To certify or not to certify?

[teachinmamaof4]

What are the pros and cons of not certifying w/ an organization like DONA or CAPPA?

One of the hospitals here has a doula program. Once you are thru, if you commit to working for 1-2yrs (can't remember exactly how long it is) and for a certain number of hours, they will reimburse you 1/2 of your program cost.

So far I know of two doulas who are not certified thru a major organization. They are both very successful.

Discuss.

[Luv2bemommy]

Great question, I am curious about this myself.

[MothertheMother]

By now you all know I have an opinion on everything! lol For me there was no choice. I felt I had to certify because I didn't know where else to begin. I knew I wanted to do this but really needed the training seminar to give me the confidence I needed to feel like I would be an asset to the birth. Besides the cost I can't think of any con's to certification. I think it is just a personal choice.

[susan1]

I am also wondering if I should certify or not? In the beginning I was thinking it was best because I did not know were to start but now I am not sure. I think a large part is because I am finding people ask me on how many births I've done and not if I am certified or not.
I think .....for me..... It’s going to depend if I can get all my births in before my package expires.

Susan

[DL]

Before I say anything...I want to first and foremost say that certification does not make a great doula. There are good doulas who are certified....and good doulas who aren't certified. On the flip-side, this holds true for the not-so-good doulas, too.

To answer your question: It's a personal choice, and I think it really depends on the area in which you live as to whether certification is a great help or not. In my local area, certification is highly respected and sought after. Even the midwive's that I often-times work with say that they would not consider referring a doula who either wasn't certified or at least working towards it. To my clients, potential clients, and the medical professionals in my area, certification shows a standard of training reached, a scope of practice to follow, and an accountability to a group higher than oneself. It can represent one's committment to what we do, that we are serious enough about what we do to take the extra steps. (Please realize that I'm talking about public perception, not necessarily the doula's actual committment and seriousness or lack thereof.) I also think that it can add to one's professional image (although, certification in itself DOES NOT necessarily make a doula act professional, I know!). I want the medical staff to take me seriously, and I think certification often helps with that.

For me, certification is great for marketing! It may sound shallow, but having credentials behind my name looks good to the public. My clients and potential clients often ask me about what I had to do to earn my credentials. They do appreciate my training and professionalism (again...NOT saying that uncertified doulas aren't professional)....and yes, those letters behind my name.

That's how it is for me. Now...I know that there are doulas who have chosen not to certify on alldoulas who have had different experiences than I. Again....I REALLY think it can vary geographically as to how the public and medical providers perceive it. It's a big decision, I know; only you will know what's best for you. I will tell you that I'll never regret certifying!

Since I have not certified yet, I can only give the reasons why I will.

1. I want as much training as I can get.

2. I do better visually, in a classroom setting. I have a hard time with reading comp sometimes.

3. Networking with other women/professionals.

4. Those little letters behind my name. It doesn't automatically make you better as Lori said, but it might make a difference to someone else. I would hate to lose clients if it came down to simply whether or not I was certified.

If I was going to be a doula that soley volunteers at the hospital I would probably not do the certification. I would like to actually try to make some sort of career out of it in the long run. I will go probably for not only the LD, but PP, CBE, and LC.

[dynamicdoula]

I am confused why so many doulas seem to associate training with certification- they are independent of each other, and one does not need to certify after a training, nor need to be certified to train more extensively.

I am an uncertified doula and do not have any plans to certify. I feel the certification process is misleading to the client- it tells them taht I have a skill level or have proven my skills, which NO certification process I have seen actually requires this. Yes, we turn in evaluations of by our clients, but three good evals does not a good doula make. Also, most orgs require the doula to be evaluated by the care provider- what value does it provide? Most OBs see the doula for only the pushing phase, regardless of the many hours (or even days) of labor support she has put in before that point! As far as I know, none of the doula organizations check in on the evaluations to get more information, so the evals can be forged and no one would know.

I have been asked many times if I am certified and I am very relaxed about saying "No, I feel there are too many flaws in the certification process, but I do choose to 'behave' as if I am under a scope of practice." I do not think the grievance process is beneficial to anyone either- the worst consequence is that the doula is kicked out of the certifying organization - in no way does this prevent her from just working, uncertified.

I also am frustrated by this trend I see toward teaching women to 'expect' free doula services from newly trained doulas. I have literally heard from mothers, MANY times, that new doulas 'have to' offer free services for their certification. I can't even describe how insanely this makes me. I hear time and again, new doulas saying that they 'have to' provide free services to women because they are certifying. It's just not true! It should be up to the individual doula whether she wants to provide free services, and she should not feel guilty if she wants to charge. Also, teaching women to feel entitled to a free doula, as if they are doing *us* a favor, is wrong, IMO.

