Cen­ter­ing­Preg­nan­cy

Cen­ter­ing­Preg­nan­cy is group pre­na­tal care bring­ing women due at the same time out of exam rooms and into a com­fort­able group setting 

“My doctor and nurse would lead the group on various topics, but it wasn't like a class: it was a discussion, a group of pregnant women together on a journey with health care providers investing in our well-being, our health, the health of our babies, and most importantly giving us a safe environment to learn the facts that would get us to our goals.”
CenteringPregnancy Mom
 
Dimock Health Center, (Boston, MA)

How It Works

Centering group prenatal care follows the recommended schedule of 10 prenatal visits, but each visit is 90 minutes to two hours long - giving women 10x more time with their provider. Moms engage in their care by taking their own weight and blood pressure and recording their own health data with private time with their provider for belly check.

 
 
St. Joseph Hospital (Denver, CO)
 

Once health assessments are complete, the provider and support staff "circle-up" with moms and support people. They lead facilitative discussion and interactive activities designed to address important and timely health topics while leaving room to discuss what is important to the group. Centering materials help moms and providers ensure that everything from nutrition, common discomforts, stress management, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and infant care are covered in group.

 
The Dimock Center (Roxbury, MA)

We are meant to be in conversation with one another

CenteringPregnancy brings 8-10 women all due at the same time together for their care. Providing care in this way allows moms and providers to relax and get to know each other on a much deeper and meaningful level. Members of the group form lasting friendships and are connected in ways not possible in traditional care.

Centering groups comprised of women of different ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds see those differences diminish in importance as they share the common experience of pregnancy, birth, and family care. Many continue on for family centered well-child care through the first two years in CenteringParenting.

 

Cen­ter­ing­Preg­nan­cy has ben­e­fits for moms, babies, and providers


Better Health Outcomes

Numer­ous pub­lished stud­ies show that Cen­ter­ing moms have health­i­er babies and that Cen­ter­ing near­ly elim­i­nates racial dis­par­i­ties in preterm birth. 

Self-Care

Moms are active­ly engaged in their own health­care and own their health information. 

Self-Confidence

Cen­ter­ing moms are bet­ter pre­pared for labor, deliv­ery, and to care for their infant. Prac­tices report few­er after-hours calls and emer­gency vis­its from Cen­ter­ing moms because they bet­ter under­stand what is nor­mal dur­ing preg­nan­cy and what is cause for concern. 

More time with your provider

Moms in Cen­ter­ing spend 10x more time with their provider than women in tra­di­tion­al care. 

Support & Friendship

Women enjoy being with oth­er women who are going through a sim­i­lar expe­ri­ence, giv­ing them an oppor­tu­ni­ty to sup­port each oth­er. Cen­ter­ing moms cre­ate last­ing friend­ships and are won­der­ful resources to one anoth­er dur­ing a very excit­ing but also stress­ful time in their lives. 

Learning & Fun

The most com­mon word used to describe Cen­ter­ing is fun! Cen­ter­ing is based on the proven prin­ci­ple that when peo­ple are active­ly engaged and involved in a dis­cus­sion with their peers, rather than being lec­tured or giv­en a pam­phlet, they will have greater under­stand­ing and are more like­ly to change their behavior. 

CenteringPregnancy is changing the way women receive their prenatal care

Take our Readiness Assessment to see how ready your prenatal care practice is to start Centering. A CHI representative will then contact you to talk about start-up options and answer any questions you have.

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