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 Becoming aTraditional Birth Companion

What is a Traditional Birth Companion?

A Traditional Birth Companion follows in the footsteps of those women who came before her, humbly serving the family in the way that best meets their needs. She brings wisdom, experience, and knowledge to a timeless process that unfolds more simply in the presence of understanding and compassion. She carries ancient wisdom regarding herbs, remedies, nutrition, family and faith, and brings new knowledge in the science and physiology of healthy pregnancy and safe birth. The wisdom of a Traditional Birth Companion encompasses much more than just helping a mother give birth. It addresses generations of misinformation, fear, trauma, and bondage to a system that harms women. It addresses current concerns with new strategies for wellness and wholeness.

A Traditional Birth Companion (also known as a Traditional Birth Attendant) is recognised around the world as an experienced mentor who provides non-medical care for women during their childbearing experience according to the customs and traditions of the culture in which they live. In places around the world where it’s not illegal to be a midwife without a license, then this role is considered to be a non-medically trained community midwife. In places where midwifery is regulated, the role is more like having an experienced wise-woman with you who knows a thing or two about holistic pregnancy wellness, how birth unfolds, how to support the conditions that makes it simpler and safer, and provides mentoring so that the family becomes more educated, equipped, and empowered for the parenting journey ahead.

A Traditional Birth Companion operates within the traditions and culture in which she lives. We live in a technocratic culture where technology is at the top of the decision-making tree. That means that she provides non-medical support consistent with this paradigm by providing research-backed information and education relevant to conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting from several academic disciplines, including medical, psychological, sociological, midwifery, epidemiological, historical, and even military research.

Why Become a Traditional Birth Companion?

The medicalised birth services industry has continued to deliver dehumanised care for families that now includes unconscionably high rates of interventions, surgery, obstetric violence, and trauma. While almost all mothers and babies live despite unchecked increases in non-scientifically supported interventions, families are not thriving. There is a global crisis of birth-related trauma, postpartum PTSD, postpartum depression and anxiety, breastfeeding failure, relationship breakdown, and postpartum suicide.

Frankly, we can do better ourselves.

We can learn the knowledge and skills to support families from pre-conception to parenting including

• pregnancy nutrition that is proven to improve outcomes

• the purpose and value of all prenatal testing so that parents can make informed medical decisions with their medical provider, if desired

• safe and effective use of herbs and other complementary modalities

• the physiology of safe birth and how to both enhance safety and avoid those things that introduce risk

• how to manage variations with non-medical, traditional skills

• lactation support

• equipping parents to care for their new baby including future medical decisions

• fully trauma-informed care that does not contribute to harming families

We don’t need to rely on an industry that has refused to be accountable for its behaviour and refuses to offer the services that families want. We can leave medical issues to the medical people who work in medical facilities and we can get on with the business of supporting families as they welcome their precious children into the world in the way that they decide is best for them. In other words, we can become more useful humans.

Why Now?

The exodus has begun. Families are done with trying to birth in an industry that has imposed unreasonable restrictions on their options, refuses to learn and practice basic birth skills (mandatory surgery for breech), coerces them into non-evidence based inductions, has growing and un-checked surgical rates, and leaves them with trauma. Add to this, a dire nursing shortage, midwifery that is indistinguishable from obstetrics, and an industry that continues to deny it has a problem regarding client care.

Pregnant and birthing families want to partner with someone who aligns with their values. Someone who

• is well-versed in pregnancy and birth-related research and knows what the evidence actually says

• understands the emotional, spiritual, and relational needs of the pregnant family

• can help the family assess their own wellness using common tools and strategies

• can help enhance and optimise wellness for a healthier pregnancy, baby, and family

• understands how past trauma impacts current health and future plans and takes a resiliency-based approach that fosters hope and healing

• can problem-solve with clients to find solutions that are best for them

• doesn’t rely on fear to motivate clients

• enjoys spending time with clients talking about life

• has chosen to become a more useful human by learning basic birth skills that anyone can use

The need is dire and the time is now.

What Can a Traditional Birth Companion Do?

A well-educated, trained, and skilled Companion can offer her community a variety of services.

