Make a difference where you live
Welcome to the Bay Area Doula Training
The Most Comprehensive Doula Training Serving SF-Bay Area and greater California
Led by Birth Coach’s founder and trainer, Neri Life Choma
Join the Upcoming Cohort
Spring 2027 Enrollment Is Now Open
Live virtual meetings are scheduled for March 27, April 10, April 24, May 8, May 22, and June 5, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Two additional four-hour, hands-on workshops will be scheduled to ensure every student can attend at least one in-person workshop.
Want a $100 Discount on Your Training?
Book a free 20-minute consultation to receive your discount code.
Transformational Doula Training in the SF-Bay Area, CA
A Different Kind of Doula Training
Offered by Birth Coach, this California Board of Registered Nursing–approved program is led by our founder, Neri Life-Choma, in affiliation with Bay Area Maternity Midwifery Clinic.
Our comprehensive doula training combines professional education, hands-on experience, and mentorship to prepare graduates to build sustainable, thriving doula practices.
The program meets California Medi-Cal doula training requirements and provides a strong foundation for a sustainable doula career.
Our approach is rooted in client-centered care. Doulas learn to honor each client’s values, beliefs, preferences, and vision for their childbearing experience. We believe there is no single ideal birth—what matters is helping each client define and pursue the experience that is right for them. Graduates learn to provide compassionate, nonjudgmental, individualized support that respects each client’s choices and promotes agency.
Our coaching-based approach also helps doulas expand their role beyond continuous hands-on support. By helping clients build confidence, clarify their preferences, and take an active role in their care, doulas can deepen their impact while creating more balanced and sustainable practices.
To learn more, visit the Birth Coach blog to explore our coaching-based approach to birth work.
The Birth Coach Method Approach
Four Pillars for Impactful, Thriving Doulas
Our approach combines evidence-based knowledge, practical skills, and transformational coaching to help you become a more impactful doula.
Evidence-Based
Learn how to provide reliable information while helping clients explore their options and make choices aligned with their values, preferences, and beliefs.
Trauma-Informed
Learn how to support clients by promoting safety, choice, control, and trust in their caregivers, while honoring each person’s unique beliefs, visions, and circumstances.
Coaching-Oriented
Learn how to facilitate transformational conversations that strengthen client agency, confidence, clarity, and ability to take action.
Community-Driven
Build relationships that continue beyond your training—creating a community of peers you can turn to for support, local resources, and backup.
Learn the theory. Build your skills. Make it your own.
Our Program
From Basics to Mastery
Learn it. Practice it. Experience it. Make it your own.
Our comprehensive doula training combines self-paced learning, live sessions, hands-on practice, and real-world experience, so you won’t just learn what to do—you’ll develop the confidence to practice your new skills in real birth settings.
15 Recorded online classes
Build a strong foundation with engaging, on-demand classes you can complete at your own pace.
18 Hours of live Zoom sessions
Engage in live Zoom sessions, discussions, and opportunities to ask questions. Learn alongside experienced instructors and fellow students while connecting the theoretical knowledge you acquire online to real-life birth work and the doula practice.
2 Hands-on practice workshops
Put your knowledge into practice. Develop practical skills through guided, hands-on training in a supportive environment where you can practice, receive feedback, and build confidence.
PLUS! Get matched with your first clients
Move from the classroom into birth attendance. Our client matching program connects you with families seeking doula support, giving you the chance to gain experience, build confidence, and put your skills into practice in a welcoming environment that supports your growth.
Ongoing Learning & Community
Your education doesn’t end when the training does. Continue learning through free educational events and stay connected to a community of birth professionals.
Program Details
Sign up, Start Now, and Go at Your Own Pace!
1. Self-Study: Learn the Foundations
Access 15 audiovisual classes covering childbirth physiology, labor stages, comfort measures, medical interventions, postpartum care, breastfeeding, and how to establish your doula practice. Learn at your own pace and revisit the material as needed.
See syllabus2. Live Virtual Classes: Practice and Build Confidence
Join six live, three-hour Zoom sessions with your local trainer to deepen your understanding of the doula practice, explore real-life birth scenarios, practice coaching and communication strategies, and learn alongside fellow students. Participate in discussions, breakout rooms, Q&A, and feedback sessions. Recordings are available if you miss a class.
3. Local Mentorship & Practical Experience
Gain hands-on experience through two four-hour in-person workshops focused on labor support tools and comfort measures. In the SF Bay Area, experienced doula and Birth Coach Method founder, Neri Life Choma, provides local mentorship, helps students connect with their first birth clients, and guides them in building professional networks. Students outside the local service area receive guidance on finding their first clients.
Your Lead Mentor
Meet Neri Life Choma
Neri Life-Choma holds a master’s degree in cognitive science and is a certified doula, childbirth educator, hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and Transformational Life Coach. She has been practicing as a birth doula and childbirth educator for 27 years, supporting and teaching thousands of expectant individuals and directing two birth resource centers.
As a doula trainer, Neri is passionate about empowering birth professionals, strengthening their skills, and elevating the birth support profession. She is the author of the audiovisual guide Practicing for an Active Birth and the book The Art of Coaching for Childbirth.
