Birth Companion Certificate Program

The Birth Companion Certificate is open to matriculated University of Delaware School of Nursing students only.

REGISTER NOW! Use coupon code UD1743 to take advantage of your 15% UD student discount for a final registration cost of $590.75.

• The Fall 2024 offering takes place Aug. 27-Dec. 10, 2024
  
• LEARN MORE — VIRTUAL INFO SESSION VIDEORECORDING (program details from UD and ChristianaCare program facilitators, and a UD student)

The Birth Companion Certificate is offered in partnership with ChristianaCare, University of Delaware School of Nursing and University of Delaware Division of Professional and Continuing Studies.

The Birth Companion Certificate focuses on the development of initial competence in the perinatal support role, based on the doula model. The doula model emphasizes physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and after childbirth. The goal of this course is to address healthcare inequities and improve maternal and infant health outcomes while providing increased access to prenatal education, birth support and postpartum support. 

Students will learn to work collaboratively as a team and experience the role of a doula in the delivery room.

Course requirements:

• This is a noncredit service-learning opportunity.
• This course involves both theoretical and practical applications requiring students to provide support through 3 prenatal visits, birth attendance and 1 postnatal visit with an assigned birth family.
• Birth itself is unpredictable, flexibility is going to be key for providing support. It will be necessary for students to be available and unimpaired for several weeks leading up to the birth.  Students will work together to meet and teach families, so they may share opportunities and allow for academic requirements. 
• Once a student is paired with a birth mother, the student is committed to following through with these course requirements.

Course delivery:

• On-site sessions at ChristianaCare (2-hour orientation; 2-day weekend training)
  • ChristianaCare will host an initial 2-hour orientation and a separate 2-day weekend of instruction from a certified doula trainer on site at its Christiana Hospital location.
• UD campus-based sessions (7 sessions: Mondays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
  • In-person sessions of supplemental information will be hosted on the UD campus every Monday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for 7 sessions
• Student will be paired with a pregnant parent and follow her through the third trimester of her pregnancy and birth experience providing emotional, informational, and physical support.
• Each student-parent pairing will be supported by another student as back-up.
• It is encouraged that the student continue as a Birth Companion after the course has ended. Student may elect to complete their national doula certification after completion of this course.

Course details:

• Prerequisites: KAAP220, KAAP221 and NTDT200; NURS120 (optional)
• Noncredit Continuing Education Hours:  2.4 CEUs
• Instructional materials:  
  • Simkin, P., and Rohs, K. (2018). The Birth Partner: A complete guide to childbirth for dads, doulas, and other labor companions, ISBN-13: 978-1558329102.
  • InJoy health education booklets/materials: “Understanding Postpartum Health and Baby Care,” “Breastfeeding” and “Understanding Birth” (available for purchase through ChristianaCare at a cost of $14).
• Program cost: The cost to enroll in this noncredit certificate program is $695. UD discounted price: $590.75.
  • Coupon Code UD1743 — Take advantage of your 15% UD student discount and use the Coupon Code UD1743 to receive a final cost of $590.75 when registering.
• Program fees and costs are subject to change.

Program components:

• Students will attend a 2-hour in-person orientation and a 2-day weekend workshop presented by a certified doula (takes place on-site at ChristianaCare)
• There will be 7 weekly educational sessions presented by ChristianaCare perinatal education team (takes place on UD campus)
• Experiential learning will include 5 perinatal visits with assigned birth mother, including birth delivery attendance.
• Maternal and child health and community health theories and practices are introduced.
• Program includes seminars with experts in the field, including birth doulas, women’s health clinicians, lactation consultants, social workers, community health educators, and childbirth educators.
• The student will not perform any clinical tasks or make decisions for the patient and family.

 Course topics include, but are not limited to:

• Informed consent, planning and advocacy
• Stages of labor
• Role of the doula
• Tools for your clients
• Comfort measures, labor support techniques, relaxation ideas
• American culture and hospital practice: fact vs fiction
• Culture versus physiology
• Alternative healing modalities for labor and birth
• Optimal fetal and maternal positioning for labor  
• Communication and handling tough situations  
• Issues of race, class, gender
• Implications of birth work
• Doula self-care
• Limits, boundaries and scope of doula practice
• Pain and fear in labor and models of relief
• Technology, interventions and standard hospital procedures  
• Complications and cesarean surgery
• Comfort measures, labor support techniques
• Relaxation ideas
• How to reinforce childbirth education
• Lactation and baby friendly
• Mental health and trauma informed care
• Health equity and the social determinants of health
• Postpartum care and resources