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Centering Pregnancy 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 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.
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.
Numerous published studies show that Centering moms have healthier babies and that Centering nearly eliminates racial disparities in preterm birth.
Moms are actively engaged in their own healthcare and own their health information.
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.
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.
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.
