Birth Doula Training.
Rho Cohort · July 28–31, 2026 · Baton Rouge
A four-day ICEA-approved birth doula training. Two online evenings plus two full in-person days at FranU St. Francis Hall. Thirty-three contact hours; volunteer-track scholarships available.
Held at FranU St. Francis Hall, 5414 Brittany Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
Four days. Years of difference made. You will learn how to support a laboring mother through hours of contractions, how to read a hospital room, and how to be the steady voice that reminds a woman her birth is hers. The work is not glamorous. It is essential.
July 28–31, 2026
Hybrid: 2 online evenings, 2 in-person days at FranU St. Francis Hall, Baton Rouge
Late-July cohort in Baton Rouge.
Who this training is for.
Anyone called to this work
No previous experience required. If you feel called to walk alongside families through pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of parenthood, you belong here.
- People with no birth-work experience whatsoever
- Anyone with lived experience of pregnancy or maternal health
- Community members who want to give back to Louisiana mothers
- Peer supporters, advocates, and friends-of-friends already doing the work informally
- Nurses, midwives, and other birth workers seeking ICEA credentials
Prerequisites
- At least 18 years of age
- Complete all pre-work modules before Night 1
- Reliable internet, computer or tablet with camera and microphone
- Full attendance at all four live sessions (10% absence cap)
What you'll learn.
Physiology of birth
Stages and phases of labor, hormones, Six P's, ACOG active-labor thresholds.
Comfort measures
Counter-pressure, hip squeezes, rebozo, birth ball work, acupressure, water therapy.
Client interviewing
Active listening, social determinants of health screening, BRAIN framework.
Newborn care
Diapering, paced bottle feeding, burping, rebath method, newborn massage.
Scope of practice
Where the doula's role begins and ends. How to stay in your lane, gracefully.
Postpartum mental health
Perinatal mood disorders, postpartum psychosis, trauma-informed escalation.
