Lamaze Certification

LCCE Recertification

Recertification ensures you stay up to date with best practices and continue to meet the highest standards in childbirth education.

Beginning January 1, 2026, all Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators (LCCEs) must renew their certification by November 30 of the third year after their initial certification.

To maintain your Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) credential, you must submit a recertification application every three years and complete 25 contact hours of continuing education. Only activities completed within the three years preceding the submission of the recertification application count toward recertification.

It's never too early to recertify. When you submit your recertification for 2026 any time prior to November 30, 2026, your next recertification date will still be set to November 30, 2029.

How to Recertify

Step 1: Earn 25 Continuing Education Credits

Standard Credits
Alternate Credits

STANDARD CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

Standard credits are earned by participating in continuing education activities offered by Lamaze or an approved provider. You must upload a certificate of completion that includes CE credit details.

Tip: Check the Lamaze Learning Center for bundles or access passes as a cost-effective way to earn credits.

Credits from non-approved providers may also be accepted if the activity aligns with at least one Lamaze Competency and meets evidence-based standards.

If you are unsure whether a course qualifies, please email the course details to info@lamaze.org for review.

ALTERNATE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

LCCEs may apply alternate activities toward a portion of the required continuing education hours required for recertification. Alternate credit recognizes professional engagement and contributions that support ongoing competency in childbirth education, rather than formal educational coursework.

The maximum allowable alternate credit per recertification cycle is 20 total hours.

Within the 20-hour alternate credit maximum:

Up to 20 hours may be earned through Lamaze International volunteer service.
Up to 10 hours may be earned through other approved alternate activities. (See below)

Volunteer service and other alternate activities combined may not exceed 20 total hours per recertification cycle.

See the Additional Information section below for all Alternate Credit Activities

Step 2: Submit Your Application and Fee

To upload credits earned from any continuing education provider you can follow the step-by-step instructions below. You can also follow these Lamaze-specific instructions to upload all your Lamaze credits at once.

Once the credit requirements are met, you can apply and pay the recertification fees.

+ Step-by-Step Instructions for the Recertification Application

Please note: if you receive an error message, check that your Member Profile information is up-to-date and your mailing address is complete, including State/Province and Zip Code.If you are still having issues, email certification@lamaze.org.

Recertification Fees

Recertification fees vary based on the current World Bank economic classifications.

*Payment of the recertification fee constitutes an administrative processing fee and does not guarantee approval or recertification. Applications will be reviewed only after the fee has been received. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in the order in which they are received. Based on current application volume, reviews are typically completed within approximately three (3) weeks of submission. Recertification is granted only upon completion of the application review process and issuance of formal confirmation.

Pricing by Country Category:

Category A	Category B	Category C	Category D
$300	$275	$240	$230

View Fees by Country

Information for Lapsed or Expired LCCEs

LCCEs have a 12-month grace period after their recertification deadline. During this time, they are considered lapsed and may no longer use the LCCE credential.

To recertify, lapsed LCCEs must complete 5 additional credits (for a total of 30 CEs) and pay a $50 USD late fee.

Special Exception only available through August 30, 2026:

Former LCCEs who expired between December 31, 2021, and December 31, 2024, may be reinstated by:

Completing 30 Lamaze-approved contact hours earned within the previous 24 months OR successfully passing the 2026 LCCE exam and paying the exam fee in addition to the reinstatement fee.
Submit a recertification application by August 30, 2026.
Paying Reinstatement of Lapsed Certification Fees ($500 for category A countries, $425 for category B countries, $350 for category C countries, or $275 for category D countries).

Reinstatement Steps:

When ready, pay the reinstatement fee ($500) and begin the reinstatement application.
- Reinstatement Fee
Submit your application materials.
- Download and complete this application form demonstrating 30 CEs earned within the past 24 months*.
  - Reinstatement Application (Word Doc)
- Collect all the certificates documenting your CEs and combine them into a single PDF.
  - Free Adobe Combine PDF Tool
- Email the application form, a PDF of the certificates, and the payment receipt to certification@lamaze.org.
Application review: Once your application is received, it will be reviewed in the order it arrives. You will be notified of the decision within three weeks.

*If you prefer to take the LCCE exam instead of reporting 30 CE credits, please email your reinstatement fee receipt to certification@lamaze.org and you will receive further instructions.

**If your certification expired before 2021, you must reapply for initial certification and meet all current requirements to recertify.

Additional Information About Recertification

Alternate Credit Activities
Lamaze Competencies
Continuing Education Topics
Providing Documentation

Alternate Credit Activities

Activity	Credit	Documentation Requirements / Notes
Continuous Presence During Labor and Birth	1 hour per hour present	Completed birth observation form required
Lamaze Childbirth Class Observation	1 hour per hour observed	Lamaze Class Observation Affidavit required
Lamaze Council, Committee, or other Volunteer Service	1 hour per hour of service *up to 20 hours	Affidavit of Volunteer hours required
Publication	Up to 10 hours for first-time publication; up to 5 hours for significant editing	Must be directly related to childbirth education
Lecture/Presentation	1 hour per hour	First-time presentations only; must be childbirth education-related; submit outline with form
Item Writing	1 hour per hour	Participation in item writing activities

LCCE Competencies

The seven Lamaze Childbirth Educator competencies represent a comprehensive set of values and skills that LCCE educators foster and consistently demonstrate.

Promotes the childbearing experience as a normal, natural, and healthy process which profoundly affects women and their families.
Assists women and their families to discover and to use strategies to facilitate normal, natural, and healthy pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting.
Helps women and their families to understand how complications and interventions influence the normal course of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and early postpartum.
Provides information and support that encourages attachment between babies and their families.
Assists women and their families to make informed decisions for childbearing.
Acts as an advocate to promote, support, and protect natural, safe and healthy birth.
Designs, teaches, and evaluates a course in Lamaze preparation that increases a woman’s confidence and ability to give birth.

Continuing Education Topics

Acceptable Continuing Education Topics

Pregnancy, Labor and the Postpartum Period
Increasing Women’s Confidence in Labor
Promoting Healthy Birth for Optimal Outcomes
Promoting, Supporting and Protecting Breastfeeding
Teaching Adult Learners

Unacceptable Continuing Education Topics

Neonatal Resuscitation
Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring
Menopause
Breast Cancer
Health issues that are not DIRECTLY applicable to pregnancy, labor or the postpartum period
Courses on professional ethics

Providing Documentation

Recertification applications require supporting documentation for all credits. Lamaze audits 10% of applications, and if selected, you may need to provide additional details for each program. Keep digital and physical copies of your documents. If insufficient evidence is provided, you'll need to submit more credits, or your application may be denied, and your credentials revoked.

Questions?

Contact certification@lamaze.org with any questions or for assistance.

Full Policy and Documentation

For complete information on Lamaze certification and recertification requirements, please see the Full Certification Policy.