“Introduction to birth work” is a one day workshop for women who want to explore the calling to support and educate women or couples during the pregnancy, birth and/or postnatal period.

“Introduction to birth work” is a one day workshop for women who want to explore the calling to support and educate women or couples during the pregnancy, birth and/or postnatal period. 

Saturday the 24th of March 2012   http://www.birthingwisdom.co.uk/training/training/introday.html

Many women feel called to work as birth companions/doulas or childbirth educators, offering physical, emotional and practical support to women or couples during their Pregnancy, Birth and/or postnatal period. They want to work alongside the midwives at home or in hospital knowing that they can make a real difference. Research has shown that Doulas can have considerable impact on the quality and the outcome of the birth and postnatal experience for the mother, baby and partner. Preparation classes and pregnancy/postnatal circles give women and couples not only essential skills to prepare for Birth but also opportunities to become part of a community of mothers/fathers, such an important resource in early parenthood.

But often doubts and unanswered questions prevent women from
answering the call.
Questions such as:
- What is really involved in being a birth companion/doula?
- Do I have what it takes ?
- What do I already know and what do I need to learn?
- What about my family life? - Is my lifestyle flexible enough?
- Do I have enough support?
- If I have had a difficult previous birth myself, can I still be really be there for another woman?
- Could I make a living being a doula? How do I find clients?
- Do I want to be a birth doula, postnatal doula?
- Do I want to run classes, or just do one-to-one preparation?
_ Could I combine running groups, classes and doula work?
_ What is calling me to do this work?

Many questions, many unique individual answers to be found.

Some women start training to support others only to find out that what they were really looking for was to be surrounded by a community of women, to be heard and heal the wounds of their own births. This can be done partly within the holding of a Birth training but an awareness of this need may be helpful before deciding whether the training in question is the most appropriate place to go on this healing journey.

This workshop is a prerequisite for the new Birthing Wisdom Holistic Birth practitioner training starting in September 2012 (first module sent out at the end of June).
http://www.birthingwisdom.co.uk/training/training/birthpractitioner.html
http://www.birthingwisdom.co.uk/training/training/practitioner/curriculum.html

Places are limited to 12 so book early to avoid disappointment.

To book a place on the introduction workshop, send or email a letter outlining:

* your contact details inc. email address
* your family situation
* your experience of Birth (if any)
* what is attracting you to this training
* what are your hopes and expectations
* what do you feel you bring with you
* what are your doubts and reservations about becoming a doula
& Enclose a non refundable 50% deposit of £25 (cheque payable to Olivia Seck) and send it to Birthing Wisdom, 4 Hood Cottages, Dartington Totnes TQ9 6AB . You may pay your deposit by bank transfer if that is more convenient for you.

There will be a small preparation module to complete before the intro.

Any queries please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call Olivia on 01803 226127

Can I ask why this is a women only event? My husband is debating whether to train as either a doula or a midwife, and a course like this would have been perfect for him. It seems a bit of a shame to assume that only women would make a good birth companion…..

Angie

Hi Angie,
Thanks for your post. I’ve seen some interesting internet debates about men around training as doulas and birth supporters, with some women feeling positive about it, whilst others feel suspicious, wondering what the deep motivations of those particular men are (probably fuelled by the all historical associations and challenges associated with men getting involved in the medicalized birth space’, women trying to regain their power in the birth arena in general, and perhaps even influenced by people in the field such as obstetrician Michel Odent who seemed to suggest that some men could be a hinderance in the birth space) - But of course, in reality, this type of reflection about examining motivations should not be just reserved for men, but to all people that want to be involved in being in service with pregnancy, birth and early parenthood work. Just because we are a woman doesn’t automatically make us a great candidate to be a birth companion,  and doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore our deeper motivations for wanting to work with birth and new families etc. Just as a side note, I also doula on a labour ward and see plenty of people working in the birth field that seem terribly mismatched and disconnected to birth, and that has nothing to do with gender. So, I think it’s great that there are trainings like the one with Birthing Wisdom that give space, time and depth for all this type of stuff to come up, be explored and processed rather than just learning to do ‘do’ a doula role as a job and grab a certificate at the end!
In theory, I’m sure there would be no issue if your husband wanted to apply for the workshop (if the facilitator was looking to work with men in this capacity?). My personal experience of this particular training is that as part of it’s unique beauty, is that as well as looking at birth as a practical, emotional and spiritual topic, the training has a ‘flavour’ and deep resonance with exploring and nurturing the devine feminine within us, and in our lives on a day to day basis. But who’s to say that exploring that is gender biased either? Your husband may be interested in exploring that part of himself and his devine masculine as part of his calling to serve women and families in this way - I don’t know?
It’s great to hear that your husband is looking for an in depth birth practitioner training and I hope he attracts a great training opportunity that supports his calling.
Jolie x

There is also another opportunity to attend the Introduction to Birth workshop on Sat 5th May 2012 email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://joliedoula.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/bw-training-2012-2013.jpg

If you are a birth practitioner, doula already you may be interested to attend and/or share this information about two advanced trainings:

Hypno Doula 21-22nd April 2012 http://joliedoula.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/hypnodoula-april-2012-info1.pdf
Hypnosis for Birth is increasing in popularity. There is a necessity for doulas to learn about supporting women and couples who have chosen to use hypnosis during their labour and Birth. Their needs are different and they want their doula to have the knowledge and experience to address those needs and support them effectively. This requires a general understanding of Hypnosis, the principles underlying all hypnobirth courses, as well as how it is applied in the main Hypno-birth systems used in the UK. This comprehensive and in-depth training will give you all the tools and knowledge and practical skills you need to be an effective hypno-doula. 

Facilitating Birth Trauma Healing Wed 23rd - Sun 27th May 2012 5 day residential at Eden Rise Retreat, nr Totnes, Devon training with Olivia Seck plus guest facilitators. Places by application. Register interest by emailing either .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

OLIVIA SECK:  Olivia is a qualified hypnotherapist and counsellor, hypnobirthing teacher and holistic birth practitioner with over 20
years experience. She has a private pregnancy practise near Totnes and specialises in healing Birth Trauma. She also trains doulas and birth educators with Birthing Wisdom.

A testimonial from a recent doula graduate after finishing the training last week:

“The last year learning with Olivia has surely been a year of landing in myself to understand, absorb, and integrate beautiful and meaningful birthing wisdom.

We have looked at the inner and outer dimensions of birth, the baby’s journey, the mothers journey, antenatal, postnatal, the traumatic, the ecstatic, the medical and the natural.

It has been more than learning the theory and doing some role play: it has been a comprehensive journey of self development and discovery where I have come to know myself, babies, women and mothers in a much more deeper holistic way. This I believe equips me to ‘meet what I meet with confidence’ when working with clients and their own unique birthing experience.”

Laura, London