Certification Requirements

By Certifying with Harbor Birth Institute you receive:

  • A well rounded, quality education from our hands-on-skills workshops, attending births, and completion of our curriculum home-study requirements

  • The benefit of paying a one-time fee, with no annual recertification charges

  • The esteemed doula credentials that give you credibility with care providers and professionals within the birth community

  • Resources for growing your business, client documents, and legal forms

  • Mentorship during training and certification

  • An ongoing community of support throughout your doula career

STEP 1: Workshop Training

The first step to becoming a certified doula is attending our in-person doula training. Learn more about our training here. 

STEP 2: After Training

BIRTH DOULA

  • Read through the entire manual after your workshop

  • Required Reading & Viewing + write summaries

  • Complete skills check-off list

  • Work with clients and attend 2 births + write birth summaries

  • Attend a Comprehensive Childbirth Education Class

  • Create a resource list

  • Complete the two Comprehensive Questionnaires (Labor and Breastfeeding)

  • Two birth evaluations

  • One birth professional reference

POSTPARTUM DOULA

  • Read through the entire manual after your workshop

  • Required Reading & Viewing + write summaries

  • Work with 2 postpartum clients and write summaries

  • Attend a comprehensive Breastfeeding Class

  • Create a resource list

  • Complete the two Comprehensive Questionnaires (Postpartum and Breastfeeding)

  • Two postpartum evaluations

  • One postpartum professional reference

PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION

  • Read through the entire manual after your workshop

  • Required reading/viewing summaries (minimum of 1 detailed paragraph for each)

  • Complete 2 placenta encapsulations for clients and write a summary of the process and your experience with the placenta and each client. Note: These must occur after your workshop.

  • Two placenta client evaluations

  • Create a FAQ for your website or a handout

  • Complete the placentography questionnaire

  • Blood-Borne Pathogen Certification Certificate

  • Food Handling Safety Certification Certificate

STEP 3: Submit Certification Packet

Once the certification packet is complete, you will mail your packet in and receive your official certification as birth doula within 2-4 weeks of submission!

Reading List Options

BIRTH DOULA BOOKS

Student must choose a minimum of 5 books from the Pregnancy / Birth / Newborn list and a minimum of 1 book from the Breastfeeding section

PREGNANCY / BIRTH / NEWBORN

  • Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

  • Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin

  • The Doula Book by Klaus, Kennell & Klaus

  • Pushed by Jennifer Block

  • The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer

  • Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin

  • Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper

  • The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin

  • The Labor Progress Handbook by Penny Simkin


BREASTFEEDING

  • The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins

  • The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Jack Newman

  • Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin

POSTPARUM DOULA BOOKS

Student must choose a minimum of 5 books with at least 1 book from the Breastfeeding section and 1 from the PPD section.

POSTPARTUM

  • The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson

  • The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by Heng Ou

  • The Postnatal Depletion Cure: A Complete Guide to Rebuilding Your Health and Reclaiming Your Energy for Mothers of Newborns, Toddlers, and Young Children by Dr. Oscar Serrallach

  • The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp

  • The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two by James Sears MD, Robert W. Sears MD, and William Sears MD

  • The Gentle Art of Newborn Family Care by Peter Walker

  • Mothering the New Mother: Women’s Feelings & Needs After Childbirth A Support and Resource Guide by Sally Placksin

  • Nurturing the Family: A Doula’s Guide to Supporting New Parents by Jacqueline Kelleher

  • When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

  • Shared Decision Making in Health Care: Achieving evidence-based patient choice 3rd Edition by Glyn Elwyn, Adrian Edwards, and Rachel Thompson

  • The Gentle Art of Newborn Family Care: A Guide for Postpartum Doulas and Caregivers by Salle Webber

  • The Wonder Weeks: A Stress-Free Guide to Your Baby's Behavior by Xaviera Plooij, Frans X. Plooij PhD, and Hetty van de Rijt PhD

BREASTFEEDING

  • The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins

  • Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin

  • The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International

PPD / PPMD

  • You Are Not Alone: Understanding and Working Through Postpartum Depression by Carrie Vanderbilt

PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION BOOKS

Student must read all 3 books.

  • Listening to Your Hormones by Gillian Ford

  • Placenta: The Gift Of Life by Cornella Enning

  • Placenta WIT by Nane Jordan

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We offer three in-person workshops:

    • Birth Doula Training: A 2-day intensive in Franklin, TN

    • Postpartum Doula Training - Similar in structure to the birth doula workshop, but focused on postpartum support

    • Placenta Encapsulation Specialist Workshop: A 1-day hands‑on certification

    Each training is followed by a certification process that involves reading, observed classes, client support experience, and submission of certification materials.

    REGISTER HERE

  • Our trainers are all highly experienced, having built their own solo practices and have been a part of a successful doula agency. With decades of combined experience and thousands of clients served, our mentorship and community support set us apart.

  • You can find the requirements for each certification here.

  • All training workshops take place in Franklin, TN, at a cozy and intimate venue (The Cottage or Cabin at Graystone Quarry or the HBI office) — ideal for hands-on learning and connection. Participants travel from across the U.S. for our accessible weekend training.

    Some of our workshops also offer a virtual live option. 

    Contact us if you are interested in hosting a workshop somewhere else in the US. 

  • You’ll receive mentorship throughout the training and certification process, access to client forms, business templates, and membership in our supportive alumni network—with continuing education opportunities.

  • We’d love to connect! Please reach out via our contact page or email hello@harborbirthinstitute.com, and one of our admins or trainers will be happy to schedule a call to answer your questions.

  • Register for an upcoming workshop, get your books and start reading. You will receive all the information for your workshop after registering.

  • Yes we do! Our certification process is comprehensive and straight-forward. HBI is recognized by DoulaMatch.

  • We allow a 2 year timeframe from taking your workshop to completing certification requirements. If you need a reasonable extension because of life circumstances, we will work with you. However, a request for extension must be submitted before your 2 year anniversary. We understand things come up and are more than willing to work with you, but we need to know you have a plan to complete it. The amount of time given for an extension will be decided on a case by case basis. 

    You are not required to certify with HBI to enjoy the benefits of community, mentorship and events that we offer! However if you have exceeded your two years and decide you still want to certify, you will need to register for a workshop again. If you have taken a workshop in the past 4 years, you can receive a $150 discount off the regular price to take a workshop. Because each workshop is led by two different trainers with their own spin on things, and periodic updates to our handbook, each workshop is a little different and you will absolutely learn something new and gain new perspectives, new inspiration, and new friends, at the very least!

  • You can view our reading list options here.

  • This would be someone who knows you in the birth community as a doula. Examples include a midwife, doctor, nurse, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, or fellow doula.

  • You can view all registration details including fees here.

  • The deposit is non-refundable. Refunds for extenuating circumstances will be given on a case-by-case basis. Cancellations can be made by emailing hello@harborbirthinstitute.com and we will process the cancellation for you.

    Please see our detailed cancellation policy on the registration form.

  • Once the certification packet is complete, please email us for further instructions at hello@harborbirthinstitute.com.

    You will mail your packet and receive your official certification within 2-4 weeks of submission!

  • If you refer someone and they sign up, you will get $50 back at your workshop or you will get a $50 credit to our HBI shop.