Yesterday a HUGE issue hit the birthing community, but the positive of it is it’s given a lot of Certifying Bodies an opportunity to say who and what they are, and it’s given the Childbirth industry a lot of media attention.  Some of it isn’t good but there have been golden moments where how amazing Doulas are have outshone the dark shadows.

Madrilla’s position statement on that topic can be found here, and in that statement we mentioned our philosophy regarding educational costs.

On the whole, within the Birth-worker Education Industry these costs can make Doula education unattainable.  Madriella has always been of the philosophy that it is crucial to see these time honored skills out in the hands of those who can and will use them to better their community. Madriella is delighted to see it’s Doulas who have the ability and resources to give their energy, love and potentially bear the brunt of the cost of support (insurance, vehicle maintenance, child care, etc.) it may take to do physically what’s needed to give their support.

Common sense fact: contributing to your community is how communities grow together.  It also joys us to see those who take it to a level of making being a Doula a serious profession – which many of our Madriella Doulas do, and it helps their own families flourish.

Obviously Madriella has to charge tuition, but as mentioned in the position statement published January 5, 2017, Madriella is graciously supported by the Massage School that the Madriella Network stemmed off of.

Let’s be real though folks, it’s 2017 and Madriella is more financially independent than it was at it’s inception in 2006, with more Doulas coming to the Network every day due to its stability, strong ethics and sense of respect for not only the families Madriella’s Doulas support, but a desire to see the industry (and yes that does mean the other certifying bodies) grow. Other certifying bodies extend market awareness, they challenge us to reach higher, be better for our network members and seek our own growth. What a wonderful thing to come out of all of this!

As a network Madriella has reached out through those challenges it’s presented with and like a caterpillar coming out of a chrysalis, it members are emerging as beautiful butterflies, with members of our network ready and able to support a family through pregnancy, labor and postpartum recovery upon certification as Doulas, our Professional Members get additional training in Doula business, cultural competency, personal safety, loss support and more.  Madriella’s Childbirth Educators are ready to teach Childbirth Education upon certification, the Lactation Educators are ready to teach breast/chest feeding and give support to families who want their babies to nurse when they are done with their training/certified, and Madriella’s Placenta Specialists are not only knowledgable about the physiology of this amazing organ that was the bridge from their body to their child’s, they know their craft and how to prepare a Placenta in the best and safest manner for the families they serve.

An organization can be the best training avenue in the world for a birth-worker, but if its program isn’t attainable due to finances, it doesn’t really matter, no matter what/who the program and organization is.

Madriella has heard you. Not past tense, we are listening and NOW.

Training attainability and affordability is an issue many are facing in this economy, and while our Professional Membership is offering things that just are unheard of as that low of an amount elsewhere, there are many who just can’t afford it still.

So with that, I am very proud to be authorized to announce that the Madriella Doula Network has released a tuition payment plan. Madriella’s ridiculously affordable program has been made even more affordable. Want to read more about it? Go to: http://madriella.org/monthly-payment-option/

Madriella believes that birth and postpartum support training should be as easily attainable and is as crucial as CPR training. Professional Training as a birth-worker should be the same, whether it’s professional Doula training, Birth Education, Lactation Education or the knowledge about Placenta Preparation with its science and history behind that. So if you’ve been holding off on enrolling because you just don’t have the $300.00 readily available for the Professional Membership that includes all the training that Madriella offers in-house (not including required reading materials and what you need for your professional supplies,) now is the time to do it. Madriella just introduced a payment plan that is realistic and attainable… so it’s training program is too.

Annie Hill
CD, CPPD, CBE, CLE, PE (all Madriella), SBD
Senior Advisory Board Member
angela.hill@madriella.org