So, you have taken Doula Training Canada’s workshop.
You love birth or the postpartum period (come on! Who doesn’t love bellies and babies?!). You love client-centered care, supporting the birthing person physically and emotionally, and helping them voice their needs to their care providers is your jam.
You are engaged and excited.
Then as often happens on route to certification. Life gets in the way. You stop reading, you can’t seem to find the time to finish the paperwork or take that final course. Maybe you start to doubt yourself and your ability to do this work. Completion of your requirements for certification gets farther and farther away. You begin to wonder if certification is even worth it?
You can do the work of a doula without being attached to an organization or bound by their scope of practice. Currently in Canada, there is no registering body that you need to be a part of to actively work as a Labour or Postpartum doula.
Completing the training workshop is exciting, but let’s get real, it is only part of the process.
- It expands your knowledge base. By completing the requirements you learn more, and are challenged to think critically about the material you are accessing.
Let’s face it. You can only cover so much about labour, birth and postpartum in a 2 day workshop.
- You are encouraged to continue learning. Knowledge and information about birth and postpartum is constantly evolving. Continued learning is vital, however it is also easy to become complacent in what we know if we are not reminded to keep growing.
- Eventually, likely sooner than later, Doulas will be forced into regulation in Canada. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it will make doula care more accessible to all. However, this does mean that if you are not certified, it will be illegal to practice and you will not be able to get insurance to cover your liabilities.
- Having that piece of paper to frame and put on your wall is cool. It is a reminder to yourself of all you have accomplished. It is also peace of mind for your clients.
- Scope of practice = boundaries. They are important. They keep us all safe
- It is a ready-made tribe. Here at Doula Training Canada our certifying students have access to a wonderful community online, that shares information, supports one another, and generally just rocks. If you choose not to complete your certification you lose access to this community.
- Mentorship; The Instructors and certified doulas in the Doula Training Canada community are amazing. Reach out. Ask questions. Ask for support.
