Prerequisites:

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements to enter the program

	Be an RN with labor and delivery experience
	Be an experienced labor assistant (PLA) / doula (CD) / Perinatal Support Specialist or Intern (CPSS)
	Be an experienced childbirth educator (CCE)
	Be concurrently enrolled in the BIRTH WISDOM Perinatal Support Specialist Educational Series

The purpose of the Best Birth Childbirth Educator Certification Program is to: Provide the highest level of training and certification in the Physiological Management of Labor and Birth so as to provide women access to professional childbirth educators that understand and teach the principles and practice of physiological labor and birth. 

                 Three generations of conventional American obstetric and newborn care have buried the expectations and skills needed to empower women to birth their babies. Restrictions on the mother's ability to use her body result in prolonged, painful, or unproductive labor, thus increasing the need for multiple interventions and assisted instrumental or cesarean delivery. These interventions can affect the woman's postpartum course, her ability to nurture her newborn, and her overall childbirth experience. Few women in America today experience physiologic birthing, and many have no expectation that it is possible. 

                Teaching physiological birth is different in important respects from conventional childbirth education. The Best Birth Childbirth Educator can help make families comfortable with this innovative concept and teach physiological and mind/body techniques women can use to make their labor more comfortable and productive.  The complete method of physiological birth also teaches visualization, self hypnosis, psychological preparation and emotional mastery techniques that allow a woman to overcome her fears and enhance her relaxation during labor and birth. This program is designed to enable you to meet each woman's individual needs with  preparation for both medicated and unmedicated  labor and birth that  includes unbiased  information about obstetrical interventions and local hospital procedures. Also this comprehensive childbirth education and parenting program helps parents to make healthful choices about birth and immediate infant care that will directly affect maternal and infant health outcomes. Teaching about these issues is comprehensive and can be adapted to the needs of each woman and her family. Some important aspects of this program:

	How women can easily give birth without fear.
	Mind/Body techniques and how they effect pregnancy, labor and birth outcomes.
	How to apply this model in prevention of complications such as failure to progress, dystocia, prolonged labor and arrest of descent.
	How to alter the perception of pain in labor and dispel the myth that pain is an insurmountable counterpart of labor.
	How to reframe a woman’s familiar and cultural beliefs that affect her attitudes regarding labor and birth.
	How to access emotions and transfer fears of the birthing process.
	How to use imagery and visualization to enhance the pregnancy, labor and birthing process.
	How to enhance the birthing process for the father thus enhancing the comfort of the mother.
	How to help each mother create her own Best Birth .

Professional Practice 

The Best Birth Childbirth Educator:

	Provides women with realistic knowledge about their options during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum so that they can establish realistic expectations.
	The educator strives to achieve the desired outcome of healthy mothers and healthy babies and capable mothers and fathers who can parent.
	The educator encourages and supports early contact with infant and breastfeeding
	The educator encourages and supports low-interventional birth, but also recognize that it is an individual decision.
	The educator provides research based informational through educational classes for the expectant parents. Included is information on movement, positioning, relaxation, ritual, visualization, self hypnosis, psychological preparation and emotional mastery techniques, comfort measures, breathing techniques, alternative therapeutic modalities and how to educate the parents to communicate with their caregivers.
	The educator also provides information on birth options and encourages students to be as knowledgeable as possible. The childbirth educator does not give medical advice but refers to resources such as books, appropriate studies and or published materials. For needs beyond the scope of the childbirth educator training, referrals are made to the appropriate resources.

This approach will change forever your views on childbirth education...

Whether you are already a certified childbirth instructor looking for something that really works to offer your students, or are just now starting to research your certification options, the Best Birth Book Childbirth Educator certification program has what you're looking for. Developing your teaching skills, and gaining an understanding of the Best Birth approach requires a committed course of  study, clinical observation, and supervision. No other childbirth certification program out there has as much one-on-one attention between trainer and certification candidates. The unique structure of the in-depth workshop, with other certification work performed on your own, will prepare you to help women to rediscover their ability to create their own best birth.