You just found out you are pregnant, and somewhere between the excitement and the first wave of nerves, a question creeps in: is a quick fifteen minute appointment once a month really going to be enough support to get you through this? For most of the last century, that quick visit and a listen to the heartbeat has been the standard. It works, but it does not leave much room for the questions, fears, and small daily concerns that come with growing a baby. At A Woman’s Place, a Naples practice of board-certified OB/GYN physicians accredited by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), we built something different: Centering Pregnancy.
What Is Centering Pregnancy?
Centering Pregnancy is a group based model of prenatal care built on the nationally recognized Centering Healthcare Institute framework, an evidence-based model the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recognized as a viable alternative to traditional prenatal care for appropriate candidates. Instead of seeing your provider alone for a short visit, you join a small group of other expecting mothers who share a similar due date. Together, you meet for Centering Pregnancy sessions that blend a private physical check with facilitated group discussion covering everything from nutrition and labor preparation to breastfeeding and newborn care.
It is still real medical care. Each session includes an individual check in with your provider, exactly as a traditional prenatal visit would, but it is paired with a much richer educational and emotional experience.
How It Works at A Woman’s Place
Groups meet for nine scheduled sessions throughout pregnancy, with additional ultrasounds or individual visits added as needed. Each group holds up to twelve participants, and partners are welcome to attend, though care should be arranged for any siblings. Sessions run about two hours, roughly ten times longer than a typical prenatal appointment, and there is no extra fee since Centering visits are covered the same way standard prenatal care is.
Over the course of the program, participants meet all of the OB physicians on our team, so by the time delivery day arrives, you are walking into the hospital surrounded by familiar faces rather than strangers. Many sessions also feature guest speakers, including pelvic floor therapists, doulas, lactation consultants, and pediatricians, who bring specialized expertise directly into the group.
| “Jessica takes her time with her patients and makes sure they understand completely. I appreciate the time she took with me. She’s wonderful!” A Woman’s Place Patient Testimonial |
The Benefits for Expecting Moms
Research on the Centering model consistently shows that participants are more likely to attend all of their prenatal visits, report feeling more prepared for labor, and have higher rates of successful breastfeeding compared to mothers in traditional one-on-one care. Beyond the clinical benefits, there is something valuable that is harder to measure: the friendships and support that grow out of sharing this experience with other women at the same stage of life.
Pregnancy can feel isolating, especially for first time moms who do not know many other people currently expecting. A Centering group turns the waiting room into a support system. Instead of researching every unfamiliar symptom online at midnight, participants can bring questions straight to their provider and their group and get an answer they can trust.
Support Before, During, and After Birth
Centering Pregnancy is designed to support the entire journey, not just the nine months of pregnancy. The relationships and knowledge built in group sessions carry forward into the postpartum period, when new parents often have the most questions and the least amount of sleep to research the answers themselves. Many groups stay in touch well beyond delivery, giving new mothers a built-in network of people who understand exactly what they are going through.
This continuity pairs naturally with the broader Obstetrics + Reproduction services available at A Woman’s Place, so your care team already knows your history, your birth plan, and your goals well before your due date arrives.
| “Dr Jones constantly made me feel confident and informed about my pregnancy, my baby and was thorough about answering any questions I had or listening to complaints or issues I was having. She was kind, friendly and overall a fantastic physician.” A Woman’s Place Patient Testimonial |
What Sets A Woman’s Place Centering Groups Apart
Centering Pregnancy is not a program A Woman’s Place tacked onto standard care. It reflects the same philosophy that has guided the practice since 1988: care that combines advanced medical technology with genuine time and attention. Because our OB physicians rotate through Centering sessions together, the model also strengthens continuity across our team, so no matter which provider is on call when you go into labor, that person has likely already met you and been part of your pregnancy.
Naples families also benefit from the fact that Centering groups here are kept small and local, meeting at our Cypress Way office rather than a satellite location. That means shorter drives for expecting moms already juggling work, other children, and the general exhaustion of pregnancy, and it keeps the group experience genuinely community based rather than spread across a large metro area.
Is Centering Pregnancy Right for You?
Most women with low risk pregnancies are wonderful candidates for Centering Pregnancy, and your provider will sit down with you at your first visit to talk through whether the group model feels right for you specifically, not just clinically. Group sessions are held at our A Woman’s Place location on Cypress Way, and enrollment is based on your expected due date, so the earlier you ask, the more likely you are to be placed with a group of moms due around the same time as you.
If you are newly pregnant or planning ahead and want a prenatal experience built on more time, more education, and real partnership with your care team, our providers would genuinely love to talk with you about whether Centering Pregnancy fits your needs. You can request an appointment online, or call our Naples office. Whichever path you choose, you will not be walking through this pregnancy alone.
