BADT is proud and excited to be rolling out a *new* 12-week Full Spectrum Lactation Educator training. This course is going to be in-depth, covering a range of topics, and in true BADT-fashion, this training will offer holistic, values-based, and inclusive information. One of our core teachers for our Full Spectrum Lactation Educator training, is Kaytee Crawford, an experienced doula, educator, and IBCLC who brings a diverse range of skills and gifts to any facilitation space. Keep reading to learn more about her! 5 Questions for Kaytee How did you get started in birth work? And how has that ..read more

by Jessykah Aytch aka Ayaana Imani For the majority of my doula career, I felt sorely inadequate as a resource for lactation support simply because I didn’t know what to say or do as a childfree auntie with no personal lactation knowledge or experience. My lack made me feel inferior. To prevent birth workers who aren’t well versed in lactation from feeling incompetent like I did for the last eight years, let me share some tips that I wish I had known! I hope these help you feel like a knowledgeable lactation resource, even without being a certified lactation consultant*. You can be bomb as f ..read more

Delving into research, evidence, and inclusive information is an important aspect of birth work. AND we understand that is can be a bit overwhelming or hard to get started. One of BADT’s collaborators, Cheyenne Scarlett, previously wrote How to Develop Critical Research Skills: A Guide for Birth Workers, and we wanted to offer a complementary piece that points folks to some solid starting points. We hope this list can benefit both birth worker and the families and individuals they are supporting. *Note on Language: Some resources utilize gendered language. For the purposes of this guide, we h ..read more

At BADT, we often talk about the ways we “center” certain voices or concepts, and we wanted to explore what this term, and furthermore, this action means to us. To center means to hold a person, an identity group, or a value as important, sacred, and valuable. It means holding this person, identity group, or value at the core of how we show up in the birth work space and in the relationships we are building. Centering BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Folks BADT is Black and queer-owned, and we will always center the voices, perspectives, and teachings of folks who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, qu ..read more

At BADT, we care about our doulas feeling confident about running their own businesses. In our 12-week trainings– Full-Spectrum Doula Training and Childbirth Educator Training – we include modules on sustainable and equitable business practices, as well as business strategy sessions. Furthermore, our community app provides a space for folks to brainstorm, problem-solve, and support one another along the journey of running a business. While some birth workers may opt to work for a collective or group practice, others may want to run a solo practice. In any case, it’s important for folks to hav ..read more

by Angelica Al Janabi CW: This blog references perinatal mental health, suicide, and substance use. Note about language: Many sources used gendered terms in their data and research. I have maintained these terms when citing a source. That said, I know that genderqueer and trans folks may be left out of these numbers. It is likely that queer and trans birthing people have similar or even greater numbers of mental health conditions given societal oppression and harm. My postpartum experience was a blur. I wasn’t aware of the correlation at the time, but I could check off personal experience wit ..read more

In many medical and medically-adjacent fields, there is a scope of practice document which defines the roles of different care providers. Birth Advocacy Doula Training (BADT) stands apart from other doula training orgs in that we are committed to full-spectrum work from an anti-oppressive lens. As such, this document is expansive in nature and can be applied to many types of doula work– from abortion support to birth support to queer and trans advocacy. This blog is going to serve as a working document for BADT teachers, trainers, staff, and students to reflect upon. This may also be a tool t ..read more

It’s been another big year at BADT, and we are honored to have the opportunity to pause, reflect, celebrate, and vision with you all! Rituals like this are an important part of birth work AND a crucial part of community. After a birth, we sit with the birthing family and listen as they share about their experience. After supporting someone through loss, we connect with another birth worker to process. After we connect a family with resources, we check in to see how things are going. After working on a big project or training together, we pause to give ourselves credit. And so on. Taking the t ..read more

Should I get certified?! Do I need to get certified?! Doulas have lots of options when it comes to training and certification. As of this writing in 2023, doula work is not currently regulated by a unified body. Thus, there is a ton of variation from program to program; it’s also why folks get to choose whether or not they want to certify at all. At BADT, we honor everyone’s unique birth work journey, AND we are excited about our certification program! This article will answer some FAQs about our full-spectrum doula program and highlight some of the benefits of choosing to get certified. We’ve ..read more

This time of year can be busy and full, despite the fact that our bodies are calling on us to rest and slow down more than ever. (Check out this illustration series by Sophie Lucido Johnson about being gentle with our “animal bodies” here.) The holidays* can be a difficult time to be a doula, AND it can be a difficult time to be a birthing person. This blog offers a few considerations for doulas as you prepare for supporting birthing families through this season. We are hopeful that with intention and care, both birth workers and birthing families can get what they need during the holidays. *W ..read more