Description
Empower New Moms and Moms-To-Be To Look and Feel Their Absolute Best
Exercising during and post pregnancy requires specialized knowledge and focused attention to ensure safety of the mother and baby.
That’s why AFPA created a curriculum for working with new moms and moms-to-be that is powerful in both theory and application.
The AFPA Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Certification program provides personal trainers and fitness professionals with higher-quality education and advanced skills specific to prenatal & postpartum exercise prescription.

What Can I Do As a Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist?

As an AFPA-Certified Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist, you will be able to effectively:
- Describe principles of basic exercise physiology and kinesiology as it relates to pregnancy
- Instruct clients on evidence-based exercises and fitness goals that are important to include in exercise programs for women who are prenatal, pregnant, or postpartum
- Recognize the symptoms of overtraining in both the mother and the fetus
- Recommend and demonstrate exercises for relieving discomfort and relief of symptoms for the pregnant participant
- Select and integrate mind-body exercises, effective breathing, and relaxation techniques into an exercise program for pregnant women
- Integrate a variety of small exercise apparatus into group and one-on-one sessions
- Design appropriate exercises for prenatal, pregnant, and postpartum clients in the personal training setting
- Discuss the changing nutritional needs for prenatal women in each stage of pregnancy
Is This Program Right For Me?
- Flexibility: When you’re AFPA-certified as a pregnancy personal trainer, you can work for yourself or at a wellness center, spa, gym, boutique studio, fitness training center, and beyond!
- Easy Entry: There is no need to spend years going to school to work with prenatal and postpartum clients. Obtaining your Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist Certification will allow you to bring your passion and expertise to clients seeking a professional to help them meet their fitness goals (and for a lot less money, too).
- Positive Change-Maker: Teaching clients how to meet new challenges, strengthen their bodies during pregnancy, and improve their self-esteem is extremely rewarding—for you, mothers-to-be, and their families.

The Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist Certification Program Includes:
- All course materials (3 instructional textbooks)
- Flexible workout plans – for strength, cardiovascular conditioning, agility, and balance for each stage of pregnancy and the postpartum period
- Fitness assessment worksheets
- Resources for eating well to support pregnancy
- Yoga exercise guidelines for each trimester
- Online Final exam
- This course is approved for 1.9 NASM/19 AFAA CEUs, and 16 AFPA CECs.

What You Will Learn:
As a graduate of the Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Certification program, you’ll be qualified to structure appropriate exercise regimes for clients, coach on maternity health as well as properly address common prenatal and postpartum concerns. These include:
- exercising during pre-conception and early pregnancy
- how to determine exercise intensity-level during pregnancy and postpartum
- how a baby in the womb reacts to exercise
- potential risks of exercising during pregnancy
- misconceptions concerning exercise linking to infertility and miscarriage
- physiological changes your client experiences immediately following birth and up through the first 12 months postpartum.
Understanding Prenatal Physiology Answer
Start by digging into the physiological changes that occur to nurture the growing fetus and prepare the mother’s body for labor and delivery. You’ll learn how to pair these adaptations with reasonable means of exercise in order to appropriately support the mother in each trimester.
- Prenatal Physiological Adaptations
- Musculoskeletal & Metabolic Adaptations
- Maternal Responses to Acute Exercise
- Fetal Responses to Acute Exercise
Developing Trimester-Specific Exercise and Nutritional Programming Answer
As a pregnancy personal trainer, you’ll master how to train pregnant clients of all fitness levels – from sedentary to competitive athletes, determine and recommend nutritional advice, and create specialized programs to enhance your client’s well-being during each stage of her pregnancy.
- Aerobic & resistance training effects in labor & delivery
- Exercise guidelines: pregnancy & postpartum
- Nutrient requirements in pregnancy
- Exercise programs for all 3 trimesters
- Yoga postures specific to pregnancy
Understanding Postpartum Physiology Answer
You’ll explore the metabolic and hormone changes that postpartum clients experience and practice developing proper exercise programs with special considerations for both C-section and vaginal recoveries. Topics include:
- Postpartum exercise programming
- Post menopause & exercise
Optimizing Maternal Health and Safety For Prenatal & Postpartum Clients Answer
You will gain the ability to effectively coach pregnant and postpartum clients by implementing protocol that follows the ACOG safety guidelines for exercise during and after pregnancy. Learning objectives include:
- Exercise, drugs, medication
- Emergency procedures, legal procedures & safety programming
- Conducting a fitness assessment
- Conducting a physical limits assessment
- Debunking common pregnancy myths and misconceptions

“Convenient, comprehensive, and very practical certification. The materials are diverse yet consistent and really educate you in all aspects of the subject. Being a fitness professional who is also pregnant, this was essential for my education as a practitioner and an individual. I highly recommend this certification.”
Janeen M.
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FAQ
Are There Payment Plans? Answer
Absolutely!
Pick the loan that fits your budget and make payments over three, six, or 12 months. Our payment plans offer instant approval and are safe and secure.
Do I Qualify? Answer
To enroll in the Certified Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist Certification, you must:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
Have a solid understanding of the English language.
Exam Requirements:
- You need a minimum final exam grade of 85% to pass.
A $75.00 retest fee will apply.
After successful completion, you will earn the title of “Certified Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Specialist” on your certificate.
Payment Plans Available
Choose from 3, 6, or 12 months. Instant approval. Safe and secure.