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Nona Birth Foundations Doula Training

Aligning the mind and body for birth™

Nona Doulas are Mindful Doulas

The Nona Foundations Birth Doula training is evidence-based and integrates the principles of a physiologic approach to birth with an understanding of the neurohormonal mechanisms underlying the mind-body connection.  This in depth training helps doulas begin to conceptualize how to help parents maintain the necessary mindset for being with the intensity of birth while minimizing suffering. Doulas will learn the basic skills necessary for confident, compassionate and non-judgmental labor support with an integrated understanding of how historical and social perspectives have shaped birthing practices in the U.S. 
 
The Nona Foundations Birth Doula Training is unique in that it is developed and taught by a perinatal expert in childbirth education, doula support, and perinatal counseling. Because of this, we can integrate advanced mindfulness and psychotherapeutic skills into our basic doula training with options to advance your training in the future. Click here for advanced training options.

Already a trained doula?  Check out our advanced training.

 

What you will learn:

  • Social/Cultural/Historical Influences of birth in the U.S.

  • Common hospital protocols and procedures

  • Support clients to navigate protocols and procedures

  • Defining the role of the doula

  • Supporting partners

  • Navigating legal concerns

  • Ethics

  • Doula survival skills

  • Starting a doula business

  • The anatomy of labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum

  • Labor support skills

  • Optimal fetal positioning

  • Birth positions and their benefits

  • Maternal Health Statistics

  • Intro to Trauma Informed practice

  • Physiological approach to birth

  • Pain management

  • Mindfulness for doulas and birthing parents

  • Mindfulness as a method of pain management

  • Language use and the mind/body connection

  • Hormonal physiology and the mind/body connection

  • Basic psychotherapeutic techniques for doulas

  • How to provide non-judgmental support

  • Professional relationship building

  • Define and differentiate between different perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

  • When to refer

Nona Doulas are Mindful Doulas

 

Mindfulness training differentiates Nona Doulas in these important ways:

  1. Nona doulas understand the physiology underlying the mind-body connection during birth and utilize specific skills for facilitating normal labor progress through this framework.
  2. When birth does not progress normally, Nona doulas help parents utilize mindfulness skills to adjust their expectations and mediate fear or anxiety so that they can make their own best decisions whenever possible.
  3. Nona doulas develop a deep understanding of non-judgmental support by learning about the psychology of bias and how to use mindfulness skills to prevent personal biases and triggers from interfering with support.
  4. Nona doulas learn how mindfulness is a tool for coping with pain and how mindfulness compliments all other pain coping methods.
 

Training Details:

 

The Nona Foundations Doula Training is a hybrid training with both synchronous and asynchronous online learning.  Students enroll as a cohort from January through April and have access to the training materials and community for one year with the option to subscribe to the community for continued support after the first year.

  • Access to the first two modules will begin on January 12th, 2026
  • Scheduled live virtual meetings for connection and Q&A are scheduled every 2-3 weeks
  • Modules are unlocked by 80% score on quizzes and accessible after the corresponding Q&A
  • Students are required to keep up with the modules and be prepared to participate in live meetings with questions, comments, and discussion topics
  • Homework and community participation is required
  • Meeting times are Mondays from 6-8 pm: 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, 3/9, 3/30, 4/6, 4/20

*Attendance with cameras on is required for all scheduled online meetings to be eligible for certification.

Registration coming soon! Questions?  Email Erica at [email protected]

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