I trained with the National Childbirth Trust in Britain and later qualified as a tutor for them and founded the teacher-training programme for the Israel Childbirth Education Centre.  While some of the training could be done from home (we didn`t have internet then), i.e. library, written work, observation of other teachers in my area and hospital observation, an essential component was the group work, workshops, interpersonal relationships.  When I trained teachers, I could tell after two or three meetings who would become superb caring teachers and who were choosing this profession for less positive reasons.  
One can learn physiology and anatomy on-line but there is no way that one can acquire counselling and listening skills unless one learns in a group with qualified and caring tutors.
This is a problem when students live long distances from centres of learning.  But I am sure that organizers of childbirth educator training courses must have regional workshops and learning opportunities.
Wendy Blumfield

From: LACTNET automatic digest system 
Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 7:01 AM
To: [log in to unmask] 
Subject: LACTNET Digest - 10 Feb 2014 (#2014-73)

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome