Welcome to Nurtured Doula Trainings!
2026 is a great year to become a doula! Since 2017, I’ve been helping new doulas turn their passion into a profession. This hands-on program focuses on what really matters: understanding birth, supporting families, and starting your doula business the right way.
You’ll love that this training includes:
- In-person sessions in Iowa with a trainer that knows this area
- Live, online training options for those who prefer to learn from home
- A 2-hour Breastfeeding for Birth Professionals Workshop taught by Angela Swieter, IBCLC
- Hands-on practice during in person trainings
- Your own copy of “The Birth Doula’s Guide to Attending Births”, a published professional resource I created
- Post-training mentorship and customizable business tools
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.
Iowa Doula Trainings
- June 2-3, 2026 from 8:30am-6:30pm in Des Moines, Iowa (Waukee area)
- September 1-2, 2026 from 8:30am-6:30pm in Des Moines, Iowa (Waukee area)
- October 21-22, 2026 from 8:30am-6:30pm CST in Des Moines, IA (Waukee area)
Online Birth/Labor Doula Trainings
- May 5, 11, 12, 2026 via Zoom from 8:30am-3:30pm CST (Online)
- July 16, 20, 22, 2026 via Zoom from 8:30am-3:30pm CST (Online)
All trainings include 18 hours of live instruction, 6 hours of bonus content, Birth Doula Guide Book, and access to our digital library.
Are you interested in becoming a Postpartum Doula too? Check out Postpartum Doula Training info here!
Details and Registration
Fee: $600 which includes:
- 18 hours of in-person training and 6 additional hours of online Bonus Content
- Resource Binder & Digital Library Access
- Breastfeeding for Doulas Workshop (during your training) + Certificate of Breastfeeding Training
- 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.
Click here –> for Terms and Conditions
How To Get Certified
You can begin working as a professional doula immediately after your training. If you’d like to pursue certification, we make that simple with the Perinatal Professionals Association. We’ll walk you through each step during your training.
Certification is optional for private practice doulas. However, 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.
- 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.
- Some employee benefit companies reimburse certified doulas. This training and certification meets those requirements.
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. You can begin your certification process immediately after your live training.
Ready to Get Started?
Becoming a doula is more than a job, it’s a calling!
Reserve your seat today or schedule a quick chat to see if a Nurtured Doula Training is right for you.
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.
