The Fundamentals
Becoming a Holistic Birth practitioner,
A slow and soulful journey…
The ‘Fundamentals’ are the entry point to all the Birthing Wisdom courses as well as being a stand-alone training for those wishing to work as Birth and Postnatal Doulas.
Apply for this course early as there are only 6 places available on each of the courses to ensure a quality of teaching and supervision. This includes one assisted place.
The essence of the work of a doula/companion and group facilitator is to be able to provide unconditional emotional openness and support to women, men and their babies. So having and/or developing the ability to be emotionally present and supportive is one of the foundations of our training.
The contact sessions provide an opportunity for the students to experience being in a safe, held and nurturing environment, a supportive setting where they can practice their skills and hold an emotionally supportive space for each other.
Most of the course theory is covered in-depth in the distance modules, with assignments to do with each one. The focus of the weekends is experiential and practical. During these sessions, we will use our time together to experience, embody, create and practice, anchoring the information learned in the distance study modules.
The amount of study and reflection work contained in the modules is not negligible and requires a minimum of 6 hours a week study time. The modules are an important part of this training and it is only possible to attend the practical sessions after completing the homework in each of the modules.
This course is open to all women who feel a calling to support others through the childbearing year. No particular qualifications are required, but a willingness to be and work with whatever comes up on this journey together is necessary.
The training takes place near Totnes in Devon where an affordable residential option is available for students.
Since personal development is an important aspect of the training, a commitment to receiving personal support throughout the training and beyond is essential, be it in the form of a counsellor, a ‘buddy’ (fellow trainee) or a mentor (a more experienced birth practitioner), alongside the supervision we offer during and after the training.
You are also required to keep a journal in which to reflect on your learning, dreams and experiences.
There will be several teachers involved in the training, each passing on their own field of expertise and their passion. Your personal guide is available on a weekly basis for any queries or general support and can be contacted by telephone, letter or email.
We will start our journey by learning and integrating into ourselves the knowledge and skills we want to share and model in our teaching and work with women and couples. We will also devote some of our time to our own development and healing journey, including healing our own birth and the birth(s) of our children. For more details of the course content see our curriculum below.
After completing the training, you will take your work into the world, supported by your group as well as the course facilitators.
There is the option to carry on meeting every 3 months for the next year to share the experiences of supporting families and teaching classes, as well as advanced learning and one to one supervision. For those who live too far away, an arrangement can be made to receive regular supervision.
Birthing Wisdom is committed to offering on-going support, advanced training and supervision for our practitioners.
The Holistic Birth Practitioner training is fully recognised by Doula UK, the leading organisation for doulas in the UK.
..the kind of professional care and emotional support a woman receives during labour determines whether she looks back on her birth experience with satisfaction and fulfilment or with disappointment, sadness, and even anger. Penny Simkin. The Birth partner
Curriculum
The following topics will be covered in the modules or/and the contact sessions; click on the arrows below for more information on each topic:
— The Doula role
- Factors that may impact on labour and birth. The scope and limitations of the doula role. When and where to refer. Self-assessment of doula skills knowledge and experience and the learning statement.
- Support: What is support? Assessing the current support in our lives; Support vs empowerment. Beliefs around being supported and offering support. Developing a self care practice. Sources of support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. The doula as a source of support and the community as a resource: creating a postpartum support network.
— The prenatal period:
- Culture, pregnancy and birth. The sensuality of Birth.
- The prenatal imprint: from psychology to biology.
- “He’s having a baby” the father’s experience of pregnancy and birth.
- Exploring the essential teachings and challenges of the pregnancy.
- Birth as a right of passage. Pregnancy as preparation for the initiation.
- Rituals in pregnancy: The Blessingway
— Holistic preparations for the birth:
- Effective listening and compassionate communication skills.
- The birth continuum. Vision and Challenges.
- Identifying and transforming stress, fear and negative beliefs in pregnancy, labour and birth.
