Whether you are already a doula or are new to supporting birthing families, childbirth education is a great way to serve families. Perhaps you are wondering where childbirth educators teach families. One wonderful thing about getting into childbirth education is that there are many ways to teach families as a childbirth educator.
At the International Doula Institute (IDI) we strive to help our students and potential students learn about all their options. For our childbirth educators (CBE), there are a lot of options to learn about.
First, not all childbirth educators are doulas. While it is common, it is not necessary to be a doula to be a CBE. Whether you are a doula and CBE or simply a CBE, here are some options for where childbirth educators teach families:
Childbirth Educators Teach Independently
Some childbirth educators opt to teach families on their own. This may look like teaching in-person group childbirth classes, private one-on-one classes, or both.
Some CBEs teach from their home, rent office or classroom space, or go to people’s homes to teach. Teaching independently does require some basic networking and advertising skills. However, it is still a popular option for many CBEs.
Teaching With a Doula Agency
For those new to serving birthing families, not desiring to navigate networking, or already serving with an agency as a doula, teaching with an agency can be a great option. There are many doula agencies and co-ops which also serve families with CBEs.
Teaching with a doula agency allows you to teach without having to do as much networking and behind the scenes tasks. For CBEs who enjoy teaching but do not like doing the behind-the-scenes tasks, teaching with an agency can be a great option.
Childbirth Educators Teach At Hospitals
Some areas it is common for childbirth educators to teach at hospitals. Whether a hospital works with outside CBEs or not can vary. If you are also a registered nurse or other staff member of a hospital it is often easier to teach with in a hospital.
It is also common for some hospitals allow independent CBEs who are not nurses to teach. It is very hospital dependent. Some CBEs like to teach at hospitals because they do not have to do any of the registration or behind the scenes tasks.
Other CBE’s do not like to teach within the hospital because they feel restricted in what they can teach. Many hospitals have a preferred curriculum or set of standards which you can teach. There is not a right or a wrong place to teach as a CBE, just what is the right space for you and one that you are comfortable teaching in.
Some independent CBEs will simply rent space and teach at the hospital but are not affiliated with the hospital.
Childbirth Educators Teach With Community Organizations
As a CBE it is possible to teach with community organizations. The type of community organizations vary based on your area and what organizations exist. In some situations, CBEs may teach at a prenatal center, a parent Resource Center, offices such as WIC, and other NGOs.
As many CBEs teach independently, it isn’t uncommon for them to teach in multiple locations. Some CBEs will teach with community organizations while also holding private classes. As with many areas of serving birthing families, diversifying where you teach and serve can help maintain a long-term journey serving birthing families.
As a CBE of over a decade, I have taught with community organizations, independently with private organizations, taught within hospitals but not affiliated with hospitals, and have taught private classes. There is also the opportunity to teach classes online independently and with doula agencies.
Becoming a childbirth educator is a great way to jump into serving birthing families with a variety of options and places to teach. Ready to get started? You can register today.
Author: Aliza Juliette Bancoff
Aliza Juliette Bancoff is a well-known doula and doula trainer who has been providing doula services to families for over a decade. She is the founder of Main Line Doulas, a doula group providing doula support in the great Philadelphia area for the last decade, the International Doula Institute, which provides online doula training and lactation training and certification programs and the International Breastfeeding Institute which provides lactation training and certification. She is the co-founder of United Birth, a company devoted to increasing access to doulas across the country to make the perinatal time safer both physically and emotionally. “Every birthing person deserves access to quality doula support. And we are working to make that a reality across the country. The work we are doing to get doulas to every birthing person will decrease the black infant and maternal mortality rate significantly by 2030.” Says Bancoff. Aliza is known for her compassionate and empowering approach to doula work, and she has been featured in numerous media outlets, including United Nations Maternal Health Report, Parent Magazine, CafeMom, theBump and many more. Aliza's journey into doula work began when she gave birth to her first child and felt a strong calling...