Be there! As a woman's pregnancy nears the end and she is contemplating her choices for her birth, be there. When the first tentative twinges of labor begin and the parents need reassurance, be there. When labor gets stronger and the mother progresses to needing physical and emotional support, be there. When the father is uncertain of his ability to help his partner, be there to encourage him. When the mother is unsure of her ability to birth her baby, be her rock. When it's time to move to the hospital, be there to ease the transition. When an intervention is suggested, be there to educate and answer questions. When a mom yells out that she doesn't think she can do it any more, be there to sway with her, massage her, and talk to her softly. When it's time to push and the mom says "I'm scared!", be the one to believe in her. When she holds her precious new baby in her arms and exclaims "I did it!", be there to share in her triumph. And when the parents look back on their birth, you will be there too, in their memory, a compassionate, loving part of their birth that they will treasure forever.   

It is easier and quicker than you might think to become a doula. Your first step is to read a few books and aquaint yourself with birth and doulas in general if you have not already done so. The second step is to attend a DONA approved doula training. DONA is the oldest and most respected doula certification program and their trainings are the most thorough. In my trainings, you will learn everything you need to know to help parents through the birth process. You will learn about the labor process itself, how to tell where a woman is in labor without clinical exams, massage techniques to ease labor pain, emotional techniques to help a woman birth triumphantly, how to support a woman through a variety of births, how to find clients, how to run your business, and mostly how to have a rewarding career that you can be proud of. After your training, you are ready to start attending births. You will need 3 births with good evaluations to send in for your certification. Once you are certified, you will be listed on the DONA website, the site that the majority of parents seeking doulas will go for referrals. Word of mouth spreads quickly and before you know it, you will have a calendar as full of births as you want it to be. And mostly you will have a career that is respected, honored, and treasured by all the people you help!

I went to my first doula birth about 12 years ago. At the time I was an apprentice to a homebirth midwife but I wanted to experience I wide variety of birth situations. My first 3 births as a doula were difficult. I didn't know anyone else who was a doula so I had no one to talk to about my births that I felt understood. After those first 3 I honestly felt like being a doula was not for me and I decided to put everything into becoming a homebirth midwife. As luck would have it, life intervened! After attending about 75 births or so, my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby. I decided to take a complete break from births during my pregnancy to focus just on my own baby and my own birth. I had planned a homebirth and had made a conscious decision not to hire a doula. I just didn't see the point. I assumed that my husband and my midwife would be all I needed during my birth. 

My labor began in the wee hours of the morning on my daughter's due date. My husband and I were relaxed about the process and I progressed quickly. Within 5 1/2 hours or so, I was complete. It had all felt fairly effortless, though I felt myself becoming scared towards the end of this phase, not knowing what lie ahead. It was during this time that my midwife and my mother arrived. By this time, my husband had been up all night and as helpful and wonderful as he had been, he was exhausted. I sent him to sleep for a little while. This was the point that fear really crept in. My midwife did what she could to calm and comfort me but she had other duties as well. My mom had never attended a birth before and I'm sure felt pretty unsure of how to help me. What I really needed was someone to stay with me, continuously, and just talk to me. As a first time mom, I needed constant reassurance and a calm presence that was just there for my emotional support. I needed a doula! 

It was that birth experience that brought to the forefront my desire to be a doula. It wasn't as feesible to be a midwife at that point in my life because of my young baby, but I could certainly be a doula! I had barely entertained the idea when I was hired to teach childbirth classes at a local hospital. After my very first class,  a woman came up to me and point blank said, "I want you at my birth. Can I hire you as my doula?" After that, doula clients poured in. I built a successful independent doula business and was able to support my family. To date I have attended about 250 births as a doula and many more as a midwife. I believe that every woman has the right to the birth that she desires, whatever kind of birth that is and I was honored to support so many women in their dreams as their doula.  

***A $50 discount is given if paid at least 1 month in advance of the training***

Tuesday evenings September 6, 13, 20, 27, and Oct. 4
Albuquerque, NM
Sept. 6-27: 5:30-8:30pm; Oct. 4: 5-9pm
Cost: $400
Registration deadline: August 30

November 5 and 6 (Saturday, Sunday)
Albuquerque, NM
Saturday: 9am-6pm (1 hr lunch break) Sunday: 9am-6pm (1hr lunch break)
Cost: $400
Registration Deadline: Oct. 21

December 3 and 4 (Saturday, Sunday)
Las Vegas, Nevada
9am-6pm both days (1 hr. lunch break each day)
Cost: $400
Registration Deadline: November 12

December 16, 17, & 18 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Friday: 5-9pm; Saturday: 9am-6pm (1 hr lunch break); Sunday: 9am-1pm
Cost: $400
Registration Deadline: November 25

If you can provide a free space to hold a training, you can receive half off of the training!

I travel! If you live outside of the Albuquerque area and have a few friends who want to take the training, I can come to you. Call of email me for more details. Check back often for more training times!

***All trainings are subject to cancellation or rescheduling after the registration deadline if there are not enough attendees. In this case, your money will be refunded or you may choose to attend another training of mine.***

REFUND POLICY: 
A refund of the registration fee (minus a $50 non-refundable fee) is possible if cancelled no later than 2 weeks prior to the workshop. Due to materials that need to be purchased and other expenses, a refund cannot be issued after the 14th day prior to the beginning of the workshop.

***A $50 discount is offered for registering at least 1 month in advance of the workshop.***   

My wish is that every woman who wants a doula has a doula, regardless of her ability to pay. I feel the same way about women who want to become doulas. I never want anyone to not come to a workshop simply because she cannot pay. If you cannot pay the full fee for the workshop, please fill out a scholarship form. There are a limited number of scholarships available for each workshop so if you need one, please contact me as soon as possible.