CLASSES + EVENTS

Family Doula Training-Jamaa Birth Village

A Family Doula Training at Jamaa Birth Village

Join Jamaa Birth Village for a Family Doula Training During Juneteenth -June 18-20, 2025

"Birth belongs to the family, and doulas belong to the community-not the system."-Okunsola M. Amadou

Families are meant to be sacred, safe and caring spaces for everyone-especially pregnant mothers and new babies. The culture, heritage and wisdom of childbirth is historically woven into the fabric of every family, held in place by the elders. At Jamaa Birth Village, we've heard from Nanas, GG's and Grandmas that that wisdom, as well as the family's midwives and doulas have been lost in many family lineages due to the systemic erasue of Grand midwives and our the birthing culture of African, African American and Indigenous families. Jamaa Birth Village stands as a bridge to reestablish the family lineage of birth workers-including doulas.

If you feel called to be a doula in your family, serving those who you love and care for the most, throughout the perinatal journey, then this training is for you. This training is prepared to activate and awakening the gifts and skills relating to childbirth that already exist in your family line. This training also prepares you for practicing during modern times relating to home, birth center and hospital care.

Topics to be covered are:

  • Cultural and heritage based birth companion care based on African American folk healing, practices and ways
  • Normal physiologic experiences throughout the perinatal period
  • Common complications throughout the perinatal period
  • Healing and prevention modalities
  • Comfort measures
  • Creating the blueprint plans for the family giving birth
  • Navigating the murky waters of the medical industrial complex
  • Advocating & Elevating during challenges
  • Foodways & More....

Who Should Apply?

  • Elders- Great Grandmas, Grandmas, Aunties and more. It's important that the matriarchs and leaders of the family who once held this knowledge and wisdom, receive access to this knowledge and wisdom again to restore the family lineage and preserve the cultural heritage of birth companion care.
  • Lovers, Partners & Spouses: You are the closest to the person giving birth, knowing what brings them joy, comfort, peace, and ease. We need you to know all things about being a doula, from conception, to loss to birth, to postpartum and parenting.
  • Sisters, Cousins, & Siblings: Whether you were born through the same parents, family line or through marriage, you share a common core thread with your family member planning to birth. It takes a family to support the birthing of a new family, and with your knowledge, wisdom and support as a doula in your family, you can play a role alongside the elders and partners in taking care of the mother and newborn(s).
  • Godsisters & Godmothers: You're family, spiritual and sacred family, and you, out of everyone, need to be grounded in what the childbirth experience is and how you can support the new parent and newborn as a doula

This is a 3-day, 24-hour training that elevates the birth companion and family care skills that family members already have. 

This training is free and scholarship based and for people who are serious about rebuilding their family lineage of birth workers. Maximum of 3-family members per training.

Applications will close at limit or on May 20, 2025, whichever comes first.

Apply Below! If you have any questions, email us at info@jamaabirthvillage.org.

 

 

A Family Doula Training™ Application

Jamaa Birth Village hosts A Family Doula Training for Lovers, Partners, Spouses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunties, Siblings, Cousins and more! This 3-day doula training from June 18th-20th, 2025-takes place to restore family birth workers which are apart of the fabric of African and African American Cultural Heritage. Jamaa Birth Village offered the first free and scholarship based doula training for Black people in St. Louis beginning in 2016. In light of this pioneering work, this training is free/scholarship based and also seeks to normalize doula care as normal family events that remains accessible to those who already love and care for deeply the ones given birth and being born. This training de-centers the capitalist and consumerist model that doula care can only be provided by those outside of your family at a cost that many people can not afford. "Birth belongs to the family, and doulas belong to the community."-Okunsola M . Amadou At Jamaa Birth Village-we're here to make sure everyone experiences a joyful, positive and vibrant childbirth experience with the ones they love the most-their family. Apply below if you'd like to become a family doula!

A Family Doula Training