Birth Doula Training & Certification

BFC, IBCLC, LC, CBC, CLC… Confused about the differences?

One of the most common questions we are asked about CBI’s Breastfeeding Counselor course is the difference between a Breastfeeding Counselor and a Lactation Consultant. First a bit of an explanation on the different acronyms.

BFC=Breastfeeding Counselor
CLC=Certified Lactation Consultant (or counselor depending on the organization)
LC=Lactation Counselor (or consultant)
CBC=Certified Breastfeeding Counselor

A certified breastfeeding counselor is an individual who has taken a training program specializing in supporting breastfeeding parents. The course length varies from one program to the next. The CBI Breastfeeding Counselor course provides 140 hours of education. In addition, you will support breastfeeding clients for a total of 30 hours and read three books. The content of a breastfeeding course also differs from one training organization to the next.

A lactation consultant is the term generally used to refer to an individual who has become certified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). The IBCLC designation is awarded by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). The IBLCE do not provide training of any kind. They review the experience and education of an individual to determine whether it meets their requirements, and run an exam that is taken to assess knowledge. The education or training taken must be through another organization, be specific to lactation, and at least 90 hours in length. Childbirth International’s Breastfeeding Certification program meets these requirements and can be used for the lactation education component determined by the IBLCE.

Generally, the fundamental differences between a breastfeeding counselor and a lactation consultant relate to their experience and the amount of health science education they have completed. In order to apply to become an IBCLC, an individual must have:

• 90 hours of lactation specific education (e.g., CBI’s Breastfeeding Counselor course if doing pathway 1 or pathway 3) within the five years prior to completing the exam
• 300-1000 hours of supporting lactation problems (hours differ depending on the pathway chosen)
• Completion of one academic semester in eight health science courses at an accredited higher education institution (unless a nurse, midwife, doctor etc.)
• Completion of six continuing education health science courses (medical terminology, basic life support, medical documentation, occupational safety, professional ethics, infection control)
• Successful completion of the exam

Both a Breastfeeding Counselor and a Lactation Consultant can support a breastfeeding parent or run breastfeeding classes and support groups. They can both work in hospitals, clinics or private practice.

Neither a Breastfeeding Counselor or a Lactation Consultant can give a medical diagnosis or prescribe medication or treatments.

The fundamental differences between the two roles are the completion of health science courses and the number of hours that each have supported breastfeeding clients for.

Childbirth International maintains a grievance procedure with the following aims:

• to systematically address specific instances of misconduct by Childbirth International Birth Professionals
• to remedy misconduct where possible
• to support accountability of individual Birth Professionals as well as Childbirth International as a certifying body and professional association
• to support professional standards in the doula, childbirth educator and breastfeeding counselor professions
• to ensure fairness in the grievance procedure.

Complaints

If a member of the public, another Birth Professional, a health professional, or a member of Childbirth International, (hereinafter referred to as “the Complainant”) has a complaint against the conduct of a Childbirth International Birth Professional, this must be put in writing within 12 months of the event taking place, addressed to the Director of Childbirth International (hereinafter referred to as “Director”). Childbirth International employees and officers may also institute a grievance proceeding internally, without a complaint filed by an outside party. The email address to send complaints to is support@childbirthinternational.com.

Information Required

The Complainant must provide the following information:

• details of the complaint, with dates and an explanation of where the event took place
• details of what action the Complainant has taken so far to remedy the situation
• evidence of the complaint (e.g. screenshots, copies of letters)
• name and contact details of the Complainant

We will not investigate hearsay, or complaints without any evidence. We require the name of the Complainant and will share this with the Birth Professional whom the complaint is made about. We will not investigate anonymous complaints.

Investigation

The complaint will be investigated by the disciplinary committee (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee”), during which time the Committee may request further supporting documentation and evidence. The student or certified Birth Professional will be contacted for their perspective. The student or certified Birth Professional will have the opportunity to respond to the Committee. The goal for Childbirth International in the case of a complaint is to encourage the Complainant and the Birth Professional to communicate and resolve the problem in a mutually beneficial way. If this is not possible, Childbirth International will review the complaint and, following a decision, may take action as set out below.

Disciplinary Action

Following the investigation, the Committee may take one of the following actions:

• no action taken
• encourage the Complainant and the Birth Professional to communicate with each other to find a mutually acceptable solution
• written warning sent to the Birth Professional
• temporary withdrawal of Childbirth International certification or access to the student website, pending actions that must be carried out in order for certification or access to be reinstated, including but not limited to, making appropriate amends to the aggrieved party
• permanent withdrawal of certification, membership status and/or enrolment in any training programs, and removal from all forums or websites managed by Childbirth International and their agents.

If a student or graduate is permanently withdrawn as a result of disciplinary action, no refunds will be due.

We take your privacy seriously

Your privacy is important to us. Read our privacy policy to learn more about what information we hold and what we do with it.

If you have shared your email address and other contact details with us, we believe that we have a responsibility to maintain your privacy and not use that information for anything other than what you’ve requested. We won’t provide your personal details to any other organization, under any circumstances. The details we store are strictly for our own use and won’t be made publicly available or sold to other groups. We will NEVER share your personal details with any third party unless we’re required to do so by law. If at any time we decide to change our privacy policy in a way that would affect your privacy, we’ll notify you and give you the opportunity to remove your name.

Credit Card Details

When you pay for your course you’ll be taken to a secure page to enter your credit card details. We don’t store these details. The payment is processed by either Stripe or PayPal and they don’t forward the credit card information to us. At no time do we ever have your credit card number.