- Identifying and dealing with triggers, our own and the people we care for.
- Conducting prenatal visits. Supporting/guiding the woman/couple to prepare themselves and their environment on all levels.
- Bonding with the unborn child.
- Causes and management of pain in labour. Sounding. Centering. Relaxation. Breathing. Visualisation.
- Risks and benefits of medical tests, techniques and procedures. Caesarian births and VBACS.
- Writing a holistic birth plan. Homeopathic, herbal and spiritual allies.
- Working within the spiritual and cultural ethos of the birthing couple.
— The natural physiology of labour, birth and bonding:
- How fear affects labour. The relaxation and hypnosis effect.
- Body-own childbirth hormones. Empowering the natural body mechanisms.
- Anatomy and physiology of labour and birth and how a doula can support the process at all times. Normal labour and deviations from the norm. Labour and Birth positions. Comfort measures. Positive interventions. Yoga breaths, positions and easy flow. Optimum Baby Positioning.
— The Birth:
- Creating and preserving a safe birthing environment.
- Centering/holding Presence. Keeping the link with the birthing child.
- Early labour assessment. Positive interventions. Emergency situations.
- Recognising signs of personal activation and tools for dealing with it.
- Homeopathic, herbal and spiritual allies.
- Bonding: why and how and the role of the doula. Working with the birthing team. Boundaries and unity.
- Supporting the birthing family when birth or pregnancy doesn¡¦t go as planned.
— Working in collaboration with the NHS:
- The history of childbirth through the ages and of midwifery since 1900.
- The role of the midwife today. Rules, regulations and governing bodies.
- Who is who in the Hospital staff.
- Establishing trust and mutual empowerment among the birthing team.
— After the Birth:
- Debriefing. The postnatal visits.
- Healing the birth of our children. Sharing birth stories, healing birth trauma.
- Postpartum practices around the world. Needs of the newborn child, mother and father (on all levels).
- Breastfeeding.
- Creating a portfolio of organisations and individuals to refer to which specialise in addressing specific challenges such as post natal depression.
- Getting started with breastfeeding.
— Developing your Doula practice:
- Personal aims, needs and support required.
- Clarifying the personal, ethical and social values involved in working as an educator/doula.
- Contracts, insurance.
- Marketing your practice. Where and how? Advertising (inc creating promotional material: cards and brochures), public speaking, liaising with useful organisations and individuals.
- Doula Teams. Referring.
Certificate:
You will be awarded the ‘Birthing Wisdom Holistic Birth Companion/Doula certificate’ on satisfactory completion of the following:
- attending all teaching sessions. If you have to miss a session, arrangements need to be made to catch up.
- completing the various assignments and homework required.
- attending 1 series of childbirth education classes in your area as a non pregnant woman.
- familiarising yourself with your local maternity unit.
- a satisfactory report from you mentor.
You will then be able to advertise your services locally or via Doula UK (www.doula.org.uk) and the Birthing Wisdom soon to be Find a Holistic Doula /childbirth educator page.
Apply for this course early as places are limited to 6 to ensure quality of teaching and supervision.
Schedule:
2020 Schedule
• 6 Distance modules, 7 live Zoom calls and 8 days practical workshops (2×4 days ) near Totnes in Devon.
Residential option available.
The first module will be sent out on the 25th of January 2020.
Practical Workshops Schedule
March 5-8th
June 4th to 7th
The workshops start at 9am on Thursday and end at 4.30pm on Sunday.
Fees:
Fees:
In full: £1050 (excluding residential cost but affordable accomodation is available on the premises).
Early booking discount: – £70
If there is a financial need: Non-returnable deposit of £300 and 6 instalments of £135.
One assisted place is available. Please enquire.
Sources of funding:
For information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit:
- www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning (or contact 0800 100 900)
- www.egas-online.org.uk
- www.adviceresources-fundingdirectory.co.uk
If you are drawn to the work but not able to meet the financial requirements let me know and we will see together what is possible.