• holistic non-medical mentoring and education through prenatal visits, attending the birth, and postpartum care

• childbirth education

• fertility awareness and planning for conception

• one-on-one consultations regarding pregnancy, birth, or postpartum concerns to help clients find and understand relevant research and support their decision-making process

• knowledgeable peer support for processing previous births or birth-related trauma

• help parents plan for a future pregnancy and birth according to their values and wishes

• in-person or virtual visits for prenatal wellness

• in-home care for the postpartum family

• breastfeeding support

What Does it Take to Become a Traditional Birth Companion?

It takes a special kind of person to become a Traditional Birth Companion!

It takes a sense of the dire knowing that far too many families are needlessly hurting.

It takes time and commitment to devote to learning the knowledge and skills that families are asking for.

It takes an investment in your education that will be quickly returned once you begin serving families with compassionate hope.

It takes faith that you are called to this work and that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

It takes a community of like-minded people who share in your determination to do better and offer more and support each other.

It takes moral courage to do what our professionals refuse to do, to act in fearless integrity, be accountable for our actions, to learn what they say shouldn’t be learned, to show up when others won’t, to oppose systemic abuse, and to stand up to tyranny knowing that the current industry will probably seek to eradicate you. It’s the moral courage to say ‘enough! We can do better ourselves’.

It takes you. ❤️

What Makes This Course Different?

This isn’t that

This isn’t medical midwifery. It isn’t learning how to freebirth or become a doula. It is most closely aligned with holistic, traditional, community midwifery that has been eliminated in most parts of the industrialised world that now favours the obstetrical model of maternity services.

It uses today’s medical literature to teach you what the actual science says about safe birth while equipping graduates to provide holistic, non-medical, wise-woman care to support each family’s growing wellness and to welcome babies with wisdom and joy.

It does not equip you to work within the medicalised, regulated, hospital-based system. It does not allow you to order medical tests, diagnose diseases, or prescribe treatments. That calls for a Registered Midwife.

Instead, this is a unique combination of extensive academic research into the science of safe birth, experience from teaching midwives in 125 countries, and 40 years of real-life experience in working with birthing families.

It’s a collaborative endeavour that embraces each participant’s prior learning and experiences, that honours each other’s perspective, that strives to form partnerships that will sustain and endure during tough times and celebrate with abandon during the triumphant times.

It opens doors of possibility where there is no one-size-fits-all and everyone gets what’s on the menu. It equips you to serve in your community according to their needs, your talents, and your passion and calling.

What’s in the Course?

Fully Online

The course is hosted in a private proprietary network that is free from prying eyes and censorship. 2023’s INTENSIVE will unfold over 9 months from September 2023 to June 2024. There are 13 learning units made up of 139 modules that covers topics specific to the role of a Traditional Birth Companion . Each module has written content and may also include links to external videos, audios, articles, and relevant research. It may also include proprietary videos not available anywhere else. Each module includes a section for engaging with your fellow learners to ask questions, share your thoughts, answer questions, and post your assignments.

Weekly Live Tutorials

Throughout the course, Billie will going live each week to provide unique learning opportunities by discussing topics that are not covered in the written material. Participants can ask questions, post their comments, and connect with others at the same time. These tutorials are recorded so they can be viewed or watched again at any time.

Guest Speakers

From time-to-time experts in their field will be invited to join a live tutorial to provide deeper insights and learning on various topics relevant to the role of a Traditional Birth Companion.

Assignments

Each unit has several assignments that enhance learning, help to integrate the course content, and prepare you to work with future clients. Your completed assignments are shared with the group to build on each other’s knowledge and skills. There is no competition, just collaboration.

Required Reading

There’s a lot to read in this course! The one additional book that is required is Rachel Reed’s Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage. In addition to this one required book, there are several additional books you are encouraged to read and add to your library, but are not mandatory (although you’ll be glad you have them).

Biweekly Study Hall

Every 2 weeks there’s a live online Study Hall where participants can work through sections of the course with each other. These sessions help participants to stay on track in the course, talk through challenging content, share their experiences in the field, debrief experiences, and find support. Billie often pops in and answers questions and offers perspective on challenging experiences.

Skills Share

Everyone knows something! Every participant is invited and encouraged to host their own live tutorial to share something that interests them. It could be budgeting, making kombucha, baby wearing, yoni steaming, using a rebozo for labour, eating seasonally, or cleaning hacks. These tutorials are recorded for viewing and reviewing whenever there’s time. It’s another way we engage in collaborative learning and support.

