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"The
Centering Pregnancy® Program
is a model of empowerment: empowerment to women to take control of their
bodies, their pregnancies, and their families, and empowerment to us as
health care providers to share our care-giving with our guests."
The
Centering Pregnancy® Program
alters routine prenatal care by bringing women out of exam rooms and into
groups for their care. Women have their initial intake into their
obstetric care in the usual manner with history and physical examination
occurring within the office/clinic space. Then they are invited to join
with 8-12 other women/couples/teens with similar due dates in meeting
together regularly during their pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a time in a
woman’s life where she enjoys sharing her experience with other women. A
national program called Centering pregnancy was designed to bring women
together to share their experiences while they receive prenatal care.
Family Physicians started the Decatur program this spring with their first
group starting in April. New groups will start approximately every 6
weeks.
Each woman will be seen by
her own physician for the first prenatal exam in the Centering Pregnancy
format. The women then enter a group of 6 to 10 women at about their 16 th
week of
pregnancy. They enter the group setting with a nurse and 2 physicians who
will follow them for the rest of their pregnancy and early postpartum
period. The groups meet every 4 weeks for the first 4 sessions, and then
every 2 weeks for the remainder of the 6 sessions with a total of 10
sessions. Each session lasts 2 hours.
The session begins with the
women learning to take their own blood pressure, weight and calculating
their EGA (estimated gestational age) and charting this information in
their healthcare record. The women are each evaluated by the physician who
assesses their progress through the pregnancy, listens for the fetal heart
tones, measures the uterus for appropriate interval growth, and orders
labs or tests recommended for the stage of pregnancy. And includes the
following areas of focus;
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Nutrition
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Exercise
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Relaxation
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Pregnancy Problems
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Infant Care and Feeding
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Postpartum Issues
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Communication and Self-Esteem
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Comfort Measures in Pregnancy
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Sexuality and Childbearing
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Abuse Issues
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Parenting
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Childbirth Preparation
Each member of the group
fills out self-assessment sheets that serve to stimulate group
conversation on topics to be discussed that session. These topics include:
childbirth, parenting and personal growth. They include discussion of
nutrition, exercise, communication, self-esteem, abuse, sexuality,
prenatal problems, relaxation techniques, infant feeding, infant care,
parenting, and childbirth preparation, among others. Other group
activities and videos round out the experience. Snacks and time to
socialize are also included. Physicians and nurses that are knowledgeable
in women’s healthcare topics facilitate each group. Guest speakers are
also invited and may include physical therapists, dieticians,
behaviorists, local healthcare agencies, breastfeeding specialists, infant
care specialists among others. The opportunity to meet with the same group
of expectant parents for these 10 -2 hour sessions allows for continued
sharing and development of a strong support network which often extends
into the childrearing period. The physician is given the opportunity to
interact with the women over the course of the pregnancy experience. This
model allows women empowerment over their bodies, pregnancies, and
families and for the physicians to share the care giving with their
clients. There are many benefits of the program for everyone involved.
For more information on the
Primera Luz Women's Center
Centering Pregnancy program for prenatal care
contact us at 915-875-1200.
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