Empowering and supporting pregnant people through family-centered care
CenteringPregnancy® is evidence-based prenatal care offered by University of Michigan Health, providing family-centered care in group settings that help pregnant people and families support one another during their pregnancy and into early childhood.
The CenteringPregnancy care model is a national movement that brings pregnant people due at around the same time out of the isolation of the exam room and into a comfortable group setting to support complete prenatal care.
What to expect from CenteringPregnancy care at U-M Health
Families participating in Centering care will participate in small group sessions with 6–8 other pregnant people experiencing stages of the pregnancy journey at approximately the same time.
Groups are led by trusted U-M Health providers and are designed with a focus on creating a safe and supportive environment to ask questions and creating lifelong bonds between families.
Centering group prenatal care follows the recommended schedule of 10 prenatal visits. Each visit is 90 minutes to two hours long. Pregnant people engage in their care by taking their own weight and blood pressure and recording their own health data. Each pregnant person also receives private time with their provider for belly checks.
Once health assessments are complete, pregnant people and their support partners gather in a group alongside health care providers who lead conversations and interactive activities addressing important and timely health topics, as well as group-led areas of interest. Your group will cover topics ranging from nutrition, common discomforts, and stress management to labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and infant care.
Benefits of CenteringPregnancy care
Centering is an evidence-based model of care shown to provide a number of benefits to pregnant people and families:
- More time with your provider – Pregnant people benefit from up to 10x more time with their provider through the group-based sessions each person participates in.
- Support and friendship – Sharing experiences with other pregnant people provides a powerful opportunity to support one another during an exciting but also stressful time of life, often creating lasting friendships that support families long after childbirth.
- Self-care and self-confidence – Centering is based on the proven principle that when people are actively engaged and involved in a discussion with their peers, they feel more empowered and informed about their health and their baby’s health. Centering pregnant people are confident about their preparedness for labor, delivery, and caring for their infant.
More Information and Appointments
CenteringPregnancy prenatal care is currently offered at Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital as well as our Women, Children and Young Adults with East Ann Arbor Health Center location.
For more information about receiving your prenatal care through our CenteringPregnancy® program, call 734-763-6295.