In January, our clinic in Ames hosted a baby shower for the newest graduates from the CenteringPregnancy® program. This shower was an opportunity to bring together a group of moms who had bonded over the course of their pregnancies through the Centering Pregnancy program offered at PHC Ames.
CenteringPregnancy is group prenatal care for women who are due to deliver around the same time. The women meet regularly throughout their pregnancies. It is an opportunity for the group to meet and talk with a healthcare provider as well as sharing experiences with the group.
“The group setting is incredible,” said Linda Hanson, Clinic Director. “After seeing the success of this program, I think this is the best way to do prenatal care. I wish I had access to a group like this when I was pregnant.”
This evidence-based program has been shown to improve health outcomes for both the mother and baby and provides a space for expecting mothers to bond.
“You get to share your thoughts and experience together the journey so you don’t really feel like you’re walking it alone, “ said a first-time mom and participant in the program. “It was perfect!”
Each visit is two hours long, which allows the women to have 10 times more time with their provider than in traditional prenatal care.
“I love providing prenatal care to women in this way,” said Megan Sloat, a Certified Nurse Midwife at PHC. “It empowers them to be participants in their own care and equips them with the information they need to have the kind of birth that they desire.”
In December 2018, our team attended the Centering Healthcare Institute training in Chicago, thanks to a generous grant from the Story County United Way.
“Going to Chicago helped us connect us to a community of healthcare providers around the country who are providing the same care,” said Amanda Schoppe, a nurse who helps to manage the program. “It taught me how to facilitate a group so that the women are sharing their own wisdom and knowledge with each other.”
“You don’t really feel like you’re walking it alone,”
The team is excited to continue to grow the program and provide innovative prenatal care in the Ames community.
