The Curriculum

• Reproductive anatomy and physiology
• Elements of prenatal care
• Women's experience of pregnancy and labor
• Nutrition and exercise
• Massage, relaxation, and breathing techniques
• Normal birth physiology and hormones
• Stages of labor
• Comfort measures for labor
• Pain medications (separated out from comfort measures)
• Birth-planning and informed choice
• Medical procedures
• Cesarean birth
• The postpartum period, breastfeeding, and newborn care
• Adult learning theory
• Teaching methods and skills
• Curriculum development

Students learn not only what to teach, but how to teach it. The instructors model a variety of teaching techniques including lecture, use of audio-visual aids, role-playing, and small group activities. Students apply their learning through practice teaching sessions, which offer each student a chance to give a short presentation to peers and receive an experienced childbirth educator's feedback.
Since most expectant parents plan to give birth in a hospital, most opportunities for childbirth educators involve teaching about hospital birth. Therefore, the class focuses primarily on how to teach about hospital birth, although out-of-hospital birth is also addressed.

Course Notes

Certificates of completion will only be issued to students who have completed and submitted all online coursework and assignments, and must be present for all of the sessions each day. Read Simkin Center Registration Policies. 

Required Text (click here for information on where to obtain texts.)

1) Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simkin, Whalley, and Keppler et.al. Latest editions encouraged.

Recommended Texts:

2) Maternity & Women's Healthcare

3) The Anatomy Coloring Book by Kapit and Elson

4) The Breastfeeding Answer Book by Mohrbacher and Stock OR the Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Newman and Pittman

Recommended Preparation

This training is appropriate for a wide variety of students, from lay people who wish to become childbirth educators, to birth professionals who wish to enhance the educational aspect of their practice.

Participants are expected to complete the reading assignments and the study guide, which will be available to you one month before the course starts.

For students without prior experience in the field, it may be helpful to attend our DONA-approved Labor Support Course or observe a childbirth education series as preparation for the class. It is also helpful if you have attended at least one labor and birth, either as a birthing woman or as a support person.

Childbirth Educator Training Cancellation, Transfer and Refund Policy:

Cancellation: Cancellation requests made prior to the release of the online modules are eligible for a full refund minus a $100 processing fee.

Once the online modules are open and students are given access, any cancellations made 30 days before the start of class are eligible for a 50% refund.

Once the online modules are open and students are given access, any cancellations made less than 30 days before the start of class are NOT eligible for a refund.

Transfers: Transfer requests made prior to the release of the online modules are eligible for a transfer with the addition of a $100 processing fee.

Once the modules are open and students are given access, any transfer requests made 30 days BEFORE the start of class are eligible for a transfer with the addition of a $325 fee ($100 processing fee plus $75 per missed day).

Once the modules are open and students are given access, any transfer requests made less than 30 days before the start of class are eligible for a transfer, with the addition of a $425 fee ($200 processing fee plus $75 per missed day).

Instructors

Joni Parthemer MEd, ICCE, CGE.

Lisa Tankersley, CCE

To read more about your instructors, click here.

Contact Us:
Call us at (425) 602-3361