Thanks for Your Request!
Thank you for signing up to learn more about the Active Birth Professional Training Course. You should receive the course information and application form in your inbox – please check your promotions tab and junk mail if you do not see anything. The same information is also available on the page below. We recommend that you bookmark this page for future reference.
We hope to welcome you to the next group very soon.
Warm wishes,
Janet, Jill and Lola
Information for All Students:
- How to Apply
- Course Dates & Format
- Tuition Fees
- Which Modules Should I Take?
- Course Content & Outline
- Terms & Conditions
Additional Info for Teaching Students Only:
How to Apply
You can apply in two simple steps.
1. Fill out our online application form
We will reply to you by email to let you know when you’ve been accepted.
Online Application Form
2. After you have been accepted – make a full payment, or a £250 deposit
After you’ve been accepted, you will need to make a payment to confirm your place.
You can either pay up front, or you can make a £250 deposit and pay the balance in monthly instalments.
The deposit is non-refundable except in cases where the course is cancelled. Please read the cancellation policy on the payment link for full details.
You need to have paid the full tuition fee at the latest 7 days before the start of the course.
Click Here for Payment Options
2025 Course Dates & Format
The next course in 2025 will be on Sundays: Sept 21st, 28th, Oct 5th,12th
Module 1 (Active Birth Physiology) is taught in the morning sessions (10am – 1pm).
Module 2 (Teaching Active Birth) is taught in the afternoon sessions (2pm – 5pm)
Course Format: The course is held via Zoom. There are mid-session breaks and mini-breaks as needed, with an hour lunch break for Module 2 students.
Students are expected to attend all four sessions. In some circumstances a supervised viewing of the recording can be arranged with one of the teachers for a fee of £95.
Tuition Fees
Modules 1 and 2 (the full teaching qualification) £1200
Module 1 only (Active Birth Physiology) £750
You will also need to purchase teaching aids and get adequate insurance (see below).These are not required if you are doing only Module 1
A few concessionary places are available for those in genuine need. To apply: email jb@activebirthcentre.com.
Which Modules Should I Take?
Module 1 covers the physiology of an Active Birth
Module 2 will train you to teach Active Birth to parents
If you want to teach the Active Birth Workshop ©, or teach Active Birth in any other format (e.g. within your existing course), you should take the full qualification including both modules.
This will give you the training and resources you need to teach Active Birth to parents using our methodology and to the high standard expected from our teachers.
Students who complete the full teacher training programme (both modules) will be qualified as an Active Birth Workshop © Teacher and receive a certificate accredited by FEDANT, the Federation of Antenatal Educators. You will also receive a listing on the Active Birth Centre Website.
We have had a lot of interest from midwives and doulas who want to learn about Active Birth but are not planning to teach Active Birth to parents. If this is what you are looking for, you can take Module 1 (Active Birth Physiology) by itself.
Students who complete Module 1 only will receive a certificate of attendance. This is not an accredited teaching certification.
Course Content & Outline
Below is an example outline of the topics covered on the course. We may change the agenda as needed, depending on the dynamic of the group.
Each day starts with teaching the topics below in the morning. In the afternoon, students who are also taking module 2 will learn to teach these topics to parents.
Breaks – there will be a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break, a lunch break, and also ‘as-needed’ mini breaks throughout the day.
Week 1 – Introduction to the Physiology of an Active Birth
A fresh overview of the phases of the birth process
The anatomy and articulation of the female pelvis and the pelvic ligaments
The baby’s journey through the pelvis
The comparative benefits of an Active Birth
A breathing & relaxation session
Week 2 – Birth as a Hormonal Process
Birth as a hormonal process – understanding intricate systems at play
Mammalian instinct – a blueprint for survival
The physiology of the uterus – its structure and actions. What stimulates and what hinders these actions
The initiation of labour – how does it start?
