Developing Doulas

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Developing Doulas

What's a doula do? Are you curious? Did you have a doula? Wanna be a doula? We run preparation courses to help people become doulas.

The course is approved by Doula UK. We offer both online and in person courses.

31/05/2026

Our hearts are broken 💔

This morning, our beloved Founder, Maddie McMahon, died peacefully at home with her wonderful husband by her side.

There are no words big enough for a loss like this.

Maddie was a force of nature. A doula, a teacher, a mentor, a community builder, a fierce advocate for women and babies, and the beating heart of Developing Doulas for almost two decades.

Thousands of doulas have been trained through Developing Doulas. Tens of thousands of families have been impacted by that work. The ripples of Maddie’s love, wisdom and determination stretch further than any of us could ever measure.

Many of you learned from her. Many of you were held by her. All of us have been changed by her.

Right now, we are grieving alongside her family, friends, colleagues, trainees and the wider doula community. We know that this news will land heavily for so many people.

As we navigate the days and weeks ahead, we remain deeply committed to honouring and protecting the legacy she built. Developing Doulas was one of the greatest loves of Maddie’s life and we will continue this work with the same courage, compassion and commitment that she embodied every single day.

For now, we are taking things one day at a time 💜

Please be gentle with yourselves and each other.

Love harder.
Laugh loudly.
Go for the swim.
Say the things.
Hold the people you love.
Without question, that’s what Maddie would want 💜

With love,
Becky, Katie, Aimee, Vicky, Laura and Zara 💜

28/05/2026

As doulas, it is never our role to lead the way or change the path of a birth, but to journey alongside the families we support. We listen, we watch, we take it all in, and we learn something new from every family who invites us to join them. 🌿

If you’re looking for work that inspires you and brings something different every day, perhaps the role of a doula is calling you.

We hold courses in locations across the country and online. We have our Developing Doulas Preparation Course and our Postnatal Only Course. If you would like to know more you can find all the information you need on our website or you can book a connection call with one of our course facilitators.

We can't wait to meet you 💜

27/05/2026

Join for the Developing Doulas Postnatal Only Course this June in Cambridge.

🕛 9am to 5.30pm
📆 26th, 27th, 28th June

💜 Are you looking to deepen your knowledge of postpartum support?

💜 Or do you want to be a doula who specialises in the precious postpartum period?

💜 Would working as a postpartum doula fit in better with you lifestyle?

Supporting families through this raw and beautiful time is meaningful work that has the power to change lives.

Our Postnatal Course is designed to be the perfect start to your postnatal doula career or a deeper dive for doulas who want to specialise in postpartum support.

Some of the topics covered are:
Active Listening
Debriefing
What does a Mother/new parent Need?
What Does a Baby Need?
The Hormones of the postnatal period
Creating a Postnatal Plan
Feeding babies
Consent and Human Rights
The role of the postnatal doula
Boundaries and dealing with tricky situations
Evidence based practice
Infant Sleep
Setting up as a postnatal doula – business and practicalities

14/05/2026

"A doula will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to see the family through a safe and satisfying birth as defined by the family." Penny Simkin

Penny Simkin was a physical therapist who has specialised in childbirth education and labour support since 1968. She was also a doula, author and co-founder of DONA International and PATTCh (Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic Childbirth).

One of the most beautiful things about being a doula is that we get to be with families for the whole journey, from pregnancy to labour to meeting their baby. Our shift doesn't end. We are there throughout because we know the power of continuity of care, patience and a steady, loving reassurance.

If you would like to join one of our Doula Preparation Courses we hold them online and in-person. We also have our Postnatal Only course which is a deep dive into postnatal doula care. You can find all the information on fees, content and dates/location on our website.

We look forward to meeting you! 💜

12/05/2026

There are lots of doula courses out there and it's important you choose the right one for you.

Your doula course facilitator will doula you through your course. You need to feel a connection to who they are and trust the space they hold.
All of our course facilitators have done introductory videos on our website for you to watch. We also host online taster sessions and you can follow them on Instagram

What are the ethics and founding principles of the course provider?
You can find our 7 C's and mission on our About page on our website.

What is their story? How were they founded?
Our Herstory was recorded last year and can be watched on youtube. The link is on our linktree in our bio.

What does the course include?
Full details of the course curriculum and fees can be found on our website.

We love training doulas but what is more important to us is that you choose the right doula course for who you are and the doula you want to be 💜

11/05/2026

If you’ve been thinking about starting your doula journey, now is the time to join us. 💜

Join beckyjames_doula for her in-person Doula Preparation Course in Cambridge

📆 Dates: June 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th 2026
📍Location: Cambridge

Why train with Developing Doulas?

✔️ We've been training doulas since 2007 and are a accredited course provider

💜 Join a supportive community of passionate, like minded people

🌎 Have the freedom to create a business that suits the needs of you and your family

🌿 Feel fulfilled, having a career that contributes to a better society

🤝Access opportunities for collaboration and co-working

👭 Access our built in mentoring and companionship as you take your first steps

👩‍🍼 Learn how to sustain a viable doula business, in addition to doula skills

🧠 Access discounted CPD, to further your learning

07/05/2026

Maddie's wise and gentle words reminding us what our role is and how to serve the families that invite us to walk alongside them.

If you would like to join one of our doula training courses we are running them in Brighton, London, Norfolk, Cambridge, Manchester and online.

We promise to love and nurture you through the process, never judge and to always be honest.

We commit to giving as much of ourselves as we can to the process of providing you with practical and emotional support. In other words, we are your doulas!

If you would like anymore information, please head to our website or email us at [email protected]

05/05/2026

International Day of the Midwife 2026 - One Million More Midwives.

This reflects the urgent need globabally for at least one million additional midwives to meet the sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and adolescent health (SRMNAH) needs of women and gender-diverse people. Evidence shows that with at least 900,000 more midwives it would prevent 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths, and 65% of stillbirths annually saving up to 4.3 million lives every year by 2035.

As doulas we see first hand how the shortage of midwives affects the care they can provide and the impact it has on the families they support.

Today we raise awareness for the One Million More Midwives petition and to collectively call on governments and decision-makers to act. Through the campaign, we are calling for:

✔️Investment in and recognition of midwives as vital healthcare providers, and policies that enable them to work to their full scope of practice, delivering safe and respectful care to women, newborns, and families.

✔️Education, skills development, and resourcing so midwives can deliver high-quality care in well-supported and enabling environments.

✔️Strong midwifery leadership, ensuring midwives have influence over decisions that affect their work and communities, and the ability to collaborate equitably with other professionals to improve care for all.

You can sign the petition by following the link on our linktree.

28/04/2026

🌞 Calling all future doulas! 🌞

Join this May in London for the Developing Doulas Doula Preparation Course.

A nurturing, heart-led space to learn, grow, and step into your calling with confidence.

✨ Supporting families starts with supporting you. We will doula you as you flourish into the doula you are born to be. 💫

Families are waiting for the unique gift that is you! 💜

Hold space. Be seen. Build your village.

📍North London (N14)
📆May 9th, 10th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th
With

Address

London

Website

http://developingdoulas.co.uk/book-call

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