Nurturing Hearts Birth Services is proud to offer training and certifications to those wanting to become a Birth Doula or a Postpartum Doula!

  • Why choose doula training and certification from Nurturing Hearts?
    • Training - and not just a weekend workshop, but continued training and support throughout your beginning years as a doula. Your trainer will remain available to you for questions and advice, to review births and experiences and offer suggestions for the future. Our training workshop has been approved for 18.0 CEUs by the Arizona Nurses Association!
    • Continuing Education - free monthly continuing education meetings with guest speakers to help expand our knowledge.
    • Referrals - listings on this website and priority listings on SouthwestDoulas.com
    • Continued support - not only from your trainer, but from other AZCD and AZCPD doulas!
    • Lending library - All students have open access to our extensive lending library of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, baby care, and postpartum books! Any of our books are FREE to be checked out and taken home.


Director of Labor Doulas program: Stephanie Soderblom - 480-659-4162
Please contact Stephanie with any questions regarding the Labor Doulas program.

Those who complete certifications requirements for the labor/birth doula program qualify to use the initials AZCD after their name to designate them as Nurturing Hearts Certified Doulas!

  • Requirements for Certification
    • Be a Nurturing Hearts member
    • Attend a training workshop - full weekend course $150 (scholarships available for those who qualify)
    • Attend an approved childbirth education class series
    • Obtain five letters of recommendations from families for whom you've provided doula services
    • Sign a Standard of Practice form

    Please check the Nurturing Hearts Schedule of Events for scheduled training sessions.

DUAL CERTIFICATION OPTION

This is designed specifically for experienced doulas - certified through a recognized organization who would like to add on the NHBS certification.

  • Requirements for Dual Certification
    • Be a Nurturing Hearts member
    • Copy of certification certificate from approved organization
    • Sign a Standard of Practice form
    • Submit a 500-word essay on Birth in Arizona

    After taking a Nurturing Hearts Doula training workshop, you will be able to:

  • Define "normal childbirth" in America
  • List the clinically proven benefits of labor support
  • Classify different doula types
  • Recognize the doulas role at the birth
  • Demonstrate communication skills
  • Recognize the importance of evidence-based education
  • List the importance of a good relationship between the hospital staff and labor support person
  • List non-pharmaceutical comfort techniques
  • Demonstrate labor positions
  • Employ labor support techniques with families
  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of doula tools
  • Recognize appropriate responses to unexpected outcomes
  • Examine the importance of labor support to the breastfeeding relationship
  • Identify the importance of the business aspect of being a doula

Director of Postpartum Doulas Program: Heather Joy
Please contact Heather with any questions regarding the Postpartum Doulas program.

Those who complete certifications requirements for the postpartum doula program qualify to use the initials AZCPD after their name to designate them as Nurturing Hearts Certified Postpartum Doulas!

  • Requirements for Certification
    • Be a Nurturing Hearts member
    • Attend a Nurturing Hearts Postpartum Doula Workshop
    • Read and evaluate books specified on the booklist
    • Written account of three postpartum doula experiences (must have spent at least 8 hours with each family; experience must take place after attending workshop)
    • Evaluations from the above three postpartum families
    • Submit a resource list for 20 catagories related to postpartum work. You will refer to your resource list frequently so make sure it is updated and as thorough as you need it to be.
    • Sign a Standard of Practice form

    Please check the Nurturing Hearts Schedule of Events for scheduled training sessions.

DUAL CERTIFICATION OPTION

This is designed specifically for experienced doulas - certified through a recognized organization who would like to add on the NHBS certification.

  • Requirements for Dual Certification
    • Be a Nurturing Hearts member
    • Copy of certification certificate from approved organization
    • Sign a Standard of Practice form
    • Submit a 500-word essay on Birth in Arizona

    After taking a Nurturing Hearts Postpartum Doula training workshop, you will be able to:

  • Define society's perspective of Motherhood and Birth
  • Define the role of the Postpartum Doula
  • Recognize how birth relates to the postpartum period
  • Demonstrate a new client interview
  • Idenitify boundary setting
  • Recognize Cultural differences/family differences
  • Examine Parenting styles and philosophies
  • Demonstrate Newborns and Infant care
  • Examine Breastfeeding support/Bottlefeeding
  • List Postpartum mental disorders and concerns
  • List Local resources