Daisy Doulas, home to Daisy AcademyHome of Daisy AcademyExplore programs

Professional perinatal education
Birthwork training · Professional development

Daisy Academy.Prepare for work
that changes lives.

Rigorous, practical, evidence-informed doula training and professional education in newborn care, lactation and perinatal support. Build knowledge, sound judgment and the skills to support families with care.

Daisy Academy by Daisy Doulas

Explore Daisy Academy View programs & pathways

Rooted in justice. Grounded in care.

Adult learners sharing notes during a group discussion
Learn together. Build professional confidence.

Knowledge. Practice.
Human connection.

Professional preparation with the heart of Daisy.

The heart of Daisy Doulas

Your next chapter
starts with preparation.

Daisy Academy is the professional-education arm of Daisy Doulas. Our developing programs bring together substantial academic study, applied learning and clear scope boundaries, informed by the real-world experience and values of Daisy Midwifery.

01 / FOUNDATIONS

Understand the why.

Study physiology, communication, ethics and evidence so your support has a thoughtful foundation.

02 / APPLICATION

Put learning into practice.

Work through cases, coached demonstrations and assessed assignments, with verified practice where required.

03 / PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY

Know your role.

Build a practice grounded in consent, sound judgment, referral and respect for each family.

Professional programs

Find your place
in perinatal care.

Choose a focused professional program or build across complementary roles. All programs are currently in development; explore the curriculum and request enrollment information.

Showing all 9 programs

Newborn care

Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) Professional Training

Prepare newborn care specialists to support infants and families during the first 16 weeks through responsive care, safe routines, accurate observation and dependable household operations.

120 total hours$995
Explore this program: Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) Professional Training

Self-paced · opens Jan 4, 2027
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026
Workshops: Apr 17, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) Professional Training

Integrated pathway

NCS + Postpartum Doula Hybrid Professional Training

Combine newborn care expertise with recovery-centered postpartum doula support, balancing parent, infant and household needs within a clear combined scope.

150 total hours$1,395
Explore this program: NCS + Postpartum Doula Hybrid Professional Training

Self-paced · opens Jan 11, 2027
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026
Workshops: Apr 17, 2027 (Virtual); Apr 24, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: NCS + Postpartum Doula Hybrid Professional Training

Feeding education

Lactation for Doulas

Prepare doulas to provide accurate, nonclinical lactation and infant-feeding education, supportive observation and timely referral without diagnosing or prescribing.

95 total hours$895
Explore this program: Lactation for Doulas

Self-paced · opens Jan 18, 2027
Pre-sale opens Oct 16, 2026
Workshops: Apr 18, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Lactation for Doulas

Prices shown are standard tuition in USD. Total hours include instruction, guided study and verified practice where applicable. View each program for the breakdown. Enrollment dates and payment plans are not yet announced.

Prepare for your next chapter

Begin November 30.
Learn at your pace.

Pre-sale enrollment begins October 9, 2026. Self-paced courses open from November 30. Postpartum and the Dual Pathway open December 7, Birth Doula opens December 14, and Newborn Care and the Hybrid program follow in January.

Study available online lessons at your own pace in Wix Online Programs. Course development is staged; scheduled skills sessions, practice and assessments remain part of each program.

View course opening dates ↗Workshops & labs ↗Explore founding enrollment ↗

Pathways & tuition

Connected learning.
A broader practice.

Combine complementary programs while retaining the competencies and assessments each role requires. Shared learning is credited only when outcomes and evidence align.

125 TOTAL HOURS

Birth + Postpartum Doula Dual Pathway

$1,295

Save $295 vs. $1,590 separately

Birth and postpartum competencies, taught in one coordinated route.

View pathway requirements ↗

Self-paced · opens Dec 7, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026
Workshops: Apr 10, 2027 (Virtual); Apr 11, 2027 (In person) · In-person location: TBD; virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Birth + Postpartum Doula Dual Pathway

460 TOTAL HOURS

Professional Perinatal Specialist Pathway

$3,295

Save $1,080 vs. $4,375 separately

Birth Doula · Postpartum Doula · NCS · Lactation for Doulas · Childbirth Educator

View pathway requirements ↗

Self-paced · opens Dec 7, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 16, 2026
Workshops: Apr 10, 2027 (Virtual); Apr 11, 2027 (In person); Apr 17, 2027 (Virtual); Apr 18, 2027 (Virtual); Apr 25, 2027 (In person) · In-person location: TBD; virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Professional Perinatal Specialist Pathway

The five-program specialist pathway’s integrated hours remain to be finalized. Its $3,295 tuition includes exactly the five programs listed above.