Contact Information

When you become a student with Childbirth International you’ll provide your name and contact details, including a mailing address. We require this information so we can ship your student manuals to you. We guarantee that we’ll NEVER share your details with any third party, unless we’re required to do so for legal reasons. Your contact information won’t be sold, exchanged or made available in any way. We won’t provide our mailing list of students and graduates to ANY company or organization for payment, for exchange or for free, unless we’re required by law to do so. You have our absolute assurance that your private information will remain private.

We do store information on our servers about our students and those who have registered for our mailing lists. At any time you can remove your name from the mailing list yourself. Your contact details can only be accessed by our administration staff at Head Office. It can’t be accessed through our website. The information is stored on a database on our own server and can only be retrieved with passwords and secure web pages.

The student website does use cookies to store information about the site on your computer. A cookie is a small text file that is kept on your own computer. We will NEVER retrieve any information from your computer.

Find a Doula Service

Many doulas, educators and counselors want to publicize their name and services in order to find clients. Childbirth International provides Find a Doula (www.findadoula.com) – a free service where you can let the world know about you. In order to advertise your name we’ll require your telephone number, email address, and location (city and country). When a potential client carries out a search and finds your name, they can’t see your email address. If they choose to contact you, they must fill in the inquiry form where your contact details are hidden. Their inquiry will then automatically be emailed to you. The potential client won’t know your email address unless you choose to share it with them. As with our other services, we guarantee that we’ll NEVER share this information with any third party, for payment, exchange or for free, unless we’re required by law to do so. You have our absolute assurance that your private information will remain private.

It’s ok to change your mind

If you register for a training program you have two days to review the course program. If you decide the course is not for you, you can cancel within 48 hours of purchase and receive a full refund, less an administration fee.

You’ll have full access to all the course materials within a few minutes of registering so you can review them straight away. This allows you to take a look at the course and decide if it’s what you are looking for.

If you decide not to continue, you must contact us in writing before the two days are completed and request a refund. The amount you’ve paid will be refunded, less a $50 administration fee. The administration fee covers the cost of the fees we are charged for processing your initial payment, the cost of processing a refund and the administrative cost of manually reversing your order.

Roles and Responsibilities

Birth Professional refers to the role of a Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, Postpartum Doula or Lactation Counselor (Breastfeeding Counselor).

A Childbirth International Birth Professional:

• recognizes that their role is defined by their client, not by themselves; they will actively identify the needs, values, and expectations of each client, including their client’s individual definition of their role
• supports the client’s choices, regardless of their personal views (limits to this are discussed under Ethics and Values below)
• recognizes they work within an integrated support system, including the client’s family and medical care providers, and encourages their clients to consult medical caregivers on any areas of medical concern
• works to avoid an adversarial stance with other supporters, including medical staff and family and to promote open and respectful dealings with all persons they come into contact with in the course of their work
• provides physical and practical support, emotional support, and information and perspective; they do not provide prescriptions, advice, or recommendations, including regarding use of “natural” remedies or complementary (“alternative”) therapies such as homeopathy or herbal medicine in their role as a Birth Professional
• recognizes that it is always the client who makes decisions, and that it is not the Birth Professionals responsibility to advocate with caregivers on behalf of the client; the Birth Professional may discuss options, or remind a client of her previously stated wishes, but it is the client’s responsibility to state her preferences and intentions, and to determine whether to accept medical interventions
• does not provide clinical care, medical assessment, diagnosis, or advice, and is not expected to assist the client in any clinical manner in the actual birth of the baby

Evidence-Based Care

A Childbirth International Birth Professional:

• promotes evidence-based care as the standard for all women and babies
• has a duty to provide clients with information on the medical evidence for or against any practice, in as far as they are aware of it, to the extent desired by the client – where the Birth Professional provides information that is not in line with current best-available evidence, or where evidence does not exist, this should be clearly stated to the client
• recognizes that clients may choose care that is not evidence-based, and supports them in that informed choice
• emphasizes teaching of tools and skills, including those in research, evaluation, assertiveness, communication, and decision-making, not just providing passive information, so that the client has the practical means to achieve their goals and further reinforcing the responsibility of clients to make their own decisions

Professional Ethics and Values

A Childbirth International Birth Professional:

• maintains the highest standards of honesty, integrity, respect, courtesy, and professionalism when dealing with any other persons in their professional capacity, including clients’ family members and medical caregivers
• is punctual for client appointments
• does not promote products that undermine breastfeeding (e.g. bottles, teats, pacifiers, formula milk) to clients, does not recommend such products, provide samples of such products or use teaching materials or equipment that contain the brand names of such products.
• communicates their terms of service, availability, back-up arrangements, limitations of service, fees, refunds, cancellation policy to their client – we suggest that this is in a written agreement signed by both the client and the Birth Professional
• makes themselves available continuously during an agreed on-call period; if a situation arises that prevents them from being available, they will make every effort to communicate this orally (in person or in a live telephone call, not solely by voicemail, email, or text message), and to ensure a back-up is available
• makes every effort to disclose as soon as is practicable, including on first meeting, any circumstance in which they are unable to provide service including because of ethical or personal conflicts
• maintains client confidentiality and will not discuss any personal details of a client except with a back-up, and only such information as is necessary for the back-up to provide appropriate care; the Birth Professional may discuss details with others if expressly permitted by the client, or as required by law
• keeps all records confidential, except where disclosure may be required by law
• recognizes their own limitations and clearly communicates to a client when the client’s needs or questions are outside of their own area of expertise and knowledge and refers a client to appropriate services in this case
• clearly communicates to a client that they are not yet certified and are currently in training if they have not yet completed and graduated from their course

Intellectual Property

A Childbirth International Birth Professional will respect copyright and intellectual property at all times, including as set out below.

