Frequently Asked
Questions

A doula is a trained and supportive professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational assistance to pregnant individuals before, during, and after childbirth. Doulas offer guidance and comfort to ensure a positive birthing experience.

We encourage Black, Brown, and Indigenous women to apply to our training program.

Our doula training program offers comprehensive training in prenatal and postpartum care, labor support, communication skills, and cultural inclusivity and support.

No, prior doula experience is not required. We offer training suitable for both beginners and those with some prior experience.

The program involves a three-day doula training, an induction ceremony, and 10 hours of self-guided study, client communication, and skills work each week. Doulas are expected to provide culturally competent care to 8-10 pregnant clients, which includes prenatal and postpartum visits, continuous labor support, record keeping, and phone support.

Yes, our program is designed to be inclusive and promotes cultural inclusivity. We are committed to providing training that respects and values diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Yes, successful applicants will receive compensation for providing culturally competent doula care to 8-10 pregnant clients.

Being a doula can be emotionally and physically demanding, involving long hours. Doulas should be comfortable in hospital environments and maintain good health as the work can be strenuous.

To apply, head to our training dates, find a location near you, and apply.

Selected applicants will be considered for interviews with our Board of Directors.

You can sign up for updates to receive program-related news by filling out the form here.

We encourage you to keep your job whether it’s part or full-time for at least the first six months to one year of doing dual work.

One of the major benefits of being within our collective is that we do doula-client matching based on the wants and needs of our families.

We won’t prescribe anything since everyone’s doula career journeys are different. We do encourage our doulas to be thoughtful, and patient, and to only make decisions when they feel ready to dive into their doula careers full-time.

The certification process does take time and it will take a few months to figure out what your own capacity is and how many clients you can take a month.

Due to the funding our nonprofit organization receives to conduct doula training for community-based doulas, we request that you train in the city/area where you live and plan to take clients.

Birth in Color Community-based doulas differ from private/independent doulas in that our services and resources are funded by location. To be eligible for a scholarship and compensation for your services, you will need to take the doula training that is in your city.

Applicants are all eligible for scholarships to help cover the cost of the doula training. All scholarships are partial and trainees will still be subject to a portion of the training fee. Applicants will be invited to participate in scholarship interviews after the close of the application.

Scholarships are limited and are dispersed at the discretion of our review team.

We process the applications for every area individually and invite applicants to sign up for scholarship interviews. As such, our staff processes the applications one month before the training date. If you apply for a training date that is more than 5 weeks away, please be patient, we will reach out to you via email when we are scheduling interviews for your training.

After submitting your application, you should see an on-screen message that confirms your application was successfully sent. If you get an error or blank screen, please email us and we will check to see if your application saved or if it needs to be re-submitted. Contact us at hello@birthincolor.org

Birth in Color prioritizes the well-being of pregnant and postpartum people, whether they are our clients or our doulas!

As such, our organizational policy for all current doulas within our collective is that they take appropriate maternity leave from birthwork during pregnancy and postpartum.

Due to the possibilities of exposure to difficult situations, physical demands, and witnessing other pregnancies and births first hand, we encourage applicants for doula training who are pregnant to wait until the next available training when they are postpartum. If you are newly postpartum, you are also welcome to apply or wait for the next available training based on your discretion.

Questions about this policy? Let us know! You can reach us at hello@birthincolor.org

So, you’re a doula now.

What’s next?

Certificates of attendance will be provided after each training session and will be good for two years. After two years, these trainings will no longer count for recertification credits.

Birth in Color is not responsible for providing certificates more than once. Please be sure to keep up with all certificates, as you will be required to retake any training for which you do not have documentation for. 

Yes! Please visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/family-planning/doula-state-certification/ for a list of VA state approved doula training organizations.