About Sierra Doula Academy

About Sierra Doula Academy

Founded by longtime birth professional Janine Maitri, Sierra Doula Academy carries forward more than four decades of dedication to childbirth education, doula training, and family support.

The Academy began as Sierra Childbirth Institute, established in 2002, and takes its name from the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains—where Janine relocated after many years serving families and professionals in the California Bay Area.

Sierra Doula Academy continues the legacy of Janine’s earlier work with Peninsula Birth Connection, an education and resource center she founded in Palo Alto in 1994. That center, now known as Blossom Birth & Family Services, continues to thrive today as a cornerstone of the Bay Area birth community.

Janine’s journey began in 1982 as a childbirth educator, birth assistant, and advocate at the forefront of the emerging doula movement. Her lifelong mission has been to help transform the childbirth experience in the United States through education, advocacy, and a deep respect for the instinctual nature of birth.

In 2019, Janine established a dedicated training center in Sacramento, California, creating a welcoming space where aspiring and experienced birth professionals could gather to learn, connect, and grow. While the physical training center closed in 2026, Sierra Doula Academy continues to serve the Sacramento Valley through live workshops, community partnerships, mentoring, and online education.

Today, Sierra Doula Academy offers comprehensive doula training and continuing education for aspiring and experienced birth professionals throughout California, across the United States, and internationally. In many ways, this transition represents a return to Janine’s roots—bringing high-quality doula education directly to the communities where it is needed most.