Welcome! My name is Marianne, and I have been teaching Birth Doula Workshops since 2006, after Penny Simkin herself shared her wisdom and encouraged me to become a trainer. Initiating others into the doula profession is a great joy and privilege for me, with lively, interactive workshops of small groups of women who share the belief that birth is beautiful!
 
Traditional Labor Support Skills for Natural Childbirth and Homebirth
In today's world the vast majority of doula trainings focus on hospital birth There is nothing wrong with this approach, given the fact that most doula-supported births do take place in the hospital. However, supporting women at home through their natural, non-medicalized birth process requires a different set of skills than being part of a hospital birth team.

My newly designed Birth Doula Training aims to give you the tools to support women in either the hospital, or in an out-of-hospital setting. As a doula and a homebirth midwife I draw on my unique background and experience to prepare those who want to learn specifically about normal,  physiologic birth in an undisturbed environment. If you are interested in this type of training, drop in and spend a Saturday morning exploring the transformative power of birth!

Training Structure & Schedule
The basic Doula Training consists of 4 Core Classes which are taught on separate days. Each Core Class is 4 hours long.
CLASS 1 - Birth & Brastfeeding Basics
This class provides an in-depth review of physiology and anatomy of the birth process, as well as breastfeeding basics. We will cover professional terminology, tools of the trade, definitions and expectations of labor progress.
Class 2- Emotional Support
We will explore the hormonal blueprint of physiologic birth which directs the emotional journey for the mother through the process. Anticipating and responding to emotional stages and needs is essential for effective doula support.
Class 3 - Comfort Measures
The hands-on core skills of non-medical birth support.
Class 4 - Birth Interventions
Challenges in childbirth do occur, and doulas need to understand  common interventions and their potential to help or hinder the birth process. We will take a close look at induction and epidural use, as well as many lesser types of interventions.

We will cycle through these Core Classes every few months, and may add advanced theme classes if there is sufficient interest. 

Where to start?
This Doula Training is explicitly for anyone, no educational or any other pre-requisites. However, if you have not given birth yourself, or you have not attended a birth yourself, then starting with Class 1 - Birth Basics is highly recommended. You will need this background to integrate the information of the other classes.

Ready to start?
If you are ready to learn about labor and birth support, call or email me with an estimate when you plan to attend your first class. This is to help me schedule individual Classes. I will need a MINIMUM of 3 participants per Class, so please give me a heads up about your availability. Classes will be held at my midwifery office in Bozeman.

Spring 2023 Dates:

Class 4 - Feb. 18, 2023 (finishing up the Fall 2022 series)

Class 1 - March 4, 2023

Class 2 - March 25, 2023 

Class 3 - April 15, 2023 

Class 4 - May 6, 2023 


​COST: $150 per class, pay as you go

​I am excited to offer Doula Trainings again after a long COVID break!