DONA International

16/10/2026

13/10/2026

A doula shouldn't have one experience entering a hospital at noon on a Tuesday and a completely different one at 3 AM on a Saturday, just because a different staff member is working!

That kind of inconsistency is part of what American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists - ACOG's Committee Statement on Partnering with Doulas in Clinical Settings sets out to address.

In the latest issue of DONA International’s magazine, International Doula, three of its co-authors reflect on the work: Angela Daniel, MSSW, BDT/ADV CD(DONA), CLC, ICCE, DONA's President-Elect; Averjill Rookwood Lacey, CD; and Lauren A. Graves, Certified Doula, PHR, SHRM-CP, IPMA-CP.

They write about bringing doula perspectives into the room with real influence, and about what still stands in the way of consistent, respectful partnership across health systems.

As they put it, the Statement does not give doulas permission to do work they have already been doing. What it can give them is leverage.💪🏽

The magazine article is free and available to everyone, no membership needed:

https://internationaldoula.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=870547&pre=1

Share it with a provider who you think should read it.

12/10/2026

A person’s menstrual cycle history doesn’t disappear when they become pregnant. It shapes how they experience pregnancy, birth, and postpartum - their stress responses, their emotional processing, their nervous system needs.

At the 2026 Virtual DONA Summit this October 26-27, Te'zha OyaBumi will explore how doulas can learn to read that history and use it to offer more intentional, culturally responsive care.

Te’zha is a womb wellness practitioner, doula, and founder of WOMBS UNITE, a community-rooted initiative dedicated to reconnecting birthing people with their intuitive and ancestral womb wisdom. Through womb circles, spiritual embodiment practices, and one-on-one coaching, she bridges culturally rooted womb traditions with evidence-based perinatal support.

After attending this session, you will have:

🟣 An understanding of the menstrual cycle as a somatic blueprint that reveals patterns in stress response, emotional processing, and nervous system needs

🟣 Practical tools for recognizing womb trauma and supporting clients through pelvic tension

🟣 Skills for tailoring communication and comfort strategies to each client’s cycle history for more culturally responsive, emotionally attuned care

Earn CE hours while you’re at it: 11 live hours, with 24+ available through 60 days of on-demand access after the Summit.

We’re delighted this year’s Summit is virtual so everyone can attend! The Summit takes place October 26-27, 2026. Register now at regular pricing before October 15th at donasummit.com 🎟️

Organizations interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this year’s Summit can find all the details there too.

Also, want to help make the Summit more accessible? We’re accepting non-physical donations for our 2026 Annual Silent Auction. 100% of proceeds go to the Doula Spirit Fund. Contact [email protected] to get involved.

10/10/2026

Postpartum mental health is so much bigger than depression and anxiety.

America Allen, MSW, LCSW has spent over a decade working with high-achieving clients who intellectualize their pain, overanalyze their emotions, and struggle to feel safe in their own bodies. As a licensed trauma and perinatal therapist and founder of SuNu Healing Collectively, PLLC, her work disrupts the myth of "strong" as sustainable and creates space for women to stop coping and start healing.💜

At the 2026 Virtual DONA Summit this October 26-27, she brings that expertise to doulas and birth workers, offering a trauma-informed, parts-based approach to postpartum mental health that goes far beyond diagnostic categories.

After attending this session, you will have:

🟣 An understanding of the identity fragmentation, somatic distress, and emotional overwhelm that often go unseen in postpartum clients

🟣 The ability to identify common postpartum parts such as the Overfunctioner, the Inner Critic, and the Self-Sacrificing Caretaker and understand what they're protecting

🟣 Practical tools drawn from Internal Family Systems and somatic trauma healing to support clients in reconnecting with their inner world and reclaiming themselves after birth

Earn CE hours while you're at it: 11 live hours, with 24+ available through 60 days of on-demand access after the Summit.

We're delighted this year's Summit is virtual so everyone can attend! The Summit takes place October 26-27, 2026. Register now at the regular price before October 15th at donasummit.com 🎟️

Organizations interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this year's Summit can find all the details there too.

Also, want to help make the Summit more accessible? We're accepting non-physical donations for our 2026 Annual Silent Auction. 100% of proceeds go to the Doula Spirit Fund. Contact [email protected] to get involved.

See you there!!

09/10/2026

Doula burnout isn't just a personal problem. It's an access problem.

When doulas can't afford to keep going, it's the families with the least access to care who feel it most.

At the 2026 Virtual DONA Summit this October, Ashley Gerhard, CD(DONA), doula, educator, mother of seven, and founder of Phoenix Transformations, will guide doulas through practical, evidence-informed strategies for building financially sustainable practices while staying rooted in access, cultural humility, and trauma-informed care.

Sustainability and values-aligned practice aren't in conflict but building both at the same time takes intention, systems literacy, and the right tools.

After attending this session, you will have:

🟣 Practical strategies for building a financially sustainable doula practice without compromising your values

🟣 Tools for reducing burnout through systems literacy, collaboration, and supportive infrastructure

🟣 Concrete, adaptable approaches for expanding access to care in your own community, regardless of practice size or setting

Earn CE hours while you're at it: 11 live hours, with 24+ available through 60 days of on-demand access after the Summit.

We're delighted this year's Summit is virtual so everyone can attend! The Summit takes place October 26-27, 2026. Register now at the regular price before October 15th at donasummit.com 🎟️

Organizations interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this year's Summit can find all the details there too.

Also, want to help make the Summit more accessible? We're accepting non-physical donations for our 2026 Annual Silent Auction. 100% of proceeds go to the Doula Spirit Fund. Contact [email protected] to get involved.

09/10/2026