Centering Pregnancy at Brookdale Hospital

Centering pregnancy is a multifaceted concept for group prenatal care that integrates three major components of care: health assessment, education, and support.  The program began this past February at Brookdale Hospital under the supervision of Catherine K. Tanksley, MSN, CNM, DNP “c”, Director of Midwifey services & OBGYN Outreach as an alternative form of prenatal service for women in the community with similar delivery dates. 

At the centering prenatal care sessions, expectant mothers actively participate in their prenatal care in a group setting instead of indivually. Each session allows the women to explore, through sharing, various topics, including: nutrition, exercise/relaxation, childbirth preparation, pregnancy problems, infant care and feeding, postpartum issues, communication and self-esteem, comfort measures, sexuality, abuse issues, and parenting. 

Monique Cortez, a participating mother, prefers Brookdale's Centering Pregnancy Project over the traditional prenatal clinics, stating "I feel like I have more time with the midwife and don't feel rushed like in other settings. There is always room for me to ask questions and therefore get more information.”

Patients are instructed on how to take their weight, blood pressure, estimate their gestational age, and record this information on a chart.  The group facilitator listens to the baby’s heart beat, checks for uterine growth, and talks individually about specific problems and concerns a patient may have.  All sonograms and other necessary testing will take place as traditional individual prenatal care.

The program is looking forward to its upcoming session this October, where they will receive new expectant mothers and continue the process of enabling the best supportive prenatal care.  If you are expecting, or know someone who is expecting— Please call Centering Pregnancy at (718) 240- 6278.

 

Comments

[Charisse Holder]

Thank you for your post. The Centering Pregnancy program offers the same basic prenatal care for each patient, the only difference is the group setting. All patients have their OBS profiles already done and each Midwife is certified by the National Centering Organization in prenatal care. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact 718-240-6278 for help.

[Richard Arena]

I did not see any mention of Gestational Diabetes and Checking Blood glucose. Do you have CDE on your group