Help families prepare for one of life’s most transformative experiences through evidence-based childbirth education. The International Doula Institute’s Certified Childbirth Educator (CCE) program equips you with the knowledge, teaching skills, and confidence to educate expectant families about pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum recovery, newborn care, and informed decision-making.
Whether you’re beginning a career in birth work or expanding your credentials as a doula, nurse, midwife, lactation professional, or other healthcare provider, this comprehensive certification prepares you to confidently teach childbirth classes in hospitals, birth centers, private practice, community organizations, or online. You’ll be fully equipped to teach group classes or provide private one-to-one classes.
Our flexible, fully online program can be completed in as little as 6 weeks, or you can learn at your own pace with up to one year to finish. With 24/7 access to your coursework, you’ll be able to study on your schedule while gaining practical, evidence-based knowledge you can begin applying immediately.
During this course, you will learn through instructor video, text, audio, illustrations, and required reading from top authors and researchers in the field. Accommodations, support, and instructor mentorship is available to help complete the course if you face common barriers to course completion.
Below, you’ll find the course syllabus overview so you can explore exactly what you’ll learn throughout the program. By completion, you’ll be fully prepared to educate, support, and empower families with confidence.
Certified Childbirth Educator Course Syllabus Overview
- Job of a Childbirth Educator
a. What is a childbirth educator?
b. Job analysis
c. Scope of practice
d. Client Privacy - Anatomy & Physiology
a. Maternal Changes
b. Common Ailments and treatment options
c. Fetal Development
d. Emotional Changes
e. Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
f. Social Changes During Pregnancy - Perinatal Nutrition & Complications
a. Pregnancy, childbirth & the newborn book
b. Third Trimester nutrition
c. Nutrition During Pregnancy
d. Nutrition related complications - Understanding Labor
a. Read Optimal Care in Childbirth – The Case for Physiological Birth
b. Read: Oxytocin
c. Stages of Labor
d. Hormones in Labor
e. Birthing Positions
f. Comfort Measures - Birth Options
a. Locations
b. Birth Provider options - Perinatal Interventions
a. Antenatal Interventions
b. Induction and Augmentation
c. Pharmacological Pain Relief Options
d. Assisted Birth
e. C-Section Birth
f. Active Management of the Third Stage
g. Medically necessary baby and birthing parent separation - Informed Decision Making
a. Informed decision making
b. Birthing Plans and Preferences - Newborn Basics
a. Newborn choices
b. Resources for parents
c. Infant feeding
d. Infant sleep
e. Family planning
f. Postpartum basics - Final Exam
a. Final Exam
b. Continuing Education
c. Teach class or mock class and submit a video or audio recording for evaluation - Classroom Basics
a. Managing Introductions
b. Understanding Class dynamics
c. Class outlines
d. Video resources
e. Encouraging critical thinking
f. Teaching options, private classes, group classes, employment