All written work authored by Childbirth International or their agents is protected by copyright, including books, articles, study guides, online articles, websites, business forms, personal emails, posts to an Internet discussion forum, and any other written work, regardless of how formal it is, or whether it has been “published” in a recognized book or journal.

Distributing or reposting copyrighted material on paper or online without the express permission of the author or copyright holder is illegal and unethical. This includes acts such as posting an article from a medical journal on an Internet discussion forum, photocopying an article to include in a set of handouts for clients, or using another person’s page on “what is a doula/childbirth educator/breastfeeding counselor” or another person’s registration form on one’s own website without express permission.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of the written work of another without giving credit. Plagiarism is not acceptable in student assignments, handouts or other materials created for clients, websites and promotional materials, discussion in personal communications such as email or posting to discussion forums, or any other written work. Plagiarism includes such acts as quoting any material from another source without credit, or passing off someone else’s idea as one’s own where the original idea is identifiable and the originator known.

Adaptation

No written work is 100% original; all work builds on ideas from elsewhere. It is permissible to build on the ideas of others so long as the original work is credited where those ideas are still identifiable. Changing a few words to make a work or an idea appear slightly different from the original is not adequate. Work must be completely rewritten with significant transformation or new elements added, or else credit must be given, even if direct quotes are not used.

Training Materials

Childbirth International students and certified Birth Professionals may use CBI materials when working with clients. They may not train other Birth Professionals with CBI materials, provide workshops using CBI materials, or distribute the material to persons other than clients without the express written permission from Childbirth International.

Competition

If a student or graduate subsequently establishes a Birth Professional training program that is deemed by Childbirth International to be in direct competition to Childbirth International, access to the student website and any discussion forums or websites managed by Childbirth International will be terminated. If the Childbirth International training program has not been completed at the time the student establishes such a training program, the student will be terminated from the Childbirth International training program and will not be eligible for certification. In such cases, Childbirth International will not be liable for a refund of any training or membership fees.

Full Disclosure

At no time will a student claim to be graduated with Childbirth International unless they have received their Certificate. Graduates cannot claim to be graduated with Childbirth International unless they completed all the requirements of the course they are claiming certification in and have received their certificate.

Professional Development

A Childbirth International Birth Professional:

• uses reflective practice in their daily professional practice
• pursues continuing education as part of their professional development
• once a certified Birth Doula, if identifying themselves as a certified Labor Doula, they will acknowledge Childbirth International as the certifying body by using the initials CBD (CBI)
• once a certified Childbirth Educator, if identifying themselves as a certified Childbirth Educator, they will acknowledge Childbirth International as the certifying body by using the initials Dip CBEd (CBI)
• once a certified Postpartum Doula, if identifying themselves as a certified Postpartum Doula, they will acknowledge Childbirth International as the certifying body by using the initials CPD (CBI)
• once a certified Breastfeeding Counselor, if identifying themselves as a certified Breastfeeding Counselor, they will acknowledge Childbirth International as the certifying body by using the initials CBC (CBI)

Every individual has the right to be treated equally and with kindness

Discrimination Factors

Childbirth International (“CBI”) supports all its trainers, directors and other representatives (“representatives”) in being able to enjoy a work environment free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. The decisions made by CBI regarding recruitment, promotion, training, termination, and the assignment of a trainer to a student are made without discrimination on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or belief system, age, body size or shape, pregnancy, sexual orientation, biological gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender reassignment, disability, political ideology, marital status, or genetic information (“discrimination factors”).

Discrimination or harassment from CBI representatives

All representatives of CBI are expected to carry out their duties without harassment or discrimination towards any other CBI representative, or towards any student or graduate. CBI representatives are encouraged to report harassing conduct before it becomes severe or pervasive. Any complaints related to harassment or discrimination will be treated seriously, and where the complaint is found to be valid, the CBI representative will be subject to disciplinary action. CBI representatives that make complaints of harassment or discrimination, or provide information related to such complaints, can be assured that:

• They will be protected against retaliation for making the complaint.
• They can make the complaint to their Supervisor or any Director of CBI verbally or in writing.
• Their complaint will be confidential to the extent possible (reasonable disclosure may be required during an investigation of the complaint).
• All complaints will be managed promptly, thoroughly and in an impartial manner.
• If harassment or discrimination are found to have occurred during a resulting investigation, immediate and appropriate corrective action will be taken.

Harassment or Discrimination towards CBI representatives

CBI will not tolerate any harassment of, or discrimination towards, its representatives. Requests from students to transfer to a new trainer because of discriminatory factors will not be considered under any circumstances. Complaints of discrimination or harassment will be reported to the Grievance Committee and investigated. In cases where the complaints are confirmed after investigation, appropriate corrective action will be taken towards the individual who has discriminated or harassed, which may include:

• Written warning
• Suspension from the program
• Additional requirements to fulfill certification
• Removal from the program without a refund

Terms and Conditions

In order to make our courses affordable for as many people as possible, we offer payment plans for our full certification programs. This enables you to pay for your course over a five-month period. If you would like to choose this option, please ensure you have read, and understand, the information below that explains how the payments are made and the consequences of a payment defaulting.

Access to your Credit Information

Payment plans are set up by you through either Stripe or PayPal.  Childbirth International does not have access to any of your bank or credit card details to make changes to your account.

Monthly Payment Plan Fee

All payment plans will be subjected to a $10.00 monthly administration fee per month per course. The monthly administration fee is included in the monthly payment.