Monthly Gatherings

It’s not all work, we also play. Each month there’s a live online gathering to come as you are, sit back, chew the fat, talk about life, and enjoy each other’s company. This helps develop deeper friendships that often turn into great partnerships for supported birth work.

The Trauma Informed Professional

Becoming a Traditional Birth Companion includes the one-of-a-kind, online, comprehensive, and life-changing course The Trauma Informed Professional. You’ll be working through this course at the same time you are working through the TBC course. It is also a collaborative and supportive learning experience that takes a deep dive into the global issue of obstetric violence, birth trauma, and their solutions.

Course Syllabus

INTRODUCTION

Why I'm Here
The Culture of Childbirth
Traditional Research?

THE ROLE OF A TRADITIONAL BIRTH COMPANION

Legalities
Privacy Considerations
Getting Organised
Paperwork & Documentation
Registering a Business
Insurance

GETTING IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND

Know Yourself
Identifying Personal Values & Ethics
Values Exercise
Ethics Exercise
Emotional Intelligence
Moral Courage
Understanding Research
Preparing for Homesickness

STARTING WITH CLIENTS

Identifying your Role
Perspective & Expectations
Giving Advice
Putting Yourself Out There
Boundaries & Money
Rethinking 'Risk'
The First Meeting
A Birth Bag and Her Contents
Registering a Birth Outside the System

PRENATAL CARE

Menstrual Cycle and Conception
Understanding the Pelvis
Dating a Pregnancy
Nutrition in Pregnancy
Supplements
Understanding Blood Work
Resus Negative and Anti-D (RhoGam)
The Low-Down on Ultrasound
Blood Pressure
Palpation
GBS Testing
Glucose Screening
Advanced Maternal Age
Previous Pre-term Birth
Threatened Miscarriage

PREGNANCY CONCERNS

Nausea & Vomiting
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Heartburn
Bleeding in Pregnancy
Trauma & PTSD
Prior Caesareans
BMI
Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction
Herpes
Candida Overgrowth
Pupp
Macrosomia - The Big Baby
IUGR - Small for Gestational Age
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
Pre-Eclampsia
Cholestasis
Oligohydrmanios
Polyhydramnios
Breech Presentation
Postdates
Domestic Abuse

LABOUR

'Natural' Inductions
Stretch and Sweep
Spontaneous Onset
Prelabour Rupture of Membranes
Preterm Labour
Supporting a Normal Labour
The Water Breaks
The Catecholamine Surge
Assessing Progress
Precipitous Labour
Prolonged Labour
Posterior or Mal-Presentation
Back Labour

BIRTH

Universal Precautions
The 'Just-in-Case' Tray
Positions for Pushing
Everybody Poops
The Baby Arrives
Foetal to Neonatal Circulation
Blood, Boogies, and Breath - Neonatal Resuscitation
Preventing & Treating Haemorrhage
Preventing & Managing Tearing
Shoulder Dystocia
Breech
Umbilical Cord Prolapse

POSTPARTUM & THE NEWBORN

Assessing and Caring for the New Mother
Newborn Assessment
Examining the Placenta
Umbilical Cord Care
Vitamin K
Newborn Concerns
Newborn Jaundice
Rambo - First Blood
Postpartum Mood Disorders
Cultural Approaches to Confinement
Postpartum Food
Postpartum Sexuality & Contraception
Newborn & Family Sleep
Circumcision

LACTATION & BREASTFEEDING

A Little Physiology
Human Milk vs Formula
Establishing Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding Positions
Interventions & Breastfeeding
Helping the Breastfeeding Mother
Breastfeeding Problems 1: Nipple & Breast Pain
Breastfeeding Problems 2: Supply Concerns
Oral Ties
Herbs for Lactation

LOSS & GRIEF

Miscarriage
Stillbirth
Loss of a Planned Birth
Lactation after Loss
Pregnancy after Loss
When the TBC Grieves

SELF CARE

Post-Birth Rituals
Preventing Burnout
Surviving the Long Labour
When Sleep isn't Enough

COMPLEMENTARY CARE

Herbs for Labour
Homeopathy
Acupuncture & Acupressure
Chiropractic Care
Osteopathic Care
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Additional Content

115 External readings
202 Supporting videos
17 Podcasts to expand knowledge
40 Downloads
45 Assignments to quickly prepare you to work with clients
1 Final assignment
425 Academic references to support your expanding knowledge

FAQs

How long is the course?

