Be the steady support every new family deserves.

Become a CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula (CPD)

Already a Member? Login to view trainings.

About the CAPPA Postpartum Doula Training (CPD)

Begin your journey as a Certified Postpartum Doula (CPD) with CAPPA's 18-hour, evidence-based training.

This interactive workshop equips you with the skills to support new families during the critical postpartum period, providing emotional, physical, and informational care as they navigate early parenthood.

A live in-person OR virtual training with a certification process:

🗓️ Duration: 2 Days (18 Hours)
📍 Location: Live Online or In Person
📜 Certification Track: Certified Postpartum Doula (CPD)
✔️ Pre-Requisite: CAPPA Member

💡 What You’ll Learn:

✔️ The Role of a Postpartum Doula & Professional Scope of Practice
✔️ Postpartum Recovery & Emotional Well-Being Support
✔️ Newborn Care, Feeding Support & Infant Soothing Techniques
✔️ Recognizing Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders
✔️ Family Adjustment, Communication & Community Resources

Get Started →

All-Inclusive Certification Program (Only $1200)

Your Purchase Includes:

CAPPA Postpartum Doula Certification Program

CAPPA Postpartum Doula Training Manual & Resources

Private Community for Postpartum Doulas

Free refresher live training attendance (for one year after purchase)

24/7 Private chat channel facilitated by your trainer

Certification Requirements

Be at least 18 years of age
Become a CAPPA Member and enroll in the Postpartum Doula course
Attend a CAPPA Postpartum Doula training
Complete all course requirements within 1 year of training

Recertification ($125) is required every 3 years to maintain your certification. Reinstatement ($300) is necessary if your certification has lapsed for less than 12 months.

📝 Full Certification Requirements available in the Certification FAQs (below)

CAPPA — Membership & Training Schedule

Step 1

Join the CAPPA Community

Membership is a prerequisite for all trainings — and it more than pays for itself. New members get $75 off their first training, making membership completely free.

Annual Membership

$75 /year

That's only $0.20/day

Unlocks access to every live training, the full course library, community events, office hours, and professional peer support — all year long.

Join CAPPA Today →

Your membership pays for itself:

Join for $75/year

Get $75 off your first training

Access community, courses, office hours, & refresher seats all year

Net cost of membership = $0. Everything else is bonus.

Live Training Access

Career Coaching Office Hours

24/7 Community & Peer Support

Full Course Library & CEUs

Step 2

Upcoming Trainings

Weekend virtual and in-person trainings across all five certification pathways.

$1,200

All-Inclusive

Training + Coursework
Cohort Chat + Refresher Seat

Search by Trainer

New Members Save $75 on Their First Training

Join CAPPA for $75/year. Get $75 off your next training. Net cost = free.

Join CAPPA Today → Find out which perinatal career path is for you — Take the Quiz

Training FAQs

CPD Certification Requirements

Be at least 18 years of age.
Attend a CAPPA Postpartum Doula training class.
Read selected books from the CAPPA Postpartum Doula Required Reading List.
Read the CAPPA Postpartum Doula Training Manual (received at training).
Complete all requirements below within 2 years of the training class.
Become a Member of CAPPA.
Enroll in the Postpartum Doula Traditional Course in CAPPA Academy and complete the items below.
- Pass the Scope of Practice Pretest. A 100% passing grade is required.
- Read and watch the video clips from the Postpartum Health & Baby Care Booklet (formerly Mother & New Baby Care).
- Read and watch the video clips from the Understanding Breastfeeding Booklet.
- Provide proof of current infant and child CPR certification through:
  - American Heart Association
  - The American Red Cross
  - The Canadian Red Cross (or their training partners)
  - ProTrainings, LLC.
  - St. John Ambulance
  - HSI
  - CPR class must have in-person manikin practice.
- To qualify for CAPPA Postpartum Doula certification, you must work for 3 families (within the first 4 months of postpartum) and receive evaluations from each.
  - Students can provide up to 2 families with virtual support and 1 family with in-person support. Or a student can provide 1 family with virtual support and 2 families with in-person support. Or a student can provide in-person support for all 3 families.
  - In-person support must be a minimum of 15 hours per family.
  - Virtual support must be a minimum of 5 hours per family.
  - Students are welcome to exceed the minimum hours of support to better serve the family; however, please keep in mind that we require at least 3 different families for evaluation.
- Obtain 2 letters of recommendation from either a certified childbirth educator, certified labor doula, midwife, OB, pediatrician, pediatric nurse practitioner, certified lactation consultant, certified lactation educator, or certified postpartum doula.
- Create a Resource List with information on local support for parents. A guide for creating this list is found in CAPPA Academy.
- Sign and agree to the following:
  - Code of Conduct
  - Social Media Policy
  - Grievance Policy
  - CAPPA Mission
  - CAPPA Approach
  - CAPPA Vision
  - Scope of Practice
- Pass the multiple-choice exam. A passing grade is 85% or higher. If a student does fail an exam, resubmission fees may apply.
- Pass the essay exam. The essay exam is graded on a pass-fail basis. If a student does fail an exam, resubmission fees may apply.

What's Included in the Course Investment?

