About Centering Parenting

Background

CenteringPregnancy® is a model that is changing the paradigm of prenatal care delivery. Women move out of exam rooms and into groups for their entire prenatal care from early second trimester through early postpartum--10 sessions in all. Women are grouped together with 8-12 other women with similar due dates. Through these several months they get to know each other, build community, and gain confidence in their own knowledge and skills. Self-care activities including blood pressure, weight, entering of data on their chart, completion of self- assessment sheets, all contribute to their understanding of themselves and their sense of confidence in their decision-making abilities. Evaluative data consistently confirms that 96-97% of all women in groups prefer getting their care in this way. Providers, likewise, report personal satisfaction as they get to know the women much better during the 20 hours of contact time versus approximately 2-3 hours they might have during traditional care. Results from a large randomized controlled trial of 1.047 women in public clinics in New Haven and Atlanta demonstrate a significant reduction in preterm birth, decreased rapid repeat pregnancy, increased breastfeeding, and high satisfaction all from women in groups.

The Next Step

In many sites it is possible for women to return for well-baby and for on-going well-woman care. For women who have been in CenteringPregnancy® groups it would be an asset for them to continue in these same groups for care during the first year of life. It is well known that the transition to parenting is one of the most difficult times in the life of a family. The group support could be crucial to many women as they make the adjustments necessary. CenteringParenting®, then, is mother/baby care for the first year of life…and perhaps, beyond. It involves providing all of the standard well-baby care including the immunizations, the developmental assessment, and the standard interconceptional care including depression screening, contraceptive counseling/care, weight/diet management and general health monitoring. So many of the maternal issues during the first year relate directly to the baby and to the family adjustments. And, to a large extent the baby thrives as the mother and father thrive in their parenting.

Structure

CenteringParenting® occurs much like CenteringPregnancy®. Groups of 5-6 dyads meet together approximate ten times during the first year at 2,4,6,8 weeks and 3,4,5,6,9 and 12 months. These sessions include the physical assessment and some sessions are billed as well baby and some as well woman care. Mothers (or fathers) weigh and measure their babies. They complete growth charts and self-assessment sheets. They participate with the provider in the developmental exam and contribute directly to the individual physical assessment with the provider. In a circle, with the babies in the middle, they talk together about the content of the first year of life using self-assessment sheets as a stimulus for discussion. Provider expertise is needed for both mother and baby. Core content revolves around the three major areas of health, safety, and development with mother/baby/family attachment as a thread throughout.

Training Workshops

The Centering Healthcare Institute (CHI) offers periodic instructional workshops for providers and others involved in care of new mothers, babies and families. The workshops focus on the basic Essential Elements of the Centering model of care. The content of the ten group sessions is outlined, facilitative leadership is addressed and practiced, and an evaluation program with outcome measures is discussed.

For more information contact CHI at: 203-271-3632 or email info@centeringhealthcare.org