You just found out you are pregnant, and somewhere between the excitement and the first wave of nerves, a question creeps in: is a quick fifteen minute appointment once a month really going to be enough support to get you through this? For most of the last century, that quick visit and a listen to the heartbeat has been the standard. It works, but it does not leave much room for the questions, fears, and small daily concerns that come with growing a baby. At A Woman’s Place, a Naples practice of board-certified OB/GYN physicians accredited by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) and recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), we built something different: Centering Pregnancy.
What Is Centering Pregnancy?
Centering Pregnancy is a group based model of prenatal care built on the nationally recognized Centering Healthcare Institute framework, an evidence-based model the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recognized as a viable alternative to traditional prenatal care for appropriate candidates. Instead of seeing your provider alone for a short visit, you join a small group of other expecting mothers who share a similar due date. Together, you meet for Centering Pregnancy sessions that blend a private physical check with facilitated group discussion covering everything from nutrition and labor preparation to breastfeeding and newborn care.
It is still real medical care. Each session includes an individual check in with your provider, exactly as a traditional prenatal visit would, but it is paired with a much richer educational and emotional experience.
How It Works at A Woman’s Place
Groups meet for nine scheduled sessions throughout pregnancy, with additional ultrasounds or individual visits added as needed. Each group holds up to twelve participants, and partners are welcome to attend, though care should be arranged for any siblings. Sessions run about two hours, roughly ten times longer than a typical prenatal appointment, and there is no extra fee since Centering visits are covered the same way standard prenatal care is.
Over the course of the program, participants meet all of the OB physicians on our team, so by the time delivery day arrives, you are walking into the hospital surrounded by familiar faces rather than strangers. Many sessions also feature guest speakers, including pelvic floor therapists, doulas, lactation consultants, and pediatricians, who bring specialized expertise directly into the group.
| “Jessica takes her time with her patients and makes sure they understand completely. I appreciate the time she took with me. She’s wonderful!” A Woman’s Place Patient Testimonial |
The Benefits for Expecting Moms
Research on the Centering model consistently shows that participants are more likely to attend all of their prenatal visits, report feeling more prepared for labor, and have higher rates of successful breastfeeding compared to mothers in traditional one-on-one care. Beyond the clinical benefits, there is something valuable that is harder to measure: the friendships and support that grow out of sharing this experience with other women at the same stage of life.
Pregnancy can feel isolating, especially for first time moms who do not know many other people currently expecting. A Centering group turns the waiting room into a support system. Instead of researching every unfamiliar symptom online at midnight, participants can bring questions straight to their provider and their group and get an answer they can trust.
Support Before, During, and After Birth
Centering Pregnancy is designed to support the entire journey, not just the nine months of pregnancy. The relationships and knowledge built in group sessions carry forward into the postpartum period, when new parents often have the most questions and the least amount of sleep to research the answers themselves. Many groups stay in touch well beyond delivery, giving new mothers a built-in network of people who understand exactly what they are going through.
This continuity pairs naturally with the broader Obstetrics + Reproduction services available at A Woman’s Place, so your care team already knows your history, your birth plan, and your goals well before your due date arrives.
| “Dr Jones constantly made me feel confident and informed about my pregnancy, my baby and was thorough about answering any questions I had or listening to complaints or issues I was having. She was kind, friendly and overall a fantastic physician.” A Woman’s Place Patient Testimonial |
What Sets A Woman’s Place Centering Groups Apart
Centering Pregnancy is not a program A Woman’s Place tacked onto standard care. It reflects the same philosophy that has guided the practice since 1988: care that combines advanced medical technology with genuine time and attention. Because our OB physicians rotate through Centering sessions together, the model also strengthens continuity across our team, so no matter which provider is on call when you go into labor, that person has likely already met you and been part of your pregnancy.
Naples families also benefit from the fact that Centering groups here are kept small and local, meeting at our Cypress Way office rather than a satellite location. That means shorter drives for expecting moms already juggling work, other children, and the general exhaustion of pregnancy, and it keeps the group experience genuinely community based rather than spread across a large metro area.
Is Centering Pregnancy Right for You?
Most women with low risk pregnancies are wonderful candidates for Centering Pregnancy, and your provider will sit down with you at your first visit to talk through whether the group model feels right for you specifically, not just clinically. Group sessions are held at our A Woman’s Place location on Cypress Way, and enrollment is based on your expected due date, so the earlier you ask, the more likely you are to be placed with a group of moms due around the same time as you.
If you are newly pregnant or planning ahead and want a prenatal experience built on more time, more education, and real partnership with your care team, our providers would genuinely love to talk with you about whether Centering Pregnancy fits your needs. You can request an appointment online, or call our Naples office. Whichever path you choose, you will not be walking through this pregnancy alone.
