Lamaze International offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for the certification exam.
Lamaze Exam Blueprint
The Lamaze Exam Blueprint contains valuable information on the competencies assessed on the exam as well as their respective weights.
¡El modelo del examen también está disponible en español!
Educator Seminars
Our trainers are among the most highly skilled childbirth educators in the world, and a Lamaze-Accredited Childbirth Educator Seminar is the gold standard for training new childbirth educators. You’ll learn how to teach creative, hands-on childbirth education for Millennials and Gen Z, all based on the highest quality evidence. You may already know a lot about birth, but our trainers will teach you how to teach.
Lamaze Learning Guide
The Lamaze Learning Guide is a self-study resource designed to help you develop the competencies of a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. It prepares you to teach the essential content for Lamaze classes and will continue to serve as an important reference for evidence-based information throughout your professional career.
Exam Prep Toolkit
Recently updated and expanded, our exam prep toolkit allows you to practice your test-taking skills and try your hand at several questions similar to the ones you may find on the Lamaze exam! It also provides key information on exam construction, explanations of the seven competencies that drive all Lamaze teaching and helpful testing tips.
Certification Exam Practice Test
Our enhanced 50-question practice exam covers all seven of the Lamaze competencies, allowing you to test where you’re at with your recall and reasoning skills. This practice exam features content hand-selected by experienced LCCEs, and each exam answer is accompanied by rationale from Lamaze experts as well as external reference links.
Educator Essentials
The Lamaze Educator Essentials were created to offer an alternative for experienced educators to learn and understand the Lamaze approach to childbirth education and in circumstances when attending a live seminar is not an option. Learn more about the three modules:
-
Lamaze Fundamentals
-
Developing Evidence-Based Childbirth Education Classes Using the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices
-
Professional Role of the Lamaze Childbirth Educator
Supplemental Readings
Lamaze International has developed a list of core supplemental readings for Lamaze Certification Exam candidates. This list is compiled for use in conjunction with the Learning Guide. Each of these texts contains pertinent information for the childbirth educator in the areas of pregnancy, labor support, breastfeeding and early parenting.
Note: The Lamaze Certification Council develops and administers certification examinations to determine the qualifications of candidates for certification. The Council does not require, provide, or endorse any specific learning guides, training or review courses. The Council, certification staff members, and certification subject matter experts do not have involvement in the creation, accreditation, approval, endorsement or delivery of the Lamaze Educator Learning Guide or any examination review courses, preparatory materials, educational programs, or training programs that prepare candidates for the LCCE certification examination.
General
- Lothian, J. & DeVries, C. (2017). Giving birth with confidence (3rd edition). New York, NY: Meadowbrook Press.
- Simkin, P., Whalley, J., Keppler, A., Durham, J.& Bolding, A. (2016 or 2018*). Pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn: The complete guide (5th edition). New York, Ny: De Capo Press.
- Lamaze Six Healthy Birth Practice Papers. (2019).
- Amis, D. & Green, J. (2019 or 2020 [available 1-1-20]. Prepared childbirth – The educator’s guide. Houston, TX: Family Way Publications.
- Smith, H., Peterson, N., Lagrew, D. & Main, E. (2016). Toolkit to support vaginal birth and reduce primary cesareans: A quality improvement toolkit. Stanford, CA: California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. Note: You will be asked to create an account in order to access this resource. There is no cost.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Executive summary and recommendations on pages 3-7 in WHO recommendations: Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience. Geneva: WHO. Note: There is no cost.
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Read abstracts of Cochrane Reviews on key topics listed on the Exam Blueprint. Note: There is a summary of the conclusions of many key Cochrane Reviews in Prepared Childbirth – The Educator’s Guide.
Physiology of Normal Birth
Adult Learning
Cultural Competence
Global Health
Second Stage
Breastfeeding
Respectful Care
Lamaze International
* The 2018 edition of Pregnancy, childbirth, and the newborn: The complete guide is the same edition as the 2016 edition. The only difference is that color has been added to the 2018 edition.