Heart and Hands Postpartum Doula Training & Certification Program
Learn skills to support new mothers and care for newborn babies. Help prevent maternal mortality and infant mortality.
Due to Covid-19, this training will be offered live on Zoom until further notice.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
In this class, participants will learn skills to support new mothers and care for newborns immediately following birth and the first months. More than a baby nurse, a Postpartum Doula provides emotional support, physical care, and comfort to the new mother, instruction on self-care and baby care, and instills confidence in her clients for motherhood. Services also may include breastfeeding support, meal preparation, care of siblings, and linking families to supportive services in the community. Infant and maternal mortality are the highest for African-American, Native-American and Latinx mothers and babies, so Postpartum Doulas can save lives! This course is based on a biopsychosocial framework. The biopsychosocial approach “systematically considers biological,psychological and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery”. (Engel, 1977).
COURSE DETAILS
Instructional methods include on-line/web format lecture, demonstration, discussion, experiential processes, role-play exercises, including videos and exercises.
Classes meet for 4 sessions from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm PST on Mondays and Tuesdays for two consecutive weeks. The training will be held live on Zoom. There will be a 15-minute break each day.
UPCOMING TRAINING DATES
The next training will be offered on the following dates:
Day 1: Monday, July 19
Day 2: Tuesday, July 20
Day 3: Monday, July 21
Day 4: Tuesday, July 22
This can also be offered as an in-service for agency staff. Contact us for more information and to schedule.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
No prior experience, education or training is required. Instruction is conducted in English with some Spanish materials (Spanish instructor and course manual can be provided if requested). Professions who will benefit from this training are:
- Home visitors working with mothers and infants
- OB/GYN or Pediatric Medical Assistants
- WIC Nutrition Workers
- Perinatal Case Managers & Coordinators
- Parent Coaches
- Family Health Advocates (FHAs)
- Early Childhood Intervention Specialists
- Infant Mental Health Specialists
- Promatoras de Salud/Community Health Workers
- Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
- Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs)
- Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)
- Home Health Aides (HHAs)
- Students of maternal-newborn nursing, midwifery, public health, medicine, psychology
- Pre-School Teachers, Nannies & Babysitters
- LCSWs/MFTs or Interns working with pregnant and new mothers
- Health Educators
- Childbirth Doulas
- Midwife Assistants or Midwifery Students
COURSE FEES
Regular Tuition: $450.00 includes materials and certification upon completion of requirements. Due one week prior to the course.
Deposit for Payment Plan: $100.00 deposit to register. Contact us to make payment arrangements. (Balance is due one week prior to the course).
Early Bird Special: $350.00 Register 6 weeks prior to course.
Group Discounts: $250.00 per person for 4-10 persons registering together as a group.
Scholarships: We offer two half-scholarships each training for low-income persons of color. Please contact us to learn how to apply.
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Participants must attend all sessions for the entire time, participate in class discussions, skill demonstrations, role-play exercises, and experiential exercises.
Within one WEEK, participants will:
- Complete take-home, open-book written exam. Must score 80% to pass. May retake the exam one time if the score is lower than 80%.
Within one YEAR, participants will:
- Complete and Infant CPR course and submit proof of certification.
- Compile a Community Resource List for Families.
- Assist 3 families in the postpartum period and submit 3 parent evaluations and 3 self-reports.
Re-certification is annual. $250 re-certification fee plus proof of attendance at a continuing education course must be submitted. If requirements are not met within 12 months of course, there will be an administrative charge of $100.00.
TOPICS COVERED
- The Postpartum Doula as Member of the Maternity Care Team
- Addressing Barriers to Breastfeeding: Historical, social, political and personal reasons why women don’t breastfeed
- Benefits of Breastfeeding: Mothers, Infants, Fathers & Society
- Recommendations & Initiatives
- Communication skills: The Three Step Strategy
- Basics Anatomy and Physiology of Lactation
- Nutritional Components of Breastmilk
- Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding
- Getting Moms Started Breastfeeding
- Common problems of breastfeeding and parenting the growing baby
- Promoting Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC)
- SIDS Prevention & Safe Co-Sleeping Guidelines
- The Impact of Childbirth Interventions on Breastfeeding
- Normal and abnormal adjustments to motherhood in the postpartum woman
- Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Identification & Referral
- Promoting Informed Consent & Refusal in Postpartum & Newborn Care
- The newborn Behavior States
- Newborn Appearance
- Newborn Medical Procedures
- Physical care and emotional support of postpartum women
- Helping Clients Cope with Perinatal Loss and Birth Trauma
- Newborn care and soothing methods
- Diapering, Swaddling, Bathing the Newborn
- Child Development: The First Year
- Attachment Theory Basics & Promoting Parent-Infant Attachment
- Trauma-Informed Maternal & Infant Mental Health
- The Postpartum Doula’s role in helping clients become a family.
- Working for Perinatal Health Justice
COURSE LEADER
Cordelia Hanna, MPH, CHES, ICCE, CLE, CBA
Email: Cordelia.Hanna@Motherbabysupport.net
Cordelia Hanna, MPH, CHES, ICCE, CLE, CBA, obtained her Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Health Education and Promotion/Maternal Child Health from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California in 2008 and her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1986. Cordelia is pursuing her doctorate in Health Psychology at Walden University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), the gold standard for professional health educators, accredited by NCHEC. Cordelia is also an ICEA-Certified Childbirth Educator, CAPPA-Certified Lactation Educator, and ALACE-Certified Birth Assistant who since 1991 has taught Childbirth Preparation Classes and Breastfeeding Education to hundreds of couples in private practice, clinics, public health, hospital and community settings. She is an apprenticeship-trained midwife, who has worked as an Assistant Midwife and Labor Companion/Monitrice in homes, birth centers, and hospitals throughout Los Angeles County since 1991.
Cordelia is passionate about promoting midwives, doulas, community health promoters and breastfeeding peer counselors to address ethnic health disparities such as low rates of breastfeeding, high rates of prematurity and cesarean section, and to reduce maternal mortality globally. Cordelia worked for The Pasadena Public Health Department Black Infant Health Program from 2002-2012, a California Department of Health-funded program to reduce African-American/Black perinatal health disparities. Here, she initiated and managed a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program and established the very first Community-Based Doula Program for African-American/Black families in Los Angeles County. From 2011 to 2019, Cordelia worked with Esperanza Community Housing Corporation’s Promatora de Salud/Community Health Worker Program, providing training in perinatal health and Doula support for Latinx and African-American/Black Community Health Promoters working in South Los Angeles.
Cordelia is a mother of two home-born, breastfed, and family-bedded children who are now bright and capable young adults, and she is a grandmother of three.
Spanish-speaking instructor can be provided upon request
CANCELLATION POLICY
Cancellation must be made in writing by deadline (30 days prior to course). Tuition will be reimbursed less $50.00 administrative fee if notification received by this date. After this date, there will be no refunds. However in extenuating circumstances such as documented illness or emergency, the tuition is fully transferable to another person or training (this course or another topic); credit is good for the amount of training. If course registering into is higher price, the additional balance will be required. If it is a lesser price, there will not be any refund of balance. Credit will be honored for one year from the training. If not used by that time, the credit will expire.
Special Cancellation Policy for Doulas: If you are “on call” and have a birth during the training, please notify instructor as soon as possible that you will not be attending. The full tuition will be transferred to another person, or different training (this course or another topic) to be used within one year of the training date.If course registering into is higher price, the additional balance will be required. If it is a lesser price, there will not be any refund of balance.