A Gentle Orientation to Birth First Aid
When people first encounter the Birth First Aid for Mother and Baby course, questions often arise, not just practical ones, but deeper, quieter ones too. This page is here to offer a gentle orientation and to answer some of the questions we’re most often asked. Birth First Aid is not about fear or anticipation of emergencies. It’s about preparedness, calm thinking, and being resourced enough to respond with care when something unexpected arises. Do I need to be a trained midwife to take this course?No. This course is open to anyone attending births at home: including doulas, traditional birth attendants, student midwives, birthkeepers, and parents. It’s designed to meet people where they are, whether they are just beginning or deepening an existing practice. Is this course only for home birth attendants?The course is designed with home and low-resource settings in mind. That said, many hospital-based birthworkers, especially those working in rural or under-resourced environments, find the principles and skills supportive and grounding. What if I can’t attend the live sessions?All live sessions are recorded and shared within 24 hours. Many participants join live when they can, and catch up later when needed. You’ll have access to the material for several months. How long do I have access to the course?You’ll have access to the course content from 24 February 2026 until 4 August 2026, allowing time to revisit material and integrate what you’ve learned. Are payment plans or scholarships available?Yes. We offer flexible payment plans in USD, EUR, GBP, and ZAR. Scholarships, sliding scale options, and returning student discounts are also available, because accessibility is a core value of this work. Is this a clinical or protocol-based course?No. While practical skills are taught clearly and carefully, the course is rooted in traditional midwifery, physiological birth, and respectful care. It’s about thinking clearly, not following rigid scripts. If you’re feeling a quiet pull towards this course, trust that curiosity. You don’t need to be certain or “ready” in any particular way — just open to learning, reflecting, and preparing with care. You can read more about the course and enrol here And if questions remain, you’re always welcome to reach out directly to...
Read MoreUnder the Shade of an Olive Tree, Midwives Gather in Spain
Firstly, it’s bloody hot here at Da-a-Luz. That I have to say. Dry, sweltering heat that leaves you sweating at the slightest movement once the sun is up. Yummy food sourced mainly from the local gardens and surrounding farms, goat’s milk, cheeses, honey, pears, aubergines, watermelons, zucchini, olives and olive oil. So good. I sit, writing this by candlelight in the caravan I am staying in…the sun has finally set and with it a bit of cool and the sounds of the crickets descend. I have just returned from collecting water from the spring with midwife Fiona and student midwives Hannah and Jennifer…we also cooled our feet after a long day of neonatal resuscitation training. For the past week, midwives and student midwives have gathered on cushions under the shade of an olive tree, sharing their stories, fears, hopes, dreams and hopes of births for the women they serve. And themselves. One thing is clear: midwives are frustrated at the state of how births are run in this world. They are shocked and angry at the soaring caesarean and intervention rates. When was it that institutions became the places to manage and control this mostly straightforward and holy life event? What I have learned is this: – get a bunch of midwives together and they will find endless birth related things to talk about, debate and discuss, from the complicated to the ecstatic, from the outrageous to the most undemanding. Sharing techniques, pearls of wisdom and skills. And midwives do not seem to grow weary of this subject either. But midwives and midwifery students feel tired and defeated too. Innately, they believe in women’s ability to give birth to their babies, but many midwives are tired of fighting against the systems that constantly claim this right. But there is something truly magical and inspiring that happens when midwives are given the time to get together and share and support one another in this time old profession they hold so dear. It is as though the little spark of hope that sometimes feels that it may be dying is fanned by the love and strength of other birth keepers. If there is anything I can recommend, it is for midwives to regularly gather to share in a non-judgemental setting. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. Safe, empowering, beautiful births for the mothers and babies we serve....
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