1. (a) Any individual seeking to be a certified doula under this chapter shall demonstrate training and experience in the following core competencies:

   1. (1) Familiarity with maternal and infant health concepts and approaches, including but not limited to:

      1. a. Maternal anatomy and physiology during the perinatal period;
      2. b. Common medical interventions during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period;
      3. c. Labor and delivery comfort measures;
      4. d. Common potential complications associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period;
      5. e. Best practices for emotional support and advocacy for family needs; and
      6. f. Newborn care including the fundamentals of infant feeding;
   2. (2) Familiarity with service coordination and system navigation including, but not limited to, lactation support, resource navigation for wrap-around services, and screening referrals;
   3. (3) Familiarity with health promotion and prevention, including but not limited to perinatal health education and newborn parenting education;
   4. (4) Interpersonal communication, including but not limited to active listening, engaging with medical team members and family members, and providing constructive feedback; and
   5. (5) Ethical responsibilities and professionalism.

2. (b) Core competencies shall be demonstrated by one or more of the following:

   1. (1) Certification within the last 5 years from any certifying organization that meets the standards established by the National Doula Certification Board (NDCB), available at https://www.doulaboard.org/; or

   2. (2) Other training and experience as documented by the following:

      1. a. A transcript from a school or program that provides doula training including at least 10 hours of training in the core competencies listed in (a), above; and
      2. b. Evidence of attendance at 3 or more births in the preceding 5 years and evidence of active doula practice consisting of at least one visit during the perinatal period per year in each year after completing training.

Source. #14429, eff 1-16-26, EXPIRES 1-16-36