Best Pregnancy Coach Certification Programs

Last updated on February 26, 2024

Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it also comes with many challenges for mothers and fathers to be. As more couples realize the benefits of working with a pregnancy coach, this profession continues to be more popular—and more profitable. If you feel like this is your calling, you’ll want to get a pregnancy coach certification.

Since there are different niches in the realm of pregnancy coaching, we’ve selected a variety of the best courses for you to choose from.

• AFPA Pregnancy Health Coach – Best for Health, Wellness, Nutrition, & Fitness Focus
• Dr Sears Wellness Institute Health Coaching for Pregnancy – Best for Nutrition Focus
• Girls Gone Strong Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification – Best for Fitness Industry Focus
• Birth Coach Method Coaching for Pregnancy and Birth – Best for Pregnancy & Birth Focus

What Is a Pregnancy Coach? 

A pregnancy coach is a trained professional who provides expectant mothers with guidance and information for overcoming challenges during and after pregnancy. Coaches can be trained in a wide variety of fields, including wellness, nutrition, prenatal health and fitness, emotional support, breastfeeding, childbirth preparation, and postnatal health and fitness. 

Most coaches specialize in a specific aspect of pregnancy coaching:

• Birth support coach or childbirth coach – Provides support during pregnancy and teaches how to cope with labor.
• Pregnancy health coach – Supports mothers to live healthier lives before, during, and after pregnancy and guides them through beneficial health, nutrition, wellness, and fitness practices.  
• Pre- and postnatal coach – Coaches women at every stage of pregnancy to be healthy, strong, and safe. 
• Pregnancy fitness coach – Prepares women for birth and faster postnatal recovery through physical exercises designed for pregnant women.

You might wonder, “Do you need a medical degree or coaching certification to be a pregnancy coach?”

There isn’t a specific certification or diploma you need to hold, but earning a pregnancy coach certification will give you the assurance that you’ll provide the right information and guidance to the clients you work with. Certification can be the key to a client having confidence in your programs and offerings. 

Besides knowledge and experience, a successful pregnancy coach also needs skills that help them support clients, such as:

• Attentive listening
• Confidence
• Patience 
• Supportive attitude
• Tranquility
• Empathy 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Pregnancy Coaching Certification

Once you decide which niche interests you most, that’s where decision-making ends, right? Not quite. There are other factors you should consider when choosing a pregnancy coaching program. 

Program Cost

The expense of becoming a pregnancy coach can vary, so having a budget in mind is a good starting point. For diversifying your options and eliminating travel costs, completing your pregnancy coach certification online is the best choice. 

Course Length

Some courses are self-paced which allows you to learn on your own time. However, some demand your presence at specific dates and times or require you to finish the course in a set time frame. If you have time-sensitive goals with launching your coaching business, make sure that they align with the course length and requirements. 

Accreditation

How important is accreditation? It isn’t a prerequisite for your certification to be of value, but it can give you confirmation that the organization issuing the certification respects and follows certain coaching standards. One of the most recognized accreditation organizations in the coaching world is the International Coaching Federation (ICF). 

Best Coaching Certifications for Becoming a Pregnancy Coach

Since there are many different directions you can take in pregnancy coaching, we’ve selected the best certification programs in this field with different focus points. 

Health, Wellness, Nutrition & Fitness Option: AFPA Pregnancy Health Coach

American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA) is a globally recognized organization. It has numerous international accreditations and recognitions from reputable accrediting organizations. 

Their Pregnancy Health Coach bundle combines the Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification and the Health and Wellness Coach Certification, so you’ll earn two top-notch certifications in one go. 

The program bundle covers it all: motivation techniques, proper nutrition, creating exercise programs, holistic mind-body exercises, and effective coaching tools. After completion of the course, you’ll have comprehensive knowledge in this field and a directed approach to coaching, educating, and empowering mothers.  

• Course Length: Up to 6 months
• Program Cost: $1,095
• Accreditation: American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP); American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board (ANMAB); International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM)
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Nutrition Option: Dr Sears Wellness Institute Health Coaching for Pregnancy

Dr Sears Wellness Insitute provides certified health coach programs in the form of well-structured but flexible online learning. These programs are approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) (the only nationally- and internationally-recognized governing body for health and wellness coaching) and are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Through the Coaching for Pregnancy program, you’ll gain tools, resources, and education on how to teach pregnant and nursing moms to improve their health and the health of their babies through proper nutrition. You’ll also learn about coaching methods and how to market your business. 

• Course Length: 6 weeks
• Program Cost: $945 
• Accreditation: ICF
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Fitness Option: Girls Gone Strong Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification

Girls Gone Strong has a strong focus on quality which is why they only accept a select number of new students each enrollment period. GGS certification has been approved by numerous organizations to be eligible for CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

The Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification will educate you on how to safely coach and train currently pregnant women and women who have already had their babies. The program will give you insight into both the physiological and psychological aspects of coaching pre- and postnatal women.

• Course Length: Self-paced
• Program Cost: $1,200
• Accreditation: None
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Pregnancy & Birth Option: Birth Coach Method Coaching for Pregnancy and Birth

Birth Coach Method offers diversified training programs for birth support specialists. Like the Girls Gone Strong program, this training is eligible for Continuing Education Units, which opens the door toward further education in this field. 

Through the Coaching for Pregnancy and Birth program, you’ll learn how to coach pregnant women and their birth partners in different stages: throughout the pregnancy, during the birth, and in postpartum. The approach is client-centered so you’ll be armed with the tools to effectively work with clients. 

• Course Length: Self-paced
• Program Cost: $1,790
• Accreditation: None
• Mode of Delivery: Online

Alternatives (non-niche)

While honing in on pregnancy is a valuable and important niche, you shouldn’t overlook the many other available programs to upgrade your coaching abilities. Some additional life coaching niches can help you provide better support to expecting mothers and their partners. 

For example, mindfulness coaching can help teach parents how to manage stress and anxiety. Confidence coaching programs can give you the tools and techniques you need to restore deteriorating confidence in mothers.

Transformation Academy has a lot of affordable life coaching certification programs that can benefit your coaching capabilities. You can learn more about them in our review. 

If you already have experience in wellness care for new and expectant mothers and want to hone your coaching skills to turn that knowledge into a coaching business, you can turn to Coach Training Alliance. We’ve covered everything you want to know about them in this review. 

FAQs

• Do you need a certification to be a pregnancy coach?

You don’t need a certification to become a life coach, and that applies to pregnancy coaching as well. However, it will be hard to acquire knowledge in this field without one, and certification helps with getting clients and promoting your business. 

• How much does a pregnancy coach certification cost?

The fee for a pregnancy coach program is usually around $1,000.

• Does accreditation matter in a pregnancy coach certification program?

Accreditation provides reassurance that the program is in line with the standards of a reputable entity, but you shouldn’t dismiss programs without accreditation if they are reputable and have a long list of satisfied students to vouch for their effectiveness.  

Conclusion

Pregnancy coaching leaves no room for mistakes. Your guidance directly affects parents’ and children’s well-being—which is why earning a certification is such a vital part of your transformation into a pregnancy coach. Hopefully, this list of the best pregnancy coach certifications will help you find the right one for you and speed up your journey toward becoming a pregnancy coach. 

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