How Group Prenatal Care Can Help Black Moms-to-Be
For Black moms, who face disproportionate maternal mortality rates and health disparities, group prenatal care offers more than just medical appointments—it’s a lifeline to improved outcomes and health equity. As an ob-gyn who offers this type of care at my clinic, I’ll explain its considerable benefits—and how to find the right group for you.
Group prenatal care, also called centered or community-based prenatal care, is a model of care that shifts away from the traditional one-on-one visits with an ob-gyn. In this model, expecting moms participate in prenatal appointments in groups, typically guided by a midwife or other healthcare professional. These group sessions—often longer than individual appointments—offer both medical care and educational discussions.
The sessions focus on providing a comprehensive view of pregnancy, allowing expectant moms to ask questions, receive support and share experiences. The care is complemented by a few individual check-ups, ensuring that medical needs are met while fostering community and peer support. Models like CenteringPregnancy, a widely recognized group prenatal care model originally coined by Sharon Schindler Rising, a Yale-trained midwife and professor, have demonstrated significant benefits in terms of maternal health outcomes, as supported by decades of research.
For all expecting moms, this model has historically shown the following major benefits:
Improved maternal health outcomes
Group prenatal care has been shown to reduce the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and NICU admissions, leading to healthier pregnancies and babies.
Enhanced emotional support
The group setting fosters peer support, which helps reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, and can lower the risk of postpartum depression.
Comprehensive education
Longer, interactive sessions provide expectant mothers with more in-depth information about pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, empowering them to make informed decisions.
Lower rates of medical interventions
Group prenatal care models are often led by a midwife, and the use of midwifery has shown women experience fewer C-sections and other birth interventions, leading to safer deliveries, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Group prenatal care models can help Black women have healthier pregnancies and postpartum experiences. Black women in the US are 2.6 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Shockingly, maternal mortality rates are even higher for Black women in wealthier income brackets compared to their white counterparts. Group prenatal care has shown promise in mitigating these disparities by creating supportive, informed communities.
Research shows that group prenatal care can also improve physical and mental health outcomes for Black moms and babies, who face a disproportionate amount of health issues. A study found a 36 percent reduction in premature births and a significant decrease in NICU admissions for babies whose moms participated in group care. The programs also reduce the risk of low birth weight by 44 percent. And again, this model can help reduce the rate of C-sections and unnecessary interventions.
Group prenatal care can also significantly reduce the risk of postpartum depression. One study found that women with low social support were more at risk for experiencing postpartum depression symptoms. Group care combats this by fostering relationships and peer support that can ease the mental health challenges of pregnancy.
If you’re considering group prenatal care, it’s important to find a program that aligns with your values and health goals. Look for programs led by certified midwives or ob-gyns with experience in community-based care models. You can find group prenatal care in many states, including through CenteringPregnancy programs, which have been adopted nationwide.
If you’re in Los Angeles, Almond offers group prenatal care through our Group Pregnancy Care program that combines modern data collection with the benefits of community support. In addition, we run testing and vitals collection more often, to catch any potential issues earlier. You can also explore available options through your healthcare provider, local midwifery groups or this national CenteringPregnancy directory.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
Plus, more from The Bump:
Christy Evans, MD, is a board-certified ob-gyn and lead physician at Almond, a modern, inclusive ob-gyn clinic in Los Angeles. She has received training through the Institute for Functional Medicine and seeks to empower her patients to live their healthiest lives through a personalized, holistic approach. Evans is also the co-founder of NewDAWNAfrica, which supports maternity care and gynecologic surgeries in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as co-founder of The Village for Mamas, a group that provides grants for postpartum services to new moms in need. She earned her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Group Prenatal Care, March 2018
National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021, March 2023
Maternal and Child Health Journal, Group Prenatal Care Results in Medicaid Savings with Better Outcomes: A Propensity Score Analysis of CenteringPregnancy Participation in South Carolina, March 2016
Centering Healthcare Institute, Centering in Ohio: Incentivizing Increased Access to CenteringPregnancy
Plos One, Social Connectedness As a Determinant of Mental Health: A Scoping Review, October 2022
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