Brattleboro OB/GYN & Four Seasons Midwifery, a department of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce their CenteringPregnancy® site approval. CenteringPregnancy is a holistic childbirth program committed to the empowerment of pregnant women. “This is an exciting time for our practice as we offer CenteringPregnancy, a nationally recognized model of care,” said Cynthia Pearson, Director of Maternal and Child Health.
In CenteringPregnancy, pregnant women with similar due dates join together in a group with their healthcare provider. They receive all the components of prenatal care, including health assessment, education and support. There is a facilitated discussion of pregnancy, birth and newborn care as well as overall health, stress management, etc. Studies in sample populations show Centering care increases breastfeeding rates and duration of breastfeeding. Patient and provider satisfaction are higher than traditional care.
Under the centering model, patients meet with their care provider and other group participants for an extended period of time, usually two hours, at regularly scheduled visits over the course of their care. Centering promotes greater patient engagement, personal empowerment and community building.
More than 500,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, an estimated lifetime cost to society of $26 billion. A 2007 multi-site randomized controlled trial conducted by Yale and Emory researchers found that participation in CenteringPregnancy care reduced the risk of premature birth by 33 percent compared to traditional prenatal care. Researchers concluded CenteringPregnancy care “resulted in equal or improved perinatal outcomes at no added cost.”
“We are excited to work with Brattleboro OB/GYN & Four Seasons Midwifery to expand CenteringPregnancy in Vermont. They join a growing number of Centering practice sites throughout the U.S who are demonstrating better outcomes and high patient satisfaction,” said Collen Senterfitt, Chief Operating Officer for Centering.
Brattleboro OB/GYN & Four Seasons Midwifery specializes in women’s health, obstetrics, and gynecology, and strives to offer patients the most professional attention in healthcare. They have a board certified infertility specialist that provides advanced infertility treatments, and the gynecological services include preventive care for women of all ages, from adolescence to menopause.
For more information about Brattleboro OB/GYN & Four Seasons Midwifery or to learn about CenteringPregnancy, please call 802-251-9965 or visit www.bmhmedicalgroup.org.
