Centering Pregnancy Program

The Centering Pregnancy Program at UCSF Women's Health Center takes women out of exam rooms and into groups for their prenatal care. Women complete the conventional medical history and physical exam in a doctor's office or clinic and then are invited to join a group of eight to 12 women or couples who have similar due dates.

Groups — which are formed between 12 and 16 weeks of pregnancy — meet regularly throughout the pregnancy. The groups continue to meet through the postpartum period, meeting every month for four months and then bi-weekly.

Centering Pregnancy was piloted in the early 1990s by a nurse midwife, Sharon Schindler Rising, who initiated centering groups in a hospital clinic, a community health center and a private office in Waterbury, Conn. Now there are sites in almost all of the 50 states and some foreign countries.

These groups promote:

• Better birth outcomes
• More provider and patient contact
• Patient empowerment and learning
• Self-care
• Support and friendship among group members

The groups have scheduled appointments and discuss health concerns and expectations in a supportive setting, where healthy snacks and refreshments are served.

The Centering Pregnancy Program is offered at our Mount Zion and Serramonte locations:

UCSF Women's Health at Mount Zion
2356 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94115

UCSF Women's Health at Serramonte
333 Gellert Blvd.
Daly City, CA 94015