I'm going through Birth Arts International. I adore their program. =)

Certifying though CBI, and I love it. It's thorough and interesting and I'm really enjoying my training experience thus far.

I've been a Certified Massage Doula with the Massage Doula Network through the Institute of Somatic Therapy since 2007 (had my first doula birth in 2005). I chose it because it was the next natural step for me to take in my massage career. I love, love, love birth & helping women during the amazing journey of expanding their families.
I'm currently researching my options to become a CBE. Initially, I thought I would go with ICEA or CAPPA, but am beginning to seriously lean toward CI. Having to take many CEU's to maintain my massage certifications, paying a lot of $$$ in fees for licensure, recertifications and memberships for massage make me hesitant to become a CBE with any organization that would add to my load of continuing education and annual costs. I am really impressed with the amount of information and training that CI offers beyond the obvious pregnancy/labor/birth basics. I'm hoping that I can register and begin working toward my goal of adding childbirth education classes to my menu of services by the end of 2012.
I am happily married with 2 teenaged boys. My family is so supportive of my work, without them, it would be impossible for me to follow my dreams!

I am currently getting local training and certification here in the silicon valley (California). My training is from Mama Center, and it is taught by a wonderful woman with so much experience and knowledge that I feel overwhelmingly lucky to have found this program. I wasn't a fan of my initial doula training being limited to a weekend, so I really set out to find a program that had more to offer. Mama Center's certification process requires 80 hours in class, presentations, a final exam, and 2 supervised births (not to mention an EXPANSIVE reading list). Having experienced what being trained as a doula entails, I can't imagine learning everything I would need to know in such a short time and with as much self-teaching as what other certifications require.

Local certification was definitely the way I needed to go to feel secure in my training.

I'm DONA trained, but I don't think I'm going to certify through them. I know it sounds lazy, but I really don't want to bother with the paperwork! I get too focused on the moms to think about filling out forms. It's also just too expensive to keep-up, and I don't think it matters that much to moms.
I honestly wish I'd done my certification through CBI, I'm doing a Childbirth Educator certification course through them right now and they're wonderful. (and you don't have to renew your membership!)

I am thinking of getting my postpartum doula certification at some point, and I think I'll do it through CBI.

I am in the process of being certified with Birth Arts International. I like the distant learning option as well as the way the program was set up.

DONA, it was the only one I had heard about and they had a workshop I could attend. I had a great class and wonderful instructor.

right now i'm with CBI, but i plan on studying with a few other organizations too, and take some local training courses and attend a few midwifery conferences. you have too much information. however, i don't think certification is necessary to practice. i see it more as a technicality, but i've attended births and advised moms for years without being certified. so, i'm a rebel at heart. i'm just making more of an effort now to collect those pieces of paper.

I'm in the second book for my CBE training with CBI & am now decided that later in the year,I will pay the additional fee to add the birth doula training. I will then be dual-certified as a doula, but in the future may let my first certification lapse. My decision is based on changes to the recertification requirements in the massage industry. I just want to simplify my life & CBI offers that :-)

Wow, there has been so much insight and information in this thread regarding when/where/how to get certified!! Thanks!!