Cathy Daub

In the 1980s, pregnant women in the US were told “once a cesarean, always a cesarean,” even though research showed a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) was usually safer! Cathy deeply believed women should birth in the least risky way, so she developed childbirth education classes to help them have faith that knowledge of how to birth is already within them. In 1982, BirthWorks joined The International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN). Cathy served as Chairperson of their Education Committee, developing BirthWorks into a pilot program and later into a Certification Program, with the first workshop being held in 1988. Since then, BirthWorks has certified ChildBirth Educators and offered Childbirth Education for parents in varied locations in the US and several countries. Over time, varied people felt inspired to become birth workers and further share and live BirthWorks Philosophy. In 1994, with the support of our Mentors and others wanting to be on the Board of Directors, BirthWorks International became its own incorporated non-profit, non-governmental organization, gaining support from varied leaders in the childbirth field who joined our Board of Advisors. In 2000, Cathy Daub and Liz O’Shea co-founded BirthWorks International Doula Certification Training program, which now certifies both Birth Doulas and Postpartum Doulas internationally, in-person and online. Today, BirthWorks is an internationally-recognized childbirth education and doula certification organization. Since 2020, we offer all BirthWorks Training Workshops online (as well as in-person), created BirthWorks BirthPrep (an online childbirth labor intensive for parents), and in affliiation with Kangaroula offer advanced doula skills for those wanting the best full-term and premie-care practices. BirthWorks International is supported by a distinguished network of those in the childbirth field, including our global Board of Advisors. We often hear appreciation — from both parents and our varied BirthWorks professionals – Childbirth Educators CCE(BWI), Birth Doulas CBD(BWI), and Postpartum Doulas (PPD(BWI) — sometimes years later, about the deeply impactful and positive value this work has for their births, families and lives. Deeply rooted in both a values-based holistic approach and evidence-based scientific esearch, BirthWorks International recognizes the very vital need for premium childbirth education and doula support that helps women experience, trust and have faith in the wisdom within. The heart-inspired work of BirthWorks is summarized in Cathy’s books: Doulas of Love: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents and Birthing in the Spirit!