These statements identify the competencies that are essential for practice as a childbirth educator and reflect the specialized knowledge of a childbirth educator certified by Lamaze International.

What are the competencies of a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator?

The Lamaze Childbirth Educator:

1. Promotes the childbearing experience as a normal, natural, and healthy process which profoundly affects women and their families.
2. Assists women and their families to discover and to use strategies to facilitate normal, natural, and healthy pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting. 
3. Helps women and their families to understand how complications and interventions  influence the normal course of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early postpartum.
4. Provides information and support that encourages attachment between babies and their families.
5. Assists women and their families to make informed decisions for childbearing.
6. Acts as an advocate to promote, support, and protect natural, safe, and healthy birth.
7. Designs, teaches, and evaluates a course in Lamaze preparation that increases a woman’s confidence and ability to give birth.