Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the BirthBliss Aspiring Doula Foundation course. If you have a question that is not answered here, please call me on 07905-895466. Alternatively, email me
Are there any entry requirements for the course?
No, you don’t need to have any qualification to join this course. The only thing that is required is that you want to support women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and/or the postnatal period. If you haven't had your own baby, it might be helpful to come to the course with relevant life experience.
It’s too far for me to travel each day. Where can I stay?
We offer accommodation at some venues so please let us know if you need a room for the course. Alternatively, we suggest you look at AirBnB.
Can I join Doula UK after doing your course?
Yes, the BirthBliss Aspiring Doula Foundation course is an approved course by Doula UK and you can join them as soon as you have completed the course (including a post-course module). Be sure to sign up for a course that does give you the option to join Doula UK and follows their core curriculum.
How do I become a qualified doula?
This course is designed to prepare you for work as a doula, based on the core curriculum of Doula UK. You can join Doula UK as a Mentored Doula on completion of the post-course module and by doing so, you also sign up for their Recognition Process. This involves supporting a minimum of four women during pregnancy and birth and/or a minimum of four women and their families for 20 hours or more postnatally. Doula UK has a number of experienced doulas that work as Mentors for new doulas and you will chose one of them to be your personal mentor during these doula assignments. We like to stay away from the term ‘qualified’ doula as it gives the impression that you have learnt all there is to learn, when being a doula is an ongoing process of learning and reflecting. When you have completed the recognition process with Doula UK, you will become a Recognised Doula.
Can I become a certified doula with BirthBliss?
As we are a Doula UK approved course, BirthBliss do not offer certification or a mentoring process for doulas who live in the UK and Ireland. We encourage all our doulas to join Doula UK and the excellent mentoring and recognition process they offer. However, for doulas who complete our course overseas, we offer a certification process at an additional cost. Please e-mail us for more information about this if you live outside of the UK and Ireland.
If you complete the training with us, we will automatically certify you when you become a Recognised Doula with Doula UK. There is no extra costs involved for this certification but we would encourage you to make a small contribution towards the Doula UK Access Fund.
You can also book one-to-one mentoring sessions with Kicki, if you would like some additional support or when enrolling on a course, choose the PLUS option, which includes four 30 minute sessions with Kicki as well as a place on one of the CPD workshops.
How do I find clients and work as a doula?
Doulas are self-employed and get all their work through the Find a Doula section on the Doula UK website, referrals from other doulas, their own websites, advertising and word of mouth. It is up to the doula herself to find work and this involves some networking and spreading of awareness that the service is available. The BirthBliss course has a section on running your own Business, which gives doulas a way forward in terms of what to do next after completing the course.
Can you make a living from being a doula?
There are a couple of things to consider if you want to become a doula, do you need to have a regular income and can you leave at short notice and not return for 24 hours or more? If you live in or near a large city, you will most likely be able to find work and therefore earn a reasonable wage. The most difficult part for most new doulas is the business side of things and getting out there to get work. This course equips you with a lot of information on how you can make it work.
I’m already a qualified midwife; do I still need to come on the course to work as a doula?
Working as a midwife is a very different role from being a doula and it might be necessary for a midwife to ‘unlearn’ some of the things that she has responsibility for when working as a midwife. Doulas offer emotional and practical support and no medical advice and would not be carrying out any examinations or assessments. Doula also do not give advice - we provide information. All midwives that have attended the course found that they learned a lot and some suggested that all midwives should come on a doula course to complement their skills as midwives.
Another fact is that no one has to do a doula course to work as a doula as it is, in its essence, a traditional role. Women have always been supporting other women during the childbearing year and still do in many cultures. Doulaing is, therefore, unregulated and anyone can work as a doula. However, if you want to join Doula UK you do need to do a Doula UK approved course.
I have not given birth myself so can I still be a doula?
Whilst many women who are doulas are mothers as well, it is not a requirement for becoming a doula. Being a doula is just that, being with women and couples in a supportive, nurturing and caring way.
What is different about your course?
My course is designed to follow the Doula UK core curriculum and also incorporates my 15 years’ of experience working as a doula. I have trained with both Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, two of the founders of DONA (Doulas Of North America) as well as a number of other leaders in their specific fields. Phyllis Klaus, together with her husband Marshall and their friend John Kennell, carried out the very first studies into the doula effect and I believe that I am the only doula course facilitator in the UK who has trained with these elders of the doula movement. I bring a wealth of experiences as a working doula, combined with my academic studies in Social Science and an enormous passion for supporting women in all they do!
Can I pay for the course in instalments?
There are three different payment options available to you when you book on the course. You can find the options here .
I only want to work as a postnatal doula, do I really need to do a course for both birth and postnatal doulas?
It might seem as though simply doing a course for postnatal doulas would be enough if that is the kind of work you would like to focus on. However, a lot of the time will be spent on talking about the birth experience with your client. It would be of great benefit to you to have the knowledge around birth that you will get in this course, which in turn, will benefit your client. I believe it is a necessity to know about birth to be able to support someone in the postnatal period.
