Training

SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companion Online Training is a four-week intensive program for dual certification for the labor and postpartum doula. Our training will validate your calling to doula work.

SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companion Training was created in 2002, to train doulas, in the legacy of the 20^th century African American midwife. This training is designed to teach African American traditions that were lost with the medicalization of birth, celebrate birth and honor the divinity of the women.

In this training, you will develop mastery in African American birth traditions and postpartum rituals, foods, herbs and creating healthy families.

You will learn the role of the Mother Shower Blessing and celebrating birth, and family. You will learn to apply public health to improve infant and maternal outcomes and empower families.

You will learn methods to support breastfeeding and infant parent bonding, create a doula business, honor the father, strengthen family, belly wrapping, herbs and nutritious leadership. This training helps to prepare those who are interested in becoming midwives.

An Online Hybrid Learning Experience

SMC’s Online Doula Training is a combination of synchronous and structured asynchronous learning.

You learn on your own schedule without any real time instructor, however, specific assignments are due each week of the course. All course content – lessons, pre recorded video lectures and tutorials, tests and quizzes, homework and assignments can be accessed 24 hours a day from any digital device. This is the asynchronous learning component of the course.

SMC training is linear, meaning you must complete the first week before you can proceed to the next week, and so on. You are required to log into your training four-times per week. There are assignment due dates of Wednesday and Friday of each week. Further, all coursework is expected to be completed by the end of the four week course.

The course also has a synchronous learning component. This consists of a weekly live session where you will be able to interact with instructors and your peers. The weekly live online sessions require students and instructors to be online at the same time. All attendees must be online and connected to the internet during the live sessions.

Live sessions occur each Wednesday during the course from 11am PT – 2:30pm PT. Students are expected to:

Attend all four live virtual sessions.
To keep their camera on during the live classes.
Not share their screen with non-members.
Mute background noise.
Have adequate lighting for sharing.
Use a microphone and headset if needed or bluetooth device.

Accessibility/Accommodation

Our online training can work well for accommodating hearing-impaired students, as everything is written out, with the exception of live online sessions. Closed caption is active during the sessions and students are always welcome to bring interpreters to online or in-person training meetings.