If you like talking about birth, consider training to become a childbirth educator.
More and more people are looking for childbirth classes. If you like talking about birth, consider training to become a childbirth educator. There are a number of ways to certify and get started.


What do childbirth educators do?

Childbirth educators teach birth classes, helping people navigate the maternity care world. They inform couples of the options they'll have, the choices they'll face, and help prepare them for the enormous and important work of birthing.

You can teach a natural birth curriculum, a hypnosis-based curriculum, generalized hospital classes, or a class of your own making. In addition, you can add on sibling preparation, baby care, parenting, early pregnancy or fertility classes, and more.

Birth classes may cover: nutrition, exercise, science, hormones, relaxation, self-hypnosis, partner support, interventions, breastfeeding, hospital procedures, and more.

You can teach the curriculum designed by one of the certifying agencies, make up your own, or mix and match.

How much money can you make as a childbirth educator?

Most educators are entrepreneurs. It takes a while to get started, but after you make some contacts and get going, you can fill your classes.

The amount you can charge for classes depends on where you live, how popular your classes are, the local demand for birth classes, and if there is competition in your area. Mostly, though, your ability to charge and fill classes will be about where you live and what the birth community is like.

In some places, like Mississippi, taking a birth class is highly unusual. No one talks about it, so getting started might be slower, and you might have to charge less.

Related: Why a Good Birth Class is SO Worth the Money

On the other hand, if there are a few providers who are keen, you can align with them and be the sole person offering birth classes. My friend just started her practice in a place without any other classes, so there are multiple midwives, doulas, and chiropractors sending their clients to her.

In a place with a more active birth community, you may compete with other educators, but people will be looking for birth classes and expect to pay for them.

Let's look at the money. If you are teaching independently and charge $300 per couple and have four couples per class, that's $1,200 for however many classes you do. If it's 8 classes at two hours a piece, plus another 8 hours for planning, set up and advertising, that's $50/hr. This assumes you have a free space to teach and have all the supplies you need, but that's not bad.

Of course you might be teaching only one or two client classes to start, but some of my colleagues regularly have classes with eight or 10 couples and they don't need to spend much time on prep anymore. It can be a solid side job. Running more than one class a week, teaching for a hospital or birth center, or offering private classes can also help increase your revenue.

Birth educators also work for hospitals and birth centers, earning hourly wages teaching clients of the institution.

Whether you teach for a center or independently, to make it a full time job, you will almost certainly need to add additional services.

What else do childbirth educators do?

Many educators add other services to their business so that they can help their clients with more aspects of the childbearing year as well as find other clients who don't need or want a class. You can make birth work more of a career by adding doula work, placenta encapsulation, breastfeeding support, prenatal yoga, or other services. Some educators are also midwives.

How much time does it take?

In the beginning, like any business, it takes a lot of time to get your name and offerings out there. Once you do, and you've run a bunch of sessions, you won't have much work between teaching. It took me about three years to be solid enough in the community that I don't need to hustle much to get my ideal of 4-6 couples in my classes.

Is teaching birth classes right for me?

Do you like to read about pregnancy and birth, watch birth videos, read intrapartum and postpartum research, talk about birth options, and learn new ways to prepare for birth?

Do you feel comfortable sharing information, addressing a group, and helping people bond with each other?

Most instructors are independent and own their own business. Does entrepreneurship appeal to you?

If this feels like you, get started!

How hard is it to become certified?

There are a lot of certifying organizations, some more respected than others. Some offer online or entirely distance-learning programs. Programs that have some face-to-face typically include more support, materials, and educational value, not to mention the value of making connections.

All programs have a reading list and some kind of practical experience - like attending births or watching another instructor teach. Unless you are a particularly slow or reluctant reader, you can finish the program in a year or less.

Related: 8 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your First Birth

After you finish your program, you can start your business! Some certification programs offer business training and support as well. There are also several independent birth work businesses that help other birth workers, like my shop of printable birth handouts and Inspired Birth Pros, a place to get help starting your business.

Which childbirth educator certification should I do?

There are loads, but most of them I've never heard of. Here are some of the more popular ones. Make sure you look into how much support they offer, what kind of materials they have to help you teach, if they offer business training or assistance, and what makes them special. What do couples say after taking a class?

Lamaze
Birth Boot Camp
Bradley
CAPPA
Birth Arts
Hypnobirthing