Doula Certification Steps

I am so excited to share that I've partnered with the Perinatal Professionals Association to help you become a Certified Doula! Here are some things you should know...

• Certification is not required. Many doulas choose to become certified because it gives them more opportunities to support families in their communities, including insurance clients, military families, Medicaid families, etc. 
• The Perinatal Professionals Association (PPA) is independent of any training organization. The trainings you attend through "The Iowa Baby Lady" have already been pre-approved and meet all their requirements. 
• I appreciate that PPA has focused on creating a very thorough certification process that requires doulas to do activities that directly benefit the support they will offer. Many of the larger companies require steps like getting doctor feedback, even though they may never see the doula work or understand the doula's role. 
• You have one year from your training to complete the certification steps, but you could also complete them in as little as one week. 

PPA also offers some great member benefits like mentorship, continuing education opportunities, and a way to get/stay connected in the doula community! 

A few other points to note:

• You do not need to decide if you will become certified until after your training.
• After your training, you can visit PPA to purchase your membership and Certification Steps.
• Once you are certified, you will need to recertify every three years.