[zenmumajen]

<p> </p>
<div class="content marginRight" id="user_talk_content_25500161" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:15px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;text-align:left;">
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-left:0px;width:370px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4B0082;"><span style="min-height:50px;"><span style="color:rgb(75,0,130);">I'm planning on starting a workshop in February to begin the process of becoming a Doula. My son is 5 months and I am not currently working. How long do you think it will take for me to get my certification? I understand it is not as simple of a process as it may seem.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-left:0px;width:370px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4B0082;"><span style="min-height:50px;"><span style="color:rgb(75,0,130);">Is there anything I should know about going into this field? Tips/suggestions would be very helpful.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:2px;padding-left:0px;width:370px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#4B0082;"><span style="min-height:50px;"><span style="color:rgb(75,0,130);">Thank you! </span></span></span></p>
</div>

 

[April422]

<p>Are you ready to leave your baby for 24, 36, 48 hours?</p>
<p>Do you have the right support system to walk out of your home life for an undetermined amount of time and not look back and worry and put it all aside and give your client 100% focus?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If not, then right now might not be the best time for you to venture out into the crazy life that a doula leads.  But there are other options to still work with pregnant or new moms.  Childbirth Education, Lactation Education and/or Couneseling, etc.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I assist with doula trainings 2x a year and I also run a doula practice and I usually find that women who have little ones have the hardest time with being a doula, completing the certification and then moving on into active doula work. </p>

 

[lia_joy]

<p>I think some of this depends a lot on the course you are taking and how new the information is. I did an online course and finished everything but my certifying births in just a couple of months (this is with a house full of kids- my 5, 7& 18mo + another 1yo and 4yo I babysat for during the day)  I already knew the subject matter well from years of my own research, which made it go a lot easier and faster. </p>
<p>  I didn't intend to start working full time as a doula as I don't have the time/energy for that in my life now.  I had no problems with getting to my certifying births though. we have a lot of family to help with the kids. I plan to just work when the opportunity arises for now (from word of mouth only)  it's challenging to schedule around a birth & can be really emotional work, but it's also really rewarding!</p>

 

[thepeach80]

<p>I did the toLabor training and loved it. You have 5 years to finish your certifications. There's a required reading list of about 15 books I think and 15 more are recommended. Then you need 6 births, but 3 of those couled've been before you took the training. It has been rare in my experience for my friends to be gone more than 24 hrs at a birth, even 24 would be long. I did have one friend end up w/ back to back births though which did take up a good day and 1/2 or so and both ended in c/s.</p>

 

[zenmumajen]

<p>Thank you for the replies. I would not plan on doing this as anything full time, at least not for years down the road. I just want to gain the experience. What certification programs did everybody go through? </p>

 

[lia_joy]

<p>I went through Childbirth International and was very pleased </p>