In its native Greek a “doula” is translated to mean “a woman who serves. In the more modern era this has come to mean a woman who is trained and able to offer services relating to childbirth.
While there is some correlation between Doulas and midwifes, becoming a Doula means much more than simply being able to provide a woman with the physical assistance needed to safely give birth.
A good Doula must also be fully trained in providing emotional and psychological support, both before the birthing process and afterwards. As such, they offer a more complete form of care that is designed to ensure that new families not only get the right start in life, but are also equipped with the emotional tools and practical knowledge needed to raise their child.
Becoming a Doula means taking on the responsibilities of assuming a position of trust in the families that you work with, which is why it is vitally important that anybody who is interested in following this particular career path attains a relevant North America Doula Certification from a registered natural health college, such as Pacific Rim.
Such a course will not only ensure that you have all of the relevant knowledge required to provide the proper level of care to the people that you work with, but also gives you a foundation to enter the natural health industry as a whole, with particular focus on successful business practices that will ensure that your services are offered to the correct markets and properly advertised.
Becoming a Doula means much more than simply providing a medical service to your clients, so the course will also focus on how you can build an emotional connection with them, allowing you to help them with the numerous stresses that are related to childbirth, both at the pre and post-partum stages.
Furthermore, the course will also provide an excellent opportunity to develop as a person, as you will be learning alongside like-minded people with whom you can share ideas and make valuable connections.
While it is true that you do not require a qualification to become a Doula, failure to attain one and receive the proper training for the position may lead to you being seen as more of an amateur when potential clients are looking for a qualified professional. As such, it is very much recommended that you look into attaining a Doula certification, not only to provide you with all of the knowledge that you need to provide the proper care, but also to instill a sense of trust and confidence within your clients that will make them able to more readily accept the services that you have to offer.