Keep growing

Deepen your practice.

Advanced specialty education and focused professional development build on your preparation. These offerings retain their own entry requirements, workload and assessment.

Advanced feeding education

Advanced Lactation for Doulas

Deepen communication, evidence appraisal, complex-case support and referral skills after Lactation for Doulas.

55 total hours · $395

View course details ↗

Self-paced · opens Apr 5, 2027
Pre-sale opens Nov 6, 2026
Workshops: Jun 5, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Advanced Lactation for Doulas

Professional development

Eight distinct microcourses · 6–36 total hours · tuition shown below

Daisy Academy · Professional development

Professional development mini courses

Build the professional materials and interview skills that help families and agencies understand your work. These practical mini courses support birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and newborn care specialists at different stages of their careers.

PD9 · In development

Birth Worker Career and Portfolio Development

Turn your training and care experience into a focused résumé, professional portfolio, and tailored application package for doula and newborn care opportunities.

10 total hours · 6 instruction + 4 independent study · 6 modules

Format: Self-paced learning with instructor assessment.

Tuition: $149 USD

Explore the course: Birth Worker Career and Portfolio Development

Self-paced · opens Nov 30, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026

Enroll: Birth Worker Career and Portfolio Development

PD10 · In development

Birth Worker Interview Preparation and Client Fit

Practice clear, credible interview answers, communicate your boundaries, and evaluate whether a family, agency, or household opportunity is right for you.

8 total hours · 5 instruction + 3 independent study · 6 modules

Format: Self-paced learning with instructor assessment.

Tuition: $129 USD

Explore the course: Birth Worker Interview Preparation and Client Fit

Self-paced · opens Dec 7, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026

Enroll: Birth Worker Interview Preparation and Client Fit

Take one course or follow the sequence

Birth Worker Career Development Series

Develop your application materials in Career and Portfolio Development, then practice using that evidence in Interview Preparation and Client Fit. Take either mini course independently or follow the complete two-course sequence.

18 total hours · 11 instruction + 7 independent study · 12 modules

Separate course assessments and completion records.

Series tuition: $249 USD · Save $29 compared with $278 separately.

Explore both courses

Self-paced · opens Nov 30, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026

Enroll: Birth Worker Career Development Series

Frequently asked questions

Do I need paid experience?

No. You can work with accurately labeled training, volunteer, supervised, simulated, or transferable experience. You will learn to describe your preparation without overstating it.

Do I need to take both courses?

No. Each course stands alone. PD9 is a useful first step if you also want to strengthen your résumé and portfolio before interview practice.

Are these certification programs?

These are professional-development mini courses with certificates of course completion. They do not replace birth doula, postpartum doula, or newborn care specialist training.

Do the courses guarantee work or a particular rate?

No. The courses help you communicate your preparation, produce professional materials, and evaluate opportunities. Hiring and compensation depend on the specific role and circumstances.

Further workshops in planning

Explore the hours, tuition, modules and assessment requirements for three professional workshops.

Workshop in planning

Advanced Birth Assistant Training

Scenario-based preparation for experienced birth assistants.

32 total hours · $495

View syllabus ↗

Self-paced · opens Apr 19, 2027
Pre-sale opens Nov 6, 2026
Workshops: Jun 12, 2027 & Jun 13, 2027 (In person) · Location: TBD

Enroll: Advanced Birth Assistant Training

Workshop in planning

Clinical Skills for Doulas

Observation and communication workshop within a doula’s nonclinical scope.

16 total hours · $249

View syllabus ↗

Self-paced · opens Mar 1, 2027
Pre-sale opens Oct 16, 2026
Workshops: Apr 3, 2027 (In person) · Location: TBD

Enroll: Clinical Skills for Doulas

Workshop in planning

Doula Business Intensive

Focused workshop on the practical foundations of a sustainable doula business.

18 total hours · $249

View syllabus ↗

Self-paced · opens Dec 4, 2026
Pre-sale opens Oct 9, 2026
Workshops: Jan 9, 2027 (Virtual); Jan 23, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Doula Business Intensive

The learning model

Care is personal.
Preparation should
be substantial.

The Academy curriculum connects subject knowledge with reflection, observed skills and professional judgment. Competence is demonstrated through evidence, feedback and revision.

Instruction, independent study and practice are recorded separately. Hours alone do not establish competency or external recognition.

01

Learn in sequence.

Move from orientation and safe-care foundations to role-specific knowledge and more complex applications.

