Pregnancy can be the most rewarding experience of a woman's life, but it can also be a tremendous challenge. Physical and emotional support are vital to expectant mothers, but, with busy lives and families often spread across the country, that support is not always easy to come by. Even in their prenatal appointments, providers and patients may feel rushed for time and cannot always address all of an expectant mother's needs. Midwifery Services at Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital is once again offering Centering Pregnancy, an innovative approach to prenatal care, in response to these concerns.

Centering Pregnancy is a national program that gives patients more time with their providers and creates a supportive community that can last far beyond the duration of a pregnancy. After their first private prenatal exam, pregnant women can join a group of 10 to 12 women with similar due dates. In a group session led by their provider and a nurse, women discuss their progress, address changes in self-image and sexuality, learn about labor and delivery, and share information. Meetings are held once a month, then every two weeks as the women approach delivery, and always include private time for patients and providers. Centering Pregnancy also prepares women for labor and delivery, and the challenges of parenting; traditional childbirth classes are not needed.

“Centering can be very empowering,” says the Women's Care Center's Laurie Foster, CNM. “In the centering model women do about half of the physical assessments — they have the opportunity to check their own blood pressure and weight and calculate their infant's gestational age. They have the opportunity to take control of their health in a whole different way.”

Centering Pregnancy was first developed in the mid-'90s by a group of midwives who wanted to improve prenatal care. The program, which is supported by the March of Dimes, appears to result in healthier babies and less stressful births. Women need not be first-time mothers and can choose an OB-GYN or midwife for their care. Partners, family members, or friends are welcome. “I'm seeing that it's pretty engaging for the partners,” Foster adds. “Men who might sit quietly in a one-on-one session are opening up more. Many people — men and women — are more comfortable in the group setting.”

If you would like to learn more about Centering Pregnancy, contact the Women’s Care Center Midwifery Services office at 603-442-5677. The first group is beginning on January 12, 2010, with new groups beginning every six weeks thereafter. Midwifery Services at the Women’s Care Center at APD is located at 57 Mechanic Street, Suite G1-1 in the Rivermill complex in Lebanon, N.H.