At The BirthBliss Academy, we’ve designed the Doula Coaching Programme to be a supportive, reflective journey that helps you grow in confidence and skill, both as a doula and as a small business owner. It’s not about ticking boxes or rushing through a set number of jobs.

It’s about real experience, thoughtful reflection, and having the space to talk through each job with your Doula Coach so you can keep learning and developing your own unique way of working.

Here’s how the process works, step by step.

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Step 1: Sign Up

You’ve decided to take your doula career to the next level. Welcome!

 

Choose your certification path:

• Birth Doula Coaching Programme

• Postnatal Doula Coaching Programme

• Or both

 

Cost:

• £45 for one (birth or postnatal)

• £40 each if signing up for both

 

This one-off enrolment fee starts your 24-month coaching period.

 

Step 2: Initial Contact

Once you’ve signed up, you’ll hear from Siobhan Smith, Head of the Coaching Programme. Within 7–10 days, Siobhan will arrange a short call to talk through next steps and answer any questions. This is your chance to get clear on the process before you’re matched with your coach.

 

Step 3: Being Matched with Your Doula Coach

After your initial chat, you’ll be assigned your Doula Coach, an experienced BirthBliss doula who’ll support you through the whole journey.

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Your coach will:

• Introduce themselves and help you get started.

• Talk through how to set up your Doula Directory profile and present yourself professionally.

• Offer steady, one-to-one support as you start taking clients.

 

Payment:
You’ll pay your Doula Coach £60 before your first debrief. This covers your first reflective session after your first client job.

 

Step 4: Ongoing Support

As you begin finding clients and taking on work, your Doula Coach will be there to guide you, offering practical advice, emotional support, and business insights when needed. Regular communication is key. You’re encouraged to keep in touch after each booking so your coach can help you reflect and grow between jobs.

 

Step 5: Your First Client

When you’ve booked your first client, let your Doula Coach know.

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After completing the job:

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• Fill in your Reflective Record Sheet (birth or postnatal)

• Ask your client to complete their feedback form (you’ll manage this part for GDPR compliance)

• Once both are complete, arrange your one-hour debrief with your Doula Coach

 

During your debrief, you’ll reflect on your learning, celebrate what went well, and talk about what you’d like to do differently next time.

 

Step 6: Subsequent Clients

For every client you support, the same process applies:

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1. Notify your Doula Coach when you take a new booking.

2. Complete your Reflective Record Sheet after the job.

3. Pay the £60 debrief fee directly to your coach.

4. Arrange your one-hour debrief and use it to explore your learning.

 

This rhythm of work, reflect, learn, grow continues until you’ve completed all the required client experiences.

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Requirements:

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• Birth Doula Coaching Programme: Support four births 

• Postnatal Doula Coaching Programme: Support four families, providing at least five sessions per family.

 

You can include up to:

• One friend or family client.

• Two voluntary or charity clients (for example, through Happy Baby Community).

 

The rest should ideally be paying clients to help you learn the business side of doula work.

 

Step 7: Final Reflection and Certification

Once you’ve completed your four jobs, you’ll have a final reflective conversation with your Doula Coach.

This isn’t a test, it’s a chance to look back over your journey, celebrate your growth, and explore whether you’ve met the BirthBliss Readiness Criteria for certification.

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Your coach will use these criteria to guide your reflection and complete a Certification Recommendation Form. This is then reviewed by Kicki Hansard, Founder of The BirthBliss Academy.

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If all the readiness points have been met, you’ll be awarded your Certified BirthBliss Doula certificate and welcomed as a BirthBliss Graduate.

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If more time or experience is needed, your coach will guide you on the next steps so you can continue developing at your own pace.

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Please note:

Certification isn’t automatically guaranteed by signing up for the programme.
It’s based on engagement, reflection, and demonstrated readiness as agreed between you and your Doula Coach.
However, it’s very rare for someone not to reach certification, our aim is to support every doula to get there in their own time.

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Financial Recap

Here’s a quick breakdown of the costs involved in the process:

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• Sign-Up Fee:

  • £45 for one accreditation (either Birth or Postnatal)

  • £40 for both Birth and Postnatal accreditations

• Debrief Fee:

  • £60 per job, paid directly to your Doula Coach.
    (You’ll need to complete four jobs for either Birth or Postnatal accreditation. If you’re doing both, you’ll need to complete eight jobs in total, four for each accreditation type.)

 

Total Cost Breakdown:

• For One Accreditation (either Birth or Postnatal):

  • 4 jobs x £60 = £240

  • Sign-Up Fee: £45

  • Total: £285

• For Both Birth & Postnatal Accreditation:

  • 8 jobs x £60 = £480

  • Sign-Up Fee: £40

  • Total: £520

 

No Hidden Costs

There are no hidden costs in the process. The upfront sign-up fee and the debrief fees cover everything you need to complete your accreditation, ensuring you only pay as you earn and gain hands-on experience.

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Business Expense

The costs involved in the accreditation process, including the sign-up fee and debrief fees, can be treated as business expenses. This means they can be claimed through your business books as part of your professional development and training costs. Please consult with your accountant or business advisor to ensure this is handled appropriately for tax purposes.