International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA)

"The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) as a professional organization supports educators and other health care providers who believe in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care."

ICEA's goals are to provide:

• Training and continuing education programs
• Quality educational resources
• Professional certification programs

For more on their mission, vision and philosophy visit their site.

Your basic ICEA childbirth class will cover many topics including: what is labor, labor comfort skills, medications and complications, cesarean birth and how to make a decision for yourself. Individual class times may vary, so check with your instructor.

Classes will follow the philosophy: "Freedom of choices based on knowledge of alternatives."

Find an ICEA Childbirth Class

• How to Choose a Childbirth Educator
• ICEA Blog
• ICEA on Twitter

The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) offers a traditional pathway for the beginning childbirth educator as well as an experienced childbirth educator pathway for currently non-certified and currently certified educators. Each pathway will end with the certification exam.

The training for the basic childbirth educator is an intensive 18 hour training. There is also a reading list, study modules, birth observations and evaluated teaching.

Become an ICEA Childbirth Educator