How to become a Doula in the UK
We birth confident Doulas
We are for you if you feel that pull, that quiet nudge, or that loud roar to walk alongside women, birthing people, and families as they bring their babies into the world. If you want to create safe, respectful spaces where parents feel held, seen, and able to make their own choices, wherever and however they birth then you’re in the right place!
Our Doula training has been created by experienced, passionate Doulas and UK birth activists who care deeply about doing this work well and supporting you to do it your way. From the very beginning, we’ve built this course around the belief that Doula work changes lives and that you don’t need to do it alone.
We already believe you’ve got the heart of a Doula. Our job is to help you build the skills, confidence and knowledge to back that up. You’ll learn how to offer practical, emotional and informational support through pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum days. But more than that, you’ll get the space to figure out what kind of Doula you want to be because there’s no one way to do this work.
We get into the real-life side of Doula work how being on call actually works, setting boundaries, writing contracts, sharing care, and charging in a way that reflects the value of what you do. We are about building a birth business that’s sustainable, realistic, and fits around your actual life.
You’ll be mentored through your first birth, and supported for at least 12 months afterwards. You’ll also join The Perinatal Collective, our tight-knit, big-hearted community of birth workers. It’s a space for learning, connection, deep dives, and shared wisdom. A place where you can bring your questions, celebrate your wins, it’s like a family!
Training is delivered live online, with one in-person day where we focus on the practical, hands-on skills you’ll use as a Doula, things like comfort measures, birth positions, and how to support in different settings. We also run a dedicated session on the business side of things, including how to find clients, build your local presence, and get your Doula work off the ground. It’s a full, practical day with real-life tools you can take straight into your work.
Our content is deep, inclusive, evidence-based and genuinely transformational. We’re here to birth confident, connected Doulas. And we’d love to welcome you in!
We offer modern and nurturing Doula training guided by some of the UK’s leading birth educators!
Our Doula training gives you
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Our Doula course combines over 30 hours of live, interactive teaching with a flexible structure that fits around real life. It’s inclusive, evidence-based, and rooted in advocacy and real-world support, not just theory. You'll get space to ask questions, dig into what this work really looks like, and build your Doula foundations that will last.
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Which includes:
Foundation work - online self paced:
Physiology of Birth
The Birth Environment
Medicalisation of Birth
Live online training over 2 days and 2 evenings:
Doula Beginnings
Being with Families in Birth
Being with Families Postpartum
Doula PracticalitiesJoin us in person for:
Doula Practical Day (currently in North London)PLUS: Live modules covering:
Birth Rights and Consent with Emma Ashworth
Supporting All Births with Mars Lord
LGBTQIA + Inclusivity Training -
Our FEDANT accredited Doula Course means you will be listed on the national register of Doulas in the UK so expectant parents can search for you when looking for Doulas in their area.
It also means you can be confident our training has met the FEDANT standard
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Mentoring and guidance from experienced Doulas and some of the leading voices in the UK birth industry! Our team is exceptional, and every one of us is a practising birth professional supporting parents day in and day out in our community.
Meet us here -
When you train as a Doula with us, you’re not doing it alone. You become part of The Perinatal Collective our supportive, welcoming community of birth workers (included in your training for 12 months, with a small monthly fee if you want to stay on after that).
It genuinely feels like a family. You’ll get access to ongoing workshops, mentoring, real-life support, and a place to ask all the questions that come up once you’re actually out there supporting families, because that’s when the real learning begins.
There’s also a regular stream of business inspiration, content ideas, and practical tools to help you launch, grow, and sustain your Doula work in a way that fits your life. This part is priceless honestly!
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Feeling wobbly before your first ever birth? Totally normal and you don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you want to run through any what-ifs, get a confidence boost, or just need someone to say “you’ve got this,” we’re here. And when that first client books in? You’d better believe we’re cheering right alongside you!
Self-employed life can feel a bit lonely sometimes, but being part of The Perinatal Collective means you’re never doing it solo. You’ve got us behind you who get it, to cheer you on, pick you up, and remind you that you’re part of something genuinely special!
£1,395
Payment plans available
What does a Doula do?
At The Perinatal Academy we think of Doulas as Birth Companions, who walk alongside expectant parents for much longer than just their labour journey. Doulas offer information, a non judgmental listening ear, practical, physical and emotional support in pregnancy, birth and the newborn days.
Some people think that Doulas are only for the super rich, or for parents who only want to free birth, the truth is there is a Doula that would suit every family and being one can have the most positive effect on a families experience, and your own fulfilment!
Being a Doula is a calling and heart led work, usually a case of when not if. You have probably have already been caring, advocating and nurturing people in one way or another throughout your life. You may have had a life experience that set you on this path, but if the desire is in you you are well on your way to fulfilling it.
For more information about what your life as a Doula could look like for you and your family, earning potential, first steps and more, get a copy of our brochure below
We have accreditation from FEDANT. FEDANT is the Federation of Antenatal Educators, a UK-based regulatory body for antenatal educators, breastfeeding counselors, and doulas.
Why the world needs more Doulas
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As a Doula, you will be a birth companion, you can offer emotional, practical and physical support to a mother, birthing person and their family as they need it. A Doula is one of the oldest most nurturing professions we know of!
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We don’t sugar coat the status of our maternity system. It’s in crisis. Inductions, interventions and abdominal births continuously on the rise, we are moving further and further from physiology being the norm. Doulas support families so they are able to make their own choices about their birthing experience, to help them achieve what is right for them and not the system.
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Look at the stats! We have evidence to show that Doulas can reduce risk of Caesarean birth, instrumental birth, painkillers or epidural during birth, reduce induction of labour and make labour shorter. They can also increase the likelihood of breastfeeding successfully! HUGE!
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We have heard many nickname for Doulas including ‘Superheros, Angels and Sisters’ We love these and totally get it. A Doula can be life changing for a family, and the support can contribute to deep healing. Doula’s make a difference to parents, their family and the community they serve in. It’s a ripple effect and so needed in our society.
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Doulas hold & nurture parents. Parents need and deserve to be held. Doula’s can also hold & nurture babies, when their parents need them too.
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Doulas offer continuity of care that we know is proven to improve outcomes for parents and that we lack in the UK. A Doula can encourage parents to use their voice and be heard. The demand for Doulas is growing as we face a maternity system in crisis, where many families need support to navigate a system which often feels against them