Centering Pregnancy
at Onder de Linde
Centering Pregnancy
A lot changes when you are pregnant. Your baby develops and your body changes. But that’s not all. Pregnancy is often a period in which you make different choices. Where and how do you want to give birth? What food are you going to give your baby? Are you going to work more or less? There are many more things you need to think about. And of course you also want to know whether your baby is growing well and the other medical checks are good. Centering Pregnancy is a program that combines the medical checks and all information about pregnancy, childbirth and the first baby period. In addition, there is also time to ask all your questions and share your experiences with women who are due around the same time.
The first consultation
At CenteringPregnancy, the first consultation takes place individually. During this consultation, the midwife asks specific questions about, for example: your health, your lifestyle and the health of your partner and family members.
After the first consultation
The subsequent check-ups are no longer offered individually, but in groups. You form a session group together with a group of women who are due in approximately the same period. During a session, medical care, such as checking blood pressure and the growth of the baby, is discussed. In a session, you talk to women who can all experience and live their pregnancy in a different way. You support each other in this. In addition, you learn how to go through your pregnancy in a healthy way. The sessions take place in a group of 8 to 12 women. During the sessions, you play a major role in your own care process: You learn to measure your own blood pressure, weigh yourself and keep your own file.
Guidance
A group is supervised by two permanent people: A midwife and another healthcare professional. This could be a practice assistant, a doula (a professional who supports you naturally during pregnancy and childbirth without medical support), a lactation consultant (she guides mothers in all aspects of breastfeeding) or a maternity nurse. The meetings always take place on fixed days and times. These are known in advance until the end of your pregnancy. The meetings last approximately 2 hours per meeting. This is much longer than the (first) personal conversation. This lasts an average of 15 minutes. As a result, the interaction time between the care provider and the pregnant woman is greater and it is better possible to discuss more and more extensively factors that influence the pregnancy and the health of mother and child
What is Centering Pregnancy?
We now offer an additional form of prenatal care, centering pregnant. You can see it as a combination of pregnancy check-ups and a pregnancy course. After an initial individual check-up with your midwife, you will be assigned to one of several women who are approximately as far along in their pregnancy as you are. You will meet ten times with this group and receive information about your pregnancy, the delivery and the time afterwards. This is done in an interactive way; there is plenty of time and space to exchange experiences with each other. The unique thing about Centering Pregnancy is the group dynamics: all women have their own input, support each other and complement each other. The midwife is part of the group and can also introduce topics. Scientific research supports better pregnancy outcomes after this form of prenatal care.
