Irwin Army Community Hospital's first Centering Pregnancy Reunion May 4 reunited seven mothers and their newborn babies. Left to right: Danielle and Autumn O'Brennan, Kelly and Leyla Miah, Satoris and Matthew Colbertson, Sarah and Jaxson Boutwell, St...

FORT RILEY, Kan. Aca,!" The centering program offers an alternative to exam room appointments for prenatal care. Participants of the Centering Pregnancy program are trained to engage in self-care activities. Mothers-to-be are taught to take and record blood pressure and weight in their own charts. They also learn how to estimate the gestational age of the baby. Guest speakers are brought into the monthly group meetings to provide advice and education. Shared topics of interest for group discussion include pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and personal growth. The group sessions are designed to promote safety in facilitation and implementation and to provide scientific knowledge and use of methods proven to be effective in prenatal care. Patient-oriented care is provided throughout the centering process. For more information on this program, call the IACH Women's Health Clinic staff at 239-7794.