Changing your Credit Card Information

Any account or credit card updates must be done through either a your Paypal account (if you chose Paypal) or through a student’s account at www.childbirthinternational.com by accessing “subscriptions” (if you chose Stripe).

Duration of Payment Plan

Payment plans run the duration of 5 months. The first payment is withdrawn upon successful registration, with 4 equal payments due on the same day of each month until the balance is paid in full. These payments are automatically withdrawn from your chosen payment account each month. No action is required to initiate these.

Payment plans through PayPal are listed as one month periods.  For example, if the first payment is submitted in September, the next payments will be listed as Oct-Nov, Nov-Dec, Dec-Jan, Jan-Feb, with the last payment due in January.

Changing the Payment Date

You may request a change to the recurring monthly payment date.  Please contact Student Services at support@childbirthinternational.com to change the payment due date. This MUST be done at least 72 hours BEFORE the next payment is due.  Once the date is changed all subsequent payments will be set at the new date. Payment dates CANNOT be changed after a payment attempt has been made.

Paying your Balance

You may pay your balance at any time at no additional cost. Please contact Student Services at support@childbirthinternational.com for instructions and a reference number. The monthly administration fees will be waived as an early payment discount.

Printed Manuals

If you selected printed manuals, they will be ordered and shipped after the payment plan is complete and your balance is paid in full.  Printed manuals will not be shipped until the full balance has been paid. Should you wish to receive your printed manuals earlier, you are welcome to pay the balance at any time. Please contact Student Services at support@childbirthinternational.com for instructions.

Unsuccessful Automated Payments (Defaulted Payments)

If a monthly payment defaults, your account will be suspended and you will not have access to the online student portal until the payment has been made. Several automatic attempts will be made to secure payment through your chosen payment method.  If these attempts are unsuccessful, you will need to restart the payment plan through by logging in to your account at www.childbirthinternational.com. If you are unable to restart a payment plan, a $50.00 late payment fee will be applied to your balance. Your student website account will be reinstated after confirmation of payment and the late payment fee.

Unsuccessful payment will result in your student website account being suspended and, as an inactive student, you will not have access to the online student portal, course content, or social media groups during this time. These will be reinstated when the outstanding amount and any late fees due have been paid.

If a payment is declined, this was something done by the bank or credit card company.  Childbirth International does not have access to your banking information and unable to see why the payment was declined.  This is an automated system between your account and your chosen payment method. Please contact your bank or credit card company for more information.

Creating a New Payment Plan

In the event of a failed monthly payment, you can create a new payment plan for the remaining balance.  This new payment plan must not exceed the previous 5-month duration and will be subjected to the $50.00 late payment fee.  Please contact Student Services at support@childbirthinternational.com for payment details and a reference number.

Price Increases

If your payment plan defaults, your account will be classified as inactive.  If you return to your studies at a later date, you will be subjected to any course fee increases and will need to pay any price difference to reinstate your account. A suspended account will be subjected to any price increases after 30 days of a defaulted payment.

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the six trauma-informed principles
• Compare and contrast trauma-informed with care that is not trauma-informed
• Analyze the social culture in the workplace and how safety is, or is not, protected
• reflect on personal strategies for enhancing a supportive environment in the workplace
• Analyze the client experience within the workplace
• Describe the elements of trauma-informed care
• Evaluate the workplace and determine whether or not it is providing trauma-informed care
• Explain burnout in relation to birth and health professionals
• List the stressors that can cause professional burnout
• List the symptoms of professional burnout
• Describe the nine organizational strategies that can reduce burnout rates
• Reflect on personal risk factors for burnout
• Define resilience
• Explain the five factors that affect resilience
• List the benefits of empathetic care
• Compare and contrast affective and cognitive empathy
• List eight components of empathetic care
• Reflect on own skills in providing empathetic care
• Identify strategies for improving personal skill in providing empathetic care
• Describe a NICU that provides family-integrated support
• Identify the behaviors of a trauma-informed doula

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• List six different strategies for healing after trauma
• Reflect on personal approach to offering peer support
• Explain what narrative therapy is
• List eight coping strategies for managing internal and external triggers
• Explain how hormones affect the nervous system
• Implement strategies for increasing beneficial hormones in times of stress
• Describe how EMDR therapy can reduce disturbing thoughts in the individual with trauma
• Explain the premise behind Cognitive Behavioral therapy
• Discuss the relevance and importance of culture in therapies used to address trauma
• Identify three strategies for improving sleep
• Explain the elements of trauma-informed care in yoga
• Explain the role of prayer and meditation in healing
• Develop client resources for community-based therapeutic practitioners

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify nutritional factors that promote healing in the trauma-injured brain
• Compare and contrast different types of fats
• Discuss the effect of omega fats on the brain and factors that impact omega fat levels in food
• Identify five strategies for improving carbohydrate intake
• List ten foods that are high in protein and suitable for a vegetarian diet
• Explain how vitamin and mineral deficiencies impact healing in the trauma-injured brain
• Explain the microbiome
• Identify the factors that damage the microbiome
• Identify the factors that feed the microbiome
• List eight strategies for improving the microbiome
• Reflect on dietary changes that would improve an individual’s nutritional status
• Compare and contrast a food desert and a food swamp
• Develop resources that would improve food access and availability for at-risk clients