My feeling about certification:

Organizations need to be honest with doulas that it is an OPTION, not a requirement.
Organizations need to be clear with doulas that they can, and SHOULD charge for their services, if they choose to. I believe that charging should be encouraged, and that doulas should offer free services if they choose to, not the other way around.
Certified doulas should be required to "mentor" a new doula.
Mentors should contribute to the certification process by providing guidance and feedback to the new doula, and communicating with the certifying body.( Think "master" and "padawan" )
Certifying doulas should demonstrate inner development as well as professionalism and skill level as part of their certification requirement.
Clients should be guaranteed a certain level of experience or have a very clear understanding of what certification means - as it stands now, it is misleading, IMO.

If all of these were the case, I would certify.

[MothertheMother]

Let me preface this by saying I completely respect your opinion and even agree with some of your points but I see certification a little differently. First of all I feel good (for lack of a better word) about aligning myself with an organization. And, yes, I know I could say I was XXXX trained instead of XXXX certified but I just don't think it would be the same (at least not for me) I don't think which org you choose makes a difference, as long as you are proud to be a part of their organization. In addition to the fact that some potential clients would only consider hiring a certified doula I think there is a bigger picture here. First of all I think it is safe to say that a lot of us would not have entered this field if there wasn't a cert process. We have stated we just wouldn't know where to begin Secondly, DONA, CAPPA, ICEA etc would not exist of doulas didn't certify with them. But, the $ we give them for our "piece of paper" does go to good use. Maybe not all of it but hey, I am not their accountant. The major organizations are helping us by holding conferences and representing us at events and by doing what they do in the effort to make the word "doula" common knowledge. Every time I have read an article about a doula there is always mention of the certification. I don't think that as many articles (newspaper or magazines) would be printed if the doulas mentioned weren't backed by their organization. No, I don't think any doula has to be certified. But I do think that the fact that there is a certification process and a base knowlege required gives credibility in the eyes of the general public who may have never heard of a doula. One woman saying she knows how to help women in labor and can make a signification impact on the outcome holds little credence compared to these major organizations with 1000's of members saying we know how to help women in labor and we can make a significant difference. In addition we would not have these networks where we can "gather" and learn from each other. No, the cert process is not perfect and yes, mentoring programs would be a good idea but this is a process. Our organizations are learning new things every day just as we are.

I should not have written this so early in the morning. I don't know if it reads choppy but it feels choppy. Obviously I am passionate about my position but I do agree that it is a personal choice.

[MothertheMother]

Oh, and my organization/trainer did tell us that we should not give our services away for free because we are not yet certified. Maybe we are making progress already!lol

[Luv2bemommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaney Since I have not certified yet, I can only give the reasons why I will. 1. I want as much training as I can get. 2. I do better visually, in a classroom setting. I have a hard time with reading comp sometimes. 3. Networking with other women/professionals. 4. Those little letters behind my name. It doesn't automatically make you better as Lori said, but it might make a difference to someone else. I would hate to lose clients if it came down to simply whether or not I was certified. If I was going to be a doula that soley volunteers at the hospital I would probably not do the certification. I would like to actually try to make some sort of career out of it in the long run. I will go probably for not only the LD, but PP, CBE, and LC.

I am with Chaney.. I need the classroom setting and the communication with other doula's.. I also feel becoming certified could make a difference in if I am hired or not with some woman..

[teachinmamaof4]

Interesting points. I can see the benefits of both.

[loveslabor]

Ok, so has anyone thought about or decided not to certify as a birth doula?

If not, why? If you did go through with it after consideration, why?

Thanks ladies!

[waterbaby0205]

Hehe..I'm not certifying. I have no desire at all to be certified. I do not feel that being certified will make me a better doula. There have been "doulas" around for centuries and I'm sure none of them were certified.
Umm...I do not want to deal with paperwork either.
I know certification can bring some people more clients, but in my case, I do not need/want many clients. If I do one birth a month, that's enough for where I am in my life right now.

[DL]

Another one where some of the posts are related to certify/not certify (Aussie gives her input in this one ):

New to the board, with questions

[doulaamber]

I am going to certify because there is a world renouned hospital here and they SUCK at birth. I want to be able to get in there and effect from change, and I feel like they will take me more seriously if I am certified.