This coming September 2023 we will begin a 9-month INTENSIVE that will run until June 2024. You’ll be working through both The Traditional Birth Companion course and The Trauma Informed Professional course, investing in dozens of hours of continuing professional development. You’ll have access to the TBC course for a minimum of 3 years.

How many hours a week will I need for study?

You can expect to spend about 20-25 hours a week on the 2 courses. Some weeks will be less and others will be more. And when you find a topic that stirs your curiosity, you’ll find yourself going down more rabbit holes as you find more and more information or you may devote more time to preparing handouts for future clients. And another week, you may just chill and digest what you’ve been learning. This is INTENSIVE learning and you’ll need time to focus, study, reflect, and prepare yourself for the most amazing work imaginable.

How much does it cost?

The cost is $9000 CAD (plus HST for Canadian residents = $10,170 in total). This can be paid before the course begins or you may select a monthly payment plan. Monthly payments are $1000 + HST for Canadian residents ($130) + $10 processing and financing fee = $1140 for Canadian residents or $1010 CAD for non-residents. You may include additional lump sums at any point to pay this off sooner and avoid additional monthly charges. Even with an additional lump sump, payment must be made by the 1st of each month until the entire course fee is paid in full.

Any payment that is late by 10 days will result in suspension from the course until the payment is sent and processed. There is no additional fee for a late payment, however you will lose access to the course until payments are caught up.

If you need longer than 9 months to pay for the course, you will need to secure private funding, such as a line of credit. We cannot offer financing beyond the end of the course.

Payments are made via e-transfer to finance@billieharrigan.com or via credit card using the instalment option through this website.

Are there any additional costs?

You’ll be required to read Rachel Reed’s Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage which you can purchase or borrow. You’ll need a computer and reliable internet. If you plan to attend births, you’ll need to invest in a birth bag and some supplies to ensure you can safely and wisely support families. You are also expected to take a course in neonatal resuscitation along with training in resolving shoulder dystocia and breech birth. It’s important to be a useful human at a birth if needed.

Are there any prerequisites?

There are no prerequisites but be warned - this is not a beginner course! This takes a deep dive into the science of physiological birth and the research on restoring wellness when there are complications. The course assumes the student has some familiarity with birth, birth culture, and the effects of technocratic maternity services on families and society. This 9-month INTENSIVE may be best suited to nurses, midwives, doulas, complementary health care practitioners, and extreme birth nerds.

The ideal candidate has a foundational knowledge of women’s reproductive physiology, pregnancy and birth. She may already be a nurse or midwife, she has definitely been reading about all things birth, following birth-related accounts on social media, listened to podcasts, watched many birth videos, read some books, and has friends with whom they share birth stories. She’s kind of a birth nerd!

What’s the difference between a TBC, a midwife, and a doula?

Depending on where you live, a midwife is a medically trained, government regulated, primary health care provider with a defined scope of practice and legislation that defines which practices their license allows them to engage in and which also cannot be performed without said license. A midwife will probably have hospital privileges and can attend births in a hospital as well as prescribe and administer medications, initiate and supervise inductions, cut and suture, diagnose and treat, and is limited to only those clients whom the obstetrical industry has defined as “low risk”. If the client meets all the “low risk” parameters and the midwife agrees, the midwife may attend the client’s home birth. “High risk” clients are referred to an OB and a hospital birth. The midwife is also limited by the policies and protocols of the hospital that has granted the admitting privileges.

A doula is a non-medical support professional who specialises in education, advocacy, and emotional and physical support through the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The doula may also specialise in prenatal support and advocacy, attending births, or postpartum care and breastfeeding. Doulas attend home, birth centre, and hospital births, where permitted.

A Traditional Birth Companion, although not medically trained, is well-versed in the medical information, research, and culture of technocratic birth. She provides holistic care through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for clients of all ‘risk’ categories. She specialises in birth after trauma as she is trained in trauma-informed care and understands what draws clients to out-of-system birth. She does not perform any restricted practices as defined in relevant legislation. Any medical testing is accessed through a family doctor, a walk-in clinic, or other medical specialist. She helps clients to understand the results of any testing and how to use that information to improve wellness and to make informed decisions that are right for that family. There is no diagnosing, no medications, no cutting or stitching, no inducing, no arbitrary time-limits, and no coercion. The TBC does not have hospital privileges and does not attend hospital births. She serves as the community wise-woman, helping to restore physiological pregnancy and birth where possible and encouraging additional care from medical or complementary practitioners when warranted. She restores common wisdom to common families and helps them to welcome their babies in the safety and sanctity of their homes. She serves as a more useful human!

