We wanted to create a training certification program that would fill the gaps and better prepare new doulas for the realities of this work. Truly, we created the program we wish we’d had when we first became doulas. Our story didn’t begin with creating a certification program. It began years earlier, as two doulas passionate about supporting families and helping them navigate one of life’s biggest transitions.
We’re Bronwyn and Kathy, experienced birth and postpartum doulas, educators, mentors, and the founders of the Birth to Baby Doula Certification Program. Between us, we’ve spent more than two decades supporting hundreds of families through their perinatal journey. Along the way, we’ve taught prenatal education, mentored new doulas, built and grown Balancing Birth to Baby, and worked alongside healthcare professionals and doulas from many different backgrounds.
Over the years, we’ve learned that becoming a confident, compassionate doula takes education, experience, mentorship, reflection, and a supportive community. That philosophy is at the heart of everything we teach.
Doula work is a highly rewarding career. We are privileged to witness some of the most transformative moments of our clients’ lives and get paid to support them. But the late nights and on-call hours can be tough, and as seasoned doulas, we wanted to share ways to manage the tough parts of doula work and better prepare the next generation of doulas to thrive and support more families.
In many ways, this was also inspired by our own experiences when we were new to doula work as well. We both encountered situations we were not prepared for and felt overwhelmed. We had to figure out how to support a family when plans suddenly change, how to help clients navigate advocacy while remaining professional, and how to protect our own mental health during long births or supporting families facing tough choices.
One of the biggest challenges was that we didn’t have experienced doula mentors to turn to. There were times when we wished we had someone we could call to ask, “How would you handle this situation?” We learned through trial and error, and over time we became passionate about making that journey easier for the doulas who would come after us. Looking back, we realized that mentorship could have made those early years feel much less overwhelming.
As Balancing Birth to Baby grew into a team of birth and postpartum doulas, we had the opportunity to work alongside doulas who had trained through many different certification organizations. While every program had strengths, we also noticed many of the same gaps appearing again and again, including questions about aspects of the perinatal period and uncertainty about what to do in common doula situations.
Around the same time, Kathy noticed another troubling pattern. Talented, compassionate doulas were leaving the profession within just a few years. Often due to feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, or not having the resources to handle the tough situations doulas often have to support clients through. Both of us also started to observe that doula social media groups were filled with questions from newly trained doulas asking things like: “What should I bring to a birth?”, “What questions should I ask during a consultation?”, “How do I prepare for my first client?”, “Can someone explain what’s happening during this labour?” Those questions made us stop and think: shouldn’t new doulas feel prepared for these foundational parts of the profession before they begin supporting families?
Many of our staff told us that the onboarding and mentorship they received after joining Balancing Birth to Baby taught them more practical, real-world skills than their original certification programs had. In fact, it was our own team who first encouraged us to create a certification program. Over and over again, our doulas told us the same thing. “I learned more through the onboarding and mentorship at Balancing Birth to Baby than I did during my original certification.” Hearing that repeatedly made us realize something important. The education we had been building for our own team was filling gaps that many new doulas were experiencing across the profession.
When we sat down to design the Birth to Baby Doula Certification Program, we didn’t start by asking what we should include. Instead, we asked, “What would have helped us become more confident when we were brand-new doulas?” That question shaped every part of our curriculum.
We wanted students to graduate with a strong understanding of anatomy and physiology—not just labour support techniques. We wanted them to understand pregnancy, birth, and postpartum as one continuous journey so they could confidently support families regardless of where they chose to focus their careers. We wanted them to develop professional communication skills, critical thinking, and confidence in navigating real-life situations. We wanted them to understand the business side of being a doula so they could build sustainable careers. We wanted them to learn how to recognize compassion fatigue, establish healthy boundaries, and care for themselves as well as the families they support.
One of our core beliefs is that becoming a great doula isn’t about memorizing the right answers. It’s about learning how to think. Throughout our program, we encourage students to ask questions, reflect on experiences, solve problems thoughtfully, and develop professional judgment.
Our goal isn’t simply to graduate doulas. Our goal is to graduate doulas who feel prepared to support families through both the joyful AND challenging moments. Doulas who know how to work collaboratively with healthcare providers, and can build a sustainable, fulfilling career.
We created our certification program because we believed that new doulas deserve to begin their careers feeling prepared, supported, and confident. And the families they serve deserve that too.
Continue Reading
Thinking about becoming a doula? Here are a few more articles to help you explore the profession:
What Makes a Great Doula? Discover the qualities that help doulas build trust, confidence, and meaningful relationships with families.
A Day in the Life of a Doula Get a behind-the-scenes look at what birth and postpartum doulas really do.
Should You Become a Birth Doula or a Postpartum Doula? Explore the differences between these two rewarding career paths.
Considering a Career as a Doula?
If you’ve enjoyed this article and are exploring a future in birth or postpartum support, we’d love to introduce you to our Birth to Baby Doula Certification Program.
Designed by experienced birth and postpartum doulas, our program combines evidence-based education, hands-on learning, mentorship, business training, and real-world preparation to help you confidently begin your career.
