Doula Trainings In Portland, Oregon
We offer in-person doula trainings and classes for birth workers at the Birth First Education Center in SW Portland, just off of the I-5. Check out our class descriptions below!
Neuroscience Of The First Latch: A Deeper Look For Doulas
Online Doula Training
In this class you will learn motor, autonomic, behavioral, and attention state regulation as it pertains to the first newborn activity: latching. We will also cover all the infant reflexes including when they develop in utero, when they integrate, and and how they are used in the first latch. The class will also include the properties of a good latch including a catchy acronym that will be easy to remember in those first moments after birth. You will leave this class with tools to help your families set the foundation for a healthy feeding relationship for years to come.
Teacher: Dr. Emily Spaeth
Location: Zoom
Fee: $75 per person
Acupressure For Doulas
In-Person Doula Training In Portland
This is a 2 hour doula training. Acupuncture has been used to aid birthing folks for thousands of years in birthing new life into this world. In this doula class, birth workers will learn some basics of Chinese medical theory, several acupressure points used in Chinese medicine to help in the weeks before and during labor, and have some hands-on practice implementing acupressure techniques to incorporate in birth settings.
Alyssa Schaffer is a licensed acupuncturist and NCCAOM certified herbalist in the state of Oregon who specializes in reproductive health, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum care. She is a body positive practitioner who aims to foster a space of inclusion and comfort in her treatments for every body. She can be found practicing at Luna Wellness in NE Portland.
*Masks are required during this in-person doula training.
*Space is limited to 16 people.
Teacher: Alyssa Schaffer
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $75 per person
Pushing To Protect The Pelvic Floor
In-Person Class For Birth Workers In Portland
This 2 hour class is for birth workers (doulas, midwives, nurses, etc.) and is taught by Dr. Lisa Jewell, a Chiropractic Physician specializing in perinatal health here in Portland OR. In this class you will learn the anatomy and function of the pelvic floor, how to teach proper engagement and relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, the correct biomechanics and optimal positions for your clients to be in during the pushing phase for to minimize pelvic floor damage. Postpartum healing recommendations and guidelines for return to exercise will be reviewed and a handout is included.
Lisa Jewell (DC) has been a practicing chiropractor in Portland, Oregon since 2015 and loves calling this area home. Originally from Wisconsin, she completed her Doctor of Chiropractic at Palmer West in San Jose, California. She fell in love with the West Coast and the more holistic approach people take to their health. Dr Lisa’s clinic, Jewell Chiropractic, has a uniquely tailored treatment style focusing not only on pain relief but whole body care, with special training in Webster technique, pelvic floor and core rehab therapy, birth prep as well as postpartum and breastfeeding support.
*Masks are required during this in-person class.
*Space is limited to 16 people.
Teacher: Lisa Jewel, DC
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $75 per person
Taming Fears: Supporting Parents In Pregnancy & Birth
In-Person Doula Training In Portland
This 4.5 hour doula training is also open to midwives, nurses, and doctors. In this class, you will engage with trauma-informed practices, gaining tools for having difficult conversations with parents about their fears in birth, helping them to explore ways to navigate the unknown and unwished-for, and to take action without attachment to outcome.
Christine D’Esposito (she/her) is a certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator with over eighteen years of experience in the field of birth work. She first discovered Birthing From Within in 2003 at her first doula training. It was the concept of honoring birth as a rite of passage and a transformational experience for everyone involved that spoke to her most. Christine’s classes are taught through an inclusive and trauma-informed lens.
*Masks are required during this in-person doula training.
*Space is limited to 16 people.
Teacher: Christine D’Esposito
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $185 per person
Building a Coping Mindset In Expecting Parents
In-Person Doula Training In Portland
This 4.5 hour doula training is also open to midwives, nurses, and doctors.The class focuses on advanced techniques for teaching coping in labor and birth. You will learn and experience Birthing From Within’s foundational pain-coping practices, including ways to engage parents in using vocalization for labor.
Christine D’Esposito (she/her) is a certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator with over eighteen years of experience in the field of birth work. She first discovered Birthing From Within in 2003 at her first doula training. It was the concept of honoring birth as a rite of passage and a transformational experience for everyone involved that spoke to her most. Christine’s classes are taught through an inclusive and trauma-informed lens.
*Masks are required during this in-person doula training.
*Space is limited to 16 people.
Teacher: Christine D’Esposito
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $185 per person
Suprise Home Birth
Zoom Doula Training Online
This 2.5 hour doula training is taught by certified midwife. Students will learn what to do when a birth is unexpectedly fast and occurs before the birth location can be reached, including signs of imminent birth, the importance of calming, the importance of “hands off” during the birth, preparations for the delivery, what to do during and immediately after a sudden birth, dealing with cord and placenta, and caring for mother-baby until 911 arrives.
Holly Scholles, MA, CPM is a midwife with 46 years of experience in rural and urban community birth. She consults on complex situations, such as breech and twins, and teaches on-line courses through HIVE Continuing Education. Founder of Birthingway College of Midwifery, she loves helping people learn about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, lactation, and parenting from a physiologic and interpersonal neurobiology perspective.
Teacher: Holly Scholles, CPM
Location: Zoom
Fee: $95 per person
Supporting Family Centered Cesareans:
Cross Cultural Communications In A Medical Setting
In-Person Doula Training In Portland
This doula training will focus on how to effectively communicate with key stakeholders when cesarean sections become necessary in order to help facilitate a family centered experience in the planning phases, in the operating room and in recovery. We will examine and discuss this through a cross cultural communications lens. This will be a safe place to explore your own history and experiences with the medical community and its role in labor and delivery and increase self awareness in order to be as effective as possible in these situations and help your clients do the same.
Wendy Sue Horn is a licensed clinical social worker in both California and Oregon. She has worked with families and children since 2005 in settings that have ranged from public child welfare to private in-home care, non profit agencies and private practice. She has a depth of experience and expertise in postpartum mental health, traumatic labor and delivery experiences, the treatment of trauma, anxiety and dissociation, EMDR therapy provision, training and consultation, and trauma and adoption competent mental health services. Wendy Sue holds certifications from Postpartum Support International, The Happiest Baby on the Block, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA), and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD). Originally from San Francisco where she was born and raised, Wendy Sue has lived in Portland since 2017, she has two children of her own and is currently in private practice in Southeast Portland and Milwaukie.
*Price is for one person.
*Masks are required for this doula training.
*Space is limited to 16 people.
Teacher: Wendy Sue Horn, LCSW
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $75 per person
CPR First Aid For Infants, Children & Adults
In-Person Class with Videos & Ebook
This CPR AED First Aid class is for parents, doulas, and anyone else interested in learning these life saving skills. The class focuses on CPR techniques for infants, children, and adults and has a blended format: there are a few hours of online instructional videos that must be completed before attending the in-person skills session that you register for. The 45 minute skills session will be hosted at the Birth First Education Center and will provide you with an opportunity to practice skills on manikins and using CPR equipment. Online instructional videos and an ebook are included in this course, along with the in-person skills session.
*Price is for one person.
*Masks are required during the in-person portion of this class.
*Space is limited to 6 people.
Teacher: Lisa Appel
Location: 7800 SW Barbur Blvd.#3, Portland Oregon 97219
Fee: $110 per person
