Childbirth Instructor Training
Childbirth instructors teach childbirth preparation classes for expectant parents, teaching them what to expect during pregnancy, labor, childbirth and the early postpartum period. They provide expectant parents with the information they need to make informed decisions about things like where they want to give birth, what medical interventions they want to accept during labor and what pain relief methods they want to use during labor. They teach expectant parents skills for coping with pain during labor. They may also teach classes for parents on things like breastfeeding and newborn care.
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Organizations That Certify Childbirth Instructors
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A number of different organizations certify childbirth instructors, including Lamaze International, the International Birth and Wellness Project, the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) and the International Childbirth Education Association. Each organization provides its own form of training and has different requirements for certifying instructors.
Required Training
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Lamaze International requires students to attend a formal course in childbirth education, which can be a seminar offered by Lamaze International or a program offered by another organization. Students must then teach a childbirth education course under the supervision of an experienced instructor. CAPPA provides a distance learning program through which students read and learn on their own and then take tests through a correspondence program. Students must observe a local childbirth education class, a breastfeeding class and a newborn education class. They must also observe two births.
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Subjects Covered
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Subjects covered by most childbirth instructor training programs include anatomy and physiology as it relates to pregnancy and childbirth, nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding, normal pregnancy and birth, common complications, common obstetrical interventions, pain relief during labor and childbirth, breastfeeding, postpartum care and newborn care, Cesarean section and family-centered maternity care. Training programs also cover teaching skills and communication skills.
Practice Teaching
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Most organizations that certify childbirth instructors require students to teach a childbirth education course for expectant parents under the supervision of an experienced childbirth instructor. Students may be required to provide positive evaluations from the supervising instructor or from expectant parents in the class. Students usually have to observe a series of classes before they teach one themselves.
Observing Births
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Some organizations that certify childbirth educators require students to observe one or more births as part of their training. It is one thing to read about birth or learn about it in a class, but it is another thing entirely to watch one. Attending actual births gives childbirth instructors first-hand knowledge about labor and childbirth.
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References
- Photo Credit pregnant woman image by Valentin Mosichev from Fotolia.com
