ICH005 - IBWC Self-Care for Indigenous Birth Support Workers

Course Description

This course is designed for people who are navigating the physical, emotional, and spiritual demands of supporting others through life's most powerful transitions. Drawing on trauma-informed practices, this course offers practical tools to help you care for yourself while caring for others. Through videos, reflection, and grounding practices, you are invited to reconnect with your breath, body, spirit, and purpose, restoring balance and building sustainable practices rooted in land, ceremony, and story. 

TRC Calls to Action

Health #18, #19, #20, #22, and #23

This course supports the TRC Calls to Action in the health sector. This course exists today because of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action supporting Indigenous health.

Learning Outcomes

Learners will gain the knowledge, understanding, skills, abilities, attitude, and awareness to:

1. Recognize the emotional and physiological signs of burnout, compassion fatigue, and stress in birth work.
2. Apply culturally grounded self-care techniques, including breathwork, mindfulness, movement, journaling, and ceremony.
3. Understand the importance of trauma-informed and spirit-led care for their well-being.
4. Design a personal self-care plan rooted in cultural values, daily rhythms, and long-term sustainability.
5. Strengthen the ability to return to your center in moments of being overwhelmed, grieving, and doing sacred work. 
6. Explain common birth interventions, including their purpose, risks, and considerations.

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to recognize early signs of burnout, compassion fatigue, and stress in oneself.
• Practical experience with culturally grounded self-care tools such as breathwork, mindfulness, movement, journaling, and ceremony.
• Capacity to design and commit to a sustainable, personalized self-care plan rooted in cultural values and daily practices/
• Strengthened resilience and ability to recenter during emotionally intense sacred moments in birth work.

Summary

• Number of hours: 1.5 hours total 

• Assessment: To pass the course, learners must achieve a score of 80% or higher on the Knowledge Check, which allows multiple attempts. An incomplete course will count as a fail.

• Previous education required: None; this course does not have a required prerequisite.

• Delivery: Online, self-paced

• Completion timeline: Within 180 days from when you enroll in the course.

• Applies toward the following certificates: Perinatal MicroCredential or MicroCertificate in Advanced Perinatal Support.

FAQ's

Is this course for everyone?

• Yes, this course is relevant to anyone interested in creating an environment to support a positive birth experience. 

What is the scope of this course?

• This course can be used as continuing education related to supporting the birth process. This, along with other IBWC MicroBadges, work toward a MicroCredential and MicroCertificate.

Some individuals and organizations may be GST-exempt.

• First Nations University of Canada is situated on the Star Blanket First Nation and is exempt from Provincial Sales Tax (PST). If you or your organization are exempt from Government Sales Tax (GST), please get in touch with icec@firstnationsuniversity.ca to ensure that your invoice is prepared accordingly.

I need financial support. What funding options does ICEC recommend?

• Check out our Funding Opportunities here. 

Who do I contact if I need help?

• Check out ICEC's Learner Support page to see if your question is answered in the FAQs. If your question remains unresolved, feel free to complete the form with your question, or you may contact icec@firstnationsuniversity.ca for assistance with any questions. We are here to help! Support requests are received during regular office hours. Please expect a response within 24 to 48 hours.