Everything You Need to Start Your Career as a Professional Doula!
Ready to become a doula, but not quite sure where to start?
Nurtured Doula Trainings offers both in-person birth doula training in Iowa and throughout the Midwest, plus live online training options. You’ll gain the practical birth knowledge, hands-on skills, professional resources, and continued support you need to confidently begin working with families.
Your support doesn’t end when training does. You’ll also receive post-training mentorship, business start-up guidance, and a clear path toward optional professional certification.
Train to become a doula. Get ready for your first clients. Build a career you love.
More Than a Doula Training
A great doula training should do more than teach you about childbirth. It should prepare you to actually work as a doula.
During your training, you’ll learn how to support families through real-world labor and birth situations, practice hands-on skills, and build the confidence to step into your first client experience. You’ll also get guidance for the part that comes next: starting your business, finding clients, preparing for your first birth, and deciding whether professional certification is right for you.
Your training also includes a 2-Hour Lactation Workshop specifically for Birth Doulas, with practical information to help you support the first feeding after birth while staying within your scope of practice. You’ll receive a Certificate of Attendance that you can add to your professional credentials and share with prospective families. Angela Swieter, IBCLC is the lactation instructor during most in person and online trainings.
Your training includes:
✓ 18 hour Birth Doula Training
✓ 6 hours of bonus education and resources focused on starting your business
✓ 2-Hour Breastfeeding for Birth Professionals Workshop taught by Angela Swieter, IBCLC (Certificate of lactation workshop attendance included)
✓ Hands-on practice during in-person trainings
✓ The Doula’s Guide to Attending Births, your professional birth doula resource book to carry with you to births
✓ Digital resource library to continue learning after training
✓ Post-training group mentorship for the questions that come once you start putting your training into practice
✓ A straightforward, optional path to professional doula certification
Looking For an In-Person Doula Training in Iowa or the Midwest?
Nurtured Doula Trainings offers in-person Birth Doula Training in the Des Moines, Iowa area, along with select training dates throughout the Midwest. Live online Birth Doula Training is also available for future doulas who prefer to learn from home or aren’t located near an upcoming in-person training.
In-Person Birth Doula Training
Des Moines / Waukee, Iowa
November 21-22, 2026 from 8:30 AM – 6:30PM CST
Omaha, Nebraska
October 24–25, 2026 from 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM CST
Live, Online Birth Doula Training
Prefer to learn from home? Live online training gives you real-time instruction, discussion, and access to your trainer without traveling to Iowa or another Midwest training location.
New online training dates coming soon.
Before You Choose a Doula Training, Choose Your Trainer
There are a lot of doula training and certification options out there. So how do you choose the right one?
We believe you should choose your trainer for your education experience. This is the foundation of your new career and you want to learn from someone you connect with and who has a lot of experience in this field. Choose your certification organization for your credentials and reputation.
Your trainer is the person who will prepare you to actually support families. Before registering for any doula training, take a little time to learn about the person who will be teaching you.
Look for a trainer who:
✓ Is currently connected to doula work and understands what birth support looks like today
✓ Has experience with real clients, hospitals, homebirths, medical providers, and common birth interventions
✓ Teaches practical skills you can use with your first clients, not just information needed to complete a course
✓ Understands the business side of becoming and working as a professional doula
✓ Offers support and mentorship after your training is complete
Nurtured Doula Trainings are taught by Katie Nyberg, a professional doula since 2010, doula trainer since 2016, and owner of an active Iowa doula agency. What you learn is shaped by what’s happening in birth rooms and doula businesses right now.
Before you register, we encourage you to talk with your trainer. Ask questions, learn about their experience, and make sure their approach to doula work fits the kind of doula you want to become.
Choose the Support You Want After Doula Training
Every package includes the same comprehensive Birth Doula Training, professional resource book, group mentorship, and business start-up guidance.
The difference? You choose how much additional support you’d like as you take the next steps toward becoming a working doula.
Essential Training Package:
$620
Everything you need to build a strong foundation as a professional doula, with comprehensive training, continued group mentorship, and practical guidance to help you confidently get started.
✓ Birth Doula Training & Two-Hour Breastfeeding Workshop
✓ Resource Book: The Doula’s Guide to Attending Births
✓ Post-Training Group Mentorship
✓ Post-Training Business Startup Guidance
Plus Training Package:
$790
Everything in Essential, plus practical tools and personalized support to help you feel prepared and confident as you begin working with clients.
✓ Birth Doula Training & Two-Hour Breastfeeding Workshop
✓ Resource Book: The Doula’s Guide to Attending Births
✓ Post-Training Group Mentorship
✓ Post-Training Business Startup Guidance
✓ Doula Starter Bag + Professional Tools
✓ 6 Week Post-Training Coaching & Support Email Series
✓ 30-Minute Private Mentoring Session
Premium Training Package:
$950
Our most supportive training experience, with additional education and personalized coaching to help you build your skills and confidence as a professional doula.
✓ Birth Doula Training & Two-Hour Breastfeeding Workshop
✓ Resource Book: The Doula’s Guide to Attending Births
✓ Post-Training Group Mentorship
✓ Post-Training Business Startup Guidance
✓ Doula Starter Bag + Professional Tools
✓ 6 Week Post-Training Coaching & Support Email Series
✓ 3 Private 30-Minute Mentoring Sessions
✓ Evidence Based Birth® Savvy Birth Pro Workshop
✓ Comfort Measures Workshop
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!