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Define obstetric violence
• Explain the seven categories of institutional disrespect
• Examine and discuss behaviors that constitute obstetric violence
• Reflect on modifications to the work environment that could humanize birth
• Analyze work environments to determine whether they are culturally safe
• Build resources that provide culturally safe care
• Describe the elements of informed consent
• Provide client resources that outline informed consent
• Reflect on the normalization of negative hospital experiences
• Discuss the issues that impact obstetric violence
• Evaluate the workplace strategies and support for care provider trauma
• Identify the factors that prevent obstetric violence from being eliminated
• Reflect on personal biases
• Document reporting procedures for complaints related to obstetric violence

At the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Evaluate the risk factors for developing trauma
• Reflect on the cultural differences that affect how individuals perceive mental health problems
• Predict how adverse childhood experiences impact physical and mental health in adulthood
• Explain the relationship between fear of pain and experience of pain
• Recognize the different types of abuse an individual might experience
• Build resources for hospital services available for clients at risk of PTSD
• Recognize the birthing practices that can trigger memories of previous rape
• Build resources for clients who have experienced sexual assault
• Discuss the impact of nutritional deficits related to the risk of PTSD
• Evaluate the modifications to a diet that would lessen the risk of PTSD

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Modify language to provide empathetic support to an individual experiencing a challenging event
• Provide support that builds trust with a client
• Build resources for community support for those caring for individuals with PTSD
• Build resources that provide information on family-centered services for those experiencing domestic violence
• Implement modifications to own practice that addresses birth trauma
• Build resources for prenatal support of at-risk clients
• Build resources for community support of clients at risk of suicide

By the end of this module you will be able to:

• Recognize the symptoms of PPTSD
• Differentiate between external and internal triggers
• Reflect on personal triggers and evaluate potential triggers from a client’s perspective
• Consider strategies that can lessen the potential for a client to encounter a trigger
• Reflect on the practices that increase the risk of partner trauma
• Reflect on own feelings that might arise if a client felt violated during birth
• Identify the elements of empathetic responses to a client divulging trauma
• Explore the different ways that secondary wounding can occur
• Develop strategies for avoiding secondary wounding through language
• Evaluate screening tools used for PTSD

Trainer and Author

Unlike some of her colleagues, Sandy had absolutely no interest in pregnancy or birth until she had her own first baby. Then things changed. Lots of things! Sandy had worked in publishing until that time, but found that going through her own first pregnancy and birth opened up a whole new world for her. Sandy couldn’t get over this ‘new’ idea that there were many perspectives out there about pregnancy and birth, and she had the opportunity to decide what she wanted, along with her husband, instead of just expecting to be told how things would go. And so she left publishing behind, and trained as a birth doula and childbirth educator with Childbirth International.

Now, more than a decade later, Sandy is expanding her fascination with birth into graduate studies in health communication and public health. She’s particularly focused on decision-making in health care – and it all began, and continues, with CBI!

Sandy is one of our longest serving trainers (since 2004). In addition to her Childbirth International qualifications, Sandy has a Bachelor of Arts with honors, a Master of Arts, a Masters of Science, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health.

Trainer

Samantha’s first birth experience was when she attended her aunt’s birth in 1999. She felt so privileged to be invited, eager and excited to help her! She loved all the practical things she could do – rubbing her back, encouraging her and bringing her drinks. She didn’t realize at the time that women attended births professionally, or learn about what a doula was, until she became pregnant herself.

Samantha hired a student doula to attend her first birth and she helped Samantha to have a wonderful experience. Samantha discovered what a positive difference a doula could make firsthand, but didn’t consider becoming a doula herself until after her second baby was born, in 2012, and she had completed her Masters degree in anthropology. Samantha started training to become a birth doula with CBI in 2013 and was so impressed with the knowledge and wisdom within this online community.

During her time as a graduate student, Samantha also worked as a teaching assistant at her university. In 2015, she was thrilled to be selected to become a trainer for CBI! In this new role, she’s able to combine her teaching and doula skills. She feels blessed to have a job where she can do the things she loves best! Samantha has volunteered at a residence for young and homeless pregnant women and trained as a facilitator for Birth Trauma Ontario. In addition to her qualifications with CBI, Samantha has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Master of Arts in Public Issues & Anthropology.

Trainer

Rebecca lives and breathes motherhood. She adores pregnancy and birth. She’s passionate about breastfeeding. Rebecca comes to CBI with a background in education (BEd), and a BA in Sociology, majoring in women’s studies. The experience of women is an area that she’s always been passionate about.

As a mother to two little loves, the mothering caper is close to her heart. Rebecca’s personal journey there, and since, has been transformative. She was struck by societal expectations of her, which seemed to remove the heart and soul from the process. Empowerment, informed choice and evidence-based care were missing from the conversation, at least on the surface level. This was the catalyst that drew her to Childbirth International for training as a Childbirth Educator, Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula; to work with, and in support of, women and mothers – her sisters.

Central to CBI is the concept of reflective practice. Rebecca is committed to the development of those navigating their way through to their CBI studies, not only in relation to their knowledge and understanding of the physiology of birth and beyond, but also in terms of their reflective ability and communication skills. These underpin the role of a confident and competent birth professional who is able to provide opportunities for empowerment, informed choice and evidence-based care for mothers seeking education and support. As a CBI trainer, Rebecca is here to bring back, and strengthen, the village that mothers deserve.

In addition to her CBI qualifications, Rebecca has a Cert IV in Breastfeeding Counseling, a Diploma in Clinical Nutrition, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and a Bachelor of Education. Rebecca is scheduled to complete her Postpartum Doula course with CBI in 2016, together with an Advanced Diploma in Nutrition, certification as a Bereavement Doula and certification as a Placenta Specialist.

