Expectant moms find benefits in group care
By Glenna Picton
Some pregnant women are forgoing traditional one-on-one appointments in favor of group meetings – and discovering a valuable learning environment, said midwives from Baylor College of Medicine.
A new program at Casa de Amigos Health Center, part of the Harris County Hospital District, provides prenatal education to women in groups, said Cynthia Wade, a certified nurse midwife at BCM, who leads the program CenteringPregnancy® that is affiliated with a national organization called the Centering Healthcare Institute (http://www.centeringpregnancy.com/).
Sharing experiences
Women in the program may learn and benefit more from a variety of prenatal experiences that can be found within a group, Wade said.
"We are really enthusiastic about this program," she said. "The traditional approach is a great option of care for some women, but this provides a unique opportunity for women to honor their need for affiliation and learn from one another at the same time. It is helping to normalize the issues and concerns they are facing as their pregnancy progresses."
Wade holds the group visits at the district's community clinic for women who are going to deliver their babies around the same date. The groups are scheduled every four weeks and then every two weeks – similar to the traditional prenatal care schedule. The program is designed for groups of eight to 12. They begin the group visits when they are 12 to 16 weeks pregnant and attend 10 two-hour sessions facilitated by the group leader.
Betty Carter, another BCM midwife, also started Centering groups at the Good Neighbor Healthcare Center.
Pregnancy and parenting
"The sessions focus on issues of pregnancy and parenting," Wade said. "At the beginning, we distribute self-assessment sheets targeting personal and physical issues that help guide the discussion."
Before the women enter the group, certified nurse midwives talk to them about their medical history. The midwives do a physical examination and lab work. One advantage of the program is that patients have more time with a health care provider, Wade said. That means they can ask more questions and have more time to hear and respond to other experiences.
Group prenatal care can improve pregnancy outcomes by reducing the risk that babies will be born prematurely, she said. They also encourage breastfeeding and good interaction between mother and baby without costing more than standard care.
"It is a cost-efficient, energizing way to provide care," Wade said.
March of Dimes grant
BCM received two of the approximately 17 statewide March of Dimes grants to fund this model of group prenatal care and is participating in a research study conducted by the March of Dimes.
"Not only is the program fun and interesting, but it enables our participants to learn from each other," Wade said. "It provides an efficient conduit for information and is a vehicle for social change."
In addition to assistance with pregnancy, BCM midwives offer full-scope care for women, including family planning or child spacing techniques, annual physical exams and pap smears, as well as treatment for minor gynecologic conditions.
For more information on the BCM Midwifery program, visit http://www.bcm.edu/obgyn/?PMID=7139.
