Childbirth Educator as a Career

A childbirth educator teaches all about late pregnancy and childbirth to expectant couples. They are hired by hospitals, birthing centers and may open up their own business, teaching classes out of their home. This is a wonderful career path for birth junkies or people who enjoy learning and teaching all about birth.

Step 1:
Decide where you want to work. Hospitals will allow you to teach the most number of couples, and probably allow you to make the most money. But the majority of couples who take a hospital class plan on getting an epidural and will probably have an intervention filled birth. If you want to teach natural childbirth and convince couples not to get an epidural, a career at a hospital is not for you.

Step 2:
Choose a certification program. If you want to work for a hospital, you will probably have to be International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) or Lamaze International certified. If you want to teach natural childbirth then the Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing or Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) certification may be for you. Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) also certifies childbirth educators.

Step 3:
Set aside a budget. Certification is not going to be cheap. Not only will there be fees for the actual processing of the paperwork, but you will need to buy books, take tests and take approved courses. You will probably have to observe a few births as well, meaning you will need to take time away from work or arrange childcare. If you plan on opening your own business, you will need materials such as posters, handouts, videos and props.

Step 4:
Order your certification materials, take your classes, read your books, study your class materials, observe your births, write your essays and build a curriculum. If you plan on opening your own childbirth education business, you will need to order your supplies.

Step 5:
Take the test. Most certification programs require you pass a test with a certain score (usually 85% or better). The tests are difficult and passing will probably require a great deal of studying.

Step 6:
Keep evolving. The path of a childbirth educator is a fairly easy one, but you will need to keep up on recent research to teach your classes effectively. Observe other instructors, use evaluations and read a great deal about childbirth so you can be a great childbirth educator.