Group Prenatal Care Program
The Group Prenatal Care Program alters routine prenatal care by bringing women out of exam rooms and into groups for their care. Women have their initial intake into their obstetric care in the usual manner with history and physical examination occurring within the office/clinic space. Then they are invited to join with 8-12 other women/couples/teens with similar due dates in meeting together regularly during their pregnancy. The groups form between 12 and 16 weeks of pregnancy and continue through the early postpartum period meeting every month for the first four months and then bi-weekly.
Group participants engage in all the typical prenatal care components, like checking weight and blood pressure, measuring the belly and listening to the baby’s heartbeat and laboratory testing. The additional benefits of participating in Group Prenatal Care are the education sessions, camaraderie and new friends, social support and snacks. Group learning and processing, self-assessment and empowerment of women are the mainstays of Group Prenatal Care.
Health and personal growth topics covered in the Group Prenatal Care Program include:
- nutrition
- common pregnancy discomforts
- family issues and parenting styles
- personal goals
- relaxation measures
- comfort measures for labor
- baby care
- breastfeeding
- family planning
- labor, birth and postpartum
Other topics may be included based on group needs.
BirthCare HealthCare currently offers prenatal care using the Group Prenatal Care Program at the Ellis R. Shipp Clinic in West Valley City and at the South Main Clinic in Salt Lake City. The groups held at the Ellis R. Shipp Clinic are mostly in Spanish, but English-speakers are welcome. The groups at the South Main Clinic are a part of the Teen Mother and Child Program.
Please call either the Ellis R. Shipp Clinic (385-468-3707) or the Teen Mom Clinic (801-468-3690) for information on upcoming group start dates.