Childbirth International provides comprehensive online training for today's informed birth and lactation professional CBI was born in 1998.
We wanted to provide birth and lactation professionals with the tools they needed to help clients define their own path. We wanted to provide training that was consistent, comprehensive, and culturally respectful. The first courses we launched were Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator. We began teaching these face to face in 1998 (as Parentlink, Singapore), and then started providing distance training from 1999. In 2008 we launched the Postpartum Doula and Lactation Counselor courses. In 2009 we launched the Business of Birth course. The past year has seen us seen us significantly increasing our focus on social media and launching our new website. We have been updating all of our course materials with the most recent research and responding to our student requests to include more topics. We gave the Business of Birth module a facelift and included it in all our training and certification programs. We have added the option to purchase gift cards so your loved ones can give the gift of training (in full or part) to you. We also added the Business of Birth module as a standalone course option for those who are not CBI students but would like to develop their business. Students can now choose business mentoring to guide you through the Business of Birth module, and can have private mentoring of up to four hours to guide you through challenging problems. We continue to work on our Advanced Birth Doula course which will be available later in the year. Our philosophy has remained consistent. We now provide training for birth and postpartum doulas, childbirth educators and lactation counselors. We remain true to the belief that training should be flexible, without time limits, or rules telling you who you can and cannot work with, or what you should charge.
26/10/2025
It’s pumpkin-baby-picture season! These pictures never fail to make the rounds in October, and if your clients are planning to join the, often viral, trend, here are a few tips you can share to keep everyone safe, happy, and comfortable.
1. Be honest with yourself about how steady your baby is when sitting up on their own! Are they ready to be in the pumpkin while you’re taking the picture, or do they need more hands-on support?
2. Choose a broad and sturdy pumpkin - wide is better than tall!
3. Cut the leg holes and the top holes large enough to fit your baby comfortably, so no parts get stuck!
4. Keep baby warm and cozy while you’re getting set up
5. Line the pumpkin with a warm blanket and scope out your location beforehand
6. Once you’ve found the perfect backdrop, carefully position your baby in the pumpkin. Have a friend or your partner be silly to help get the best shot and enjoy the family memory-making moment!
21/10/2025
One in six women experiences mistreatment in birth, and women of color experience the most mistreatment, according to new research released by the Birth Place Lab. Top experiences of mistreatment included physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, stigma and discrimination, and delays and refusals in care. Delays and refusals are particularly significant given that Black birthing people and their babies have the highest rate of death from pregnancy-related complications.
How do we identify and address disparities in perinatal health? The RESPCCT Study out of UBC in Canada is taking an innovative approach using Community-Based Participatory Action Research, inviting community members to participate in and co-lead research initiatives. You can learn more about their work and initial publications here: https://www.birthplacelab.org/respcct/
19/10/2025
“You did it, you’re doing it and you’ll continue to do it! You are already a great mom. Be gentle on yourself while you cultivate your parenting muscle, and make room for mistakes. No two mothers are going to move through this journey the same way, and that’s a good thing, because your baby needs that special magic only you can bring. I’m thrilled for you, and I’m so proud of you. You’ve got this.” — Erica Chidi, Ten Things I Always Tell Pregnant People
17/10/2025
Early detection saves lives! When detected early and in the localized stage, breast cancer can have a 99% 5-year survival rate. Take time today to familiarize yourself with how to do a self-exam and set a reminder time in your calendar to do one every month. If you haven’t yet, and you meet the age threshold in your community, be sure to schedule your mammogram with your care provider or local screening clinic!
Today marks International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. People and families around the world will light a candle for the Wave of Light, honoring the pregnancies and babies lost.
“I had learned that one of the most important roles that a doula can have is to help a client learn how to communicate with their healthcare providers and to facilitate that communication in the birthing room. But new doulas were not learning how to teach communication, or to more effectively communicate themselves, and were not building any resilience skills for when they were at challenging births. This got me wondering if I could craft the training that I was doing face-to-face into a curriculum that could be done online.
So, CBI was born with our first students signing up in 2000. In those early days, it was just me sitting on the floor of my home office, photocopying manuals and binding each one manually, taking them to the post office, and sending them off to new students. Over time, our students became graduates, and some of them then went on to become trainers.” Nikki Macfarlane, CBI’s Founder
06/10/2025
This year, the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day focuses on meeting the mental and emotional needs of people in humanitarian crises. While the bulk of international and community support is focused on meeting people’s physical needs, we also need to invest in necessary mental health and psychosocial supports that will help families and communities rebuild and recover, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Mental health care at any level in any community is essential for building strong, inclusive, and accessible communities, especially where barriers to access, stigma, and discrimination are addressed and minimized.
03/10/2025
Birth doulas are pretty well known as an option for birthing parents who want more support than what their care team might be able to provide. Postpartum doulas are becoming increasingly common and popular as parents look for knowledgeable support to help them transition to parenthood and gain skills as a new parent.
What else can doulas do? What other areas of life would benefit from the care and guidance of a doula or dedicated support person? Share your ideas and how you flex your doula skills in your community in the comments!
01/10/2025
Recently, statements have been made about how using Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol) is a primary cause of autism in children. While this is a gross simplification of the observational study released in August of this year (link below), it has really struck parents and professionals worldwide. As birth professionals, there are a few key factors to consider when we’re talking to clients about the risks and benefits of acetaminophen use in pregnancy.
