Expecting moms in Utah now have a new prenatal care option that brings them together for support and education.
Intermountain Health is launching a group-based program called “Centering Pregnancy” at its Layton Parkway Midwife Clinic, with more locations coming soon.
The program combines traditional checkups with extended group sessions, where moms with similar due dates meet regularly during their second and third trimesters.
Each two-hour visit includes private health checks, followed by guided discussions on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care.
Leah Moses, the advanced practice director of midwifery for Intermountain Health’s Canyons Region said that often, expecting moms really only get five minutes at a time with their provider.
"Maybe ten to 15, if you have a few more questions and there's time in the clinic’s schedule," she said. "But typically, that's really all that you get. And then individual classes and other educational opportunities are sort of up to the patient.”
But these group sessions, which are covered by insurance and billed just like standard prenatal care, are designed to slow things down.
Participants get a full hour and a half after their private checkup to learn and interact with the rest of their group.
“So many moms have most of their information from either their family, or their neighbor, or friend, or TikTok,” said Moses.
And so, she explained, expecting moms can bring these topics to the group and discuss everything from medical concerns to trends and cultural nuances surrounding pregnancy.
Research on this model shows reduced preterm birth rates, improved health literacy, and boosted confidence heading into delivery, Moses added.
And she isn’t just citing the research. Before becoming a midwife, Moses said she participated in the program herself during her second pregnancy.
“It was a phenomenal experience," she said. "Really changed my outlook on so many health topics. It increased my health literacy — I understood so much more about the pregnancy process, about what resources were available in my community, and I built friendships that I wouldn't have had otherwise during that time of my life.”
The program even wraps up with a postpartum reunion potluck, where moms and babies alike can reconnect, reflect, and celebrate the journey they’ve shared.
