Do I have to be a Lamaze member to become certified?
No! All childbirth educators who become Lamaze certified will be automatically granted membership in Lamaze International for the duration of their active credential, renewed every three years. This membership will ensure all LCCE Educators have the latest news, resources, education and programs that support providing evidence-based education and information to women and their families.
What does a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator do?
- Promote the childbearing experience as a normal, natural and healthy process that profoundly affects families.
- Assist families to discover and use strategies that facilitate normal, natural, healthy pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and early parenting.
- Help families to understand how interventions and complications influence the normal course of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and early parenting.
- Provide information and support that encourages attachment between babies and their families.
- Assist families to make informed decisions for childbearing.
- Act as an advocate to promote normal, natural, healthy, fulfilling childbirth experiences for families.
- Design, teach and evaluate a course in Lamaze preparation that increases one’s confidence and ability to give birth.
Why become a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator?
Certification by Lamaze International is the only accredited certification for childbirth educators and the most respected and recognized credential in childbirth education. Lamaze certification offers you the opportunity to:
- Gain and validate skills and knowledge
- Increase confidence in your teaching ability
- Enhance professional opportunities and career development
- Expand knowledge of resources and teaching strategies
- Earn the recognition and respect of colleagues
- Demonstrate competence to expectant women and their families
Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators carry the household name that’s meant safe and healthy birth for over 50 years. Integrating traditional wisdom and contemporary knowledge with the high-tech world of modern obstetrics, Lamaze Educators provide transformative childbirth education grounded in research, guiding women and their families through the extraordinary journey of pregnancy and birth.
Becoming a Lamaze educator demonstrates your passion and dedication to your profession and shows the families you work with that you are committed to the highest professional standards.
You’ll also be backed by a robust non-profit organization that offers a dynamic website with a variety of resources for you as an educator and for your parents. With videos, teaching aids and tips, Lamaze is behind you every step of the way! Our members-only Facebook group offers access to colleagues where you can learn new ideas, confer with members and seek encouragement and advice.
What are the eligibility requirements for taking the exam?
Lamaze offers a three-step toward Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) certification. To become certified, you’ll have to complete the eligibility requirements before taking the exam.
The steps represent our recommended and most common path to certification, but Lamaze understands that potential educators come from all different backgrounds and eligibility requirements have alternate equivalents so that you can.
The first step is a self-study with the Lamaze Educator Learning Guide. Alternative equivalents include attending a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Seminar, completing the three Lamaze Educator Essentials modules, or Complete 25 hours of continuing education that applies to the Lamaze Childbirth Educator competencies from an approved provider.
The second step is attending a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Seminar. Alternative equivalents include demonstrating your status as an experienced educator through 60 hours of documented childbirth education teaching, documenting your status as a as a current student or graduate from a midwifery training program (This option must be paired with a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Seminar for exam eligibility), or completing an approved formal course on teaching childbirth education.
To qualify as an experienced childbirth educator by documenting teaching 60 hours of childbirth education classes in the last three years, you must be a licensed health professional (i.e., RN, PT, MT), OR hold a bachelor's degree or higher, OR successfully complete a formal course on teaching childbirth education (i.e., Lamaze, ALACE, ICEA, Bradley, BEST, Birthing from Within, Birth Works or CAPPA). Childbirth education may include pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, sibling and postpartum classes.
Midwives and midwifery students qualify to sit for the exam following attendance at a 1-day “Fast-Track” seminar OR by completing a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Seminar.
All candidates must complete and submit the Certification Exam Application along with all required documentation and fees to the Lamaze online Certification Center by the application deadline.
Note: All eligibility requirements must be completed within three calendar years of exam registration.
Note: Each type of educational activity can only be used once for a candidate’s eligibility.
Is the Learning Guide required for certification eligibility?
Completing a self-study from the Learning Guide is the best way to fulfill your Step 1 of the Eligibility Requirements. Although not required, the Learning Guide is highly recommended for all candidates as the primary resource to walk you through essential content to pass the exam and become an effective educator. The Guide can be ordered online.
What can I do if there is not a Lamaze Childbirth Educator Program Seminar in my area?
