Become a Labour Doula

​CAPPA trainings are designed to educate and equip the contemporary perinatal professional for a successful career in a fun, supportive, and collaborative environment.  Trainings are evidence based and comprehensive, and are designed to appeal to all learning styles.  Students will enjoy engaging and interactive instruction, with practical and real-world scenarios.  CAPPA instructors have in depth knowledge and follow standardized curriculums to ensure the highest quality training and most comprehensive perinatal education for CAPPA Certification programs.          

 CAPPA is respected for its longevity, stability, and its commitment to excellence in both education and unsurpassed student and member support. Visit CAPPA to learn more about this great organization and what it has to offer you as a member. 

Our three day workshop is jam packed with great information and plenty of room for group discussion and review. You will learn about CAPPA, the doula's role, your scope of practice and how it applies to the care and support a doula offers through various labour and birth scenarios. There is plenty of time to explore and discuss ideas, ask questions and provide hands-on practice though instruction and guidance, as you learn new techniques, massage application and positions to aid with labour progression and relaxation. We review common medical interventions and how they impact birth, as well as non-medicalized comfort measures and physical support elements to assist your clients. Discover various ways to support your clients and help them make informed educated decisions, while assisting them through the transitions of breastfeeding, the postpartum and parenthood. The later part of our training covers aspects of developing your own doula business and how to apply what you've learnt in client care and services within your community. This includes how to market and promote yourself and your business, how to build a client case load along with additional business aspects to help you succeed!

The fee for this training is $572.25 ( $545.00 plus $27.25 GST) which is paid to your instructor. This covers your instruction time, manual and other handouts given at the training session AND a one year membership to CAPPA. To learn what is included in your CAPPA membership, visit here. 

Unfortunately due to the intense nature of this course we ask that you arrange childcare while you are in the workshop. If you are breastfeeding you may choose to bring a support person to care for your baby at our location in a separate room or come at anytime the baby needs to be fed.

This training is non-refundable, however you will be given the option to transfer your payment to the next session offered. If you must cancel your registration prior to the training seminar, you may apply your payment to another training workshop offered by the same CAPPA faculty member within a 12 month period. Please note, cancelling your registration will only be permitted transfering one time. If you do not attend another session within the 12 month grace period, all fees will be forfeited. No-shows are not eligible for this registration transfer. Unless you have received confirmation from your CAPPA Doula Trainer that the session is confirmed, we do not recommend you make any non-refundable travel arrangements.

To become a certified doula with CAPPA, you will need to become a member of CAPPA and sign up for your online CAPPA Academy, which is a one of kind, state of the art virtual classroom experience.

Once you're connected to CAPPA's Academy you will receive:
Downloadable forms of which you will need to submit to CAPPA after completion
Online exams with immediate results
Video instruction from faculty members
Step by step instruction to help guide you as you complete the course
Links to important online resources
*There is a $175.00 USD fee for your certification package, which is purchased through CAPPA's website. Prices are subject to change without notice After the training workshop, to become certified, you will need to complete these:  http://www.cappa.net/required-reading which will be part of your CAPPA certification package. ​

You have two years to complete your certification requirements from the date of your workshop training. This provides plenty of time to complete the steps. Most of our students typically finish within six months to a year's time.

The beauty of this training is that as soon as you establish your first paying client, your labour doula training fees will most likely be paid back to you.

Immediately following your training, you may accept clients into your care. If you are hoping to use that client for your certification requirements you will need to be signed up with CAPPA Academy first, in order to receive your certification and client evaluation forms, which are required to verify your attendance at the birth.

Doulas are independent and are hired by the families who wish to use their services. At this time, there are no job postings for paid doulas. In the future it may be possible to work within midwifery clinics, OB clinics, birth centres or progressive hospitals. As a doula you will be running your own business, which means that your success is determined by your level of commitment to market, advertise and network with others in the field. In recognizing the positive effect of hiring a labour doula, many women are seeking doulas for support. More health professionals are also acknowledging the impact that a doula can have on the outcome of labour, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding.

The required reading list is part of the requirement for certification. It is NOT required to be completed before our training session. To review the required reading list for certification, review it here

Once you have completed the training session, you can begin to accept clients and begin offering your services. To become certified, you must sign up on the CAPPA website for the certification program through CAPPA Academy. This online program can be completed at your own pace, however all steps MUST be complete by TWO YEARS of the date of the doula training. At first this may seem like a long time, however we highly recommend that you don't delay and recommend dedicating the time each week to work on your certification requirements or those years can slip by quickly. This investment in your education and career will be well worth it. CAPPA may offer a time extention in unique situations, for a small fee by calling CAPPA headquarters to discuss this with them.

Of course! Your personal experiences with pregnancy and birth (or lack thereof) do not determine your ability to enroll in this training. 

There are no formal prerequisites required for participation in this program. You are free to sign up for both Labour Doula and Postpartum Doula trainings, there is no specific order in which these trainings must be completed. You are not required to take both trainings.

Yes, you can, however you will still be required to submit the pre-training requirements. Be sure to contact our instructor to ensure that there is space available, before submitting registration. You can send a text message to your instructor, Sonya Duffee at 780-708-0615 or email. If you are registering for this training less than 10 days prior to the training date, the training fee for this training is $603.75.