Doula UK Approved Courses

🌀 Course Details:
Join us to explore the Continuum Doula method.
🤱 The Continuum model offers continuity of care for parents and provides deep satisfaction for the doula.
📚 Evidence-Based Approach – Our model differs from the traditional Doula set up and is rooted in research showing that continuity of care leads to better maternity outcomes.
🖐️ 5-Day Immersive Course – Includes a full DUK core curriculum with hands-on, in-person workshops every afternoon alongside other birth professionals.
👩‍🏫 Expert Support All Week – With 8–10 experienced teachers on-site throughout the week, you’ll feel comfortable, nurtured, and fully supported.
🥗 Delicious Catered Lunch – Enjoy a wholesome, catered lunch each day – so you can focus on learning without the stress of meal prep.
👐 Our course is hands-on, tactile, and disability-friendly, designed to feel radically different from traditional education. We offer a supportive, sensory learning environment where you can engage fully through group discussion, small group work, walking and talking, peer learning, shared reflection, and practical activities.
We are:
• ♿ Inclusive & Accessible – We welcome disabled and neurodivergent doulas, with adaptive spaces including break-out rooms and quiet areas to support diverse needs.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Celebrating All Identities – Queer, Black, Brown, and all doulas from diverse backgrounds are invited to show up fully and be seen, heard, and valued.
• 🙌 Open to Everyone – No previous experience or qualifications needed – just come as you are, ready to learn, unlearn, and grow.
• 🔄 Committed to Evolving – We actively listen and adapt based on your feedback, ensuring our training remains inclusive, relevant, and supportive for all.

📘 Throughout the course, Continuum Doulas will:
• 🧭 Understand the Doula’s Role – Learn how the Continuum Doula model differs and its unique approach.
• 💖 Embed Person-Centered Care – Integrate person-centred care into your doula practice.
• 🧠 Explore Personal Triggers – Reflect on your experiences to identify and manage potential triggers.
• 👂 Enhance Listening Skills – Develop active listening skills to support clients effectively.
• 🩹 Be Trauma-Informed – Understand the importance of trauma awareness in your practice.
• 🌍 Foster Inclusivity – Discuss topics such as neurodiversity, multiple births, birth after loss, racism, and supporting Black and Brown parents, LGBTQIA+ families, sole parents, and more.
• 💬 Gain Confidence in Client Meetings – Feel empowered in interviews, antenatal, and postnatal sessions.
• 🤝 Involve Birth Partners – Explore how to include the birth partner and family members in the process.
• 📿 Create a Beaded Birth Line – Experience creating and using a Beaded Birth Line with the original creator.
• 🤰 Understand Birth Physiology – Learn the stages, hormones, and physiology of various birth experiences.
• 👶 Support Postnatal Clients – Provide seamless support during the postnatal period.
• 🦠 Explore the Microbiome – Begin to understand the microbiome’s role in birth and infant feeding.
• 🧠 Recognise Mental Health Issues – Identify, support, and signpost perinatal and paternal mental health concerns.
• 👶🏽 Support Postnatal Parents – Discuss baby brain development, bonding, family dynamics, returning to work, and topics like baby-wearing.
• 🤱 Gain Confidence in Infant Feeding – Build confidence with breastfeeding and other infant feeding methods in a session with a qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor and an IBCLC.

  Our afternoon workshops can include:
• ✍️ A Maternal Journal Session – A creative, reflective workshop using journaling to explore the emotional journey of parenthood.
• 🤲 Co-Creating Care – Explore intersectionality and systemic issues while deepening understanding and reflection.
• 🌸 Exploring Everything Placentas – A hands-on experience with a real placenta, covering its many aspects and uses.
• 🚨 Birth Emergencies with an Independent Midwife – Learn how to be the calm in the room during unexpected situations.
• 🎒 What’s in Your Doula Bag? – A reflective and practical session exploring the tools doulas bring to their work.
• 📸 How to Take a Great Birth Pic – A practical session with a professional photographer on respectful and ethical birth photography.
• 📢 Getting Political! – Explore birth rights, consent, and advocacy with an experienced doula and MVP rep.
• 🤱 Infant Feeding for Doulas – A deep-dive session led by a Breastfeeding Counsellor and IBCLC.
• 🥣 The Closing Salt Bowl Ceremony – A ritual to honour your journey and set heartfelt intentions as a new doula.
 
🌙 We sometimes have evening workshops too, including:
• 🥬 Exploring nutrient-dense food for postnatal clients – fermenting and cheong making
• 💃 A nipple tassel making fundraiser
• 📿 Exploring the Beaded Birth Line in more depth
• ❄️ Cold swimming at our nearby quarry
• 🧘‍♀️ Yoga Nidras
• 🎁 Learning to use Birth Prep in a Box
 
💌 We look forward to hearing from you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Do not let finances be a barrier to this important work. The world needs you!
✨ Join us for a truly unique and affirming learning experience!

Continuum doulas - What is a Continuum Doula

Continuum Curriculum - Continuum doulas

Join us. Dates. Costs. - Continuum doulas

Location: in person in Northern Ireland       

Website: www.doulasni.co.uk/doulatraining

Course Type: Birth & Postnatal Doula Preparation   

Contact: training@doulasni.co.uk

Cost:    £750                                                               

Contact Name: Anne Glover

Our mission: To nourish and empower the local community by training a new generation of confident and mindful doulas.

 Doulas NI are committed to promoting and supporting equality, diversity and inclusivity.

We believe the doula world should be as rich and varied as society is, and as our potential clients and the families we work with are.  

 Our course is tailored to the birthing community in Northern Ireland and the border counties, and is facilitated by 3 successful local doulas who have accumulated over 20 years extensive knowledge and experience. You can find out more about us on our website! We know the maternity system and the course provides deep insight and knowledge into how maternity services are facilitated in Northern Ireland. 

This course is so much more than growing into a confident doula.  It’s about learning alongside other doulas, building lasting friendships and growing a doula community together.  You will benefit from cameo appearances from other local professionals, and also instant contact with other doulas who are currently working in Northern Ireland. We give a lot of consideration to people’s different styles and the various teaching methods and materials used, so everyone feels included and we can have fun learning together. 

The course is run in-house on 2 weekends spread over 3 months to give you plenty of time to digest, reflect and complete the course!  There will be ongoing support including online sessions, and on completion of the course, a celebratory graduation!

Course content:

●      Birth physiology, anatomy, and foetal positioning

●      Birth rights, birth choices and what doula support can look like

●      Respect and acceptance of parents and their decisions

●      Unexpected situations, emergencies, crisis situations, baby loss

●      Bonding physiology, innate needs of mothers and babies, infant feeding

●      The power of language, communication and listening skills

●      Working with the NHS, midwives and health providers

●      Common sense, diplomacy and boundaries

●      Transforming your passion into your business

 We are the only course provider living and breathing in the beautiful country of Northern Ireland.  It is a complicated country, with many complexities, but Northern Ireland remains an outstanding place of beauty with truly amazing doulas.  Come join our growing community!

 We will consider offering discounted places to those from ethnically diverse communities, people with physical, mental or health impairments, people from the LGBTQIA+ community or someone who has a financial barrier to signing up.  Please email us directly for further information. 

The Side by Side Doula Preparation Course is currently facilitated online, with 10 live sessions over a two-week period, or one evening a week for 11 weeks .

BECOME A FULL SPECTRUM POSTNATAL DOULA!

More About Us:

Established in 2015, Younique Postnatal is the only Doula UK Approved provider of courses and workshops focusing on becoming a full spectrum postnatal doula - and deepening your practice supporting new parents.  The course was born from a passion to support the postnatal period, which has virtually been erased in the UK and from a desire to revive it by training skilled postnatal doulas to nurture, nourish and create a positive experience for new parents.

With historically low levels of funding and no continuity of postnatal care in the UK, we want to bridge the gap and train more postnatal doulas and consultants to support families in every geographical area so that every parent can access the much needed support after the birth of a baby that is so missing.  Our courses are based on: evidence and research, observation and experience, intuitive practice and the sharing of ideas.  

Both facilitators, Victoria and Erin have been postnatal doulas since 2013 and have completed numerous related trainings to give their clients high quality support, whilst recognising that their learning journey is lifelong.  They both recognise the value of the postpartum continuum, understanding that babies and parents who have a grounded start with their needs met will have a more positive health and wellbeing journey in the long term.  They also want to ensure doulas create flexible, profitable and sustainable businesses so they can fit their practice around other family and life commitments.

We support accessibility to our courses for all types of learning with two options: virtual over Zoom and face to face in two locations: London and Midhurst, West Sussex.

What We Offer:

o   5 day face to face courses, Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm, finishing at 4pm on the Friday, facilitated by two experienced postnatal doulas in small groups

o   A virtual course offered with self-directed study via an online course and 14 Zoom sessions: offered in two ways, an Intensive course over 7 weeks, Mon and Thurs evenings and a Standard course over 14 weeks, Monday evenings, both 7.30-9.45pm.

o   Self-directed work before and after the course to include reflection, reading and research

o   Time to explore and debrief your own birth, postnatal and infant feeding experiences in a safe environment

o   Lively and interactive learning, with visual aids, group work, hands on experience and practice exercises

o   In depth exploration of the postnatal doula role, the postnatal period and how best to support new parents; a wide and comprehensive range of topics and perspectives on the postnatal period including: emotional and physical recovery, babycare, supporting fathers/partners and the wider family, practical support and helping parents make informed choices

o   Evidence based information on current guidelines and areas of research in postnatal care

o   Supporting infant feeding as a postnatal doula hosted by a qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor

o   Establishing your business: exploration of ideas to create a sustainable career and find work through visibility raising and confidence building

o   Exploration of your own unique qualities that can be brought to your practice and how to find balance in your role

o   Culturally sensitive and inclusion aware

o   Support and information on starting your doula journey, joining Doula UK, support services for doulas and mentoring including the Younique Postnatal Mentoring Programme and Doula UK's Mentoring Scheme.

