ACBE's Advanced Birth Doula Workshop

ACBE’s Accelerated Birth Doula training program is a path to certification designed for the person who has attended births as a doula for many years. This option is also for the person who completed a past birth doula course and never certified.

You will learn how to support clients through their labor and birth experiences, empowering birthing persons and their partners as they make choices through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

The ACBE Accelerated Birth Doula Workshop is a 1-day seminar which fulfills training requirements for birth doula certification through ACED.

Basics of Breastfeeding Education fulfills another in-person training requirement (Breastfeeding Education) for birth and/or postpartum doula certification.

By the end of the ACBE Birth Doula Workshop, you will be able to:

  • Explain the differences between the roles of the doula, midwife, doctor, nurse, and partner when attending a birth

  • Verbalize the impact of childbirth on the birthing person’s life

  • Identify normal physical changes associated with pregnancy

  • Define the differences between minor discomforts of pregnancy and warning and danger signs during pregnancy

  • Understand how a history of sexual abuse or birth trauma may affect pregnancy, labor and birth, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding

  • Define the components of initial contact and home visit with the client

  • Discuss the onset of labor, including the six signs of progress in labor

  • Demonstrate at least four physiological positions for labor and birth

  • Define the difference between an induction of labor for medical needs versus social reasons

  • Identify at least four non-invasive techniques for relief of pain in labor

  • Describe at least three labor support techniques for relief of back labor

  • Define advantages and disadvantages of labor epidurals

  • Discuss the doula's role when caring for a client who has an epidural or cesarean birth

  • Identify the current criteria for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)

  • Discuss the doula's role during difficult labors and births

  • Describe the relationship between a doula and birthing person during a cesarean birth

  • Describe the normal newborn and newborn procedures at birth

  • Discuss the importance of early breastfeeding for both the mother and the baby

  • Identify requirements for birth doula certification through DONA International

  • Describe how the normal postpartum period differs from postpartum mood disorders

  • Explain the importance of postpartum follow-up and processing the birth experience, including closure with the client

  • Discuss methods for building and marketing a birth doula business

The ACBE Birth Doula Workshop is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing for 23.5 continuing education hours.  CEP #9357.  This continuing nursing education activity is also approved by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation for 24.75 contact hours.  WNA provider approval number WICEAP-8001.