Scope of Practice for BirthWorks International Childbirth Educators
This scope specifies what to do in your childbirth educator role and what not to do.
Your role as a Birth Works Childbirth Educator is to offer childbirth preparation classes that are both interactive and experiential. Your role is to inform, educate, inspire, and empower new parents. about key topics and experiences when offering childbirth preparation classes:
THIS IS BEING EDITED.
Childbirth Educators certified by BirthWorks International know how to:
- Practice human values in working with all families
- Be a good listener so the mother can express her needs and feelings
- Keep global awareness of the home and family situation – helping the parents consider the needs of other children and pets – so mom can relax
- Offer helpful information and evidence-based research
- Offer non-medical physical support such as reminders to relax, breathe deeply, move and change positions, or massage and counterpressure
- Help the mother (or teach her partner/others) to help her get into the optimal positions for labor to progress and birth
- Teach how important adequate hydration and a healthy diet are for mother
- Educate regarding how vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is safer (in most cases) than scheduled repeat cesarean section
- Explain options to help mothers choose the birthplace where they feel safest
- Support parents to understand the value of breastfeeding and educate them on basic breastfeeding preparation
- Empower parents to educate themselves, understand informed consent, make their own decisions, and advocate for their own needs and wishes during pregnancy, labor, and birth, and in the postpartum time
- Praise the mother and provide emotional support through positive affirmations and language, as well as appropriate physical support, as she asks or you offer and she agrees
- Provide ideas and suggestions to the partner (and others) on how to help
- Use skills learned from training to recognize the progress of labor by observing body physiology, facial expressions, and speech
- Support in ways that facilitate more easeful labor for better health and wellness outcomes for both the mother and the baby
- Help the parents advocate for their birth wishes and preferences once the baby is born
- Relate the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother-baby, knowing this is optimal for the mother’s healing, breastfeeding, and baby’s health
- Support early newborn feeding and care when with them just after the birth
- Encourage the mother to rest and relax from the demands of labor and birth
- Refer to appropriate postpartum professionals if any concerns emerge about the mother’s physical or mental health and/or the health of the baby
- Give comfort and companionship to the mother
- Make sure the mother is adequately hydrated and nourished to support her healing and ensure she can give the best baby care
New parents must communicate their needs and decisions directly to their care providers and not through their childbirth educator. You may answer questions asked by parents to the best of your ability, but in no way can you impact your client’s decision-making or be contrary to the wishes of care providers.
It is NOT in the childbirth educator’s scope of practice to offer medical advice or do any clinical or medical procedures. For the mother, you should not strip membranes, break her water, check her cervix, or do any vaginal checks. You should not perform examinations of either the mother or the baby, take temperatures, offer topical antibiotics, measure blood pressure, or perform other clinical care. You must refer to appropriate medical providers.
It is NOT in the childbirth educator’s scope of practice to offer doula services. As a childbirth educator, you are not also certified to be a birth doula, Kangaroula, or postpartum doula. If you also hold a doula certification, when teaching childbirth preparation classes, you must keep in mind your role. It is not appropriate to step into your doula role, or offer prenatal or postpartum visits as a childbirth educator. If doula services are provided to families, it must be clear they can be additionally provided only given your other professional doula credentials.
The use of alternative or holistic modalities, such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, or herbal remedies, is beyond the scope of practice of a childbirth educator. However, if trained and certified in their use, they may teach parents or offer services separate from (and outside of the scheduled time) BirthWorks Childbirth Preparation classes. With additional allopathic or holistic health credentials, there must be clarity – when working as a childbirth educator – that other services offered are outside the childbirth educator’s scope. If other education or services are offered, it must be clear they can be additionally provided only given your other professional credentials.
A BirthWorks Childbirth Educator is expected to fulfill all agreements when offering childbirth preparation classes to families. You are expected to be reliable, trustworthy, and compassionate. If circumstances mean you discontinue classes, the best professional approach is to inform all the parents in writing and refund their fees. Alternatively, you can offer make-up classes or different dates, or team up with other certified BirthWorks International Childbirth Educators to either substitute or co-teach with you.
BirthWorks International Certified Childbirth Educators must have completed certification through BirthWorks International. It is also essential you continue your education over time. Fulfilling all the BirthWorks recertification requirements every two years – to hold good standing – is part of staying informed. Ongoing good standing with BirthWorks is required for you to continue to work with families using the credentials of “BirthWorks International Certified Childbirth Educator” ~ CCE(BWI).
On the BWI Verification Form, you are asked to agree to this Scope of Practice for BirthWorks International Childbirth Educators. If you want to discuss anything, reach your Mentor or email info@birthworks.org.
