Centering Pregnancy

Flushing Hospital Medical Center is committed to providing the best possible prenatal care to our patients. That is why we are offering Centering Pregnancy to our expectant parents.

Centering Pregnancy is an innovative prenatal model that is designed to promote the overall health and well-being of mother and baby. Unlike traditional one-on-one prenatal visits, this approach incorporates small group sessions to receive medical care, education, and emotional support, to foster meaningful relationships between participants and clinicians.

After an initial private visit with a provider, participants in the centering pregnancy program, all of whom are in similar stages of their pregnancy, meet in a small group setting for their prenatal appointments. Here, participants share with and learn from each other during the course of their pregnancy. Each of the ten-centering prenatal care group sessions is approximately 90 minutes long. This group dynamic gives each of the participants the advantage of having more time with their provider.

At the beginning of the session, our facilitator will guide each patient to get weighed, have their blood pressure checked, and record their values for the provider to review. The provider will listen to the baby’s heartbeat and review the pertinent patient-specific information. After this information is collected, the 8-12 participants will form a circle and begin the fun and interactive educational session.

Some of the topics covered in these sessions, designed to promote health and well-being during the pregnancy and postpartum period, include:

• The progression of their pregnancy
• Relaxation techniques
• Common discomforts and how to resolve them
• Nutrition during pregnancy
• What to expect during labor and delivery
• Newborn feeding, including breastfeeding
• Newborn care

Games are played to help the learning process and to assist in building friendships between the participants. After the educational session, there is a question-and-answer period.

Expectant mothers are actively involved in their care as they share similar experiences with women during the same stage of pregnancy. Moms and providers can relax and get to know each other. Many long-lasting friendships are formed from being involved in Centering Pregnancy.

Studies show that women who participate in Centering Pregnancy programs tend to experience:

• Fewer preterm births (33 percent fewer, according to some research)
• Lower rates of emergency C-sections
• Higher rates of breastfeeding
• Better engagement in their own health
• Improved spacing between pregnancies
• Better well-child visit attendance and immunization rates
• Lower rates of postpartum depression
• Dramatically reduced racial disparities in preterm birth, especially among African American women

These are the many benefits of Centering Pregnancy compared to traditional care. There is no extra charge for this type of prenatal care when compared to traditional prenatal care.