Education | Inspiration | Support
IN-PERSON · LONDON & WATFORD
Birth and postnatal doula training in a small group
Spend four days learning with Kicki Hansard and no more than seven other students.
We will explore pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period alongside communication, boundaries, trauma-aware support and the practical foundations of beginning your doula work.
The course includes pre-course and post-course learning and leads to the Diploma in Birth & Postnatal Doula Support.
£848 for four days, with a maximum of eight participants. Pay in full or over three or six months.
Includes your printed course resources, BirthBliss Doula Starter Kit, access to the complete online course and continued support after the four days.
“Kicki’s knowledge and experience are impressive and she shares it in a warm and approachable manner.”
Laura Waltzer, in-person graduate
What makes learning in-person different?
Some people learn best side by side with others and the in-person course is built for them.
Over four days, with no more than eight of you, you practise face to face. How to sit with someone who is frightened. How to notice what isn’t being said. How it feels to offer a hand on someone’s back and when to hold back instead.
Some of the learning comes through discussion and reflection. Some of it is hands-on. You will explore comfort measures and massage, try different positions for labour and look at how a doula can support early feeding, positioning and attachment. You try things out, talk about them and try again, with an experienced trainer alongside you, learning how to offer practical support without taking over.
In a small group, questions get answered as they come up. Often one person asks the question that opens something up for everybody.
Four days together also gives the group time to settle. We usually eat lunch together and some of the most useful conversations happen over a cup of tea or when someone returns to something that came up earlier. Many people arrive not knowing anybody and leave feeling they have started this new chapter alongside people who understand what it means. These are often the people they call after their first births.
If walking into a room of strangers feels daunting, you won’t be the only one. It rarely lasts past the first morning.
The course draws on more than twenty years of supporting families and training doulas. As well as learning what a doula does, you begin to develop the emotional steadiness, communication skills and understanding of boundaries needed to support people through experiences that can feel uncertain or intense.
By the end of the four days and the reflective learning, you will have a clear grounding in antenatal preparation, labour and birth support, postnatal care and the practical side of starting your doula work. Nobody expects you to leave knowing everything. You leave with a strong foundation, continued access to the BirthBliss learning and a community that stays with you as your experience grows.
If four days away isn’t right for you at the moment, the online course follows the same core curriculum at your own pace, with live Zoom support along the way.
YOUR PLACE
What your place includes
FOUR DAYS
Four days with
Kicki
Four days of teaching, discussion, reflection and practical learning with Kicki Hansard.
TO KEEP
Printed course
resources
Receive your BirthBliss course manual and notebook to use during the course and return to afterwards.
SMALL GROUP
Maximum eight participants
No more than eight of you, so there is time for everyone’s questions and nobody disappears into the back row.
FOR YOUR DOULA BAG
BirthBliss Doula
Starter Kit
A collection of practical items to help you begin putting together your doula bag.
YOURS FOR LIFE
Complete online
course access
Return to the BirthBliss teaching after the four days whenever you want to revisit a subject or refresh your knowledge.
AFTER THE COURSE
Continued learning and community
Stay connected through the BirthBliss members’ area, resources and regular live online sessions after the course.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
What you’ll explore
01
Pregnancy & preparing for birth
Understanding the antenatal period, birth choices and how a doula can help women and families prepare for what lies ahead.
04
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.
02
Birth physiology & practical support
How birth works, comfort measures, positioning, the birth environment and practical ways of supporting someone through labour.
05
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.
03
Communication & advocacy
Listening well, asking useful questions, supporting informed decision-making and understanding the difference between supporting someone’s voice and speaking for them.
06
Becoming a working doula
Understanding your role, professional boundaries, working with maternity professionals and the practical foundations of setting up your doula business.
YOUR QUALIFICATION
What will I receive when I finish?
When you successfully complete the course, including the pre-course and post-course learning, you will receive the BirthBliss Diploma in Birth and Postnatal Doula Support. The course is accredited by FEDANT, the Federation of Antenatal Educators.
The Diploma confirms that you have successfully completed your BirthBliss doula education. You can then begin working with families if you feel ready.
If you would like structured support while you gain experience, the BirthBliss Certification Programme is available as a separate optional next step.
YOUR TEACHER
Your course facilitator,
Kicki Hansard
I have worked as a doula since 2002 and have been teaching doulas since 2005. I founded The BirthBliss Doula Academy in 2012 and have since trained more than 1,500 doulas in the UK and internationally. My 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.
When people train with me, I’m not looking for perfect answers. I’m interested in how you listen, what you notice and what you bring of yourself. You are welcome to get things wrong here. That’s how most of us learn.
I teach the in-person courses myself because I value getting to know the people who train with BirthBliss. Over the four days, I want there to be space for your questions, your experiences and the subjects that need more than a quick answer.
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
AFTER THE COURSE
Staying connected after the course
Completing your course and receiving your Diploma is an important milestone, although you do not then have to work everything out on your own. You can stay connected through the BirthBliss community, live sessions and continued learning as you begin supporting families.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
The practical details
Course times
Four consecutive days, Monday to Thursday. Each day usually runs from 9am to 5pm, finishing at around 4.30pm on the final day.
Course locations
Current courses take place in London and Watford. Full venue details are provided for each course date.
Group size
Each course is limited to eight participants, giving us time for questions, discussion and practical learning.
Course fee
£848. You can pay in full or choose a three or six-month payment plan.
What is included
Your printed course handbook, notebook, BirthBliss Doula Starter Kit and access to the complete online course.
Accommodation
Accommodation and lunch are not included. You can bring a packed lunch or buy something nearby and we usually eat together as a group.
What to wear and bring
Comfortable clothing, because we move around during some of the practical exercises, plus a water bottle and anything you would like for lunch.
Talk it through first
If four days away from work or family takes some arranging, you are welcome to talk the practicalities through with me before you choose a date.
Questions before you book?
You may be wondering if you’re ready
You do not need previous birth experience, maternity qualifications or children of your own. You are coming to learn. What matters is a willingness to listen, reflect and understand the responsibilities and boundaries of the role.
Would it be unreasonable to come and meet me at a free taster first?
NOT READY TO DECIDE?
That’s completely fine. If you’d like to understand more about training, qualifications and what it takes to start working as a doula, my guide walks you through it.