Empowering Birth Workers: Supporting Labor Through Holistic and Non-Invasive Methods

A workshop for doulas, midwives, and birthkeepers

Workshop Overview
This hands-on workshop focuses on equipping doulas, midwives, and birthkeepers with the tools, techniques, and confidence to support women in labor through non-invasive, holistic methods. Moving away from the over-reliance on routine vaginal examinations and invasive interventions, this workshop will explore the physiological processes of labor, how to observe and assess progress through behavioral cues, and how to create a birth environment that fosters trust, safety, and empowerment for the birthing person. Participants will gain practical experience in reading labor without relying on medicalized assessments and deepen their understanding of how labor physiology plays out in real-time.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand the physiological processes of labor and why cervical dilation is not the only measure of progress.

Use non-invasive, observational methods to assess labor progress.

Recognize and interpret key behavioral and physical signs of labor without relying on vaginal exams.

Communicate effectively with birthing individuals about labor progress, respecting their autonomy and preferences.

Create a birth environment that nurtures natural hormonal flow and physiological birth.

Support women through labor using trust, patience, and evidence-based, non-interventionist techniques.