OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine Hosts CenteringPregnancy Consortium
On Friday, February 13, the OhioHealth CenteringPregnancy team at OhioHealth Grant Family Medicine hosted this year's annual Ohio Centering Consortium. OhioHealth hosted the event alongside Centering Healthcare Institute.
CenteringPregnancy is a nationally accredited program in which women receive prenatal care in a group setting and participate in facilitated discussions and interactive activities designed to address maternal and infant health education topics. It provides a safe space for mothers to openly ask questions and have honest conversations.
“CenteringPregnancy is group prenatal education with your provider and your care team,” Lauren Hackett, Program Manager of CenteringPregnancy at Grant Family Medicine, said. “Our care model includes a visit with your provider followed by dedicated patient education to support you in learning about pregnancy and parenting.”
Each year, CenteringPregnancy hosts a consortium for those who practice the program across Ohio. The event is open to practitioners, associates, community partners and members. While it has previously been held in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Columbus has served as the host site for the past two years.
This year, the Grant Family Medicine CenteringPregnancy team coordinated a patient panel to hear directly from mothers sharing their personal experiences and testimonies.
“It’s a powerful opportunity to hear directly from mothers who have gone through the program themselves,” Hackett said. “Their stories reflect the true mission of CenteringPregnancy - building community, improving patient education, reducing infant mortality, and living out the core values that guide our work.”
Sierra Spates is one of the mothers who has participated in the CenteringPregnancy program twice. She spoke at the event about her experience and what she’s enjoyed most about the program.
“CenteringPregnancy means a lot to me because it gives pregnant women the opportunity to connect with each other and learn new things about their pregnancy and what to expect when they delivery their babies and what to expect when they go home." Spates said. "So, it’s very beneficial for moms, babies, even fathers!”
Spates shared that her favorite part about CenteringPregnancy is feeling seen and heard by the nurses and the other mothers in the group. Spates went on to say, “Everyone there makes you feel comfortable enough to tell your stories.”
The program helped Spates feel more prepared and aware of what to watch for during and after pregnancy.
“My biggest intake was what to do if you see things unusual with your baby and also yourself whether it’s during your pregnancy or after,” Spates said. “The group informs you on things that you would’ve never thought could happen even after the delivery of your baby.”
To learn more about CenteringPregnancy or to find resources available, please click here.
