Qualifications

Thumbnails of 6 certification documents including my NASM personal training certification, 4 pregnancy and postpartum coaching certifications, and a completion certificate from the Empowered Performance Academy.
Photo of Laura Jawad at Juanita Beach with Lake Washington in the background.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of folks ask me what qualifies me to work with pregnant and postpartum people. And they want to know what training I have in pelvic health support. I’ve put this list together to start to answer those questions.

The simple answer is this: I’ve invested over 1000 hours in the best certification courses and continuing education in the industry. And I’ve been serving pregnant and postpartum clients, exclusively, since 2017. My expertise and qualification comes from formal education AND it comes from in-the-trenches experience. 

If you want to learn a little more about HOW I choose my certifications and continuing ed, check out the link below:

Current Certifications

  • Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (PCES); 2023

  • Body Ready Method Certified Instructor; 2022

  • Certified Kettlebell Instructor, DV8 Fitness; 2021

  • Certified Birth Doula, PALS Doulas; 2020

  • Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism (P&PA) Coach; 2019

  • Girls Gone Strong Certified Prenatal and Postpartum Coach (CPPC); 2018

  • NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT); 2017
Group photo from the Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach Course Live weekend.

Continuing Education

  • Cancer Exercise Specialist, Cancer Exercise Training Institute (2023, in progress)
  • Empowered Performance, instructed by Katie St. Clair; 2022
  • The Real Moms’ Guide to Postpartum Return to Run: PRO EDITION, instructed by Carrie Pagliano, PT; 2021
  • Advanced Doula Training: Breastfeeding for Doulas (instructed by Sharon Muza); 2020

  • Original Strength Level 1; 2020

  • POPUp Pro (A certification course for professionals working with people with pelvic organ prolapse), in progress

  • Passion for Birth Childbirth Educator Training seminar; 2019

  • Postnatal Fitness Specialist, Postnatal Fitness Specialist Academy; 2019
  • SNATCH: A Female-Specific Approach to Kettlebell Training; 2018
  • Spinning Babies workshop; 2018

  • FMS, level 1; 2018
  • Certified Kettlebell Instructor, Dragon Door Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC); 2018
  • Piston Science Part 1: The Diaphragm/ Pelvic Floor Piston for Adult Populations, instructed by Julie Wiebe, DPT

  • The Pelvic Floor Piston: Foundation for Fitness, Julie Wiebe

  • Bulletproof your Pelvic Floor, Antony Lo; 2018
  • TRX Qualified Instructor; 2018
  • Bastyr University Simkin Center Birth Doula Skills Workshop; 2017
  • Prenatal/Postpartum Exercise Program Design, Catherine Cram; 2017
  • American Red Adult and Pediatric Cross First Aid, CPR and AED

University Education

Before I was a personal trainer, I was a PhD. And I worked as a PhD-trained Oceanographer/Microbiologist/Biogeochemist. I’ve always been multi-passionate, a trait which led me to my career pivot into perinatal fitness and pelvic health. If you want to snoop my former professional life, you can peep my LinkedIn profile here.

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Ph.D., 2010

  • Carleton College, BA, Chemistry, 2002

A photo from my PhD commencement.

Professional Affiliation

  • Global Pelvic Health Alliance Member 

  • Empowered Performance Academy

Learn More About Laura

Any coach is more than a list of courses and credentials. If you want to learn more about me, my values and my coaching philosophy, you can check out my About page. 

Want to check out my coaching services? Check out Pregnancy and Postpartum Personal Training Services.

Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach Badge
GGS Certified Pre- and Postnatal Coach
Certification Logo, Sarah Duvall's Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist
Body Ready Method Certified Coach