Certified Childbirth Educator Training Program

Curriculum Opens March 1, 2027 Introductory Price of $395 until December 1, 2026 (Full Price $495)

Core Competencies Covered
Turn your knowledge of pregnancy and birth into the skills to educate families with confidence. This certification program includes 45+ hours of self-paced online education plus 10 hours of required in person testing and competency evaluation, covering pregnancy, labor and birth, comfort measures, common interventions, informed decision making, postpartum and newborn care, curriculum development, and effective childbirth education.

Module 1: Foundations of Childbirth Education
Role and scope of the childbirth educator; history and models of childbirth education; evidence informed teaching; adult learning principles; health literacy; cultural humility; trauma informed education; inclusive language; boundaries and referrals; creating a safe learning environment.
Module 2: Pregnancy & Preparing for Birth
Maternal anatomy and physiology; fetal development; physiologic changes of pregnancy; prenatal care and screening; nutrition and movement; common discomforts; warning signs; preparing physically and emotionally for birth; choosing a birth setting and care provider.
Module 3: Physiology of Labor & Birth
Hormonal physiology; fetal positioning and cardinal movements; cervical change; spontaneous onset of labor; early, active and transitional labor; pushing and birth; placental birth; normal variations in labor; prodromal labor; membrane rupture; when to contact the provider/go to the birth location.
Module 4: Comfort Measures & Labor Support
Movement and positioning; birth balls and peanut balls; massage and counter pressure; hydrotherapy; heat/cold; breathing and relaxation; vocalization; acupressure; environmental support; partner involvement; coping versus suffering; continuous labor support; developing individualized coping plans.
Module 5: Medical Interventions & Informed Decision Making
Induction and augmentation; cervical ripening; IV fluids; continuous fetal monitoring; pain medications; epidural anesthesia; assisted vaginal birth; episiotomy; cesarean birth; common indications and risks/benefits; informed consent and refusal; shared decision-making; communicating with the healthcare team without practicing outside the educator's scope.
Module 6: Variations & Complications
Preterm labor; hypertensive disorders; gestational diabetes; fetal growth concerns; malpresentation; prolonged/arrested labor; meconium; abnormal fetal heart rate concerns; postpartum hemorrhage; emergency cesarean; preterm birth; pregnancy loss and stillbirth; helping students understand complications without creating unnecessary fear.
Module 7: The Immediate Postpartum & Newborn Transition
Third and fourth stages; immediate postpartum recovery; normal newborn transition; skin to skin; delayed cord clamping; newborn assessments and routine procedures; vitamin K; newborn screening; early feeding; postpartum warning signs; newborn warning signs; emotional adjustment and postpartum mental health.
Module 8: Breastfeeding & Infant Feeding Foundations
Normal newborn feeding behavior; first latch; feeding cues; positioning basics; establishing milk supply; expected diaper output; normal newborn weight changes; supplementation basics; pumping basics; common early difficulties; when the childbirth educator should refer for lactation or medical evaluation.
Module 9: Teaching Families, Not Just Teaching Content
Facilitation versus lecturing; engaging partners; demonstrations and hands on activities; handling difficult or sensitive questions; teaching mixed groups with different birth plans; avoiding bias; discussing controversial topics; correcting misinformation respectfully; managing dominant or disruptive participants; adapting for private versus group classes.
Module 10: Building Your Childbirth Education Class
Learning objectives; class structure; curriculum development; lesson planning; handouts and visual aids; teaching equipment; creating activities; virtual versus in person classes; evaluating credible sources; citations; updating curriculum as evidence changes; student evaluations and feedback.
Module 11: Professional Practice & Business Basics
Documentation; liability considerations; confidentiality; professional ethics; pricing; private versus group classes; hospital/birth center/community education; marketing without making misleading claims; policies, contracts and cancellations; building referral relationships.
Module 12: Certification Preparation & Final Project
Students create their own complete childbirth education curriculum, including learning objectives, class outline, lesson plans, student resources, teaching activities, references and evaluation method.
Online Certification Requirements
Complete all modules and quizzes, assigned readings, case studies, teaching exercises and final curriculum project; pass the comprehensive online written examination; and complete the required in person competency evaluations.
10 Hour In Person Certification Final (may be able to be done virtually if the student lives outside DFW)

Credential: Certified Childbirth Educator (CCE), DFW Community Birth School.
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