What is Centering Pregnancy® and How Can It Benefit You?

When you’re expecting, we believe it’s important for you to have family-centered care, and that’s one reason why we’re pleased to offer Centering Pregnancy ®. These sessions are a part of our pregnancy support services, and they provide educational information and more time with your healthcare team framed within a network of supportive women who are due around the same time you are.

“Centering Pregnancy ® sessions clearly benefit both mother and baby. Studies have shown that couples who participate in Centering have healthier babies and lower rates of postpartum depression through the support they receive from the group,” said Amy Dixon, CNM, MSN.

We want to address some frequently asked questions about our Centering Pregnancy ® sessions.

What happens during Centering Pregnancy ® sessions?

You will have 10 prenatal visits, each one lasting 90 minutes to 2 hours. While some sessions are conducted in a group, there is always private time with your provider or obstetrician for questions and a belly check. We believe this extended time gives you a chance to ask questions and engage in more educational opportunities.

We’ll show you how to take your own blood pressure and guide you through recording your health data—such as your weight– so we can better serve you.

During group sessions, we’ll facilitate discussions centered on important health topics, covering subjects such as:

• Labor and delivery
• Preparing for childbirth
• Nutrition
• Common discomforts
• Stress management
• Infant care
• Breastfeeding
• Timely health topics

How many can participate in a Centering Pregnancy ® session?

In general, eight to ten couples, with due dates around the same time, are in a group. We’ve found this is the perfect number to provide both a support network and individualized attention. Most importantly, it gives you a chance to ask your healthcare team any questions.

How does Centering Pregnancy ® benefit mothers?

There are many benefits to Centering Pregnancy ®, and that’s why we believe it’s an important service to offer our patients. These benefits include:

Self-care

The program encourages women to take an active role in their health care.

Confidence

Women who participate in Centering are not only better prepared for labor and delivery, but they have also gained valuable education on how to best care for their infant. The sessions help expectant couples realize what is normal during pregnancy and what should be addressed by one of our providers.

Time with provider

Those in Centering Pregnancy ® sessions spend up to 10 times more face-to-face time with their obstetricians, midwives, and providers than those who don’t participate in the program.

Support

When you participate in Centering Pregnancy ®, the bonding experience creates lasting friendships and provides encouragement and support for one another.

Educational opportunities

Centering Pregnancy® sessions are informative but fun. It’s much more enjoyable to engage in discussions than to read pamphlets or listen to lectures. We make each session both engaging and entertaining.

Breastfeeding success

Women who participate are more successful at breastfeeding. We’ll delve into this topic in-depth later in this article.

Healthier babies

Not only do participants have a more positive labor and delivery experience, but they also show lower rates of preterm birth.

Centering Pregnancy ® sessions reinforce our dedication to individuality and compassionate care.

We believe in having the latest state-of-the-art equipment available to all of our patients. However, we also realize that preparing for a healthy delivery is much more than a series of medical tests. 

Caring for the whole patient means empowering you to play an active role in your health care. Contact us at 919-525-3971 or make an appointment to learn more about our Centering Pregnancy® sessions. Usually, we can schedule you for a visit the same week that you call.

Breastfeeding Tips From Our Doctors and Mamas

We understand that breastfeeding can be challenging. After all, many of us are not just doctors and healthcare workers—we’re also parents.

We know that breastfeeding isn’t always easy. While no one method works for every baby, we wanted to provide you with some general breastfeeding tips from our doctors, nurse midwives and mothers.

“If breastfeeding is part of your plan, we will do everything we can to help you succeed because we know how important this is for both mom and baby,” said Amy Dixon, CNM. “It’s also important not to get discouraged. We know where you’re coming from, and we want to provide some solutions that have worked for us.”

Breastfeeding Tips from Our Doctors and Mamas

1. Use Available Resources

Our Certified Nurse Midwives and lactation consultants have a wealth of information that can help you. We recommend taking one of our virtual breastfeeding classes and asking plenty of questions. Having the knowledge you need can get you started on the right foot.

2. Make Sure You’re in a Comfortable Spot

You’ll be breastfeeding a lot, so it’s important to be in a comfortable position. The last thing you need is back and neck pain. Make sure you use plenty of pillows to support you. If you’re more comfortable, your baby will sense it and your sessions will be more pleasant for both of you.

We recommend one of two positions for comfortable breastfeeding:

• Lie on your side with your baby facing you.
• Sit in a reclined position with your baby lying in your arms.

Skin-to-skin contact helps to encourage your baby’s natural instincts and reflexes for breastfeeding. Positioning your baby without clothing or blankets between you for nursing or even a whole sleep cycle can be very rewarding.

3. Evaluate Breastfeeding Positions

The bottom line is that most babies will find the position that works best for them. A large part of successful breastfeeding lies in helping them get to this position.

