Overview
The BASE Doula Apprenticeship Program is designed to prepare aspiring doulas to confidently enter the field of community birth work. It is a 10 to12-month program that combines carefully selected training, mentorship, professional development, peer support, and hands on experience supporting birthing families. We invest in aspiring doulas that have a passion for community, advocacy, and supporting expectant and new parents.
What Makes a Community BASE Doula Special?
BIRTH – A community BASE doula recognizes that birth is rooted in community and family and integrated with culture and spirituality.
ADVOCACY – A community BASE doula helps clients navigate complex systems, challenge discriminatory practices, and ensure informed consent.
SUPPORT – A community BASE doula provides compassionate emotional, physical, and informational support through pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.
EMPOWERMENT – A community BASE doula empowers families by protecting their rights, enhancing their knowledge, honoring their culture, and connecting them to resources.
Meet the Program Director & Mentor
Marchelle Pettit, CD, CCHW, CCed, Co-Founder
Apprenticeship Includes
- Doula training
- Community Health Worker training
- First Aid/CPR training
- Community Breastfeeding Education by an IBCLC
- 1:1 Mentorship
- Peer Support
- Professional Development
- Guidance while supporting three births
Testimonial
As I began my work in maternal health, being part of a community doula apprenticeship program gave me a foundation that goes far beyond birth support. I trained as a birth doula, a community outreach perinatal educator, a certified lactation specialist, and a community health worker — and that range has made me a more well-rounded birth professional. Through mentorship and training, I learned that I don’t just show up for births; I understand families’ broader needs, from prenatal education and feeding support to connecting them with community resources.
The depth of support, mentorship, and professional development is what makes being part of a community doula apprenticeship so valuable. It doesn’t just prepare you to attend births; it prepares you to serve your whole community. I’d recommend the BASE Doula Apprenticeship Program to anyone who wants to do this work seriously and well.
– Tara Velez, Community Doula
I deeply believe in the power of community, and I believe community doulas deserve to be seen, valued, and supported by the communities they serve. When I first entered the profession, I experienced the lack of diversity in my training, the lack of peer support, and limited access to mentorship and community. This showed me how challenging it can be to begin this work without the guidance and connection needed to thrive. Through co-founding and leading a community doula program, I made it a priority to respond to those needs as doulas expanded their knowledge, strengthened their skills, and gained experience. As I always share with my doula mentees, “We never reach the pinnacle of learning,” and this apprenticeship provides the ongoing mentorship, peer-to-peer support, and professional development community doulas need to continue growing, lead with confidence, and help shape the future of community birth work.
Requirements
- Current resident of St. Joseph, LaPorte, or Elkhart counties
- Must complete all required coursework
- Support 3 families prenatally, during labor, and during the postpartum period
- Participate in monthly mentorship and doula supervision
- Reliable transportation
- Pass a background check
- Computer and internet access
Paving the way for a sustainable career.