ICEA certified perinatal fitness educators are trained professionals who believe that as a mother's body-mind grows with her baby, she has an excellent opportunity to become physically fit for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and throughout her life.

Prerequisites

Candidates enroll in the program and must complete the following within two years:

• Verify a minimum of twenty-four hours perinatal fitness teaching experience
  
• Provide six perinatal fitness class evaluations
  
• Complete four alternate contact hours provided by ICEA
  
• Verify attending a perinatal fitness educator training workshop of at least twelve contact hours
  
• Provide documentation of current adult CPR certification
  

Appropriate forms needed to verify teaching experience, class evaluations and required readings, and alternate contact hours are included in the study guides.

Study Modules

While completing the prerequisites for the certification examination, candidates use the modules contained in the study guides for self-paced, independent study. The modules are divided into the following ten subject areas:

• Module I - Perinatal Fitness and the Role of the Fitness Educator
  
• Module II - Overview of Pregnancy
  
• Module III - Summary of Labor and Birth
  
• Module IV - Physiological Adaptations During Pregnancy
  
• Module V - Pregnancy Discomforts and Remedies
  
• Module VI - Nutrition and Pregnancy
  
• Module VII - Mind-Body Techniques: Breath Awareness, Visualization, Relaxation and Massage
  
• Module VIII - Key Components to a Perinatal Exercise Class: Exercise Safety, Posture, Body Mechanics, Pelvic Floor Muscles, Kegels, and Diastatis Recti
  
• Module IX - Fitness Programs and Model Perinatal Exercise Class
  
• Module X - Postpartum Exercise
  

Each module contains key concepts, overview, learner objectives and content outline, references, and required reading.

Required readings for this program are:

• Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year, by Elizabeth Noble (PB1063)
  
• The Anatomy Coloring Book, by Wynn Kapit and Lawrence Elson (PB2050)
  
• Exercising Through Your Pregnancy, by James Clapp (PB2060)

Recertification

Recertification will be required every four years. Recertification will require maintaining continuous ICEA membership and proof of twelve perinatal fitness class session evaluations done by clients or colleagues, proof of maintaining continuous adult CPR certification, proof of obtaining eighteen contact hours related to perinatal fitness, or attending an entire ICEA convention. The recertification fee is $100.