Founder and Board Director

Nikki first became interested (obsessed?) with pregnancy and birth when she had a miscarriage with her first pregnancy. She found the lack of informed choice, the poor communication, and the lack of support all just made the experience that much more difficult. She knew there had to be a better way.

When she returned to the UK, Nikki had her first baby in a beautiful waterbirth with midwives. This inspired her to then work with a newly established miscarriage support group, advocating for better care for women experiencing loss in pregnancy. Shortly afterwards, a friend talked her into training as a childbirth educator. Clients began to ask her to support them during their births and she discovered a whole new world. She was smitten!

Nikki later moved to Singapore with her family and established the first doula practice there. Working with doctors and nurses who’d never heard of a doula, she realized the importance of effective communication and reflective practice. Clients began asking her if they could train to do the job she did, and Childbirth International was born. Originally the courses were taught face-to-face. However, the Internet had just become available and Nikki could see that there were women across the world who wanted to become doulas and childbirth educators, but the training was out of their reach – for financial or geographic reasons. Being in the midst of studying for her Bachelor of Nursing Science degree by distance, Nikki realized that online training could open up opportunities to thousands of women.

Nikki is passionate about the importance of birth professionals learning how to communicate effectively with clients and using these skills to build relationships with their peers and caregivers. Having real skills to pass on to new families meant that they are able to make informed decisions that are right for them, long after we’ve been involved in their journey. Those working in this field need to have a strong support base to enable them to cope with the emotional nature of our work, and develop a network of other birth professionals who come from diverse backgrounds and cultures to give us a breadth of knowledge and perspectives.

Nikki’s vision for CBI has always been to provide a global network of highly qualified and passionate birth professionals who can truly make a difference in the lives of the families they work with. When not supporting our incredible, talented team, Nikki can be found relaxing with friends, enjoying a glass of red wine, or reading research for fun! After a lifetime of avoiding exercise, Nikki has recently started yoga and kickboxing as a way to manage too much good food and wine! With 23 years of experience in supporting women through pregnancy, birth and parenting, Nikki is stretching her wings and will begin a Masters in Clinical Education in 2017.

Trainer

Mairead grew up within a huge extended family in Ireland. With a mother from a family of 14 and a father from a family of ten, the oldest of 68 first cousins and three siblings she lived the proverbial ‘….it takes a village.’ Surrounded by bumps and suckling babes she soaked up the sights and sounds, mystery and magic of birth. In the telling of these stories, four generations of women articulated just how variable the experience of birth can be. Albeit unwittingly, they revealed how each and every decision made on life’s journey leads to the next.

It wasn’t until years later when pregnant with her first child that Mairead realized the power of her heritage. Separated by oceans from her family she initially followed dominant practices and discourses around pregnancy and birth. It wasn’t long though until she realized that something was missing; the decisions being made about her pregnancy and birth didn’t include her. The story being told wasn’t hers! This was the prompting she needed to exercise her voice, to make the decisions that needed to be made to achieve the birth experience she wanted, to write her own story.

This is Mairead’s passion, to support and encourage your voice, to celebrate your story. And this is why she loves her work with CBI which connects her to web of voices and stories that transcend borders and oceans and celebrate the universal experience of birth.

Trainer and Author

One of Maggie’s first vocations in the 1960’s was as a birth supporter and, despite life taking many different directions since then, she has remained passionate about women having a voice and advocating for themselves.

Maggie feels fortunate to have worked closely with CBI since its inception, and to witness the organization grow into the recognized leader it is today. An opportunity to travel has enabled her to experience a variety of cultures and to see firsthand, that as mothers we share the same aspirations for our births and our families.

Maggie has been an integral part of the growth of CBI – managing all administration tasks in our early days and with us since the beginning! Recently, Maggie and her husband settled in rural Tasmania where she continues to enjoy her work as a CBI trainer, supporting students who feel inspired and passionate about birth. In her free time Maggie loves to spend time in her organic garden and drumming on her djembe.

Maggie is a talented artist, photographer and author. In addition to her studio work, she has taught workshops and exhibited internationally. For a number of years she wrote articles for a Singapore parenting magazine and was a highly successful events organiser. Today, along with her husband, Maggie enjoys public speaking: inspiring audiences to step outside their comfort zone and follow their passion.

Director of Student Services

Leigh is the mother of two wonderful boys, with Honours Bachelor of Music degree and a passion for hospitality. After working many years in the hospitality industry, she found her new role as a mom reinforced her desire to make informed and clear decisions about nutrition, education, birth and life… with her family, and for her family.

Leigh has been working at CBI since early 2015 and has proven herself to be indispensable. Leigh handles all of our customer enquiries, orders every student’s manuals, manages all the payments and generally just keeps the whole organization running smoothly.

When asked what she truly loves about Childbirth International, Leigh says it is the dedication to communication and education to all of its students.

Trainer

The first birth Kristina attended was that of her teen best friend, a single mother, when she was 15 years old. ‘I can’t say the birth or baby bug bit me, by any stretch! A few years later I found myself pregnant and realized that I knew nothing about the adventure before me.’ When the realities of the impact of birth support, care provider, birth location, etc. hit her, suddenly she was smitten. 18 years later, she hasn’t fallen out of love!

Kristina has been attending births since 2002 and teaching childbirth classes since 2004. It is only recently though that she found her home in a professional organization. Kristina is very proud to be a CBI educator & doula! With her background in grassroots community organization, she is energized to support new birth professionals on their own course for success.

Outside of birth work, Kristina is active in human rights and LGBTQ issues, food policy, public health, and of course her sweet family who puts up with it all.

