ProDoula
ProDoula is a US-based doula training and certification organization offering in-person and virtual programs for labor, postpartum, childbirth educator, and infant feeding credentials, serving aspiring and practicing birth workers nationwide through standardized curriculum, online exams, and an annual membership community.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersDecatur, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ProDoula does
ProDoula is a US-based private certification and training organization for birth workers, headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, and founded in 2013 by CEO Randy Patterson. It offers standardized, accredited training programs across four core tracks: Labor Doula, Postpartum & Infant Care Doula, Childbirth Educator (PDCBE), and Infant Feeding Specialist, supplemented by advanced courses (Master Class, Advanced Comfort Measures, Advanced Postpartum), continuing education through the Doula Learning Channel, and a self-assessment tool called the Personal Competency Evaluation. Training is delivered via two-day in-person workshops hosted across 13+ US states and virtually via Zoom, with certification completed online at exams.prodoula.com. The Postpartum Doula Training carries 17 nursing contact hours through ANCC accreditation, which is a meaningful differentiator for healthcare-professional buyers.
The company operates a five-step certification funnel — choose course, register online, attend training, complete online exam, become certified — and monetizes across multiple streams: one-time training fees (~$645 per workshop), certification exam fees ($275 exam-only, $350 member bundle), annual professional memberships ($95/year) that include a directory profile page, 52 weekly educational emails during the first year, and a 10% liability insurance discount through partner CM&F Group, plus an e-commerce shop selling curricula (CBE curriculum at $320), business tools (Blog Topic generators at $52, Business Plan Templates at $125), and high-ticket brand identity kits ($4,350). A searchable Find a Doula directory and Premier Doula Agency Directory create a two-sided marketplace giving certified members ongoing customer acquisition while families gain a vetted provider pool.
ProDoula's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led, reaching aspiring and practicing doulas primarily through the company website, YouTube channel, blog content (86+ articles in the Doula category), email, and social media, with testimonials anchoring bottom-of-funnel conversion. The company remains bootstrapped with no disclosed funding, has 11–50 employees, and operates a network of 20+ certified trainers across the United States. Leadership combines domain credibility (Randy Patterson's 25+ years in birth work) with formal management experience (Director of Education Kelly Rutan, a former antitrust litigation attorney). The business serves individual SMB/consumer customers exclusively, with no enterprise concentration.
ProDoula firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ProDoula
- Legal name
- ProDoula LLC
- Website
- https://prodoula.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ProDoula is a US-based doula training and certification organization offering in-person and virtual programs for labor, postpartum, childbirth educator, and infant feeding credentials, serving aspiring and practicing birth workers nationwide through standardized curriculum, online exams, and an annual membership community.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ProDoula industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Doula Training & Certification
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)
Keywords
Where ProDoula is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Decatur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ProDoula business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Training Fees: Revenue from in-person and virtual training workshops. Postpartum Doula Training costs $645 plus $95 annual membership fee.
- Certification Exam Fees: CBE exam-only certification at $275, or member bundle at $350 including certification and membership.
- Curriculum and Educational Materials: Sale of teaching curricula (CBE curriculum at $320) and business tools including blog topic generators, business plan templates, and brand identity kits.
- Professional Membership: Annual professional membership at $95 providing ongoing support, resources, networking, and member discounts including 10% off liability insurance through CM&F Group.
- Business Consulting Services: Private business consulting and social media consulting services for doulas seeking to build their practices.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Postpartum Doula Training - 2 day intensive workshop |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Childbirth Educator Certification |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | How, When & Why CBE Teaching Curriculum |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Web Copy Package & Brand Visual Identity Kit |
| Subscription | Annual | ProDoula Professional Annual Membership |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Business Tools and Resources |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
ProDoula product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ProDoula is a US-based certification organization for birth workers that trains and certifies labor doulas, postpartum and infant care doulas, childbirth educators, and infant feeding specialists through in-person and live virtual training events. The company operates a national network of certified trainers and offers continuing education, professional membership, business consulting, curricula, and a searchable member directory used by families seeking certified doulas.
