CenteringPregnancy®

Pregnancy is an important time to partner with a health care team that fits your medical needs and values. At Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, you have two options for receiving prenatal care for your low-risk pregnancy: regular one-to-one care (1:1) visits or group care through CenteringPregnancy®. We are always looking for innovations to improve your care, and CenteringPregnancy® is a nationally recognized care model.

About CenteringPregnancy®

With CenteringPregnancy®, you receive a private, brief pregnancy consultation while also participating in group sessions with your provider and a community of other pregnant people like yourself. Group sessions provide time to ask questions, share experiences, and explore emotions. Our Stanford Medicine Children’s Health obstetric providers guide the discussions, answer questions, and educate you on pregnancy, sometimes with other guest speakers.

If you choose CenteringPregnancy®, you are paired with five to 12 pregnant people/couples with similar due dates. You meet with this group 10 times throughout your pregnancy immediately after your brief pregnancy visit, for about 1.5 hours each session. This gives you the opportunity to spend more time with your provider to discuss pregnancy topics and prenatal education for a deeper understanding. You also have the chance to bond and learn from other expectant moms. In the final group session, we throw a birthday party for mothers and babies.

CenteringPregnancy® is part of the Centering Healthcare Institute, a nonprofit organization that works closely with health care providers like us across the nation and world to help transform health care using evidence-based care models.

Possible benefits to you

CenteringPregnancy® participants report that they experience: 

• High satisfaction in their care
• A sense of community with other pregnant people/couples

What to expect from your CenteringPregnancy® care plan

• CenteringPregnancy® group care sessions begin around 14–18 weeks of pregnancy, with 10 sessions total.
• If you are a part of CenteringPregnancy®, after 36 weeks your visits will also incorporate traditional, 1:1 prenatal visits.
• At each CenteringPregnancy® appointment, you start with a private, brief pregnancy consultation and health assessment with your provider.
• Your health assessment is immediately followed by your group care session.
• You can expect a casual atmosphere and social interactions with your provider and other group members.
• There is no extra cost to you with CenteringPregnancy®.

CenteringPregnancy® health care assessments include:

• Private time with your provider to check your and your developing baby’s health
  
• Guided, self-delivered blood pressure checks
• Guided recordkeeping of your pregnancy symptoms 

Should you want to forgo CenteringPregnancy® and proceed with traditional, routine 1:1 obstetric/pregnancy care, please make an appointment in your MyHealth account.