In 2016, Neri founded Birth Coach Method, a unique approach to birth support that integrates transformational coaching principles and tools into birth support practices. Today, she brings together her expertise in birth, education, coaching, and human behavior to train doulas to build meaningful, sustainable, thriving practices.
In 2016, Neri founded Birth Coach Method, a unique approach to birth support that integrates transformational coaching principles and tools into birth support practices. Today, she brings together her expertise in birth, education, coaching, and human behavior to train doulas to build meaningful, sustainable, thriving practices.
Beyond Online Training
Local Mentorship. Experience. Community.
Bay Area Doula Training combines Birth Coach’s online curriculum with local mentorship from seasoned doula Neri Life Choma. Serving students in the SF-Bay Area and California, Neri helps you connect what you learn to the realities of practicing as a thriving doula in your local community and running a sustainable practice.
Support as You Build Your Practice
- Prepare for your first clients: Get guidance as you work toward your doula certification.
- Build your backup team: Connect with fellow doulas who can become trusted backup partners.
- Build your local network: Connect with pregnancy and birth professionals who can become valuable referral partners.
- Know your birth-work community: Learn about local hospitals, obstetric groups, midwifery clinics, and birth resources.
- Navigate your local market: Gain insight into referral opportunities, local resources, and how to establish your doula practice.
Your Next Milestone
Your Path to Certification
Complete the following requirements within one year of registration to earn your Birth Coach doula certification.
Training and Learning
- Complete all 15 online classes and submit the corresponding study guides.
- Review the additional online learning resources.
- Actively participate in the 6 virtual group meetings.
- Attend at least one of the two in-person, hands-on workshops.
Practical Experience
- Attend at least two births as a doula-in-training.
- Submit a report for each of the two births you attend as a doula-in-training.
Final Assessment
- Pass the final exam, which consists of a case study.
Birth Coach is endorsed by
Graduate Voices
Stories of Growth and Impact
“After taking Neri’s doula training, I attended a birth for my practice hours. This was only the 3rd birth I had ever attended as a doula. After a full day of working with my client, the other midwife pulled me aside and said, “I can’t believe it! The other midwife just told me you are a doula in training. I thought you had been doing this for years; you seem so confident, and your suggestions for your client have all been spot on!” I’m grateful to Neri for empowering me to work this way fresh out of her doula training course!”
“Birth Coach Method didn’t just teach me how to be a doula—it helped me become the kind of doula I always hoped I’d be.”
“I will forever be grateful for your patience and your willingness to give your students all the knowledge you have acquired in birth support.”
“The hands-on training made me feel more confident going into the line of work. Neri makes it easy to set you up to succeed.”
Your Question Answered
Bay Area Doula Training FAQ
How is the Bay Area Doula Training structured?
The Birth Coach Method program combines 15 recorded online classes, six live Zoom sessions totaling 18 contact hours, two four-hour in-person workshops, and practical experience supporting birth clients. You’ll learn at your own pace, build skills, connect with fellow students, and receive guidance from experienced doulas.
Can I begin before the next cohort starts?
Yes. Once you register, you can begin the recorded online classes before the live cohort sessions begin. Live Zoom sessions and in-person workshops follow the cohort schedule published for each enrollment period.
How long does it take to complete the program?
You can complete the program’s requirements in about seven months. Because schedules and birth opportunities vary, many students complete all certification requirements within one year of registration.
Does this training meet insurance reimbursement requirements in California?
Our training meets California’s educational requirements for doula practice, including the core training topics required under the Medi-Cal pathway. Upon completion, all our graduates receive a certificate documenting their training.
Medi-Cal does not require doulas to receive their training certificate from a specific organization. According to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), you may complete training through any organization, as long as it covers the required topics.
Please note that completing the training is only one part of the Medi-Cal enrollment process. Additional requirements include CPR certification, HIPAA training, birth experience, and enrollment through PAVE. Doulas serving Medi-Cal members through managed care plans may also need to meet plan-specific credentialing and contracting requirements.
Will I receive a doula certificate?
Yes. After completing Birth Coach’s certification requirements, you’ll receive a printable training certificate documenting your completion of the program.
Do I need to live in the Bay Area to enroll?
No. Students from all over California can join. Students who live farther away can still participate in the online classes and live Zoom sessions and receive guidance on finding clients. Please review the current cohort details for in-person workshop attendance requirements.
Will I learn how to establish my doula practice?
Yes. The training includes practical guidance on establishing and growing your doula practice, including business licenses, contracts, liability insurance, advertising, and professional networking.
How will I get the clients I need to earn my certificate?
You won’t be left to figure this out on your own. Bay Area Doula Training supports students’ certification process by offering a client-matching program, in affiliation with local midwifery clinics and birth resource centers. We also help students connect with their communities until they enroll the clients they need to meet certification requirements.
How much does the Bay Area Doula Training cost? Are payment plans available?
Click the registration button to view current tuition, enrollment details, and available payment plans.
Start your doula career
Ready to Train in the SF-Bay Area?
Start your professional journey toward becoming a doula with expert training and local mentorship.