Lamaze International

What Lamaze International does

Lamaze International, Inc. is a private non-profit professional association and certification body founded in 1960 (originally as the American Society of Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics, renamed in 1995) and incorporated in New York with operational headquarters in Raleigh, NC. The organization's core function is the certification of childbirth educators through the Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) credential, supported by an advanced FACCE credential, formalized competency-based and examination pathways, and a recertification cycle requiring 25 CE credits every three years. Underpinning all educational content is the trademarked Six Healthy Birth Practices framework, a peer-reviewed Journal of Perinatal Education, and a network of Lamaze Accredited Childbirth Educator Programs and chapters.

The technology footprint consists of multiple web-based platforms: the main lamaze.org site, a learning management system at learn.lamaze.org, a certification center at certification.lamaze.org, and a member and class-finding portal at my.lamaze.org. Psychometric services for the certification exam are outsourced to Meazure Learning, which maintains a secure multilingual item bank (English, Spanish, Romanian). The organization also licenses its brand for toys and infant products sold through Amazon's "Lamaze Toy Store" and publishes a "Connecting the Dots" blog and Lamaze Reports for member engagement.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: annual membership dues for healthcare providers, educators, and advocates; one-time LCCE application fees ($500 standard, with LMIC discounts) and triennial recertification fees with tiered late and reinstatement structures; continuing education products sold through the Lamaze Learning Center; annual conference and event revenue; licensing royalties from branded toys; and Contact Hour Provider accreditation fees. Its customer base is hybrid: new and expectant parents (consumer), LCCE educators and healthcare providers (professional), healthcare organizations purchasing curriculum, and parent/consumer advocates. Marketing and distribution leverage community-led growth through the certified educator network, own digital platforms, regional chapters, the journal, conferences, and retail partnerships.

Name

Lamaze International

Legal name

Lamaze International, Inc.

Website

https://lamaze.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lamaze International is a 65-year-old non-profit professional association that certifies childbirth educators (LCCE credential) and delivers evidence-based childbirth education to parents, educators, and healthcare organizations globally through online platforms, accredited programs, and licensed retail products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for healthcare providers, childbirth educators, health professionals, and parent/consumer advocates who support the Lamaze mission.
2. Certification Fees: $500 application fee for Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) certification, plus exam fees. Recertification every three years with associated fees.
3. Continuing Education Products: Sale of online courses, educational materials, and contact hours for professional development. Users receive indefinite access with three-year support guarantee.
4. Conference & Events: Annual conferences and educational events for professional development and networking.
5. Licensing (Toys): Licensing of Lamaze brand for toys and products sold through retailers like Amazon, with brand presence in 'Lamaze Toy Store' on Amazon.
6. Contact Hour Provider Fees: Organizations seeking approval as Lamaze Contact Hour Providers pay fees for accreditation review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lamaze International is a non-profit organization that delivers evidence-based childbirth education through the gold-standard Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) certification, an online Learning Center, peer-reviewed Journal of Perinatal Education, and parent/educator courses built around its Six Healthy Birth Practices framework. It also generates revenue through membership dues, conference events, and brand licensing of Lamaze toys via Amazon.