o   Extensive manual supplied covering all course topics and up-to-date resource links, which you can add to and develop

o   Certificate of Completion

o   One to One debriefs and consolidation sessions with course facilitator

o   Opportunities for extra support from one of the course facilitators 

o   The Initial Preparation Course includes: a Babycarrying for Doulas workshop with Sling Consultant Zoe Crossley Woodman and a Visioning your Doula Practice Workshop with postnatal doula and coach, Erin McGuigan

o   YP Doulaescence Mentoring Programme including the Doulaescence Journal with experienced postnatal doulas as Mentors

o   Private Facebook group – a safe and inclusive place to get support from other postnatal doulas and trainee postnatal doulas with opportunities for further Coaching sessions, social meetups and events

o   Additional courses and workshops offered to develop your postnatal doula skills including: 

Postnatal Planning Workshop with Erin McGuigan, Development Sessions to deepen your practice, Check In Course to prepare you as a Postnatal Consultant;

Intuitive Infant Feeding Course with Breastfeeding Counsellor/Infant Feeding Support Worker, Erin Zohrehie, Understanding and Preventing Reflux Workshop, Sensational Solids Session, Formula Facts Session; 

Twins and More Workshop, Understanding Newborns Workshop;

Honouring the Postnatal Body Workshop with postnatal doula and massage/dance therapist Gemma Harvey, British Birth and Postpartum Traditions Sessions with shamanic/pagan celebrant doula Eva Greenslade; 

Visioning Your Doula Practice Workshop with Erin McGuigan;

o   Payment plans available

o   Up to 2 full scholarships available a year and a number of half price places for those in need.  Please message info@youniquepostnatal.co.uk for more eligibility information.

Welcome to The Doula Training Foundation

If you've been thinking about becoming a doula then you're in the right place. We've developed a 4 day immersive experience so that you will feel fully prepared to support women and their families during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. The course will give you everything you need to know in order to set up your own successful business. 

At The Doula Training Foundation, we are passionate about equipping kind, caring, and compassionate doulas with the knowledge and skills they need to support women and families. Our trainees are from diverse backgrounds, coming from all walks of life, often bringing additional holistic skills and therapies to enhance their practice.

Choosing the Right Doula Training Matters

Changing your career is a significant decision, you need to know you’re in safe hands. Our course offers a unique opportunity to train with two highly experienced, dedicated career doulas:

✨ Jemma - Successful doula since 2016, mentor, hypnobirthing teacher and closing the bones facilitator.
✨ Anne-Marie - Qualified “Train the Trainer” coach, mentor, and experienced doula since 2017.

Together, we have supported hundreds of women, from pre-conception to IVF, wild pregnancies, high-risk births, elective caesareans, and freebirths. With a huge knowledge base and years of hands-on experience, we deliver training in a fun, engaging, and practical way.

Why Train With Us?

Our course isn’t the quickest, cheapest, or easiest route to becoming a doula, that’s intentional.

We believe that becoming a doula is a calling, not just a qualification. We are looking for doulas who are:

✅ Truly passionate about supporting women and families.
✅ Committed to growing, learning, and developing their skills.
✅ Ready to invest in themselves to become the best doulas they can be.

In return, we give you our all.

✔️ A solid foundation of knowledge following Doula UK’s core curriculum.
✔️ Real-life scenarios, activities, and discussions to prepare you for practice.
✔️ Small, in-person groups to foster deep connection.
✔️ A full day dedicated to business skills—helping you get off to a strong start.
✔️ A spiritual element woven throughout the course, including guided meditations, cacao ceremony, and dedicated time for reflection, allowing you to connect deeply with yourself and your calling as a doula.

A Training Experience Like No Other

🤝 Face-to-Face Learning. We believe in the power of in-person teaching, where real connections are made.
📖 Comprehensive Course Manual. Packed with evidence-based information, research, and space for reflection.
💡 Ongoing Support & Mentoring. We don’t just train you and send you off. We provide:

• A one-to-one follow-up call after the course.
• A group Zoom after the course to check in, ask questions and build relationships
• Monthly Zoom meetups for continued learning and connection.
• In-person gatherings to build community.
• A members-only WhatsApp group for support and networking.
• A resource hub on our website with up-to-date research, signposting ideas, and customizable documents for your clients.

Our Commitment to Accessibility & Inclusion

💜 We are proud to offer a 50% discount on at least one place per course to individuals from marginalized backgrounds who are in financial need.
 💜 We also offer instalment payment options, please don’t hesitate to ask.

We Love What We Do, and We Want to Share It With You!

The more doulas we train, the more women and families can be supported. If you feel called to this work, we would love to have you with us.

💻 Visit our website for the most up-to-date course information.
😊 Have questions? Get in touch, we’d love to chat with you!