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| Contact: Christine Hill (612) 873-5719 |
10/13/08 |
Pregnant women are invited to become part of CenteringPregnancy, a new opportunity at Hennepin County Medical Center just for pregnant women. Expectant moms can enjoy a relaxed, fun, respectful and supportive environment when they join a CenteringPregnancy prenatal care group being offered at two Hennepin clinics beginning this month.
The first group will begin on October 21 at Family Medical Center Clinic located at 5 West Lake Street for women who have a due date in April. For women expecting a baby in May, a second group will begin in November at East Lake Clinic, 2700 East Lake Street. A new group will begin each month for subsequent due dates.
In addition to receiving regular prenatal care and examinations, women participating in the CenteringPregnancy Program will be matched with other women who are due in the same month. At 14-18 weeks of pregnancy, the group visits of about 8-12 women begin, and they are seen together throughout the remainder of their pregnancy.
The groups will be led in Spanish by a doctor, midwife or nurse practitioner and a prenatal educator, and will focus on three main aspects of prenatal care: assessment, education, and support. The program will incorporate individual attention within a group setting, allowing for more time with the health care providers. Just a few of many topics that will be discussed are fetal development, nutrition during pregnancy, common discomforts, preterm labor, new baby care, birth procedures, signs of labor and breast feeding.
Prenatal group care is becoming much more common and they empower women to choose health-promoting behaviors. When mothers who use group prenatal care have preterm babies, their newborns tend to have higher birth weights and increased gestational age at the time of delivery. The dynamic atmosphere of sharing and learning creates an environment that is impossible to obtain in a one-to-one encounter. Mothers and providers that have participated in this method of care are very satisfied; data show that 96% of women prefer to receive their prenatal care in groups.
There are no additional costs to participate in group care. To get more information or sign up, expectant moms can call Hennepin East Lake Clinic at 612-873-8100 or Family Medical Center at 612-545-9108. Patients can also talk to their caregivers at any of the clinics to make a nurse appointment to establish prenatal care.
Hennepin County Medical Center is a Level 1 Trauma Center and public teaching hospital repeatedly recognized as one of America’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. With a system consisting of a downtown campus and four community clinics through Hennepin County, Hennepin County Medical Center offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services, including caring for nearly 3,000 expectant mothers each year.
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