The Georgia Black Doula Network serves as a vital pipeline for aspiring and experienced doulas, offering comprehensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities to expand the doula workforce and improve maternal health outcomes for all communities, with a focus on culturally responsive care. Through expert-led training, hands-on mentorship, and a strong professional network, GBDN is equipping the next generation of doulas and birth equity leaders. When you are ready to expand your practice, become a member and join our directory to connect with new clients and fully immerse yourself in the GBDN community.
Invest in Your Future: Understand Key Benefits Every Participant Will Gain from Our Trainings
Knowledge of Culturally Competent Care
Trainees will gain a deep understanding of how to provide culturally competent care, especially within underserved communities. This includes the skills to support individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and a focus on addressing health disparities in maternal and infant health.
Comprehensive Education
Through expert-led training, trainees will learn the fundamentals of labor, birth, and postpartum support. This includes evidence-based practices, comfort measures, and understanding different birthing options, empowering trainees to confidently guide families through their birthing journey.
Hands-On Mentorship and Networking Opportunities
Trainees will benefit from personalized mentorship and access to a network of seasoned professionals. This mentorship ensures that trainees not only gain knowledge but also learn how to navigate real-world scenarios, build their practice, and connect with a supportive community of doulas, healthcare professionals, and advocates.
Join the 2025 Georgia Black Doula Network Cohort
Applications Close: Thursday, May 1, 2025
Training dates are scheduled monthly, starting in September 2025 and concluding in March 2026 with a graduation celebration.
Become a Certified Doula & Lead the Way in Birth Equity
The training curriculum is 72-hours of active workshops, seminars and hands-on training. It includes four modules — each of which have required reading and assignments. The full training schedule will be provided once your application is approved.
The training is conducting both virtually and in-person. In-person trainings are currently hosted onsite in Albany, GA. All in-person trainings are mandatory attendance. Training dates are scheduled monthly, starting in September 2025 and concluding in March 2026 with a graduation celebration.
We believe in making this opportunity accessible to all. Apply for a scholarship to join the training and receive deeper support as you develop the skills to create meaningful change in birth work for families for generations to come!
Innerstanding Birthwork – An Intermediate Doula Training
Applications Open October 2025
Advance your doula practice with Innerstanding Birthwork—an immersive, culturally responsive training designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge to better support families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Culturally Responsive Training for Impactful Birthwork
Innerstanding Birthwork, Intermediate Doula Training (IBT) is a three-day, culturally-responsive training curated to help birth workers navigate the various dynamics of supporting families during the journey of pregnancy and immediate postpartum. This full circle intermediate doula training includes comprehensive knowledge of antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum. It is tailored to enhance the skills of newly trained doulas and equip them with the tools necessary to provide more effective assistance to birthing families.
We believe in making this opportunity accessible to all. Apply for a scholarship to join the training and receive deeper support as you develop the skills to create meaningful change in birth work for families for generations to come!
**Previous doula training recommended.
Early Bird Rate $850 | Regular Registration Rate $120
Course Outline
Antepartum
- Fundamentals of Anatomy & Terminology
- Innerstanding Herbal Options & Vitamin Supplements
- Innerstanding Pregnancy Labs
- The Art of Belly Mapping
- Prenatal Visits and What to Expect
- Innerstanding Vital Signs
- Cultivating a Birth Plan
Intrapartum
- Innerstanding the Hospital Room
- Birth Rights and Hospital Policies
- Innerstanding Perinatal Drug options
- Supporting Inductions
- Supporting Epidural births
- Supporting VBACs
- Assisting with Malpositioned Babies
Postpartum
- Innerstanding Postpartum Recovery and how to support
- Innerstanding Postpartum Warning Signs
- Planning for Postpartum
- Breastfeeding Support
- Recognizing Perinatal/Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD)
Advanced Doula Skills Training
Advanced Doula Skills Training (ADST) a.k.a. The Maternal Health Consultant Training (MHC), is a culturally-responsive pogrom, meticulously crafted to empower individuals and community Doulas with the knowledge, skills, and competencies essential for effective care of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. This training is well-suited for paraprofessionals, such as doulas, lactation counselors, birth assistants, or anyone with a keen interest in advancing maternal health and well-being.
**Previous doula training required. Applications are currently closed.
Course Outline
- Herstory and legacy of traditional African American perinatal care.
- The impact of institutional and systemic racism on Black maternal health in the United States.
- Holistic Human Anatomy & Body functions.
- Diabetes as a modern-day epidemic and glucose measurements.
- Body temperatures and what they reveal about infection.
- Stress, an unsustainable reality; measuring its impact through blood pressures.
- Warning signs that pose threats to both maternal and infant wellness.
- Urinalysis, a window into the body’s chemistry.
- Identify abnormal maternal signs and know when to seek medical or alternative care.
Hear Firsthand Experiences from Our Advanced Doula Trainees
Each participant receives a Maternal Health Consultant Manual and Wellness Tool Kit comprised of a digital blood pressure cuff, a digital thermometer, urine test strips and a glucometer. The participants also receives a complimentary eBook, When Birth Calls, Developing Your Inner Birth Worker, by Midwife Sekesa Berry.