Advanced doula training

By implementing this project, we aimed to support the professional growth of doulas in Croatia and Iceland through the exchange of experiences and best practices which would lead to and be a part ...

By implementing this project, we aimed to support the professional growth of doulas in Croatia and Iceland through the exchange of experiences and best practices which would lead to and be a part of a new Advanced doula training. We aimed to create a curriculum mostly focused on supporting in challenging situations and creating sustainable businesses for doulas. We wanted to implement this free training for actively working doulas of partner organisations, ensuring they gained practical, applicable skills to improve their services and make their business more sustainable. The plan was to make this curriculum applicable to different cultural contexts, so doulas beyond Croatia and Iceland can benefit from it, especially within future Erasmus+ projects. We also wanted to raise awareness about human rights in birth within other birth workers and local communities, increase the visibility of doula work and organisations and create international relationships which would set ground for spreading of this new training to more countries, to upgrade standards of doula profession internationally, for their own empowerment and the wellbeing of the families they support.

We implemented a series of activities: - Planning sessions: Presidents of both associations held many online meetings to define the steps for each country and prepare materials. - Needs identification workshop: A psychological workshop brought together Croatian and Icelandic doulas for their first meet-up and identification of needs. - Two field trips: Doulas traveled to their international partners to gain new competences in which the other team was more skilled. The curriculum, materials, videos and online platform were created in in-person sessions. - Training weekends: ADT was carried out simultaneously in Croatia and Iceland, through-out a 8 month period, in which - 60 doulas were trained. Each month was dedicated to one topic which answered participants’ needs with a monthly training weekend, resources on the online platform and homeworks. - Workshops for parents: A human rights in birth workshop was held in Croatia and a Rebozo techniques for birth workshop took place in Iceland. - Project presentations and dissemination: The ADT was presented at the European Doula Network Meeting to promote further adoption. Parents and midwives in both countries were engaged through workshops, presentations, websites, and social media.

These are project’s key results: ADT Curriculum: A structured 8-month program covering human rights in childbirth, trauma-informed support, pregnancy loss, parent-infant bonding, and business skills—designed specifically for doulas using non-formal education methods. Educational Materials: Manuals, video lectures, and an online platform were developed for this and future Advanced Doula Trainings. International Knowledge Exchange: Croatian and Icelandic doulas learned from each other through field trips and workshops, strengthening long-term collaboration. 60 Trained Doulas: Doulas completed ADT (8 training weekends + homeworks), gaining confidence and new skills to better support families and make business sustainable. 12 doulas registered new businesses, 6 of them quit their current jobs. Workshops for Parents: Human rights in birth and Rebozo techniques workshops provided parents with free birth preparation. European Doula Network Presentations: ADT was introduced to a wider audience, encouraging its adoption and Erasmus+ opportunities and achieving the adoption of new education standards. Sustainable Training Model: The curriculum and materials will continue to be used in future projects for continuous doula education.