When I first felt drawn to becoming a doula, I lacked a clear path and searching for answers offered no guidance.  I strongly felt a desire to support families during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. That this work mattered. That it aligned with how I showed up in the world. I always had to do important work. Before becoming a doula, I was a special education teacher, and that is also important work.

I know I wanted to be a doula, but beyond that… I was overwhelmed. There were so many questions: Where do I even start? What training is the “right” one? Can this actually be a career? Can this replace my teaching salary? What does this look like long-term?

At the time, the pathway into this work wasn’t clear or structured in a way that made it easy to understand. I spent a lot of time researching, asking questions, and trying to piece things together on my own. It wasn’t a straight line. And I know now that so many people who feel called to this work experience that same uncertainty.

There is a difference between: wanting to become a doula and understanding how to build a career as one. Most people can find information about training.

But what’s often missing is:

• How to choose the right path
• What the work actually looks like day-to-day
• How to grow within the field
• How to build something sustainable

That gap is what I had to navigate on my own. And it’s a big part of why I do the work I do now.

Over the years, I’ve had so many conversations with people who feel the same pull I once did but don’t know where to begin.

That’s why I’m hosting a free webinar:

How to Become a Doula and How This Can Become a Career
Tuesday, May 12th
12:00 PM CST

This session is designed to give you guidance not just inspiration. We’ll walk through:

• What a doula really does (beyond the basics)
• How to choose the right training and certification
• The first steps to building your practice and career
• What to expect in your first year and beyond

And we’ll have time for live Q&A so you can ask the questions that are specific to you.

If you’ve been feeling drawn to this work I want you to know that you’re not alone. But more importantly, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. There is a path. There is structure. And there is a way to build something meaningful and sustainable in this field. This webinar is a place to start.

This post is written by Anna Rodney, owner and founder Birth & Baby University and Chicago Family Doulas. She is a leader in the perinatal field and a trusted resource for expecting families and perinatal professionals.