Centering for
Pregnancy
By: Haley and Iqra
What is the Centering for
Pregnancy?
• Centering pregnancy is a model of group prenatal care based on due dates.
• It is a total of 10 sessions lasting 2 hours, which includes group activities and an individual visit with
their physician.
⚬ Each visit they get vitals (blood pressure, weight, heart rate)
⚬ With their physician they will have an ultrasound, GBS test, diabetes screening, FHT,
measurement of their belly and any questions or concerns they have would be answered. (ex:
contractions, bleeding, etc.)
What did we see?
• 4 moms were in our session ranging from 38-39 weeks pregnant.
• The session we attended was session 9/10, which began with icebreakers,
breakfast, and a craft.
• They reviewed infant safety which included CPR, choking, car seat
safety, and ABC’s for sleep.
• They talked about how to properly make formula and how to properly
feed which included no bottle propping, no added water, no air bubbles,
proper nipple flow.
• They also gave them postpartum gift boxes at the end of the session along
with their pack-n-plays, breast pumps, and carseats which are included
when you attend the class.
Sessions and what they include:
• Session 1 (12-16 weeks):
⚬ Common discomforts
⚬ Prenatal testing
⚬ Body changes that occur
⚬ Healthy lifestyle choices
• Session 2 (16-20 weeks):
⚬ Personal Goals
⚬ Nutrition/ size of servings
⚬ Food diary
⚬ Proper oral hygiene
• Session 3 (20-24 weeks):
⚬ Relaxation; managing stress
⚬ Breast feeding
⚬ Family goals and responsibilites
• Session 4 (24-28 weeks):
⚬ Family planning
⚬ Safe sex
⚬ Domestic Violence and abuse
⚬ Preterm labor
Sessions Continued:
• Session 5 (26-30 weeks):
⚬ Comfort during labor
⚬ Labor
⚬ Birth Facility
⚬ Breathing techniques
⚬ Medications for labor and birth
⚬ Early labor/ when to call
• Session 6 (28-32 weeks):
⚬ Labor decisions
⚬ birth experience
• Session 7 (30- 34 weeks):
⚬ Decisions after the baby is born
⚬ Planning pediatric care
⚬ Caring for the newborn’
⚬ Circumcision
⚬ Brothers and sisters
Sessions Continued:
• Session 8 (32-36 weeks):
⚬ Emotional adjustments
⚬ Pregnancy to parenting transition
⚬ Kick counts
⚬ Baby blues
⚬ Pregnancy- when to call
• Session 9 (34-38 weeks):
⚬ Thinking ahead
⚬ Pulling it all together
⚬ Newborn Safety
⚬ Infant Massage
• Session 10 (36-40 weeks):
⚬ My babys birth
⚬ Newborn care
⚬ Growth and development- first month
⚬ Newborn/ new mom when to call
Contact Information:
Mercy Health Women’s Care Center Centering Pregnancy:
Call: 330-301-7638 or 330-301-6171
Address: 2031 Belmont Ave Youngstown, OH 44505
They also offer postpartum classes and classes for the father if needed.