-There are limited options for safe and effective pain and fever relievers in pregnancy
- Uncontrolled fever in pregnancy has real risks for pregnant individuals and their fetuses
- Other factors, such as genetics or confounding variables, may not be fully accounted for in recently available studies
- Researchers are not recommending a full stop on acetaminophen use, but a measured approach
Many organizations, such as ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology), SOGC (Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada), the European Medicines Agency, and the World Health Organization, have released statements affirming the continued use of acetaminophen/paracetamol in pregnancy, noting the current lack of causal evidence to suggest its discontinuation. Politico has also published an interview with one of the article's co-authors (linked below) that offers insight and perspective on receiving the information in their study, and what it means moving forward for pain and fever management for pregnant individuals.
Today marks “Orange Shirt Day” in Canada, coinciding with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On this day, we honour survivors of residential schools alongside their families, communities, and the children who never returned home. Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led commemoration of the lasting impacts of residential schools on Indigenous communities.
As a community of birth and lactation professionals, we can take time today to learn more about the Indigenous communities around us and how traditional midwifery and parenting practices have historically been impacted.
26/09/2025
Keep Showing Up – The journey is the work.
We know change takes time.
We know growth isn’t linear. We learn from mistakes, come back with curiosity and humility, and stay present in the process. Even when it is slow or uncertain, we stay accountable to the journey and the people we serve. Through each challenge, we hold steady to our values and each other.
24/09/2025
In 2025, the focus for National Women’s Health and Fitness Day is menopause and mental health, with 1 in 5 birthing parents experiencing mental health concerns within the perinatal period. As a birth and lactation professional, you might take time today to explore what resources are available in your community for clients who are struggling with their mental health, and consider what resources you can find or create to discuss with clients the impact pregnancy and postpartum life can have on one's mental health and wellness.
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Our Story - A Different Way of Training Birth Professionals
CBI was born in 1998. At the time, there were few options for training as a doula, childbirth educator or breastfeeding counselor. You could choose a two-day workshop but we were seeing many birth professionals who felt unprepared and ill-equipped for the challenges of their role. We wanted to up the game. To help people feel confident in their skills, knowledgeable, and to be able to learn in a supportive environment. And we wanted to make training and certification more accessible for those who had families, jobs and lives outside their work!
But how to do this? How could we reach people who lived in areas where training wasn’t available? People in rural areas? People who worked full time or didn’t have childcare? People who wanted more than just the basics but wanted to feel prepared, confident and professional in their role? We looked at what skills and competencies were really important in working with birthing families. What really made the difference? What we discovered was that birthing families felt strong and empowered when they had knowledge. But they also needed tools to know how to use that knowledge effectively. And birth professionals needed to have time to not just absorb knowledge or practice a double-hip squeeze, but to reflect on their work, on the choices that clients make, on their own feelings about those choices. Time that just isn’t available in two days! We realized that our training would need to be different. We didn’t just change the rules. We made new ones! We made training a journey rather than a destination. A journey where the focus is on personal growth and building competency, rather than simply receiving a certificate. A journey that pairs students with a dedicated trainer to walk the path together, for as long as it takes, and access to a global peer community even after you complete your training.
Our first courses in 1998 were for Birth Doulas and Childbirth Educators. In 2008 we added Postpartum Doula and Breastfeeding Counselor courses. Over the past 20 years maternity care has changed. More technology and interventions are used and more rules exist within the health care system. Technology has also allowed clients to become aware of their options, seek out support, and communicate faster with others. The birth professional world has changed too with people wanting to learn ways to make their businesses successful and take part in lifelong learning to become even more skilled in their work. CBI has risen to these challenges by expanding our course offerings and giving our students, you, more options. Our Business for Birth Professionals course supports you in growing your business. The Trauma-Informed Professional advanced program prepares you to better meet the needs of clients who come to birth and parenting with trauma and to work towards eliminating obstetric violence. Advanced modules on a wide range of topics provide continuing education opportunities for you to develop specialist skills and build your professional portfolio. We have also seen a growing interest in health professionals - midwives, nurses, doctors - wanting to learn more about supporting families effectively and we have responded to this with the launch of professional development programs.
Through all of this growth, we have stayed true to our core values.
Inclusivity: CBI’s core values have always included the goal of offering a learning platform that is welcoming and inclusive of all individuals. We strive to develop reflection and empathy so our students can interact in their community with dignity and respect for all persons.
Diversity: We recognize the disparities in health care and outcomes for minority and marginalized groups and seek to be part of the solution to eliminating these through listening, understanding, dialogue, and education. We embrace and celebrate the diversity of humanity and continually seek out diverse perspectives.
Sustainability: We are committed to social, cultural, environmental, financial and personal sustainability and look for ways to minimize consumption of natural resources, support individuals in fostering healthy communities, and encourage a maintainable work/life integration through flexible employment and study arrangements.
In designing our training programs, we consider flexibility, affordability and an appreciation for the individual and unique needs of each student. We want to ensure that in choosing your training program, you are able to define for yourself what your business will look like and how that business will be run. That you can be successful in your training in a way that is flexible enough to adjust to your priorities and lifestyle, using online learning and adopting new technologies to make this easier for you. Training that enables you to feel supported and strengthened by your peers and trainers as you complete your learning and continue to grow for years to come.
We will always provide courses that identify best-practice, and teach skills that build competencies to support families in a way that enables them to have empowered, positive experiences through the childbearing years. We endorse the World Health Organization in their goal to “ensure that not only do women survive childbirth complications if they arise, but also that they thrive and reach their full potential for health and life” (WHO, 2018). Parents who are educated, supported and respected through this period are more likely to be strong advocates for themselves and their families. When families are healthy, communities are healthy.