How to optimise hormonal release + providing a hormone enhancing environment
A breathing & relaxation session
Week 3 – Labour
The nature and journey of labour
Exploring labour positions and movements
Breathing and touch
The needs of the labouring woman
The role of the partner, midwife, and other birth companions
Pain in labour – meeting, releasing, and transcending it
Transitioning to birth
A breathing & relaxation session
Week 4 – Birth and the ‘Golden Hour’ after birth
The Birth Reflex – do not disturb!
Active Birthing – on land and in water
The role of the mother, the uterus, and the baby during birth
The ‘golden hour’ after birth – first contact and bonding
The placental transfusion
Options for cutting the umbilical cord
First breastfeeding and self-attachment
A breathing & relaxation Session
Terms & Conditions
Cancellations & refunds
Once booked, your place is reserved for you and is non-refundable except in exceptional extenuating circumstances such as a bereavement, serious illness or admission to hospital. In such an event please inform us as soon as you can. A deferment to the next course may be agreed. The final date for submitting requests for a deferment or a refund is by the start date of the course.
We reserve the right to reschedule or cancel the course. In the unlikely eventuality of a cancellation of the course on our part, full refunds will apply.
Documents to sign
Before you start the training, you will need to sign a professional training agreement. Module 2 students will also need to sign a logo usage agreement. The current versions are linked for your information, the version you receive to sign may be updated.
Amendments to these arrangements can be made in countries where the requirements above aren’t applicable, for those teaching within an institution or NHS trust where the classes are funded. Please contact jb@activebirthcentre.com.
Additional Information for Teaching Students
The following information only applies to students who are taking the teaching qualification (Module 1 + Module 2).
Required Teaching Aids & Insurance
Teaching Aids: If you are taking Module 2, you will need to invest in some essential teaching aids to use during and after the course.
We recommend you order these as soon as you have been accepted onto the training, to ensure you receive them in good time as they can take time to arrive.
We strongly advise you to purchase the models below – students who have ordered alternatives from other providers have often found them to be unsuitable. You will use these for many years, so it is a long term investment and worth having the ones we recommend
The items you will need are:
- Articulated Female Pelvis (Ref ZJY-590-G) from Educational & Scientific Products
- Newborn size doll from HealthEdco
- Detachable umbilical cord and placenta (Ref: SKU: TA004) from Birth International
Insurance: You must have adequate insurance to teach Active Birth – you will need to provide us with proof of insurance before we issue your certificate.
You may already have suitable insurance in place which must specifically include your Active Birth teaching. If not, there is a UK group insurance scheme in place with Well Being Insurance which you can join. The annual fee is currently £72.40 in the first year, and £62.40 / year thereafter. The fee may be subject to change so please check before you are ready to teach. This is payable on certification and annually thereafter. International insurance may be obtained from Balens.
Amendments to these arrangements can be made in situations where the insurance requirements aren’t applicable – e.g. in certain countries, for those teaching within an institution or NHS trust where the classes are funded. Please contact jb@activebirthcentre.com.
Home Study & Resources for Student Teachers
Home study and practice: In-between the four course days we will guide you to prepare succinct and brief teaching notes, on cards you can easily refer to while teaching or practising your teaching skills. You will also be expected to practise the skills learned as you prepare these notes. We anticipate this will involve around five hours per week of home study. We recommend doing one hour per day, leaving you with a day spare to rest or catch up.
Templates: teaching students will receive a template of the topics to cover when you teach an Active Birth Workshop, with suggestions as to how you can organise the material in different ways, for example as a one-day workshop, over two or more shorter sessions, or as an individual private session.
Assessment & Certification
To become a Janet Balaskas Active Birth Workshop © Teacher, you will need to attend the full four days of training for both Modules and pass an assessment.
The assessment will be made during the teaching practise sessions and will also be based on your teaching notes.
There will be opportunities after the training to repeat or resit any part of the assessment if required either by appointment or on Zoom – so we expect that everyone will pass! There is an additional tutor fee of £95 for resit sessions.
Your certificate will be sent to you once you have passed the assessment, provided proof of adequate insurance, and signed all necessary agreements.
Once certified, teachers are listed on the Active Birth Centre Website.
