Doula Training: Did you know?

Looking for a doula?  Did you know there are several organizations that train doulas in North America and the world? There are a variety of types of birth doula training to suit both the potential doula's interests and that of the expectant parents.  Some doulas apply for certification within months after taking a doula training while others may take a few years and still others do not choose to certify.  Doulas should continuously be studying up-to-date information on pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum issues. Her training should also include a breastfeeding component.  Parents need to ask whether a potential doula has received formal training, what her training has entailed, and how much experience she has.

Below is a list of many organizations that train doulas:

ALACE/IBWP

Aviva Institute
Binah Baby (Israel)

Birth Arts International

Birthing From Within

Birth Works

CAPPA

Childbirth International

DONA International

ICEA
ISIS Birtharts

It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the above organizations to know what a potential doula's training should have included as well as the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of her training organization.  Best wishes!  

Passing it on...A fascinating blog about meeting our children's needs

Blogger Laurie A. Couture writes about child advocacy, children's rights and attachment.  Her latest post Child Advocacy and Children's Rights Resolutions for the New Decade details many of her concerns regarding the rights of the child, the trend of medicating children, and suggestions for practical attachment-based parenting.  My favorite section of the post, entitled So What Should Child Advocates Do? states the following:

The most basic and critical need of all mammal children, including human children, is for a secure, deep, permanent attachment to at least one parent, either by birth or adoption. Secure attachment is the result of a parent immediatly responding to and meeting the needs of their child, in a manner that is warm, loving and compassionate. The result of secure attachment is a parent-child relationship which is loving, warm, cooperative, respectful, healthy, and which grows stronger and more reciprocal as the child grows older

Laurie goes on to state:

The human attachment cycle is the basic mammalian blueprint for a world-wide children's rights movement. The agenda of children's rights advocacy should be based upon the basic physical, emotional and developmental needs of children viewed from an organic, nature-based perspective, untainted by industrialized, religious, political or financial interpretation. Any other agenda is superficial and superfluous at best. At worst any other agenda is a front to protect adult power and control over children and financial and political agendas.

The blogger goes into wonderful detail about the natural study of peaceful nonviolent tribal cultures.  Her posts are intelligent and well-researched. Putting the needs of our children first to secure a brighter future....it just makes sense.