Swedish Medical Center's Midwifery and Women's Health Center has started "Centering Pregnancy" a program offering group sessions for expectant mothers to discuss all aspects of prenatal care.

The program, in operation since July on the hospital's Ballard campus, is described as ground breaking by Swedish Medical Center. The only similar program in the northwest is at the Bremerton Navy Hospital.

The first groups of eight to 10 women in the Swedish program are all expecting to give birth sometime in January. Centering Pregnancy provides soon to be mothers with companionship and support from other pregnant women as they plan the birth of their babies.

Rather than having brief appointments with doctors in an exam room, women receive hours of group and individual support in Centering Pregnancy.

"It's a support piece that is missing. We bring families together. We have time to go into subjects and can talk about things. There's more time to cover more subjects," said Fra Na Ready, a certified nurse midwife.

Working with a practitioner, clients listen to the baby's heartbeat, check for uterine growth and talk about problems and concerns. After individual meetings with a midwife, the women come together to talk about aspects of pregnancy such as nutrition, discomfort and breastfeeding. Clients learn to help weigh each other and take blood pressure. They learn to estimate gestation age and record the data on a chart.

"I think it is really important to empower women. Each mother is going through the same exciting events and as a member of the group, she can relate to and even stay in touch with group members once their children are born," said Ready.

"Centering Pregnancy combines support, education and prenatal care, and draws upon the wisdom of women to allow them to take responsibility for their babies and their own health care," said Ready.

The Midwifery and Women's Health Center at Swedish opened in March 2007. Besides Ready, the other certified nurse-midwives include Rebekah Couper-Noles and Heather Paar. Each has gone through an accredited academic program and the American Midwifery Certification Board exam.

Obstetrical and women's health care services include: preconception counseling; prenatal visits; nutritional counseling; labor support; childbirth at Swedish's Ballard Family Childbirth Center; breastfeeding support; family planning; annual exams; gynecologic exams; and care from adolescence through menopause.

Last week Kari Miles was holding her son Matthew Fitzgerald Miles. The baby was one hour being delivered with the help of Ready. The baby weighed 9 pounds.

This is Mile's second child with husband Jeff. The first was also delivered by Ready. Miles was a regular patient at the Midwifery and Women's Health center before Centering Pregnancy began.

Miles said the staff is always available to answer questions so she doesn't ever feel rushed. "The general philosophy is something I agree with. It's a personally oriented experience, rather than medically oriented experience," said Miles.

"The word midwife means 'with woman' because nurse midwives provide health care to women throughout the lifecycle. Certified nurse midwives nurture and guide women during pregnancy, childbirth and well into the early stages of motherhood," said Ready.

Dean Wong may be reached at 783.1244 or deanw@robinsonnews.com