When you find out you’re pregnant, come to the Greenville Health System OB/GYN Center as soon as possible. You
will have your first visit, with a complete physical exam. During this
visit, you can sign up for a Centering group that corresponds to the
month of your due date. These group sessions will act as your prenatal
care for the remainder of your pregnancy – including all of your tests
and exams.
In Centering, there are 10 sessions of two hours each, one per month for
the first three months, and every two weeks for the last three months,
until you give birth. You do not need any other prenatal care
appointments in addition to Centering (unless recommended by your
provider). There are 8-12 women in each Centering group, and the same
women are together for each session. Everyone receives their prenatal
care within the group – they listen to the baby’s heartbeat, measure the
mother’s belly, take blood pressure, and more. There are activities
throughout the visit, which help the group get to know each other and
learn about pregnancy health and parenting.
“What do you talk about in Centering groups?”
Each group is different, because we always respect each group’s interests. In general we discuss:
- Nutrition
- Breastfeeding
- Common discomforts of pregnancy
- Postpartum contraception
- Family relationships
- Relaxation and stress management
- Labor and delivery, and hospital procedures
- Care and feeding of infants
- Physical and emotional experiences postpartum
“Can men come to Centering groups?”
Of course! For fathers, too, pregnancy is a time of many changes,
emotions and sometimes confusion. Men learn a lot and develop strong
friendships in Centering groups.
We ask is that you do not bring children (if you have other children) to
Centering groups. The two hours of Centering are especially for you to
learn, socialize, and relax without the pressure of watching your
children at the same time.
“What kind of medical care do you receive in a Centering group?”
You receive all the routine medical care in a Centering group that you
would during a regular clinical prenatal care visit. You learn how to
take your own blood pressure and weight, and use the pregnancy wheel to
determine exactly how many weeks and days pregnant you are. The provider
will measure your belly to assess the baby’s growth, and listen to the
baby’s heartbeat. She will also answer any questions you have and keep
you up to date on any test results. You will have your routine labs
during Centering – any urine cultures you need, blood tests, glucola (to
test for diabetes during pregnancy), and Group B Strep. As with regular
clinic visits, ultrasounds are done as needed and through separate
appointments.
“What happens after delivery?”
We have a postpartum reunion, around two months after everyone
in your group delivers. Everyone brings their new baby, and it’s a very
emotional party. Finally we get to see the babies that were in those
bellies all that time! We share birth stories, and what happened in the
first weeks of the baby’s lives. We have cake, take pictures and more.
Many women share phone numbers so they can continue to be in contact
with each other even after their baby's birth.
“How much does Centering cost?”
Medicaid and health insurance cover Centering groups because
they provide all the basic prenatal care that regular clinic visits do.
Because Centering is your prenatal care, if you do not have Medicaid or
health insurance, you have to pay the Clinic for medical care (same as
regular prenatal care visits in the Clinic). However, it’s important
that you not avoid prenatal care because of the cost. We can help. We
also offer WIC (free food for low-income pregnant women and children).
We have Medicaid offices on site that can help sign patients up for
Medicaid for prenatal care or for the delivery. These programs are
available to non-citizens also.
CenteringPregnancy® at the Greenville Health System OB/GYN Center has
been generously funded by the South Carolina March of Dimes since 2009.
The March of Dimes’ mission is “To improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. We carry
out this mission through research, community services, education and
advocacy to save babies' lives.” For more information and to make a
donation to this important cause, please click here.