If you're pursuing Lamaze certification and can't find a seminar in your area, there are a few options:
- If you know others who are interested in becoming Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators, you can contract independently with one of our Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Programs to bring the seminar to your group. Rates may vary from program to program.
- Consider pursuing certification through Pathway 1, Option 2 – which will allow you to take a formal course on childbirth education through another organization.
How can I best prepare for the Lamaze Certification Exam?
You know what they say: Practice makes perfect! Lamaze offers a variety of educational resources to help you prepare for the Certification Exam.
- Learning Guide
- Online Education
- Practice Test: Includes 50 practice questions to prepare test-takers for the official LCCE exam. In this course, learners will have the opportunity to interact with LCCE certification exam questions and test their knowledge of the Lamaze competencies. Question rationales, corresponding competencies, and references are available for each test item.
- Exam Preparation Toolkit: Provides guidance on how to study, what to study, how the exam is scored, exam logistics, and a test blueprint.
- Recommended Readings
It’s up to you to determine how long you need to feel fully prepared to successfully sit for the Lamaze Certification Exam. We recommend six to twelve months of preparation for new educators, but this may vary depending on prior knowledge and the amount of time that each candidate has to devote to their study.
What happens after I have submitted my exam application to Lamaze?
You will receive status updates via email when your application has been submitted, paid, and approved. After you application has been approved, you will receive instructions for how to schedule your exam with PSI. Scheduling begins approximately 3 weeks prior to the start of the examination window.
If your application is incomplete, or if you are found to be ineligible to sit for the exam, you will receive a request to update and re-submit your application. You can view the review status and comments on your application at any time.
Incomplete applications can cause delays in your registration process and may result in deferral. This includes missing documentation, such as proof of education/licensure, teaching experience or continuing education.
All exam fees are non-refundable.
Does Lamaze offer financial assistance to exam applicants?
Pricing has been adjusted for foreign countries based on the data provided by the World Bank based on Gross National Income (GNI). You can also click here to view grants and scholarships available for childbirth professionals taking the Lamaze certification exam.
What if I have special needs?
Lamaze International’s policy is that no individual shall be excluded from the opportunity to participate in the Lamaze Childbirth Educator Certification Exam on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, age or disability. Any requests for special testing accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act must be made in writing and submitted with the initial application and documentation forms no later than the application deadline. Lamaze International reserves the right to obtain a second professional opinion regarding the nature and severity of such requests and the appropriate accommodations. Lamaze will work with you to make necessary arrangements.
What should I have with me when I take the exam?
Candidates taking the exam at an Assessment Systems site must bring their exam confirmation with the unique registration number and a government-issued photo ID. Remember: DO NOT bring cellular phones, calculators, books or paper into the testing center or the examination room.
What if I experience technical difficulties during my exam?
For immediate assistance, please contact our testing partners at Meazure. They can be reached via email, live chat support, or by calling Call 855-772-8678. Please also alert the Lamaze Certification Team of any technical issues you experience: certification@lamaze.org
What if I need to defer or cancel my exam date?
If you need to cancel or transfer to the next exam administration, you must submit a written request at least two weeks prior to the exam date. Notification of exam cancellation or transfer after this date will forfeit the exam fee and the candidate must reapply. You can only defer or transfer your exam application and fee for two exam administrations only. Each exam deferment will incur a $75 deferment fee and must be paid prior to the next exam administration. Exam cancellations and transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
How will I receive exam results?
Log into the Certification Center – where you applied to take the exam – and look for your results in your dashboard within eight weeks of the exam date. You will receive an email when the results are posted! The pass/fail results will be available as well as your individual score report.
Approximately four weeks after initial notification of certification exam results, successful candidates receive a formal certificate, recertification information, and licensing information. A press release recognizing their status as a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) will also be shared on the Lamaze website.
Can I retake the exam if I do not pass it the first time?
Absolutely! The Lamaze Certification Council does not limit the number of times a candidate may retake the certification exam. Candidates wishing to repeat the exam within two years may do so without re-establishing eligibility, but must contact the Administrative Office and remit a re-examination fee. Thereafter, to be re-tested, candidates must reapply; submit all applicable fees, application and documentation to re-establish eligibility.