If I were asked to choose one word summarizing the role of a Childbirth Educator, this is the word I would choose. Impact.
Installing confidence in new parents as they make plans and transitions towards becoming a family is one of the highlights of a Childbirth Educators career. In this role a educator is able to work alongside their clients to help them mitigate the choices and challenges they may face in labour, birth and early parenting. A Childbirth Educator has the opportunity to provide clear, well-researched, and relevant information that impacts a new family’s life in perpetuity. Wow. How awesome is that?!
Skill.
Childbirth Educators bring a diverse skill set to their courses, which benefits their prenatal course registrants. Not all of our skills and experiences are the same, and one does not necessarily need to be a parent to become a fantastic Childbirth Educator. A passion for birth and parenting, research-oriented initiative, and drive are all qualities that successful Childbirth Educators possess. Do you love teaching? Awesome! Do you love people? Even better! Do you have a passion for birth and parenting related topics? Perfect!
Challenging.
I use to be obsessed with the show “Mythbusters.” There was something so gratifying in gambling on whether a myth would be busted or ratified. Challenging myths and exploring evidence-based opportunities available to new parents is a big part of a Childbirth Educators role in the classroom. We are the “mythbusters” of the modern-day childbirthing world who breakdown the walls of conformity between accepted and expected. Ooooo… I sense a t-shirt tagline in the making!
Fun.
Name one other profession in the world that can get 10+ adults giggling simultaneously over topics like mucous plugs, leaky breasts, and sphincters. None! Childbirth Educators take the uncomfortable and make it cheerful. We replace fear of childbirth with fun and fact. We normalize the not-talked-about, we expose the eclipsed, clear up the cryptic…. And we can teach people all sorts of wonderfully fun positions for pushing a baby out too!
Why Certify?
Deciding to certify as a Childbirth Educator diversifies and developments your skills in pedagogical communication, research methods, lesson planning, marketing, business practices and much more. A well developed CBE program will boost your confidence AND set you on the right path towards registering those first few families. It is a commitment that qualifies you to take your passion for birth and parenting and transform it into a journey of a lifelong career. A career with tremendous reward. A career with tremendous impact.
