Education | Inspiration | Support
Which doula
course is right for me?
The same doula education in two different ways
There is no better or more serious way to train as a doula. Both BirthBliss courses cover the same core curriculum, lead to the same Diploma in Birth and Postnatal Doula Support and give you ongoing access to the BirthBliss community. The real question is how you learn best and what will work with your life.
The in-person course gives you four days in a small group, with time to talk, practise and reflect together. The online course gives you the freedom to study wherever you are, at a pace that is entirely your own. Here is what each experience is really like.
What both courses give you
Birth and postnatal
doula training
A comprehensive course preparing you to support families during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.
The BirthBliss philosophy
An approach built on empathy, practical skills, reflective practice and professional boundaries.
Ongoing
support
Access to our community, live Zoom sessions and continued learning beyond the course itself.
Certificate and Diploma pathway
Successful completion of the course leads to a Diploma in Birth and Postnatal Doula Support.
FEDANT
accredited
Certification
pathway
Training accredited and assessed by the FEDANT (Federation of Antenatal Educators.)
The opportunity to continue into the optional BirthBliss Certification Programme as you begin supporting families.
Whichever route you choose, you will learn about birth and postnatal doula support, communication, boundaries, trauma-aware practice, infant feeding and the practical foundations of beginning your doula work. You will complete reflective work and once you have met the course requirements, receive the BirthBliss Diploma in Birth and Postnatal Doula Support.
Both routes include the same BirthBliss approach, accreditation by FEDANT, live online learning opportunities and a place within the wider BirthBliss community. You will also have the option to continue into the BirthBliss Certification Programme as you begin gaining experience with families.
The standard of education does not change, the experience of learning does.
The in-person course: four days in the room together
There is something very special about learning alongside a group of people who have arrived with many of the same questions, even though they may come from very different backgrounds. Over four days, you get to know one another. One person asks a question that opens up a conversation for everybody. Ideas are shared, different possibilities are explored and there is time to stop and reflect while the thought is still fresh.
That shared experience can make the beginning of doula work feel far less lonely. You are not sitting at home wondering whether everybody else understands something that you do not. You hear other people's questions, contribute your own experiences and begin forming relationships with people who are starting this work at the same time as you.
We can also work with our hands. You will have opportunities to explore massage, touch, movement and positioning for labour, as well as exercises connected with early infant-feeding support, including how a doula can help a parent think about positioning and attachment while staying within the doula role. These are not rigid techniques to perform on somebody. They are practical ways of becoming more observant, responsive and confident in how you offer support.
The learning continues outside the formal sessions too. We stop for lunch and usually eat together, and some of the most useful conversations happen while people are making tea, sharing food or picking up a discussion from earlier in the day. There is warmth, laughter and room to be yourself.Each course is limited to eight people, so nobody disappears into the back row. There is time for questions, individual guidance and the conversations that need more than a quick answer. After the four days, you also receive access to the complete online programme, so you can return to the teaching and revisit subjects whenever you need to.
The in-person course may suit you if:
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You learn well through conversation and being with other people
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You want to practise hands-on support with others in the room
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You value being able to ask a question and explore it straight away
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You can set aside four consecutive days and travel to the venue
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Being part of a small group would help you feel supported as you begin
The online course: learn wherever you are, in your own time
The online course is there for people whose lives, location or way of learning make a fixed four-day course difficult. You can study from anywhere in the UK or overseas, fitting the course around work, family, caring responsibilities and everything else that may be happening in your life.
There is no need to rush through it. You can pause after a lesson, take time to think, go back over something that needs another look and move on when you are ready. You have lifetime access to the course material, so it remains there after you finish whenever you want to refresh your knowledge or return to a subject with the benefit of more experience.
Online does not mean being left on your own with a collection of videos. You will be invited to live Zoom Doula Days, where you can bring questions, explore the work in more depth and meet other people training with BirthBliss. You will also be part of the wider community, with continued opportunities to learn from me and from other doulas.
The course includes practical teaching, demonstrations and exercises that you can work through where you are. The experience is naturally different from practising in a room with a small group, and it is worth being honest about that. If physical practice with immediate feedback is central to the way you learn, the in-person course may suit you better. If you prefer time to watch, pause, try something and return to it, online learning may be the stronger fit.
If you begin online and later realise that you would also like the in-person experience, you can upgrade by paying the difference in the course fees.
The online course may suit you if:
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You need to fit your learning around work, family or caring responsibilities
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You live overseas or cannot easily travel to a course venue
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You prefer time to absorb, revisit and reflect on what you learn
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You are comfortable managing your own pace and studying independently
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You want the reassurance of lifetime access to the course material
The difference at a glance
A simple way to decide
You enjoy learning
alongside others
The in-person course may be the right choice for you.
Spend four immersive days learning with Kicki and a maximum of eight participants. There is time for discussion, practical activities, questions and personal feedback in a supportive environment.
When the course finishes, you'll also receive full access to the complete online programme, allowing you to revisit every lesson whenever you need to.
You need flexibility
The online self-paced course may fit your life more easily.
Study whenever it suits you, pause when life becomes busy and return whenever you're ready. You'll also be invited to live Zoom Doula Days where you can ask questions and connect with other doulas.
If you later decide you'd like the experience of learning in-person, you can upgrade to an in-person course by paying only the difference in course fees.
You're still deciding
Many aspiring doulas don't know which route is right until they've met us.
Our free taster session gives you the opportunity to experience the BirthBliss approach, meet Kicki and ask any questions before making your decision.
There's no pressure to enrol. It's simply a chance to see whether BirthBliss feels like the right place for you.
If you are still unsure, ask yourself this
When you learn something new, do you understand it best by talking it through, trying it with other people and responding in the moment? If so, the in-person course is likely to feel more natural.
Do you learn best when you can create your own rhythm, pause without pressure and return to a subject several times? If so, the online course may give you the space you need.
You do not have to choose the option that sounds most impressive or the one you think you ought to manage. Choose the setting in which you are most likely to feel present, curious and able to take the learning in.
Questions people often ask
You do not have to decide alone
If you are still turning the two options over, come to a free taster session. You can meet me, experience the BirthBliss approach and ask the questions that matter to you before you choose. There is no pressure to enrol. It is simply a chance to see whether BirthBliss, and the way I teach, feel right for you.