Birth doula training manual · Second edition
The Data Driven Doula.
The training manual that takes the work seriously.
Written by a registered nurse, lactation consultant, and ICEA-approved doula trainer with fifteen years in maternal-newborn care and ten as a registered nurse. It moves through the full arc of perinatal care, from the first prenatal visit through the postpartum year, with the clarity of a clinical textbook and the warmth of a mentor who has actually done this work.
It names the racial disparities in maternal mortality. It teaches what to say when a baby has died. It gives you the language for every difficult moment and the structure to stay in this work for years.
Passion brought you here. This book will prepare you to stay.
Foundations
The role of the doula. Scope of practice. History of birth work in the U.S. Racial disparities in maternal mortality named clearly. The ethical and legal frame for everything that follows.
Pregnancy
Anatomy and physiology. Common discomforts and red flags. Prenatal visits, screening, and decision points. Mental health across pregnancy. Building the prenatal relationship.
Labor & Birth
The mechanics and emotional landscape of every stage. Comfort techniques with evidence behind them. Cesarean birth as a normal birth. Interventions, complications, and how to advocate without overstepping.
Postpartum & Newborn
The fourth trimester. Newborn assessment and care. Lactation, supplementation, and feeding without dogma. Postpartum mood disorders. The slow return to wholeness.
The Doula in the System
Building a sustainable practice. Working with hospitals, providers, and other birth workers. Bereavement and pregnancy loss. Trauma-informed care. Staying in the work without burning out.
21 chapters of practice that mirror the textbook, chapter for chapter. This is where students put the science into their hands.
Every chapter
Mirrored learning objectives · vocabulary review · A&P review where the science calls for it · discussion prompts with writing space · a 10-question quiz.
Every unit
A 20-question cumulative quiz for synthesis and exam prep, with a full answer key and rationales in the back matter.
Care journey diagram
One page mapping the full arc of doula care from intake through archive. Every contact, every handoff. Works for client onboarding.
Six SOAP visit agendas
Every visit a doula will run, in order, with SOAP-style notes that support insurance reimbursement.
Client conversation guides
The 39-question pre-birth questionnaire and the postpartum questionnaire with PHQ-2 screening, scoring, and escalation guidance for crisis disclosure.
Reference cards
Red-flag warning signs for mom and baby, medical abbreviations, and a printable “What is a doula?” one-pager to share with clients and providers.
Nine minutes, taught the way it is taught in a live cohort. If the teaching works for you, the book will too.
