Four days on what families actually need after birth, taught through the traditions the birth world keeps borrowing without credit.
3 to 6 November, in person, North London, 10am to 4pm. Facilitator: Rubí Rodríguez-Nieto.
£1,600, or spread it over 2 or 5 payments.
Open to anyone, whether you’re new to birthwork or already practising
Sankofa is a principle from the Akan people in Ghana. The spirit of Sankofa encompasses taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present to make progress in the future.
For too long the postnatal period has been the Cinderella of doula work. It has lacked the ‘glamour’ of birth work. It is often tacked on to the end of birth work as an optional extra. Being a postnatal doula was all about the jobs and the doing with and for our clients.
Abuela Doulas want to kick that into the past and focus in on nurturing, nourishing and valuing the people that birth babies. Many of the ‘new’ practices that we are seeing within the birth world, for the postnatal period, are simply the appropriation of traditional practices from around the world. Bones and belly binding, yoni steams, baby carrying, the 40 day lying in period, the use of oils and healing foods.
Abuela teaches you where these traditions have come from and how to utilise your cultural heritage in nourishing clients.
Sankofa foundations. Ancestry, ethics and cultural humility. Where belly binding, the 40-day lying-in, healing foods and baby carrying actually come from.
Nourish and restore. Healing foods, warmth, rest and the rhythms of care.
Feeding and bonding. Responsive support, referrals and boundaries.
Home support with dignity. Practical help without making it about you.
Advocacy that protects dignity. Black and Brown families face dismissal, delayed escalation and heightened scrutiny after birth. You’ll learn to protect their dignity and escalate when it matters.
Business. Pricing, packages and a client experience that pays you properly.
Your practice plan. You leave with a plan built for how you’ll actually work.
Introduction to Inclusive Postpartum Doula Care
- Define the concept of inclusive postpartum doula care and its importance
- Explore the benefits of providing nurturing and nourishing support to diverse families
Embracing Cultural Safety in Postpartum Doula Practice
- Understanding cultural safety and its role in supporting families of diverse backgrounds
- Exploring potential biases and challenges in doula care and how to address them
Different World Cultures and Postpartum Traditions
- Study postpartum practices and traditions from various cultures worldwide
- How to incorporate culturally appropriate practices while respecting family choices
Effective Communication Strategies
- Learning active listening techniques to better understand families' needs
- Communication tools for clear and compassionate interactions with diverse families
Providing Supportive Information and Resources
- How to present information in diverse formats (written, visual, verbal) to cater to various learning styles
- Building a diverse resource library for families with information from different cultural backgrounds
Nurturing the New Mother and Baby
- Techniques for physical and emotional support during the postpartum period
- Postpartum recovery tips and practices from various cultures
Newborn Care and Feeding Support
- Different feeding methods and how to support each family's choice
- Hands-on practice in newborn care techniques with a focus on inclusivity
Addressing Postpartum Mental Health
- Understanding postpartum mood disorders and cultural considerations
- Providing emotional support and connecting families with appropriate resources
Case Studies and Role-Playing Scenarios
- Analysing diverse postpartum scenarios and developing inclusive support plans
- Role-playing exercises to practice culturally sensitive interactions
Self-Reflection and Cultural Competence
- Identifying personal biases and beliefs that may impact doula care;
- Strategies for ongoing self-improvement and cultural competence;
Cultivating a Supportive and Inclusive Doula Practice
- Creating an inclusive doula business that welcomes families of diverse backgrounds
- Marketing strategies to reach and support a broad range of client
- Group reflection and sharing of experiences
Your certificate as an official Abuela Doula! (Everyone loves a certificate)
Lifetime access to our closed Abuela Doula Community. So you can continue building the friendships and support network you create during your course long after you’re finished.
The props that come with being trained by a pioneer in the field. (That’s me!) Plus, you’ve got me in your corner for the rest of your working life. Because a relationship doesn’t stop when the course ends.
A solid understanding of inclusive and loving doula care. The skills needed to support birthing people and families during labour and birth, and how to support the postpartum period.
The tools you need. An extended DoulaOne Pro trial, so your clients, bookings, contracts and payments have somewhere to live from your first enquiry.
The confidence to know how to support different families in the days after birth, with cultural safety to ensure that every family is nurtured and nourished.
Tote Bag. A beautiful teal-green Abuela Doulas tote bag, that you can use to carry your course materials.
A beautiful Abuela Doula Notebook. To make notes on your thoughts, reflections and aha moments throughout the course.
A Workbook. To collate all of your learning.
Promotional Templates. With A series of fully customisable templates to promote your business.
WhatsApp Support. Two weeks in a WhatsApp group with your course facilitators to help get you started.
As an Abuela Doula, you will work inclusively with cultural safety, honouring the cultures and traditions of the families that you work with. You will be able to travel across the world to nourish and nurture your clients, inspiring confidence and wellness in every family.
"Mars is incredibly supportive, asks important questions, and makes you fly high and in a no nonsense way. I have acquired a TON of knowledge that I can put into practice and turn into skills over time”
"The reading material provided was so beneficial to my learning. I learnt so much and gained priceless knowledge from this course. I felt it was a very safe place to learn not just for me but for everyone involved."
The Abuela Doulas newsletter.
What’s happening in birth, what the reports aren’t saying loudly enough, and when the next cohorts open.
Abuela Doulas recognises that as well as doing the work, they need to support the work of others. With that in mind, here are some links to support not only us, but other organisations that we are involved in.
