuff to do and more fees with each step with DONA, in my Opinion (only from what I saw and heard her say). Nor, would I say, more thorough than ALACE...just different in their approach. The organizations belive different things.

Um...let me see...of all of the things I found most valuable about the entire training, the workshop takes top honors. I didn't need the certification to read the books they assign...but the workshop was fabulous! Not only are you given the experience of palpation and using a fetoscope, but you are also encouraged to do a vaginal exam. That one experience gave me an entirely new perspective on why doc might act like they do about babies gettting through the birth canal. Not that it STILL makes sense that they think that way, but it gave me a new perspective.

Too, the camaraderie is great, they DO help you bunches in the office...everybody there is great.

Can you tell I liked the ALACE training? And yes, they started out as an organization called "Informed Homebirth..." so if you feel like you are more homebirth centered...they're definately more that way than I found my partner's DONA training to be. Too, their outlook on...stuff in general... is different. I found our training to be quite different on many planes.

[wumanh]

Check out Birth Arts International.

[BirthWithFaith]

Yes, and DONA has added even more now than there was before. Now you have to also do a list of resources in the area with 30 categories and at least 45 resources - names, contact info, etc... and you have to undergo lactation training. FYI

[SublimeBirthGirl]

THe worst thing about DONA IMO is the ratings by the nurses & birth attendants. I understand why they do it-they tend to be more "PC" than ALACE. But honestly, the parents hire the doulas and it's their satisfaction that matters. OBs run out so fast, the idea of getting them to stay and fill out a form is intimidating at best.

[AmieV]

I would also strongly disagree that DONA's cert process is somehow more "thorough". I have some issues with their process in general thought so I will admit my bias. And while I really love most of Penny Simkin's work, I do find it to be more conservative than my own feelings on some issues.

Anyway, I absolutely 100% super duper endorse ALACE. If you take their workshop I can guarantee it will be a lifechanging weekend for you. My facilitator was just the most amazing woman, I learned so much, and the contacts I made feel like lifelong sisters and friends to me. It really regenerated and renewed my passion for helping women reclaim birthing power. Their philosophy is woman-centered, empowered birth and it is exactly in line with what I believe. I am also taking their CBE program and LOVE it. I hope you choose ALACE just because I know you won't regret it! You are also required to read "Birth as an American Rite of Passage" which is such an amazing book and with all I had already read and known about birth...completely blew my doors off. Made so much sense to me.

[stellimamo]

I loved my ALACE workshop. I weight DONA vs. ALACE carefully and ALACE was the best fit w/ my personal feelings on birth.

[flyjawn]

i'm a doula through cbi and i love it. i also think alace is great too though.

dona was definitely not for me.