Product overview

Lamaze International operates as a certification and education organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on childbirth education. The core offering is the Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) certification, which can be earned through an annual Examination Pathway or year-round Competency Based Pathway. Supporting this are the Lamaze Learning Center (online education platform), Lamaze Learning Guide, Lamaze Seminar, and the advanced FACCE Credential. The Journal of Perinatal Education provides peer-reviewed research for educators. For parents, Online Parent Courses and the Navigating Pregnancy & Birth Curriculum (developed with Plumtree Baby) deliver educational content. The organization also maintains the Lamaze Shop for merchandise, the Connecting the Dots Blog for community engagement, and publishes Lamaze Reports for members. The Six Healthy Birth Practices framework underpins all educational content and certification requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) Certification Gold-standard childbirth educator credential recognized globally for excellence and evidence-based practice, available through an annual Examination Pathway (English/Spanish exam) or a year-round Competency Based Pathway (teaching demonstration and applied skills assessment).
• FACCE Credential Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators — an advanced credential for LCCEs recognizing distinguished contributions to childbirth education.
• Lamaze Learning Center Web-based learning platform providing online courses for childbirth educators and parents on labor, pain management, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and birth techniques, with indefinite access and a 3-year support guarantee.
• Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) Peer-reviewed journal publishing evidence-based articles that advance the knowledge of aspiring and seasoned childbirth educators.
• Labor Support Workshop Workshop focused on labor support techniques and the role of continuous support during childbirth, available to childbirth educators and parents.
• Lamaze Seminar Instructor-led seminar offered through Lamaze Accredited Childbirth Educator Programs, required to be completed within three years prior to applying for the LCCE certification.
• Navigating Pregnancy & Birth Curriculum Multi-session childbirth education curriculum developed in partnership with Plumtree Baby that enables childbirth educators to deliver evidence-based classes aligned with Lamaze competencies and the Six Healthy Birth Practices.
• Lamaze Shop Own e-commerce storefront offering Lamaze educational materials, guidebooks, and branded merchandise for childbirth educators and parents.
• Lamaze-Branded Toys (via Amazon Lamaze Toy Store) Lamaze-branded infant toys and products sold through Amazon's dedicated Lamaze Toy Store under Lamaze's brand licensing program.

Quantifiable outcome

• LCCE credential recognized globally for excellence and evidence-based practice
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plumtree BabycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLamaze International partnered with Plumtree Baby to develop 'Navigating Pregnancy & Birth' resources, providing childbirth educators with curriculum materials for delivering exceptional childbirth education. This partnership enables Lamaze to offer comprehensive planning and teaching resources that align with Lamaze competencies and the Six Healthy Birth Practices.
• Meazure LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationLamaze International contracts with Meazure Learning as its psychometric services provider for the certification examination. Meazure Learning provides technical expertise in exam development, item analysis, scoring, psychometric design, and maintains the secure item bank platform in English, Spanish, and Romanian versions.
• California Board of Registered Nursing (CABRN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLamaze International maintains approved provider status through CABRN for continuing nursing education, ensuring all Lamaze continuing education activities meet rigorous nursing education standards.
• AmazonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLamaze-branded toys and infant products are sold through Amazon's 'Lamaze Toy Store' storefront, expanding retail distribution for licensed products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Plumtree Baby: Plumtree Baby develops and sells childbirth education curriculum and materials to hospitals, birth centers, and independent educators, and is an active co-development partner of Lamaze, making it a direct comparator in the curriculum and materials segment.
• Motherly: Motherly is a digital content and commerce brand for expectant and new parents, offering classes, content, and products that compete with Lamaze's parent-facing courses and the find-a-class consumer funnel.
• Healthy Children Project / Lactation Education Resources: Healthy Children Project provides lactation and perinatal educator training with certification pathways and CE, competing with Lamaze in continuing education for childbirth and lactation professionals.
• Evidence Based Birth: Evidence Based Birth is a for-profit education platform offering research-based childbirth and parent education via online courses, podcasts, and instructor training, competing with Lamaze's parent courses and educator CE offerings.
• Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice (ALPP): ALPP certifies lactation consultants and educators with pathways, CE programs, and exam delivery, mirroring the LCCE model in a related perinatal field and competing for the same educator mindshare and continuing education dollars.

Direct peers

• DONA International: DONA International is the leading doula certification body, providing training, certification, and continuing education for labor and postpartum doulas, with overlapping audience and adjacency to Lamaze's childbirth education mission.
• International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA): ICEA is a long-standing non-profit professional membership organization that certifies childbirth educators and provides training, similar in mission, structure, and educator-certification focus to Lamaze International.
• Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA): CAPPA trains and certifies childbirth educators, labor doulas, and postpartum doulas with an evidence-based curriculum. It competes head-to-head with Lamaze for educator certification and parent-facing childbirth education.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM): ACNM is a large professional association certifying midwives and providing continuing education; it overlaps with Lamaze in serving perinatal professionals, setting scope of practice, and shaping childbirth education content.
• March of Dimes: March of Dimes is a larger non-profit operating broadly in maternal and infant health, offering parent education, professional resources, and advocacy, and overlapping with Lamaze in maternal education content and community reach.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LamazeOnline
• Facebookfacebook.com/LamazeChildbirth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lamaze-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lamaze International