Item	Price
Live Training + Certification Pathway	$1200.00
Private Trainer-facilitated Chat Community	Included
CAPPA Certification Pathway	Included
Postpartum Doula Booklets Bundle	Included
Starting Total Cost**	$1200.00, not including cost of personal books

Your Future as a CPD

The CPD training program is designed to train and certify professionals to work with families during the postpartum period, offering emotional, physical, and evidence-based informational support, along with encouragement, education, and referrals as needed.

Postpartum Doulas can be found working in private practice, cooperatives, agencies, and community-based programs, as well as supporting families in home and community settings.

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas:

Provide non-biased emotional, physical, and informational support during the postpartum period.
Encourage the family to seek care that reflects their values and needs.
Model and teach effective communication.
Encourage informed decision-making.
Support physical and emotional healing.
Provide information on care options and resources
Model infant care.
Encourage the family to make parenting choices that reflect their values and needs.
Support and assist with infant feeding.
Educate the family on newborn care and characteristics.
Educate families how to maximize age appropriate infant sleep.
Provide support to the parents and extended family
Assist with household organization.
Provide resources when support requires a healthcare professional, clinical assessment, a need for prescription, or medical diagnosis.

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas:

Provide non-biased emotional, physical, and informational support during the postpartum period.
Encourage the family to seek care that reflects their values and needs.
Model and teach effective communication.
Encourage informed decision-making.
Support physical and emotional healing.
Provide information on care options and resources
Model infant care.
Encourage the family to make parenting choices that reflect their values and needs.
Support and assist with infant feeding.
Educate the family on newborn care and characteristics.
Educate families how to maximize age appropriate infant sleep.
Provide support to the parents and extended family
Assist with household organization.
Provide resources when support requires a healthcare professional, clinical assessment, a need for prescription, or medical diagnosis.

The CAPPA Postpartum Doula is not a clinician and therefore does not:

Diagnose medical conditions
Interpret medical diagnoses or clinical results
Prescribe or administer treatment of medical conditions
Perform clinical procedures, including taking infant’s temperature or administering medications to infant or mother
Prescribe, perform, or provide alternative/complementary therapies including, but not limited to, essential oils, placenta medicine, herbal treatments, etc. without further training. These services must be provided separately from the role of the CAPPA certified professional.
Make parenting or infant care choices or decisions
Transport any family members
Stay alone with babies or other children routinely and for extended periods of time
Buckle infants or other children into cars or car seats or install car seats in cars
Teach a cry it out approach
Act as a housekeeper or nanny

Get Started →

CPD FAQs

What's the CAPPA CPD Scope of Practice?

The CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas fill an important role in providing emotional, physical, and evidence-based informational support to the new family after the birth of their baby.

How CAPPA Postpartum Doulas work with families

The Postpartum Doula works with families in the postpartum period; offering support, information, instruction, comfort, and resources as needed. Postpartum Doulas support the mother’s recovery, give instruction on infant care and feeding, and assist with household organization. Postpartum Doulas can be found working in the community in private practice, in cooperatives, as part of groups or agencies, as well as serving in various community programs.

How CAPPA Postpartum Doulas work within the healthcare system

Postpartum Doulas are skilled support persons who act as consultants and resources, not clinicians. They therefore work with the healthcare system by encouraging and promoting excellent communication between the new family and the health care team, encouraging informed decision making and self-advocacy, supporting the choices of the new family, providing non-clinical care, and offering appropriate resources when their observance or counseling uncovers situations that require healthcare attention or support.

Clinical Limitations of CAPPA Postpartum Doulas

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas are non-clinical professionals. CAPPA Postpartum Doula courses do not qualify a professional to act as a medical care provider. CAPPA Postpartum Doulas do not dispense medical advice, diagnose medical conditions, interpret medical diagnoses or clinical results, perform clinical procedures, or prescribe/administer medications or treatments of any kind.

CAPPA Standards

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas work within the CAPPA’s standards of practice to uphold the following (available to read as individual documents): code of conduct, a grievance policy, mission statement, vision statement, organization philosophy, and social media policy. CAPPA Postpartum Doulas use current evidence-based information in their practice. They maintain their knowledge and skills through continuing education. They work within the legal framework of their individual community and region.

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas:

Provide non-biased emotional, physical, and informational support during the postpartum period.
Encourage the family to seek care that reflects their values and needs.
Model and teach effective communication.
Encourage informed decision-making
Support physical and emotional healing
Provide information on care options and resources
Model infant care
Encourage the family to make parenting choices that reflect their values and needs
Support and assist with infant feeding
Educate the family on newborn care and characteristics
Educate families how to maximize age appropriate infant sleep
Provide support to the parents and extended family
Assist with household organization
Provide resources when support requires a healthcare professional, clinical assessment, a need for prescription, or medical diagnosis

CAPPA Postpartum Doulas do not:

Diagnose medical conditions
Interpret medical diagnoses or clinical results
Prescribe or administer treatment of medical conditions
Perform clinical procedures, including taking infant’s temperature or administering medications to infant or mother
Prescribe, perform, or provide alternative/complementary therapies including, but not limited to, essential oils, placenta medicine, herbal treatments, etc. without further training. These services must be provided separately from the role of the CAPPA certified professional.
Make parenting or infant care choices or decisions
Transport any family members
Stay alone with babies or other children routinely and for extended periods of time
Buckle infants or other children into cars or car seats or install car seats in cars
Teach a cry it out approach
Act as a housekeeper or nanny