Even though every baby is different, the following are a few general guidelines that can help you:

• Your baby should not have to turn their head much to reach your nipple.
  ● Be sure your baby’s mouth is level with your nipple.
  ● When latched correctly, you should not be able to see your baby’s lower lip because their chin should be pressed into the breast.
  ● Support the baby’s shoulders and neck, rather than with a hand on the back of their head
  ● Make sure they latch onto the entire areola–a deeper latch includes a big mouthful of the breast as well as the areola. This helps prevent sore nipples, and it better stimulates the milk-making tissue. By touching your nipple against your baby’s upper lip, they will open their mouth wide, which means they’ll be more likely to get a good latch on.

Remember, while these are general guidelines, you should never force these positions. Take time to learn what your baby prefers.

4. Take Care of Your Breasts

Nursing can chap or irritate the delicate skin of your breasts. But there’s no reason breastfeeding should be a painful experience.

If you are having pain, especially at the tip of your nipples, get help with the latch.

If your nipples are cracked, try rubbing some breast milk on them. There are many other balms that can be bought online or compounded.

Just remember to use a gentle cleanser and don’t overwash. After a feeding, it helps to pat your breasts dry. Change out wet breast pads so that the moisture doesn’t encourage a yeast infection.

5. Avoid Breast Engorgement

This uncomfortable breast swelling happens when you are creating more milk than your baby can consume. It’s most often seen when your milk first comes in after the birth of your child.

Not only can engorgement be painful, but it can also make it more difficult for your baby to get a good latch. The solution? Try to nurse as often as possible. If this doesn’t work, hand-express your breast milk or use a pump.

If you continue to have problems with breast engorgement, please contact us. Our lactation consultant will give you the solutions that you need.

6. Don’t Introduce a Pacifier too Early

Babies like to suck on objects. It’s instinctual and can be soothing. But remember, if you give your baby a pacifier too soon, it could interfere with breastfeeding. It’s best to wait until after your breastfeeding routine is already established.

7. Pay Close Attention to Your Breastfeeding Diet

Remember: Baby eats what you eat. For example, if you drink caffeine, baby will as well, and it could keep them awake at night. (We’ll go a bit more into detail about a breastfeeding diet later.)

8. You Can Still Breastfeed if You Have Flat or Inverted Nipples

In the past, many women with flat or inverted nipples believed that they would never be able to breastfeed. We can assure you, that’s not the case.

Our lactation consultant will work closely with you to help you make the adjustments you need in order to make sure your little one latches on and has a successful nursing session.

9. Support Your Baby’s Toes

This can help your little one feel more secure while they nurse. If they start to snooze while feeding, gently rub or tickle their toes.

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

We could cite study after study, but the bottom line is that breastfeeding gives your baby a healthier start in life. It also has many added benefits for you as well!

You may have heard that the hormones, cells and antibodies found in breastmilk go a long way to protect your infant from certain illnesses. But did you know that this unique protection can actually change every day to meet the nutritional needs of your baby?

When you breastfeed your baby, they have lower risks of:
● Asthma
● Childhood obesity
● Ear infections
● Eczema
● Respiratory infections
● Type 2 Diabetes
● Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

What Is a Good Breastfeeding Diet?

Essentially, the best breastfeeding diet is one that involves healthy meal choices such as vegetables, lean proteins and fruit. Whole grains are also a good choice.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, your baby may not get enough vitamin B-12, which is often found in animal protein. A B-12 deficiency can cause your baby to have a poor appetite, weak muscles and delayed motor skills.

If you don’t get enough vitamin B-12 in your diet, you may have to take a supplement. If you have any questions, just ask us.

It’s important to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids—although drinking more water does not increase the amount of breastmilk you make. As always, you should limit drinks with added sugars—particularly sodas.

While there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of caffeine, be aware that too much will make baby fussy and make it more difficult to get them back to sleep! Best to limit the number of caffeinated drinks to one or two cups a day.

Breastfeeding and Alcohol: Separating Fact From Fiction

Misinformation surrounding alcohol and breastfeeding can harm your baby. For example, some people believe the urban myth that a beer helps your milk supply. It doesn’t. In fact, it does just the opposite. Drinking alcohol may actually decrease the amount of milk your baby drinks.

In fact, did you know that alcohol can even change the taste of your breast milk? Some babies may not like it.

Different authorities give slightly different recommendations.

When a mother drinks, it passes through the breastmilk to the baby, so the  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)  says the safest option for nursing women is to avoid alcohol while breastfeeding.

According to the CDC, alcohol levels are usually highest in breast milk 30-60 minutes after an alcoholic beverage is consumed, and can be generally detected in breast milk for about 2-3 hours per drink after it is consumed. Generally, moderate alcohol consumption by a breastfeeding mother (up to 1 standard drink per day) is not known to be harmful to the infant, especially if the mother waits at least 2 hours after a single drink before nursing.

Chapel Hill OBGYN: With You Through All Life’s Stages

Whether you’re having your first baby or your fifth, we know that each breastfeeding situation is different, and may even change from pregnancy to pregnancy. That’s why we pledge to work together with you to tailor a custom healthcare plan.

See why we’ve been rated the Best of the Triangle by INDY magazine. Contact us. We’d consider it a privilege to care for you.