MultiCare CenteringPregnancy programs help expectant parents build community

Pregnancy is a major life transition — it can bring moments of joy and awe, as well as feelings of uncertainty or discomfort. Navigating the many physical and emotional changes that come with this transition can be isolating, even for those who have an established support network.

CenteringPregnancy is a group prenatal care model designed to combat that sense of isolation by bringing expectant parents together for community, learning and support.

In 2025, MultiCare launched two CenteringPregnancy programs at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic – OB/GYN & Midwifery Center and MultiCare Capital Women’s Health, adding to an existing program at the MultiCare Family Medicine Center in Tacoma. All three programs are accredited by the CenteringHealthcare Institute.

“It’s really personally and professionally satisfying to provide prenatal care in this way,” says Melissa Graham, ARNP, CNM, a board-certified nurse-midwife at MultiCare Capital Women’s Health. “I really enjoy watching participants engage with each other and seeing the camaraderie that develops.”

How CenteringPregnancy works

Traditional prenatal care typically involves one-on-one appointments between pregnant patients and their doctor or midwife. While CenteringPregnancy follows the same recommended schedule of 10 prenatal visits, what sets this approach apart is the group setting.

A Centering group typically consists of eight to 10 patients with similar due dates (usually within the same month). Groups are open to patients’ partners as well. At the start of each session, expectant moms take their own weight and blood pressure and then visit briefly one-on-one with a midwife facilitator for a routine health assessment.

“During these check-ins, we measure patients’ bellies, listen to the baby’s heart rate and ensure patients are up to date on routine screenings — everything they would get at a traditional prenatal care appointment,” Graham says. “If anything beyond that is needed, or if they have something they want to discuss privately, then we make a separate appointment.”

After individual check-ins, participants come together as a group for interactive activities and facilitated discussions. Centering groups talk through a wide range of topics, including common pregnancy challenges, nutrition, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, postpartum care, and newborn care.

“I think it’s really powerful to bring people together in person to have these discussions,” Graham says. “It’s a great opportunity to help dispel some of the misinformation about pregnancy and labor that you find in online forums and social media.”

Graham shares that this benefit extends to patients’ partners too.

“Partners are often mostly concerned about getting to the hospital on time,” she says. “But Centering gives them the opportunity to be more involved and learn how to support their partners during labor and the postpartum period.”

Another distinctive feature of the CenteringPregnancy approach is appointment length. While traditional prenatal visits are typically 15-20 minutes each, Centering appointments — including group discussion — are approximately 90 minutes.

It was this opportunity for extended time with a midwife that first drew CenteringPregnancy alumna Lauren Alexander to the program.

“It was my first pregnancy, and I’m the type of person who likes to know what I’m getting myself into,” Alexander says. “Having that extra time to get questions answered or just talk about different topics appealed to me. I got this wealth of information that I don’t know if I would have received otherwise.”

Building connections that last

While the longer appointment time was what initially inspired Alexander to join the CenteringPregnancy program, it was the relationships she formed with other parents in her cohort that left a lasting impact.

“My husband’s in the military so we didn’t have a ton of friends who were local,” Alexander says. “It was really nice to meet other people who were going through the exact same thing I was and hear their thoughts and experiences.”

That sense of community often continues well after the Centering sessions end and parents have welcomed their babies into the world. Alexander and her husband, now parents to an infant daughter, still meet up regularly with members of their Centering cohort.

“We share tips with each other and ask questions,” Alexander says. “It’s been really helpful as new parents to have that extra layer of support.”

In addition to fostering lasting connection and supporting positive patient experiences, the CenteringPregnancy approach improves health outcomes. Research shows that group prenatal care lowers the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit.

In 2025, MultiCare’s CenteringPregnancy programs served 86 participants.

Philanthropy has played an important role in the launch of all three CenteringPregnancy programs in Olympia, Spokane and Tacoma. Generous donations through MultiCare Foundations has helped cover the cost of facilitator training, program accreditation, annual licensing, supplies and facility space.

“We’re so grateful for the support,” Graham says. “Centering has been so well-received by our patients and community and we are excited to see it continue to grow.”