Trainer

Kristie’s passion for all things birth took off when she began studying midwifery in her late teens. She married young and hasn’t stopped birthing babies of her own long enough to pick up that interest again! Kristie is the mother of 2 girls, and then 5 boys in a row. Each of her births profoundly affected how she mothers, as has her relationship with other strong moms. This is why she loves interacting with mothers during the delicate and defining seasons of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding.

Though Kristie has supported families for many years, her studies with CBI gave her more confidence and grounding, providing the skills she was looking for to communicate compassionately and effectively.

In addition to her work as a CBI Trainer, Kristie offers doula support, classes, and in-home consultations in her local community. She is the Education Director at the Bastrop Pregnancy Resource Center, a local non-profit that offers free classes, counseling, referrals, and material provisions to mothers in need. Her life is very much centered around mothering and she thinks of her work as an extension of that – an opportunity to nurture, encourage, and learn alongside other women. Kristie has been a birth doula since 2008 and a postpartum doula since 2012.

Trainer

Kelly is a self-proclaimed birth enthusiast. After reading all things birth related, collecting a rather large library of birth books and giving birth twice, she decided to put her knowledge and energy into a career as a birth educator, breastfeeding counselor and doula. Kelly found CBI and immediately felt at home with the philosophy and curriculum. She’s completed the Childbirth Educator and Breastfeeding Counselor courses and now thoroughly enjoys mentoring and supporting other women as they work through their courses.

Kelly finds that being part of the international community at CBI is such a rich and rewarding experience for her because of the diversity of perspectives and insights it provides. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, two girls and two dogs. In addition to her work with CBI, Kelly teaches childbirth classes locally and provides doula and breastfeeding support to new moms.

What Kelly enjoys most about her work is helping new families discover what kind of birth experience they want for bringing their baby into the world. Kelly has been a trainer with CBI since 2011. In addition to her Childbirth International qualifications, Kelly has a Bachelor of History, a Master of Education in literacy and teaching English as a second language, a Master of Education in Elementary teaching, and is a La Leche League Leader.

Director of Communication and Trainer

Johanna lives with her wife in Southern Ontario. She was not always interested in pregnancy and birth, but started on the path to being a birth professional with grand plans to enter midwifery school. Preparing to apply to school really inspired her to look at other paths and options available, which is where she found Childbirth International.

“I’ve learned so much about the birth, obstetrics, and midwifery worlds since going down this path; I never expected to be where I am now!” Johanna believes that Childbirth International is remarkable in its focus on reflective practice and how students are encouraged to explore their biases in order to better support their clients. Johanna could not be more proud to be a trainer for CBI!

In addition to her qualifications with CBI, Johanna also has a Diploma in Animal Care and is a Certified Bereavement Doula. Johanna and her wife have recently become the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl.

Trainer

Jeanne has been a trainer with CBI since 2006, making her one of our longest serving trainers. She is mother to 6 children and nanny to 9 beautiful grand babies. Thirty eight years ago, when she married a Minnesota farm boy, Jeanne was transplanted from ‘up North’ to Alabama, where she and her husband taught school for several years. They then began homeschooling their children – 27 years of learning for all of them.

Jeanne began providing support for her friends more than 20 years ago, before she knew what a doula was. She enjoys talking about birth and doulas at local seminars, lectures, and events and is currently introducing natural birth and doulas to obstetric residents from UAB.

Jeanne grows herbs, makes soap, and cares for her backyard chickens. Together with her daughter, she has set up a business called StolaSpa. “Who knows, I may be practicing to live off the grid someday. 🙂 ”

Jeanne hopes that the training experience of her students is all they want it to be and that their learning will go on forever.

Trainer

Fran realised her calling to work with pregnant and birthing women after working with a wonderful independent midwife in Newcastle, UK. Not long afterwards she moved to Bangkok, Thailand with her husband and undertook her training with CBI. Training as a doula with CBI opened so many doors for Fran and she has loved becoming part of the community of birth workers in Bangkok, whilst still remaining connected to CBI birth workers worldwide!

Fran currently has her own birth doula practice and coordinates a bumps and babies support group for pregnant women and new mothers. Many of the families she works with are expats and they often find that maternity care in Thailand is very different from their home countries. Although they may initially feel overwhelmed, watching families exploring their options for birth and going on to advocate for themselves and their babies fills Fran with happiness.

When the opportunity to take the trainer program came up she knew she had to grab it with both hands! Fran is excited to be on this new path as a CBI trainer, playing a small, supporting role in the journeys of students as they move into birth work. Within her local community, Fran is the coordinator for the Bangkok Mothers and Babies International’s (BAMBI) Bumps and Babies Group and the New Moon Postpartum Support Group. BAMBI is a non-profit organisation which is part of the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Foundation of Thailand (CBFT). In addition to her Childbirth International qualifications, Fran has a Diploma in Health Science and is a certified HypnoBirthing practitioner.

Trainer

Carmen has been in love with birth since she was very little. It started around the time her mother was pregnant with her little sister. “I was two years old and was walking around the house with dolls in my shirt pretending to be pregnant too. I didn’t stop there though; I even went so far as to hide in my room and ‘give birth’ to my babies. Ever since then I wanted to do something for birthing women.” When Carmen discovered doulas and the amazing work they do, she knew that it was what she was meant to do. She has since completed all four CBI certifications and offers Childbirth Education, Doula services, Postpartum services, Breastfeeding services, Mother Blessings, and Placenta Encapsulation to families in her area.

