Birth specialist training

Birth specialist consultant training

Become a Certified Parent Consultant: Birth specialist

Offer the BirthCalm education programme

Join a community of change-makers

Change the world...

Help parents understand birth and make their own choices?

Pregnancy and birth specialist consultants have a width and breadth of knowledge about pregnancy, birth and babies before birth, that is completely unrivalled with any training I have ever found.

You will be able to support and educate parents on birth from a thorough understanding of the biological, physiological, neurological, and psychological perspectives You will learn about the history of birth, the politics of birth and will be taken through all the research around all the possible choices that can be made. We learn how to support parents through more complex experiences and those who have previously experienced these. We offer a full toolkit of birth management and calming techniques and provide solid foundations for having calmer relationships during pregnancy and birth and as a family in the future. You can read a full outline below.

You will have access to our frameworks that ensure that parents are given the tools to make individual choices for their family now and in the future. We are educators, consultants and specialists, but not experts. Parents are the experts in their own children.

With this knowledge you will offer bespoke consultations to educate and support parents in preparation for their birth, or with pre-natal bonding and calm, and a programme of workshops and courses under the BirthCalm brand (with membership of the community). These include:

The training process

Interactive learning

As part of a blended learning experience, you will receive interactive learning with CalmFamily leadership.

Interactive learning

You will be able to choose whether to do this in a group setting online, or in person, or you can do this privately.

Learn more here

Interactive learning

As part of a blended learning experience, you will receive interactive learning with CalmFamily leadership.

Interactive learning

You will be able to choose whether to do this in a group setting online, or in person, or you can do this privately.

Learn more here

Online modules

Alongside this, you will undertake online modules in our system that form the deeper knowledge our consultants have.

Online modules

The modules include written content, videos, and assessments. They are comprehensive, and you are fully supported to succeed.

Read about them below

Full support

You have completed basic training and we will always support you with all our hearts to get up and running, we also offer a mentoring process.

Mentoring

Our mentoring programme involves mentoring, community practice and reflection to help you to develop your skills and your business in the way that is right for you.

Learn about mentoring

You will study modules online, covering:

Anyone who joins CalmFamily as a leader at any level must first study our 10 core modules providing them with a basic understanding of human beings, and our approach to working with families, and leading for change. Once complete, specialist modules in one or more areas can be studied alongside our interactive training events. If you have studied the core modules before, you can choose whether to revisit them, or just study the new specialist modules for the specialism you are adding to your repertoire. You will also be given an optional literature review section for each specialism that you do. We have a number of accessible ways of undertaking this, or you can choose not to if this is not your preferred way of learning.

Core CalmFamily modules

Module 1: About CalmFamily

A relatively quick module that takes you through the history, structure, values, approach and programmes within CalmFamily, including information about our projects in development.

Module 2: Childhood and families

In this module you will gain understanding of the social, legal, political, historical and anthropological concepts surrounding child-bearing, childhood and family life. You will also consider the complexity of the concept of family in our modern society and how this impacts practice.

Module 3: Biology and physiology

A brief introduction to the body systems forming a basic understanding needed for other modules that involve discussion of things such as hormones and digestion.

Module 4: Neurological development

A brief introduction to developmental neuroscience, the evolutionary process that created the human brain and factors influencing the development of the brain, and how motivation works.

Module 5: Psychological development

This module provides the basic theories of developmental and social psychology including attachment, human needs, motivation and resilience.

Module 6: Sensory regulation

In this module we look in depth at the science of the senses, looking at the most up-to-date concepts of the 5 external senses, the 3 internal senses and the balance of regulation.

Module 7: Human sleep

In this module you will study the neurological and physiological processes of sleep, what is normal for humans and the issues society faces in this regard.

We will also look at the science of the different states of relaxation according to various schools of thought and research.

Module 8: Human nutrition

In this module we examine the basics of nutritional biology, human infant feeding, introducing solid foods, how humans intuitively eat, and the science of taste.

Module 9: A calmer approach

This module covers the fundamental principles of the CalmFamily frameworks for:

Calmer relationships
Trouble-shooting human needs
Mental regulation
Sensory regulation
Emotional regulation
Repairing relationship ruptures
Learning and development

Module 10: Leading bravely

Everyone who joins CalmFamily to educate and support for a calmer future is a leader. In this module we explore what this means, how to do this authentically for you, and what bravery really means, especially when you rarely feel brave. We also talk about some important business stuff that is practically very helpful.

Birth specialist modules

Module 1: Growing humans

This module will cover:

Human development from conception to birth
The biological and physiological process of pregnancy
Experiencing pregnancy
The psychological transition to being a parent

Module 2: The context of birth

In this module we explore the culture of birth in modern society. how it is discussed, where that came from and how birth and care of birthing people has developed through history. We also consider the impact of the language we use, as a society, has on our personal experience.

Module 3: The science of birth

This in-depth module will ensure that you understand birth from every possible scientific angle to give us the foundations to support parents to have an informed experience. We cover birth physiology, its many biological processes, and the neuroscience and psychology involved in the birth experience.

Module 4: Birth management tools

In this module we look in depth at each possible option for managing birth, including all medical and natural options, including complimentary therapies. We look at the science behind each tool, when it might be useful, and the pros and cons.

Module 5: Making choices about birth

The choices that parents are faced with when preparing for birth are quite overwhelming. In this module we look at the main types of birth, where these could happen, and what impact birth place can make on our choices. We look at those circumstances that could impact parents’ experience and choices within pregnancy and birth, and we then consider what the science tells us about them. Lastly, we talk about how to support parents to make their own informed choices before and during the birth.

Module 6: Calmer birth

With the underpinning understanding from previous modules, we will explore how we approach having a calmer birth and supporting calmer relationships with our birthing team, our body and our baby.

Our frameworks support:

Ensuring our human needs are met
Calming our senses
Physical tools to manage birth
Mind tools to manage birth
Making choices before and during birth
Supporting the birthing person

Module 7: Complexities of birth

In this module we take a quick look at some important information and options around the remaining basic practical baby care activities, including:

Bathing
Changing and elimination
Swaddling
Carrying

Module 8: Birth recovery and new babies

We know parents love their babies even before they arrive and so we learn here about how to support parents to understand and connect with their baby during pregnancy, during birth and immediately after. We cover a slightly more brief look at the first few months, to prepare them for normal infant behaviour.

In this module we also cover those first weeks of being a parent including post-birth recovery. Supporting parents to understand what to expect during this time is important.

Module 9: Antenatal care and education

One of the things a birth specialist needs to educate and support parents with, is deciding on other education they might want to experience. For this reason we take some time to look at what else is on offer in birth preparation:

National Childbirth Trust
Hypnobirthing programmes
Active birth and yoga for birth
NHS Classes
Doula and independent midwife education

Module 10: Being a birth specialist consultant

This final module, alongside your face-to-face training days, will prepare you for being a birth specialist consultant. You will gain a good understanding of the BirthCalm programme, of our principles and approach to facilitating learning for families, and you will have the chance to re-visit material covered in the face to face training.

Following completion of the modules (not including the literature review), and your training days, you will receive a certificate of basic training and will be bale to work as a consultant. You then have the choice as to whether you follow our mentoring pathway.