Certification Requirements:

You must be at least 18 years old
Attend a birth beautifully training 
Either online or in-person.
Choose and read five books from the reading list 
Birth Companions (1)
At least one of the following:
  • The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth (latest edition) by Penny Simkin
  • The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth (latest edition) by Marshall Klaus, Phyllis Klaus, and John Kennell 
  • The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth with the Help of a Professional Labor Assistant by Rachel Gurevich
Pregnancy (1)
At least one of the following: 
  • The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
  • The New Pregnancy and Childbirth: Choices and Challenges by Sheila Kitzinger
  • Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Revised Edition (latest edition) The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler and Janelle Durham. 
Childbirth (1) 
At least one of the following: 
  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
  • The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth by William and Martha Sears 
  • The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia (latest edition) by Penny Simkin and Ruth Ancheta
Breastfeeding (1)
At least one of the following: 
  • The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers (latest edition) by Dr. Jack Newman
  • The Nursing Mother’s Companion (latest edition) by Kathleen Huggins
  • The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (latest edition) La Leche League International
Cesarean (1)
At least one of the following: 
  • The Cesarean by Michel Odent
  • Expectant Parent’s Guide to Preventing a Cesarean Section by Carl Jones 
  • The VBAC Companion by Diana Korte ​
Observe a childbirth education class
May use Birth Beautifully's online class. 
Observe a breastfeeding class
May use Birth Beautifully's online class.
attend three labors/births totaling 15 hours
All births submitted for certification must take place AFTER your Birth Beautifully doula training. The births documented must meet criteria below: ​
  • The maximum number of cesarean births allowed for certification is one.
  • Doula must stay at least one hour after birth of baby to help initiate breastfeeding, promote bonding and to provide postpartum comfort measures for mom. This hour can be part of the total required hours. 
  • Labor support must be provided continuously throughout.
  • You may use a birth you attend with another doula or mentor, as long as you participate in supporting the client and document it.
  • You may not use your own births as the requirement.
  • It is highly discouraged to give away your service free of charge, even though you are not certified yet. The only exception is for a very close friend or relative.   
Write a short essay on why you want to be a doula
create a list for families with your local resources 
(ex. LLL, ICAN chapter meetings, etc.)
complete the birth beautifully online quiz
must complete your certification requirements within two years of your training
Extensions may be purchased if necessary.