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Centering Pregnancy

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.

Once health assessments are complete, the provider and support staff “circle-up” with the soon-to-be moms in the group. They lead pertinent discussion and interactive activities designed to address important and timely pregnancy related 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 meetings.

Benefits

1. Better health outcomes: Numerous studies have shown that Centering moms have healthier babies and that Centering reduces racial disparities in preterm birth.

2. Self-care: Moms are actively engaged in their own healthcare and own their health information.

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

4. Self-confidence: Centering moms are better prepared for labor, delivery, and to care for their infant.  Centering moms have a better understand what is normal during pregnancy and what is cause for concern.

5. 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.

6. 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 learn and grow.

Better Care

Centering is patient-centered care. The visit schedule and content follow nationally recognized guidelines with flexibility and time to explore health and wellness topics that fit into the group’s needs. Receiving healthcare in a group setting leads to greater engagement, learning, and self confidence.

Patients and providers say- “It’s better care!”

Better Health Outcomes

Centering Pregnancy decreases the rate of preterm and low weight babies, increases breastfeeding rates, and leads to better pregnancy spacing. In Centering Parenting, family centered well-child care, there is better attendance at recommended visits and improved immunization rates.

CenteringPregnancy has been shown to nearly eliminate racial disparities in preterm birth. African American women, who are at higher risk for preterm birth in the US, experience lower risk of preterm birth when enrolled in CenteringPregnancy than in traditional care.

Lower Cost

The cost of preterm birth and related conditions is more than 10x that of a healthy baby. Centering could save the healthcare system $8 billion each year by preventing preterm birth alone.

Imagine the savings that could be achieved from other emerging benefits like lower rates of gestational diabetes, improved detection and treatment of postpartum depression, improved breastfeeding, and better pregnancy spacing.

Find out about Centering Parenting after pregnancy:

Centering Parenting