CBI, DONA, or Both?

[kalley]

I have narrowed my choices for certification down to two, CBI or DONA. I like CBI because I can start ASAP and they have a payment plan and they seem very flexible. On the other hand DONA is the more prevalent certification in this area as far as I can tell. There is a DONA workshop in my area in November and I would love the opportunity to meet with other doulas in the area and learn with a group. That being said, I know there is no way that I can come up with the $$$ for the workshop in time. I would wait, but I have a few people that I know that are in the beginning of their 2nd trimester of pregnancy and I would like to use them for my certification.

Do you think I should start my certification with CBI and then take the DONA workshop when I can afford it? Or, should I just start with CBI and not worry about DONA? Or, should I wait until I can afford DONA and just go with them?

Being a full time pre-nursing student I have to plan carefully. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[nicole.schwartz]

I'm sorry that you haven't received any words of wisdom yet....I guess I'll chime in.
I think certifying agencies are a really personal choice. Everyone has different reasons for choosing their agency ($$, distance, time constraints, etc).

I, personally, like the ability to work on my own. I felt like that was more important to me than networking at the time. I wanted to work at my own pace towards certification. I also appreciated CBI's curriculum wasn't "American-based" and that it provided, what I feel, was a more well rounded world view of maternity care (I am interested in theory and social issues in countries outside of the US).

There are benefits of meeting other certifying doulas in your area. You'll have a support network of peers in your cohort, but I don't think that a workshop is the only way to gain that. If you attend birth fairs or other related events, you'll meet and network with other doulas in the area.

My suggestion is to make a list of priorities and then base your decision on the list. Best of luck!

[AmandaB]

Kalley,

I have triple certification; DONA, HypnoBirthing and OPS. I think it is a personal choice. I personally enjoy the hands on part of being at a training, however the online programs can be excellent.

Your trainer with DONA might be able to help you figure out the financial aspect of things. I would talk to her. It is not yet Oct and then training is in November, I would think with some honest talk she could help you out some how ... I do that with my trainees.

[Supermomma]

I was also going to suggest talking with your DONA instructor about a payment plan of sorts. The gal here does it. However, if the other program fits your lifestyle better, go for it. If you are concerned about networking, I'm sure if you ask CBI, they can refer you to a list of other doulas in your area that took the same route. Also, many comunnities have doula groups. Just google it I google everything We have the Doula Association of Edmonton, and there are women from all different organizations, some certified, some not, it is also a great way to learn more about they do. If your town has a group, you could probably go for a meeting even if you are no9t a member.

[Radish4ever]

I am training with CBI because there are no trainings within a short driving distance to my home (in general - I live "in the sticks" lol) and I absolutely LOVE it. However, I probably would have chosen to do the majority of my training online regardless of the organization I went with because I very much enjoy taking courses online and have ever since I completed over half of my University credits for my Bachelor's degree online! It offers flexibility, and the financial side is great with the payment plans etc.

I do plan on taking a workshop someday and perhaps certifying with another organization, but for now, CBI is meeting my needs! I know that within CBI you can search the database of students in different areas and email them - I've emailed a few fairly local to me and it's been interesting to be able to finally talk to others sort of close by!

Good luck with your decision!

[IslandDoula]

I was in a similar predicament when deciding who to train with.

Essentially - I think you have to go with whose policies you most agree with.

[onyxravnos]

my
I started by signing up with DONA and starting to read their materials and required reading list of books then i found CBI which was nice because I didn't have to go to the workshop (which I did BTW) As I worked through my CBI training I realized that it was a better fit for me and let my DONA membership lapse.
My biggest reason for choosing to drop DONA and go with CBI is the amount of training! The workshop is lovely and very informative but other then that all the 'training' is done via the books you read and then you kind of fend for yourself... I felt CBI's training modals provided me with a wealth of material and information to draw from that DONA just didn't provide.
I also felt CBI was more realistic in their scope of practice for doulas.

[Ogechi]

I am glad I checked out this forum. I had a great concern about the training and, like some of you, I was concerned about the distance of the classes. I am now choosing between CBI & Intuitive Doula.