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Sign up, start now, go at your own pace

Enroll any time and get immediate online access to the 15 recorded classes
Contact hours are offered in the Fall and Spring yearly


Now Enrolling for Fall 2023 Session
Live Virtual meetings are on October 7, October 21, November 4, November 18, December 2, and December 16, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Two additional 4-hour hands-on workshops will be scheduled, ensuring every student can attend at least one

Book a 20-min FREE Consultation and Get a Discount Code 
    Click to Register   

I will forever be grateful for your patience and your willingness to give your students all the knowledge you have acquired in the field of birth support. My classmates have made a huge impact on me and on my completion of the training...I'm so glad that becoming a doula is part of the reason for me to keep going!

— Desola Amos, Session of April 2020

Program Overview

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, our contact hours have been offered using the Zoom platform. The transition has been a great success! And if you miss any of the Live Meetings - No worries; the meetings are recorded and it's easier than ever to make up a class. The meetings are acompanied by outstanding PowerPoint presentations. We use Zoom rooms to allow our students to brainstorm and build a supportive community.
Our comprehensive training program relies on:

* 15 recorded online classes
* Six Live sessions using Zoom, lasting 3 hours each (Total of 18 hours)
* Two 4-hour workshops to allow students to practice labor support tools and comfort measures
* Practical experience supporting the midwives' patients in L&D (2 births minimum)
* Ongoing monthly group sessions to support past students for life. You do not have to do it all alone!

Program Details

 Online Classes

Upon registration, we will grant you access to our membership website for a period of 6 months (Additional 2 months extension is granted for no cost). The 15 classes are audiovisual presentations covering different topics. Here is the full class list: (For classes full description click HERE

  • Introduction: Fear, pain and the medicalization of birth
  • Physiology and anatomy of childbirth
  • Prenatal care and possible complications 
  • Stages and Phases of labor 
  • The Early phase of labor 
  • The Active phases of labor 
  • Transition phase of labor
  • The second stage of birth 
  • Common medical interventions in labor 1 
  • Common medical interventions in labor 2
  • Relationships in labor and delivery 
  • The baby in birth and throughout the postnatal period 
  • The mother in the postpartum period
  • Breastfeeding basics
  • Establishing the birth doula practice

 Group Meetings

COVID forced us to lead out contact hours virtually, and this has been a blessing! We can now train more students from all over the US, and if you missed a class, you can always watch the replay! In addition to the 6 group virtual sessions, we lead two 4-hr in-person group sessions to practice labor support tools and comfort measures that take place outdoors with masks. We're now even better at:

  • Creating a strong community using Zoom breakout rooms.
  • Matching students as backup doulas
  • Allocating time to Q & A at the beginning of every session
  • Modeling for our students how to provide virtual birth support.
  • Invite more distinguished guest speakers. 
  • Expanding on the topics learned online
  • Model ing verbal coaching strategies.
  • Brainstorming and analyzing case studies
  • Receiving feedback and building confidence 

Practical Hours

Bay Area Doula Training is proud to be the only program providing doula students with the opportunity to get practical experience in supporting birth givers.

Our program is affiliated with Bay Area Maternity and Women Health (BAM) led by midwife Lin Lee. Practical hours will take place at El-Camino Los Gatos L&D, where the nurses LOVE working with our students. 

You'll get our support in creating your brochure and be assigned another doula as your backup doula. You'll be invited to attend the Tea with The midwives monthly event where you'll introduce yourself to the midwives' patients. The monthly Tea meetings are held on the third and Sundays of the month.

For students residing on the outskirts of the Bay Area, we provide full support to find their first no-cost clients for their practical hours, using our network relationships.

Students Reviews

I am so happy and blessed to have found this program! The program is extensive and you will learn a lot. The hands on training made me feel more confident going into the line of work. Neri and Stephanie makes it easy to set you up to succeed. The online community for BCM provides resources and virtual meetings to help navigate you on your journey starting out.

—Shabriese Davis, April 2021

The Bay Area Doula Training is a local program offered by Birth Coach Method, birth pros certifying organization leading a cultural change in maternal care. We teach our students to establish partnerships with future clients and medical teams. Our graduates practice birth support that brings clients' beliefs, values, and vision for their birth to the fore. Our philosophy is that there is no ideal birth but the experience your clients desire! As a result, our students are knowledgeable, sensitive, and equipped with a wide variety of labor support techniques. Read my Blog to learn more about Birth Coach Method's philosophy.

    Register Here    

Certification Requirements

**You have 1-year from registration to complete the certification requirements

  • Complete all 15 audiovisual classes and fill in the studying materials attached to each class. 
  • Complete the workshop’s reading list and study through the program’s resource guide. 
  • Actively participate in group meetings. 
  • Attend 25 hours (or 2 births) supporting birthing clients at the hospital. 
  • Submit 2 supervision reports of two births you have attended as a doula-in-training.
  • Pass the final exam - the exam consists of a case study and a terminology quiz.

Hello, I'm Your Trainer

Professional
Over the past 23 years, I have been blessed to support and teach many expectant people and to direct two birth resource centers. I published the audio-visual guide Practicing for an Active Birth, an Amazon Choice product, and the printed guide The Art of Coaching for Childbirth, a practical guide for birth professionals. I am the founder of Birth Coach Method, an approved continuing education provider by the California BRN. I lead nurses' workshops with the goal of improving patient-centered maternal care. It is my hope to build the bridge between doulas and L&D medical teams. 

Personal
I'm a mother to three amazing girls and happily married to a juggler who turned into a software engineer. We relocated to the SF Bay Area in 2001. I love spending time with my family and our sweet Goldendoodle, Punk, at the beach. My preferred vacation would be to explore a new city I've never been to before. I am practicing yoga and meditation regularly, I consider labor support tools to be my life support tools. Once a week I visit the art studio for a mixed media class.

Education and Affiliation

  • Birth Coach Method founder
  • Birth Doula and Childbirth Education Training, Israel  
  • Group Leadership, Ministry of Education Israel
  • Hypnotherapy at HTI, Marin County California 
  • Transformational Life Coaching, Sophia Univ. Palo Alto 
  • Spinning Babies with Gail Tully
  • NLP with Dr. Matt and The Empowerment Partnership 
  • Blossom Birth Palo Alto  
  • Bay Area Maternity
  • BA in Film and Television, Tel-Aviv University
  • MA in Cognitive Science from Tel-Aviv University 
Contact Me


WATCH ME






neri.life@gmail.com

408-480-1389