Are there any entry requirements for the course?
No, you don’t need to have any qualification to join this course. The only thing that is required is that you want to support women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and/or the postnatal period. If you haven't had your own baby, it might be helpful to come to the course with relevant life experience.
It’s too far for me to travel each day. Where can I stay?
We offer accommodation at some venues so please let us know if you need a room for the course. Alternatively, we suggest you look at AirBnB.
Can I join Doula UK after doing your course?
Yes, the BirthBliss Aspiring Doula Foundation course is an approved course by Doula UK and you can join them as soon as you have completed the course (including a post-course module). Be sure to sign up for a course that does give you the option to join Doula UK and follows their core curriculum.
How do I become a qualified doula?
This course is designed to prepare you for work as a doula, based on the core curriculum of Doula UK. You can join Doula UK as a Mentored Doula on completion of the post-course module and by doing so, you also sign up for their Recognition Process. This involves supporting a minimum of four women during pregnancy and birth and/or a minimum of four women and their families for 20 hours or more postnatally. Doula UK has a number of experienced doulas that work as Mentors for new doulas and you will chose one of them to be your personal mentor during these doula assignments. We like to stay away from the term ‘qualified’ doula as it gives the impression that you have learnt all there is to learn, when being a doula is an ongoing process of learning and reflecting. When you have completed the recognition process with Doula UK, you will become a Recognised Doula.
Can I become a certified doula with BirthBliss?
As we are a Doula UK approved course, BirthBliss do not offer certification or a mentoring process for doulas who live in the UK and Ireland. We encourage all our doulas to join Doula UK and the excellent mentoring and recognition process they offer. However, for doulas who complete our course overseas, we offer a certification process at an additional cost. Please e-mail us for more information about this if you live outside of the UK and Ireland.
If you complete the training with us, we will automatically certify you when you become a Recognised Doula with Doula UK. There is no extra costs involved for this certification but we would encourage you to make a small contribution towards the Doula UK Access Fund.
You can also book one-to-one mentoring sessions with Kicki, if you would like some additional support or when enrolling on a course, choose the PLUS option, which includes four 30 minute sessions with Kicki as well as a place on one of the CPD workshops.
How do I find clients and work as a doula?
Doulas are self-employed and get all their work through the Find a Doula section on the Doula UK website, referrals from other doulas, their own websites, advertising and word of mouth. It is up to the doula herself to find work and this involves some networking and spreading of awareness that the service is available. The BirthBliss course has a section on running your own Business, which gives doulas a way forward in terms of what to do next after completing the course.
Can you make a living from being a doula?
There are a couple of things to consider if you want to become a doula, do you need to have a regular income and can you leave at short notice and not return for 24 hours or more? If you live in or near a large city, you will most likely be able to find work and therefore earn a reasonable wage. The most difficult part for most new doulas is the business side of things and getting out there to get work. This course equips you with a lot of information on how you can make it work.
I’m already a qualified midwife; do I still need to come on the course to work as a doula?
Working as a midwife is a very different role from being a doula and it might be necessary for a midwife to ‘unlearn’ some of the things that she has responsibility for when working as a midwife. Doulas offer emotional and practical support and no medical advice and would not be carrying out any examinations or assessments. Doula also do not give advice - we provide information. All midwives that have attended the course found that they learned a lot and some suggested that all midwives should come on a doula course to complement their skills as midwives.
Another fact is that no one has to do a doula course to work as a doula as it is, in its essence, a traditional role. Women have always been supporting other women during the childbearing year and still do in many cultures. Doulaing is, therefore, unregulated and anyone can work as a doula. However, if you want to join Doula UK you do need to do a Doula UK approved course.
I have not given birth myself so can I still be a doula?
Whilst many women who are doulas are mothers as well, it is not a requirement for becoming a doula. Being a doula is just that, being with women and couples in a supportive, nurturing and caring way.
What is different about your course?
My course is designed to follow the Doula UK core curriculum and also incorporates my 15 years’ of experience working as a doula. I have trained with both Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, two of the founders of DONA (Doulas Of North America) as well as a number of other leaders in their specific fields. Phyllis Klaus, together with her husband Marshall and their friend John Kennell, carried out the very first studies into the doula effect and I believe that I am the only doula course facilitator in the UK who has trained with these elders of the doula movement. I bring a wealth of experiences as a working doula, combined with my academic studies in Social Science and an enormous passion for supporting women in all they do!
Can I pay for the course in instalments?
There are three different payment options available to you when you book on the course. You can find the options here .
I only want to work as a postnatal doula, do I really need to do a course for both birth and postnatal doulas?
It might seem as though simply doing a course for postnatal doulas would be enough if that is the kind of work you would like to focus on. However, a lot of the time will be spent on talking about the birth experience with your client. It would be of great benefit to you to have the knowledge around birth that you will get in this course, which in turn, will benefit your client. I believe it is a necessity to know about birth to be able to support someone in the postnatal period.