Lending Library
“The Lending Library was wonderful! My husband and I would highly recommend this class to friends and family. Thank you!” — Class participant.
The Center has an extensive, up-to-date Lending Library on a wide variety of topics related to the childbearing year and the promotion of healthy families. The collection includes videos, dvds, and cds in addition to books. All books required to complete DONA International birth and postpartum doula certification are available. Topic areas include: nutrition, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, postpartum depression, grief and loss, vaccines and informed choice, herbs, homeopathy, yoga, exercise, women’s health, parenting, adoption, midwifery, anthropological studies, small business development, and more.
Recently Expanded Library Collection!
- The Business of Being Born DVD
- It’s My Body, My Baby, My Birth DVD
- Joining the Family DVD
- Baby Talk DVD
- Infant Massage: The Power of Touch DVD
- Labor Support: A Comfort Guide DVD
- Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care DVD
- Toolbox for New Dads DVD
- American Heart Association Family & Friends First Aid DVD
- Vaccines: The Risks, the Benefits, the Choices DVD
- Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal DVD
- HypnoBirthing Book & CD
- Pushed!
- Born in the USA
Please Note:
Our Lending Library is open most weekdays and is self-serve. Just follow the posted instructions at the Center. We ask that you borrow no more than one DVD or videotape at a time and return it within one week please. Book borrowing is limited to three per family for a maximum of three weeks. Please don’t allow the Center’s library materials to collect dust in your home for weeks, months, and years on end. Someone else is waiting to use them! They can be returned to the drop box inside the front door of the Center, so return them at your convenience, any time of the day or week.
You are invited . . .
. . . to write up a brief, critical review of any of these items and we will publish your review on the website. If there is an item in the Lending Library that you found particularly helpful, or that you would like to comment on, write it up for the benefit of others. Be the first to contribute to what we hope will become a thriving online community!
Resource Center
In addition to the Lending Library, available resources include:
- community resources, including bulletin boards and display areas for events, brochures, and business cards
- a variety of free catalogs and magazines
- a recycle bin for newsletters, magazines, and journals of interest
- knowledgeable staff
Continuing Education Credits (CEs)
“As someone who had taken lactation education training classes before, I thought I wouldn’t learn much new information — I was wrong! Thanks so much!” — Class participant
Continuing Education credits or CEs have been awarded for all eligible programs. For readers unfamiliar with CEs, also referred to as CEUs, they are a requirement for certified doulas and many other licensed professionals to keep their credentials active. The DONA-certified doula is required to complete 15 hours of continuing education in every three-year re-certification period. CEs have been approved for nurses, social workers, and doulas for some programs. Any program approved for nursing CEs will also satisfy DONA CE requirements.
Please note, however, that because a program has been approved for nursing or social work CEs, it does not follow that one must be a nurse or social worker in order to take the training. A medical or professional background is not required in order to become a doula!
The following providers have approved CEs for select programs offered through the Center for the Childbearing Year:
- The University of Michigan Health System Educational Services for Nursing, accredited as a provider of Continuing Nursing Education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commision on Accreditation (these CEs fulfill requirements for nurses, doulas, and some childbirth educators);
- Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative (these CEs fulfill requirements for social workers); and
- DONA International (these CEs fulfill requirements for doulas)
If you are unsure whether or not a program will fulfill your unique licensing requirements, please check directly with the folks who licensed you. While many massage therapists, for example, are drawn to doula work, it is my understanding that nursing CEs do not fulfill massage therapist continuing education requirements.
There is an additional fee of $15, beyond the cost of the training, to process CEs. The added CE fee helps us cover the significant administrative burden and cost involved with getting programs approved for CEs, as well as the required post-training follow-up.
How to Register
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES. Registration is limited and will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. To reserve your spot, send a minimum payment of $100 (or the full fee if tuition is less than $100). Balances are due on the first day of class. A limited number of more flexible payment plans or work/study opportunities are available upon request, but must be approved in advance. Email Patty Brennan. Once we receive your check, we will mail you a letter of confirmation providing directions and other information. Last-minute registrations may be accepted, space permitting.
DISCOUNTS: Most of the professional trainings offer an inducement for early registration. To qualify for the early registration discount, payment must be made IN FULL no later than 5pm on the early-registration date (ERD) listed.
A full REFUND, minus a $25 processing fee, will be provided upon request up until one week before any class begins. After that time, refunds will not be issued, though students may use their credit to enroll in a future class or support group (minus $25). Once we are within 24 hours of a class beginning, no refunds or credits will be issued.
Please make checks out to:
Center for the Childbearing Year
Mail to:
Patty Brennan
Center for the Childbearing Year
722 Brooks St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
CREDIT CARDS: We accept VISA and Mastercard over the phone. A $10 fee will be assessed for credit card refunds. This is in addition to the $25 cancellation processing fee detailed above.
Questions?
Call (734) 663-1523 or email Patty Brennan.