IN-PERSON
Birth & Postnatal
Doula Course
BECOME A DOULA, IN A SMALL GROUP WITH
TIME TO LEARN, PRACTISE AND TALK.
Four days of in-person doula training with Kicki Hansard,
with a maximum of eight people in each course.
This is where your doula education begins. Over four days
together, we'll explore pregnancy, birth and the postnatal
period, alongside the practical and emotional skills involved in supporting women and families well.
There will be teaching, discussion, practical activities and plenty of opportunity to ask questions. You'll also begin looking at yourself, your experiences and the kind of doula you want to become.
You won't be expected to leave after four days knowing everything. The course gives you a strong foundation, with continued learning, resources and support available as you begin putting it into practice.
4 DAYS | MAXIMUM 8 PARTICIPANTS | LONDON & HERTFORDSHIRE | £848
Four days together
The in person course is deliberately small. With no more than eight participants, there is room for everyone to contribute, ask questions and explore ideas rather than sitting through four days of lectures.
Some of the learning comes from the course material. Some comes from practising skills and working through situations together. Some comes from the conversations that happen when a small group of people with different experiences begin looking at birth and doula support from new perspectives.
You'll learn about the practicalities of doula work while also exploring communication, boundaries, trauma awareness, informed decision making and what it means to support someone without taking over.
It is an immersive four days, with time to think as well as learn.
What you'll explore
Pregnancy & preparing for birth
Understanding the antenatal period, birth choices and how a doula can help women and families prepare for what lies ahead.
Trauma aware support
Understanding how previous experiences can affect pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period and learning to work with sensitivity, awareness and appropriate boundaries.
Birth physiology & practical support
How birth works, comfort measures, positioning, the birth environment and practical ways of supporting someone through labour.
Postnatal support & infant feeding
The early weeks after birth, emotional and practical postnatal support, infant feeding and helping families find their own way into parenthood.
Communication & advocacy
Listening well, asking useful questions, supporting informed decision making and understanding the difference between supporting someone's voice and speaking for them.
Becoming a working doula
Understanding your role, professional boundaries, working with maternity professionals and the practical foundations of setting up your doula business.
More than four days of training
Your place includes:
Four days of in-person training with Kicki Hansard
Four days together, with plenty of time for teaching, discussion, questions and practical learning.
Maximum eight participants
Small enough for everyone to take part and receive individual support.
Full access to the BirthBliss online doula course
Your learning doesn't have to end when the four days are over. You'll have access to the complete online course so you can revisit the teaching whenever you need to.
Your printed course manual and notebook
Both are yours to use during the course and return to afterwards.
Your printed course manual and notebook
Both are yours to use during the course and return to afterwards.
BirthBliss Doula Starter Kit
A little bag of practical doula bits and pieces, including aromatherapy oils, electric candles and other things to begin building your doula bag.
BirthBliss members' area
Resources, templates and practical information to return to as you begin working.
Live Zoom Doula Days
Bi-monthly sessions created primarily for online students, which you are very welcome to join too.
Live Zoom The Doula Sessions
Monthly online sessions open to the whole BirthBliss community, with continued learning, conversation and connection.
Six months free on The Doula Directory
Every BirthBliss graduate receives six months free membership, giving you somewhere to create your professional profile and begin connecting with families looking for doula support.
Ongoing BirthBliss community and support
You don't have to work everything out on your own once the course finishes. There are opportunities to stay connected, ask questions and continue learning as your doula work develops.
What will I receive when I finish?
When you successfully complete the course, including the pre course and post course learning, you'll receive the Diploma in Birth & Postnatal Doula Support.
The Diploma is part of completing your BirthBliss doula education. Certification is a separate, optional next step for those who would like continued support and guidance as they gain experience working with families.
The course is FEDANT approved and recognised by The Doula Association of Ireland.
Why only eight people?
Every BirthBliss in person course is limited to eight participants.
That isn't because we couldn't put more chairs in the room.
It's because the conversations matter.
With a small group there is time to ask the question that's been sitting in your mind, explore situations properly, practise skills, hear different perspectives and receive individual attention.
You won't spend four days disappearing into the back row.
Everyone has a place in the room.
Your course facilitator, Kicki Hansard
Kicki has worked as a doula since 2002 and has been teaching doulas since 2005. She founded The BirthBliss Doula Academy in 2012 and has trained more than 1,500 doulas in the UK and internationally. Her teaching draws on more than two decades of supporting families and training doulas, alongside continued study and a deep interest in how we support people through one of the most significant transitions of their lives.
What does it feel like?
"This experience has been truly transformative. I’ve loved every second of learning, growing, and connecting. I now feel 100% prepared and deeply inspired to begin my journey as a doula. Grateful for the knowledge, support, and community that have made this week so special!"
LarenaDoula
"I highly recommend Kicki’s course for anyone considering becoming a doula. Kicki’s knowledge and experience are impressive, and she shares it in a warm and approachable manner, providing plenty of laughs along the way! I have learned so much and feel inspired and excited about my new venture following this course."
Laura Waltzer
"Kicki’s 4-day course was fantastic! I loved it from start to finish. Kicki is very insightful, driven, informative, knowledgeable, and fun! I came away energised, motivated and excited to start my new career as a doula. Thank you so much Kicki!"
Lisa Le Touze
Your journey doesn't end with the course
Completing your BirthBliss course and receiving your Diploma in Birth & Postnatal Doula Support is an important milestone, but you don't then have to work everything out on your own.
You'll continue to have access to the BirthBliss community, our members' area with resources and templates and regular live Zoom sessions where you can keep learning, ask questions and stay connected with other doulas.
As you begin working with families, you can also choose to continue into the BirthBliss Certification Programme, where you'll work alongside an experienced Doula Coach and have somewhere to take the questions, experiences and situations that naturally arise when you start practising as a doula.
Every BirthBliss graduate also receives six months free membership of The Doula Directory, giving you a place to create your professional profile and begin making it easier for families looking for a doula to find you.
The course gives you the knowledge and preparation to begin. The support afterwards is there as you put that learning into practice.
The practical details
Duration: Four consecutive days
Times: 9am to 5pm, with the final day usually finishing slightly earlier
Group size: Maximum eight participants
Locations: London and Hertfordshire
Course fee: £848
Payment plans: Available
Online course: Full access included
Qualification: Diploma in Birth & Postnatal Doula Support
Recognition: FEDANT approved and recognised by The Doula Association of Ireland
Questions before you book?
You may be wondering if you're ready...
Perhaps you've never attended a birth.
Perhaps becoming self employed feels daunting. You may even be wondering why anyone would choose you when there are already experienced doulas working in your area.
Those are reasonable questions to have before beginning.
You don't need to arrive at the course already knowing how to be a doula. The course is where you begin learning what the role asks of you, while the support afterwards gives you somewhere to take the questions that only appear once you start doing the work.