CD(DONA) is the designation used by doulas who are certified through DONA International, one of the oldest and most reputable doula certification organizations. (DONA stands for “Doulas of North America” but the organization expanded beyond the US and Canada quite awhile ago.) Being certified means that I completed a formal training course on childbirth and birth support, and then underwent additional education including attending several births and being evaluated on them, reading books, researching resources, and completing webinars. I then wrote up all of this learning and submitted the complete package of materials, which was reviewed by the teachers at DONA before they approved my certification. As a certified doula, I am accountable to the professional organization and to its code of ethics and standard of practice.