Labor/Birth Doula Trainings

Everything you need to know to get started as a Professional Birth Doula!

2025 is a great year to become a doula! I have been working on creating a new style of training that focuses on what you really need to know to start working as a Birth Doula in Iowa, the Midwest, and other regions of the US. I’m really excited to help you get started in your new career in labor support! 

Some of the most common requests I’ve received since I started as a trainer in 2017 are: 

• In-Person trainings are a must!
• Hearing from other successful doulas in the community. (We have two other doulas set to share info with you for our 2025 sessions! You’ll also learn from Arianna Christensen and Shannon Lee.)
• More lactation support education (This training includes a Breastfeeding Workshop for Doulas with Angela Swieter, local IBCLC and lactation expert!)
• More information about working within the hospital/medical system
• More hands-on skills practice opportunities for comfort measures during labor
• More business start-up, scheduling/client contracts, and finding client information. 
• Shorter path to certification without required readings, evaluations, and busy work.
• Ongoing mentorship opportunities
• Up-to-date information

I am so excited to say that I’ve created a training that covers ALL of those requests–and more! 

Would you like to schedule a time to chat about doula trainings or working as a doula? I’d love to chat! You can use this link to schedule a phone call with me. Let’s Chat! Scheduler Link. 

Upcoming Trainings

• June 23-24, 2025 from 8:30am-6:30pm CST in Waukee, IA
• More dates will be added soon!

Do I need to get certified to be a Birth Doula? 

You can begin working (and charging a fee) as a professional doula immediately after your training, even if you aren’t certified or don’t plan to get certified. Many doulas like to obtain certification for various reasons including: 

• Access to more clients through community organizations and non-profits. These groups often offer grants to pay for doula support, and many require the doula to be certified. 
• Fertility benefit companies, like Carrot, will reimburse the client for doula support if a certified doula provides care. 
• Many doulas like to have credentials (letters after their name) to show professionalism when networking and communicating with other healthcare professionals like pediatricians, OBs/Midwives, mental health therapists, lactation consultants, etc. 

If you would like to obtain certification, please visit the Perinatal Professionals Association or my page with more details. This is a third-party certification company that makes it easy to certify quickly, including a provisional certification option if you need immediate certification after your training. You do not need to decide on certification until after your training. We will go over the steps to certification in more detail in your training. 

This training is approved for Perinatal Professionals Association Birth Doula Certification. 

Details and Registration

Fee: $600 which includes:

• 18 hours of in-person training and 6 additional hours of online Bonus Content
• Resource Binder
• Breastfeeding for Doulas Workshop (during your training) + Certificate
• Post-training mentorship
• Canva Documents you can customize for your business

Additional Requirements:

• You will need to purchase the Sixth Edition (Nov 2024) of your course textbook, “Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn” by Penny Simkin, et al. Please bring this to your training session. You do not need to read it prior to you training.

Payment Options:

• Option 1: Pay $100 now to reserve your seat; You will receive your invoice which is due one week prior to your training. You will gain access to the online bonus content once you pay in full.
• Option 2: Pay in full to reserve your seat and gain early access to the Bonus Online Content!

Before registering, please view all terms and conditions below. Make sure you understand the terms for refunds, cancellations, children in training spaces, etc. Please email katie@theiowababylady.com for any questions or concerns you have prior to registering.

Testimonials

• My experience training with Katie was wonderful. I learned an incredible amount- while feeling safe and supported to ask for clarification when needed. She’s professional, patient and kind. We had to be online for the entire class- she created a positive and effective learning environment in that space.
• The training was very informational, learned a lot. I have a much better understanding of everything, including labor, everyone asked amazing questions to get a better understanding. Katie was an amazing teacher and feel like if I have any questions later in the future she would always be happy to help. I can totally understand why every mother should have a doula even if it’s your first or third birth.