Carmen is the proud mommy of two beautiful boys and one adorable little cat. She has been married to her amazing husband since 2009. They live in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan and spend a lot of our time cheering on their local sports teams. Carmen loves reading, watching horror movies, sewing, crocheting, or doing pretty much any crafting, and spending as much time as possible with her family. She has volunteered for the Detroit Improving Birth rally, coordinated the Big Latch On for Southeast Michigan for three years, is a member of Metro Detroit Doulas, and founder of the Catholic Birth Network. In addition to her CBI qualifications Carmen has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.

Director of Education

Billie is the mother of 7 wonderful children and a Nana to some adorable grandchildren. She began supporting birthing families in 1984. After a traumatic first birth, Billie found a group of women who shared their happy birthing and breastfeeding experiences with her. As they became friends, they taught each other about healthy pregnancies, positive births and newborn care, and helped take care of each other through the childbearing years whilst supporting each other through their homebirths. It was woman-to-woman and family-to-family support that made a difference. In some ways it was a return to traditional birth and in others it was the beginning of our modern doulas. It also ignited her deep passion for studying the science of birth and what makes it safe and joyous.

During those years, Billie homeschooled her children, became a La Leche League leader, served as a lay pastoral counsellor and supported hundreds of families. Several years ago, she thought it would be a smart business decision to become a certified birth and postpartum doula. When Billie looked at the many programs offered, she wasn’t sure any of them would teach her much that was new but she joined CBI because of the flexibility and training approach. She was so thrilled to be wrong!! CBI provided a comprehensive education with an emphasis on reflection along with an international community that added richness and depth. As an elder doula and childbirth educator in her community, she has seen how an education with CBI lays the foundation for being a more effective birth professional.

Billie continues to serve at homebirths, facilitate a peer-support group for mothers who’ve had a traumatic birth, and enjoy her growing family. In addition to her qualifications with Childbirth International, she has a Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics), was a La Leche League Leader for many years, founded the Kitchener Waterloo Doula Collective and is co-founder of Birth Trauma Ontario. In Billie’s current role, she is really the engine behind CBI. She oversees all administration tasks, encourages our students and trainers, handles any problems that arise with aplomb, and holds the rest of us together.

Trainer

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, USA, Bethany has had a lifetime love for the outdoors. Some of her favorite activities are camping and gardening, which she is often found doing with her 5 kids who are aged teenager to toddler. Bethany came to Childbirth International as a student, hoping to one day become a birth doula. As she began working her way through the 4 courses, a whole new world opened up and she quickly discovered that her greatest love was in working with postpartum and breastfeeding women.

Bethany loves joining women on their journeys into motherhood, helping to educate and support them to make their own choices, and watching them discover who they are as a parent. She has a background in parenting education where her philosophy is that learning happens in a relationship. She brings that relationship-focused learning style to CBI in her role as a trainer. Bethany really enjoys connecting with her students and creating space for them to branch out and explore what being a birth professional means to them. She’s proud to be a trainer with Childbirth International!

Trainer

April started as an acupuncturist with an interest in women’s health. During her first pregnancy, she became increasingly interested in working with women during pregnancy. April decided to pursue becoming a doula after the birth, and since then has combined her two passions (birth and acupuncture).

April certified with CBI as a birth doula, childbirth educator, postpartum doula and breastfeeding counselor. The CBI philosophy and the importance of reflective practice has changed the way she interacts with everyone in her life (not just her clients) and has shaped who she is.

In addition to her birth professional qualifications, April holds an Advanced Diploma in Health Science (Acupuncture), a Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture), and a Certificate IV in Remedial (Oriental) Massage. April has been a trainer with CBI since 2011 and is a mother of four.

Trainer

Bekah’s passion for birth support work began in 2009 after she had a daughter by cesarean. She began attending International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) meetings faithfully in that same year, finding inspiration and solace as she and the women there shared and supported each other. Over the next two years, a desire to support women in the childbearing journey steadily grew in her heart, and she began looking at training organizations. After her beautifully supported, midwife attended home birth after cesarean (HBAC) in 2011, she knew she wanted to work in birth support, and Childbirth International was perfect for her needs. She loved the multi-cultural perspective and high quality of the learning program. In early 2012 Bekah began attending births, completing certification as a birth and postpartum doula later that year. She’s part of a fantastic doula group, Birth Chattanooga, but gets to spend most of her time with her four children.

Bekah finds it a privilege to be part of the global, growing birth community! She has been a trainer with CBI since 2015 and is active in her community, serving as a leader of her local Doula Share.  Bekah also has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Trainer

Adele is Italian and was always passionate about different languages and cultures. At 18 she travelled to the UK where she met a Korean boy who stole her heart, and they started a long-distance relationship while she completed her education as a conference interpreter and translator for English and Chinese. After graduation, Adele moved to China on a scholarship, and went on to spend several years working in marketing and administration for international companies.

While her work was demanding and exciting, Adele always felt it wasn’t meaningful, and wanted to start a family. She married her sweetheart and moved to South Korea; a few months later Adele became pregnant and, living in a town away from the cosmopolitan Korean capital, was faced with the harsh reality that health care in her area tended to be high-intervention. Adele found she had to fight for her right to have the birth she envisioned and probably wouldn’t have made it without extensively educating herself, as well as the invaluable support of a doula. She decided to pursue certification as a birth doula and childbirth educator, and chose CBI, as its focus on reflective practice resonated with her.

Ever since, Adele has been providing support to couples in Korea during such crucial and challenging times in their lives as pregnancy and birth, and believes she’s found her true calling. Adele began working as a trainer for CBI in 2015. In addition to her birth professional qualifications, Adele trained as a HypnoBirthing Practitioner and has a Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting. Adele also speaks Italian, English, and Mandarin and is a mother of two.