ADA Postpartum Doula Program
ADA’s core curriculum: 7 modules, in person over 4–5 days or online, then the ADA exam. Tuition is set by the training provider.
- Exam fee
- $625, paid to ADA
Learn the ADA curriculum.
ADA writes the curriculum. ADA Certified Trainers and Approved Training Providers teach it, and ADA examines every candidate.
ADA programs
ADA Birth Doula
Labor and delivery support. Cohorts run on a rolling basis.
Courses and CE
IBCLC Exam-Prep, Continuing Education and Train-the-Trainer, taught by ADA Certified Trainers.
How ADA education works
- Curriculum
- ADA writes and owns the curriculum and the standards behind every ADA program. Every trainer and every provider teaches the same material.
- Teaching
- ADA Certified Trainers and Approved Training Providers teach it, in person and online. ADA reviews every provider each year.
- Examination
- ADA examines and grades every candidate itself. Trainers, proctors and providers cannot change scores.
- Registry
- Graduates who pass get a certificate number and a public, dated record in the ADA registry. ADA Certified Trainers have public records too.
- Languages
- English, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.
The Postpartum Doula Program
ADA’s core curriculum, taught by an ADA Certified Trainer or an Approved Training Provider. Before class, each student works through short skills videos with exercises.
7 modules
Postpartum Recovery
Stages of body recovery, wound care assessment, vital-sign monitoring, and traditional recovery principles such as warming and circulation.
Newborn Care
Bottle and breast feeding technique, bathing and umbilical care, safe sleep, soothing, burping, diapering, spit-up, tummy time and milestone tracking.
Breastfeeding Support
Latch and positioning, engorgement, low supply and nipple pain, pumping, and when to refer to a lactation consultant.
Cultural Traditions
Chinese zuo yuezi (坐月子), Korean sanhujori (산후조리) and Japanese satogaeri (里帰り), along with confinement meals and family dynamics.
Nutrition & Meal Planning
Postpartum recipes across Asian traditions, and dietary guidance for breastfeeding.
Emotional Wellness
Recognizing perinatal depression and anxiety, active listening, stigma, boundaries and referral protocols.
Safety & Emergency
Infant CPR (American Red Cross), choking response, emergency protocols, safe-sleep setup, and when to call 911 and when to call the pediatrician.
Program details
- Format
- In person, 4–5 days of intensive instruction, or online.
- Includes
- American Red Cross infant CPR
- Tuition
- Set by the trainer or training provider
- Scholarships
- Need-based and merit-based. ADA scholarships
- Leads to
- The ADA Postpartum Doula exam. The exam fee is $625, paid to ADA.
Upcoming ADA exam dates
Each trainer or training provider sets its own session dates and handles enrollment and tuition. When you finish the program, you register for the ADA exam with ADA. The exam fee is $625.
Exam sessions are scheduled after each training cohort. Contact us for the next date.
Continuing education and teaching
- Continuing education
- ADA-approved workshops and updated coursework that keep certified doulas current with postpartum care and safety protocols.
- ADA Certified Trainer
- For experienced ADA-certified doulas in good standing who want to teach the ADA curriculum, through Train-the-Trainer. An ADA Certified Trainer has a TR certificate number.
- Approved Training Provider
- For organizations that deliver the ADA curriculum. ADA reviews each provider every year against its standards for facilities, curriculum delivery and instructor qualifications.
To apply as a trainer or a provider, write to ADA at contact@asiandoula.org.