Childbirth International (CBI)

Home
New Zealand
Auckland
Childbirth International (CBI)

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 train

ing 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.

27/05/2026

A review of clinical trials has found that doulas may improve parental anxiety, increase breast/chestfeeding initiation rates, and increase how often parents access healthcare throughout their pregnancy. As you might expect, though, more studies and trials are needed to fully understand the impact of doula care and support throughout the perinatal period, as many factors were not fully explored in the studies reviewed for this report.

Read more: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2847989

23/05/2026

“I found the training to be very comprehensive. The combination of assignments, activities, videos, readings, etc made it fun to learn across many different mediums. I appreciate how the training was completely self-led. It allowed me to continue learning when it worked for me (in pick up line, at practice, etc.).” Alison G. Postpartum Doula Graduate

One of the greatest things about CBI’s courses is their portability! You can study anywhere that works for you, without worrying about a deadline or an arbitrary timeline - you can complete your studies at your own pace, and in your own time!

19/05/2026

April showers bring May flowers … share your goals for the coming season and the successes you had in the first third of the year!

17/05/2026

: This year’s theme for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia is “At the heart of democracy,” calling for a reaffirmation that democratic societies must be centered on freedom and justice for everyone. As birth professionals, we can look at how our services and supports create space for dignity and respect in childbirth, and whether our marketing and social media reflect the clients and families we want to work with in our communities. We can also look broader and evaluate how we can use our voices to call out injustice in the birth world, and advocate for more inclusive and supportive spaces for all parents and families.

You can learn more about IDHOBIT here: https://may17.org/

13/05/2026

A recent systematic review of articles about NSAID use for lactating parents has identified a striking need for further research into the safety of this classification of pharmaceuticals. While infant dosing suggests that an infant would need to take in a considerable amount of milk to have an affect or reach unsafe levels, the lack of information and specific testing leaves more questions than answers for this subject. As you are working with your postpartum clients who are breast/chestfeeding, consider how you can help them explore the best options for NSAIDs and general pain/inflammation management.

Read more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149291826000962

10/05/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and others who take on mothering roles in their lives.

08/05/2026

A recent study from a Canadian university found that almost 50% of severe complications occur prenatally or postpartum, falling outside the standard window of reporting and observation. The World Health Organization recommends expanding surveillance to include conception to 6 weeks postpartum, to catch incidences such as severe pre-eclampsia, thrombosis, and other prenatal/postpartum conditions that can lead to severe complications. The study notes that while it was expected that most maternal mortality occurred during childbirth, it was only about 8% of incidents, with 47% occurring prenatally, and 46% in the postpartum period. As birth professionals, we can reflect on how we can advocate for broader reporting and surveillance of maternal morbidity and mortality outcomes so parents and families can make informed decisions about how and when they grow their families.

Read more: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/198/10/E344

05/05/2026

“Millions of children miss out on the full benefits of breastfeeding — a practice that could prevent 13% of all deaths in children under two and save 20,000 women from breast cancer each year. Breastfeeding is a learned behaviour. With skilled postnatal support that midwives provide, women are far more likely to achieve their breastfeeding goals. But the world is short one million midwives. This , sign the petition to grow, support, and sustain the global midwifery workforce. Join the call for ”

: One Million More Midwives! The theme this year reflects growing evidence that there are simply not enough midwives to support evidence-informed maternity and well-person care worldwide. This call to action invites governments and decision-makers to invest in the education, training, and policy initiatives needed to support the growth of midwifery care.

Learn more here about how you can support the IDM initiative this year: https://internationalmidwives.org/theme-idm-2026-one-million-more-midwives/

01/05/2026

If you’re early in the process (or still deciding), you probably have a lot of questions. In this post, we cover the essentials – what birth doulas do, how training and certification work, what to look for in a training program, and how to take your next steps.

You’ll often see the role described as “support during pregnancy and birth,” which is accurate – but a bit vague. A doula’s role is shaped by the needs of their client and can be different for every person you work with. It might include:

- helping clients explore their options during pregnancy
-providing evidence-informed education about labor, birth, and infant feeding
- providing emotional reassurance and continuous presence during labor
- using hands-on comfort measures like positioning, touch, or heat and cold
- supporting their partner so they feel more confident
- offering early feeding support in the first hours after birth

Some clients plan to give birth with as little intervention as possible, while others plan to have an epidural or a cesarean. Doulas typically support all kinds of births. The role isn’t about promoting one approach – it’s about helping clients feel informed and supported in whatever type of birth they’re having.

One important note upfront – this isn’t a sales pitch. While we’d love for you to train with Childbirth International, our goal is to give you clear, honest information so you can choose the path that's right for you.

Guide to Becoming a Doula: https://substack.com/home/post/p-186255880

28/04/2026

How are you building trust, community, and connection with clients from different cultures, marginalized groups, and communities in your area? We want to consider how we can show our allyship and commitment to learning more about our broader community so our clients can feel safe and comfortable working with us.

25/04/2026

As Spring settles into the Northern Hemisphere, we enter a season that exemplifies the rewards of resilience, growth, and embracing our vitality as warmer days approach. Many are preparing seeds for the coming growing season and we can reflect on how we can prepare ourselves as birth professionals, review our knowledge, understanding, and skills for gaps, and prepare for the year ahead.

What goals are you checking off your list from your New Year Plans and what goals are you adding for the spring?

Address

19e Blake Street, Ponsonby
Auckland
1011

Website

http://www.childbirthinternational.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Childbirth International (CBI) posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Childbirth International (CBI):

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Auckland?