EDUCATE
EMPOWER
SUPPORT
Meet your Rochester-based DONA Birth Doula Trainers: Julia Sittig and Christy Muscato
As Rochester Doula co-trainers, Julia and Christy each have two decades of doula experience behind them, that’s forty years of combined doula work and additionally over twenty-five years combined of training experience. Having met at their own DONA Doula Training in 2004, they connected, grounded themselves in this work together, and formed a partnership that feeds and nourishes every aspect of what they bring to you in doula training.
What does this mean for you? It means that as they draw those lived experiences into every aspect of their teaching, you become part of this beautiful birth story. The lives they’ve touched in the past, become beacons for the lives you will touch in the future as a Certified Birth Doula with DONA (Doulas of North America).
Our goal as your DONA Birth Doula Trainers:
To help you be ready to support birthing persons and their families in your community from the moment you walk out of our doors at the end of a training weekend.
You. Are. A. Doula. And if you want to feel empowered to support others, then we have to do our job to go deep into empowering you as the doula.
"Absolutely amazing doula training weekend with Christy and Julia! Loved every minute. It was such a wonderful time, packed with relevant and enriching information"
Naomi
"Incredible. I learned so much about labor support and childbirth, and felt confident going into my first birth as a doula."
Meg
"It’s clear your passion to provide the best support and training are important not only to you but also to the doula community."
Class Participant
"Julia is an excellent instructor with deep respect, kindness and compassion for all participants. It is evident she displays these same attributes as a birth doula with her clients. I am in awe and inspired by her professionalism and integrity and her ability to connect so deeply with birth people and partners and with all of us during this training. The training by far exceeded my expectations and provided me with much needed education and support in my journey to becoming a certified birth doula with DONA International."
Class Participant
"So nice to have such experienced and amazing doulas as our teachers. Your dedication to your clients is evident and even when things didn't go as planned, "it all worked out"
Class Participant
Choose a training that supports you as a confident new Birth Doula.
Our training week-end is packed full of both intellectual and hands-on learning to support physiologic birth, as well as learning the ins and outs of medical interventions and how those sometimes interplay with labor. We work together on comfort measures and non-pharmacological pain management techniques, the doula’s role before, during and after birth, and the invaluable role of communication skills and values clarification as you work with as a birth team with those around you.
From the moment you walk forward as a new doula, we are here to support you. We have developed a large training community that provides access for multiple touch points along the way with us as trainers, with the doula community at large, and with DONA International as your training and certifying organization.
You do not go out into this work alone. The incredible group that you train with becomes your doula family and we work hard to instill that community approach in all we do.
2025 Birth Doula Training Dates
MARCH 21 - 23, 2025 Rochester, NY @Beautiful Birth Choices
NOVEMBER 7-9, 2025, Buffalo, NY @The Fountain Wellness Center
TRAINING FEE: $675
Your journey as a new DONA Birth Doula starts here. Complete the simple information form, choose the date that works best for you, and you’ll receive a registration form that will get you started toward securing your spot with us. All registrations are confirmed with the completion of the paperwork you receive and a deposit submission.
The details:
YOUR TRAINERS
DONA Approved Birth Doula Trainings with Beautiful Birth Choices are taught by approved trainers, Julia Sittig, MSW, AdvCD/BDT(DONA), LCCE and Christy Muscato, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE.
INVESTMENT
Birth Doula Trainings are an investment of $675 for a three day comprehensive training that includes a childbirth education course specifically designed for doulas. Registrations are secured with a $200 deposit, which is applied toward the balance which is due prior to the start of training.
If you complete your registration and payment in full at least one month before the date of the training, you receive access to an Early Bird Bundle Bonus! The Early Bird Bundle includes:
- A DOULA t-shirt
- Access to three doula business PDF’s to help you get started keeping track of clients and documenting your work together
- A specially designed DOULA ID photo badge for your work in medical settings.
You can also, register for the Introduction to Breastfeeding for Doulas Certification to meet the breastfeeding requirement for your DONA certification here. This is a key component to certification and an excellent class that provides you with important tools for supporting your client’s breastfeeding journeys. Taught by Alison Spath, IBCLC and Approved DONA CE educator for this class content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the doula training and what does it include?
Our trainings are close to 30 hours in length. Typically we train across a three consecutive day weekend, but occasionally we break that up into two weekends or offer a hybrid training scenario. Training includes a comprehensive doula education piece and a full childbirth express course for doulas, which are both components of the certification process.