Will this course teach me to deliver babies?

No. Only pregnant mothers deliver babies. This course will teach you to be a more useful human whether you attend births or not. And if you do become pregnant after the course, you’ll be fully equipped with knowledge and self-empowerment to deliver your baby with confidence and joy.

Why is The Trauma-Informed Course included (and mandatory) in the TBC course?

Current technocratic maternity services have created a global tsunami of birth trauma due to their complete lack of training in trauma-informed care and dehumanised services. Like a refugee escaping a war zone or a political oppressor, the client of a Traditional Birth Companion often arrives as a medical refugee. There may be significant previous medical or birth trauma, there may be a history of early adverse childhood events, or there may be recent trauma that has deeply impacted her. There is no excuse for not learning the skills of trauma-informed care and adding to the client’s burden of trauma and harm. Mandatory training in trauma-informed care should be part of every maternity-related curriculum. TBCs will be leaders in this, ensuring that their clients are cared for with the utmost respect, compassion, and awareness. Hiring a TBC could be one of the most significant steps in healing from trauma as TBCs take a resiliency-based approach that fosters hope and healing.

I have small children and can’t leave them for births, can I still become a TBC?

Absolutely! What you do with your training is up to you. You can choose to attend births, or offer only virtual coaching and support, provide childbirth education, specialise in high risk antenatal home care, offer postpartum care and breastfeeding support, teach adolescents about their sexual physiology, provide fertility awareness education, and much more.

What about in-person training?

This is a fully online programme that is available to anyone who is accepted in any location. There may be in-person events depending on location and participants who can attend but they are not part of the course and not mandatory. Participants are expected to take an in-person neonatal resuscitation course.

How do I find a mentor?

This will depend on where you live. There may be Traditional Birth Companions serving in your community who may offer to be your mentor. You may connect with experienced wise-women online or from previous year’s students. Or an independent midwife may take you under her wing for a season. A mentor is not mandatory to complete this training programme, but is encouraged to help you as you step into the role of a TBC.

What if I decide this course isn’t for me?

You can request to be removed from the course at any time and all further payments will stop. There will be no refund for any money invested up to that point nor will it be applied to any future enrolment or transferred to another student.

If you are removed from the course for a violation of the agreed upon Terms and Conditions, a pro-rated refund will be sent for any fees paid in excess of time spent in the course.

Will I get a certificate?

Yes. You’ll need to meet the course requirements for completion and when you’re ready, you can submit a request for a Certificate of Completion. Your final submission will be reviewed and if successful, you’ll be granted your Certificate and a badge you can display on your websites and other branding.

What are the requirements for completion?

In order to graduate from this course, you'll need to complete the following

• Regular and frequent participation in the group conversations and learning discussions which demonstrate active learning

• Frequent or occasional posting of completed assignments (assignments are optional but completion of some, i.e. those that matter to you, are required as indication of active learning)

• A reflection on Rachel Reed's book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage

• Completion of The Trauma-Informed Professional with its final submission

• Submission of a Request for Graduation with a final reflection

Where is the course hosted?

The course is hosted in my proprietary network The Harrigan Hive. This network is free to join and hosts conversations about birth outside the medicalised technocratic birth services industry and helps to connect those who are looking for the support and mentoring of a Traditional Birth Companion with those who may be able to help. The course is private and only accessible to those who have been accepted into the programme and have submitted their payment. This network is free from social media, censorship, and bullying, and the course is extra-private with a code of privacy and respect.

You will also download an app for The Harrigan Hive that includes access to your courses meaning you can study anytime and anywhere you have your your devices and internet.

How do I get started?

Students are accepted into the programme based on their application. Applications will be accepted between July 1st, 2023 and August 15, 2023. Successful candidates will be notified by September 1, 2023. The course begins September 6, 2023 and our first live tutorial will take place Monday September 11, 2023 at noon Eastern.

It is necessary to join the free network The Harrigan Hive to learn more about the application process and to download and submit your application.