Additional Requirement: 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.
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.
Click here –> for Terms and Conditions
What Happens After Doula Training?
Completing your doula training is exciting, but we know you’ll have more questions.
How do I find my first doula client? What should I charge? What happens at my first prenatal visit? When do I go to the hospital? What should I bring? What if I don’t know what to do?
You aren’t expected to have everything figured out the day training ends.
That’s why our all of our Doula Training packages includes post-training support. You’ll have continued group mentorship and business start-up guidance to help you take what you learned in training and put it into practice. You will have access to additional materials, sample forms, and resources.
Doula Certification: Your Next Step, If You Want It
Do I Need to Be Certified to Work as a Doula? No. Doula training and doula certification are two different things. You can begin working as a private-practice doula after completing your training without becoming certified.
Some doulas choose professional certification because they want credentials after their name, plan to work with programs that require certification, or want to qualify for certain reimbursement opportunities.
You don’t need to decide before your training.
How Do I Become a Certified Doula?
Nurtured Birth Doula Training is approved for Birth Doula Certification through the Perinatal Professionals Association (PPA). Link: Perinatal Professionals Association
During your training, we’ll walk through the certification process step by step so you’ll know exactly what to do if you decide to pursue it. PPA also offers a provisional certification pathway for doulas who need immediate professional credentials while completing their full certification requirements.
Is Doula Certification Required in Iowa?
Professional certification is not required to begin working as a private-practice doula in Iowa. However, certification may be required by certain employers, community programs, grant-funded programs, or reimbursement programs.
The right choice depends on the kind of doula career you want to build.
Want to Become a Birth AND Postpartum Doula?
You don’t have to choose just one way to support families! Many doulas choose to train in both birth and postpartum doula support, giving them the skills to work with families during pregnancy and birth and continue supporting them through the newborn weeks.
Dual training can also give you more flexibility as you build your doula career, expand the services you can offer, and create additional opportunities to work with families.
Save When You Register for Both
If you know you’d like to become both a Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula, you can register for both trainings together and save $150.
You’ll complete each professional training separately, with education and practical skills specific to that role.
Not sure whether Birth, Postpartum, or both are right for you? That’s a great question to bring to an info call. We can talk about what the day-to-day work looks like and which path best fits the career you’re imagining.
Ready to Register for Birth Doula Training?
Additional Birth Doula Training FAQ
How do I become a doula in Iowa?
The first step is completing a professional doula training where you’ll learn about pregnancy, labor, birth, comfort measures, client support, scope of practice, and working professionally as a doula.
Nurtured Doula Trainings offers in-person Birth Doula Training in the Des Moines, Iowa area, select Midwest locations, and live online.
How long does Birth Doula Training take?
Nurtured Birth Doula Training includes 18 hours of live instruction plus 6 hours of bonus education and resources. In-person training is typically completed over two full training days, while live online training may be divided into multiple sessions.
Post-training mentorship and business guidance continue after your live training is complete.
How much does Birth Doula Training cost?
Nurtured Birth Doula Training packages currently range from $620 to $950, depending on the amount of professional tools, additional education, and private mentoring you’d like included.
All packages include the complete Birth Doula Training, resource book, post-training group mentorship, and business start-up guidance.
Where can I take an In Person Doula Training in Iowa?
In-person Nurtured Birth Doula Trainings are offered in the Des Moines / Waukee, Iowa area, with select trainings offered in other Midwest locations.
If you’re searching for an in-person doula training near Des Moines, Ames, Ankeny, West Des Moines, Waukee, or Central Iowa, the Des Moines-area training is a convenient option.
Are there In Person Trainings in other areas of the Midwest?
Yes. Nurtured Doula Trainings is based in Iowa and offers in-person training in the Des Moines area, with select training dates in other Midwest cities.
Future doulas are welcome to travel from throughout Iowa and neighboring Midwest states to attend. If you would like to bring a doula training to your city, contact us today!
Can I take birth doula training online?
Yes. Live online Birth Doula Training is available for students who can’t attend an in-person training. You’ll participate in live instruction, discussion, and interaction with your trainer from home.
Do I have to become certified after doula training?
No. Doula training and professional certification are separate. Certification is optional for many private-practice doulas, although some employers, organizations, reimbursement programs, or community programs may require it.
If you choose certification, your training is approved for Birth Doula Certification through the Perinatal Professionals Association, and you’ll receive guidance on the certification process during training.
Can I become both a birth doula and postpartum doula?
Absolutely. Many professionals train in both birth and postpartum doula support so they can work with families during pregnancy and birth as well as during the newborn period.
You can register for Nurtured Birth Doula Training and Postpartum Doula Training together and save $150.
What happens after I finish doula training?
Your support doesn’t end when your live training does.
Every Nurtured Doula Training includes post-training group mentorship and business start-up guidance. Plus and Premium packages include additional support such as a professional doula starter bag, continued coaching, private mentoring, and additional professional education.
What Students Say About Nurtured Doula Training
Check out our Google Reviews! Here’s what past students have shared about their experience:
“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, and 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 I feel like if I have any questions later in the future she would always be happy to help.”