Product overview
ProDoula is a certification organization for birth workers offering a comprehensive suite of training programs, certifications, and business resources. The core offerings include Labor Doula Training and Postpartum & Infant Care Doula Training as primary certification programs, supplemented by advanced trainings (Labor Doula Master Class, Advanced Comfort Measures, Advanced Postpartum Training), and educator certifications (Childbirth Educator PDCBE Program, Infant Feeding Specialist Training, VBAC Specialist Training). ProDoula provides business support through consulting services, marketing resources (52 Weeks of Blog Topics, Web Copy Package, Brand Identity Kit), and continuing education via the Doula Learning Channel. The organization also operates a searchable doula directory for families seeking certified professionals, and offers merchandise including the Normalize Birth tote bag. Membership benefits include a personal web page, weekly educational emails, trainer support, and insurance discounts through CM&F Group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Labor Doula Training
- Postpartum & Infant Care Doula Training
- ProDoula Certified Childbirth Educator (PDCBE) Program
- Infant Feeding Specialist Training
- Labor Doula Master Class
- Advanced Comfort Measures for Labor
Quantifiable outcome
- 5-step certification process from training to becoming a certified doula
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ProDoula
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ProDoula technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ProDoula partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CM&F GroupminorInsurance partnership offering ProDoula members a 10% discount on liability insurance through CM&F Group's professional liability insurance program for doulas.
- Doulas of RaleighcoreKelly Rutan, ProDoula's Director of Education, co-founded Doulas of Raleigh with business partner Heather Clements. This is both a trainer-affiliated business and a demonstration of ProDoula's model for doula agencies.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ProDoula competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International Doula Institute: Online doula training and certification across labor, postpartum, antepartum, and specialist tracks, competing for digitally-enabled learners in the same category as ProDoula.
- Birth Arts International: Offers online and in-person doula training and certification across labor, postpartum, and childbirth education tracks, competing for the same direct-to-consumer doula learner that ProDoula targets.
- DONA International: The largest and oldest doula-certification organization offering labor and postpartum doula training, certification exams, and continuing education — directly competing with ProDoula for the same aspiring-doula learner.
- Childbirth International: Provides online doula, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding counselor certification programs aimed at the same global pool of aspiring perinatal professionals as ProDoula.
- CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association): Provides training and certification for labor doulas, postpartum doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation educators, with a similar multi-vertical curriculum and membership structure competing head-to-head with ProDoula.
- ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association): Certifies childbirth educators, doulas, and perinatal professionals through structured training programs — a direct competitor in the same professional-certification category as ProDoula.
Broad incumbents
- Lamaze International: Long-established childbirth-education credentialing organization with broader scope (parent education, advocacy, healthcare professional training) that overlaps ProDoula's childbirth-educator certification offering.
Emerging players
- Birth Boot Camp: Provides childbirth education curricula and doula training programs marketed to expecting parents and educators, partially overlapping ProDoula's childbirth-educator training and curriculum products.
- Newborn Care Solutions: Specializes in newborn care and postpartum doula training, overlapping with ProDoula's postpartum and infant care tracks but with a narrower specialist focus.
Regional players
- Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice: U.S.-based lactation and perinatal professional training/credentialing body; competes in ProDoula's infant-feeding-educator adjacency with a more clinical, continuing-education orientation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ProDoula social profiles
Digital presenceProDoula financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ProDoula leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ProDoula funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ProDoula M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ProDoula
What does ProDoula do?
ProDoula is a US-based certification organization for birth workers that trains and certifies labor doulas, postpartum and infant care doulas, childbirth educators, and infant feeding specialists through in-person and live virtual training events. The company operates a national network of certified trainers and offers continuing education, professional membership, business consulting, curricula, and a searchable member directory used by families seeking certified doulas.
Is ProDoula a public or private company?
ProDoula is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ProDoula founded?
ProDoula was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ProDoula based?
ProDoula is headquartered in Decatur, United States, in the North America region.
How does ProDoula make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Training Fees are the primary driver. The others are certification Exam Fees, curriculum and Educational Materials, professional Membership and business Consulting Services.
Who are ProDoula's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International Doula Institute, Birth Arts International, DONA International, Childbirth International, CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association) and ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association). Lamaze International is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Birth Boot Camp and Newborn Care Solutions. Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice is listed as a regional player.
Does ProDoula have an API?
No public API is recorded for ProDoula.
What industry is ProDoula in?
ProDoula's product category is Doula Training & Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAD, Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE), with a secondary code of HLAFAJAN, Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.