02

Apply and reflect.

Use guided cases, simulations, assignments and portfolios to turn knowledge into scope-appropriate support.

03

Demonstrate competence.

Meet knowledge and performance standards, with every critical safety item correct and required practice verified.

04

Learn with support.

The curriculum provides for accessible materials, faculty feedback, progress review and a clear reassessment pathway.

Applied professional learning

Study the details.
Build your judgment.

Connect academic study with observation, communication and scope-appropriate skills. Explore the professional pathways behind the practice.

A mother breastfeeding her baby at home

Lactation education

Understand feeding.
Support informed choices.

Study lactation physiology, feeding communication, observation, documentation and referral within your professional role.

Explore lactation training ↗

Self-paced · opens Jan 18, 2027
Pre-sale opens Oct 16, 2026
Workshops: Apr 18, 2027 (Virtual) · Virtual joining details to follow

Enroll: Lactation for Doulas
Cecilia Duncan, MSM, LM, CPM, founder and educator at Daisy Academy

Headshot photography: Alicia Brose

Leadership & educational direction

Experience that
informs education.

CECILIA DUNCAN, MSM, LM, CPM

Founder. Educator. Practicing birth professional.

Cecilia Duncan founded Daisy Academy by Daisy Doulas to help birth professionals connect substantial education with the realities of their work. A California Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife, she also brings experience as a birth and postpartum doula, newborn care specialist, childbirth educator, lactation educator and counselor, infant sleep trainer, and birthworker mentor.

Cecilia majored in education during her undergraduate studies at Barnard College, Columbia University, and earned a Master of Science in Midwifery at Bastyr University in 2023. Her professional education also includes birth doula training through DONA International, postpartum doula training through CAPPA and LifeSpan Doulas, childbirth education through ICEA, newborn care specialist training through the Newborn Care Training Academy, and advanced sleep training. Her additional preparation includes basic life support, neonatal resuscitation, and child passenger safety.

Her perspective draws on more than 25 years of professional childcare experience, alongside work in community midwifery, birth support, postpartum recovery, infant feeding, and newborn care. Having worked across these distinct roles, she understands both the depth of knowledge professionals need and the importance of recognizing the boundaries of their practice.

At Daisy Academy, Cecilia brings that experience to curriculum development, practical learning, and professional mentorship. Her educational approach emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-informed decisions, reproductive justice, culturally responsive care, and the confidence to communicate clearly, collaborate thoughtfully, and build a sustainable professional practice.

Relationship-centered

Listen first and account for each family’s values, culture, structure and preferences.

Evidence-informed

Support informed decisions with clear education, without fear, pressure or judgment.

Experienced & prepared

Value sound judgment, calm presence, professional preparation and appropriate boundaries.

Affirming by design

Prepare to serve Black, Brown, queer, blended, solo and nontraditional families with respect.

Beyond the classroom

Build a career that
can hold you, too.

Professional growth continues beyond a course. Explore guidance, practical tools and opportunities to connect with the Daisy community.

Mentorship & strategy

Individual professional guidance, planning and business development for the next stage of your work.

Ask about mentorship ↗

Clarity builds trust

Know what you’re
learning. Know what
your award means.

Explore the hours, entry requirements, assessments and scope of each program before making a decision. Daisy Academy certification reflects Daisy’s own competency standards.

Are programs open for enrollment?

Pre-sale enrollment opens in stages beginning October 9, 2026. Each self-paced course has its own enrollment opening and online access date. Courses are in development and will release lessons gradually in Wix Online Programs; purchasing during pre-sale does not provide the complete course immediately. See the launch calendar.

What does a Daisy Academy award represent?

It represents completion of the Academy’s educational and competency requirements. It is not a license and does not automatically confer an outside organization’s credential or approval.

Why are there different kinds of hours?

Instruction, independent study and supervised or verified practice serve different learning purposes. Total workload is shown separately from instructional hours on each program page.

Will payment plans or launch tuition be available?

Standard tuition is listed for each program in USD. Any active launch offer or payment plan, including the full repayment amount, will be published with enrollment information.

Your next step

Let’s talk about
what comes next.

Explore an Academy program, plan your next professional step, or ask about mentorship, practice resources and collective opportunities.

Tell us about your experience, interests and professional goals.

Send a professional inquiry to info@daisydoulas.com. Choose a program or tell us what support you need for your next professional step.

Professional inquiries · Sent securely to Daisy Academy

Academy inquiry

Your details are used to respond to your inquiry. Read the inquiry privacy notice.