I took my doula training here from Penny Simkin and Sandy Szalay in 1999. I found it very valuable, albeit pretty expensive. We got great training and I made up the cost of the course in my first few births.
The instructors are some of the best in the field, and they are consistently rated the best midwifery school in the nation.
Washington State has the toughest midwifery licensure standards outside of Europe. When a person becomes a Licensed Midwife in Washington, you can bet dollars to donuts that she is one of the best in the field, better trained on normal birth than most OBs too. I'd trust a Washington LM more than an OB anyday.
SMS is a terrific school and they have done SO MUCH for midwives in the United States. Don't hesitate to enroll here for either doula training (and I'm a former doula trainer for a competing organization, so you know how highly I think of SMS by writing this review) or to become a midwife. You won't regret it!
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