Black Centering Midwifery-Led Group Care

Welcome to the Black Centering Website!
Black Centering is an extension to the evidence based CenteringPregnancy model of prenatal care the Midwives of SFGH have provided to our community for over 20 years. In 2020 Black Centering Midwifery-Led Group Care emerged in San Francisco. In 2023 we started in person hybrid groups so patients can gather in person + virtually! Our groups year around & we offer open enrollment, yes you can join at any time in your pregnancy! Each group has 7-12 pregnant people with due dates within 1-2 months from yours. Group topics include how to navigate pregnancy, birth, & beyond. In each session high quality prenatal care is provided, trust is built, resources are shared, sense of belonging deepens, and conversations emerge organically in a racially and culturally safe space.
About Us
Our Mission is to make Black Midwifery-led care accessible for Black people and their loved ones during pregnancy & postpartum period through group care, community building activates, and collaborations in our community. We value the joy and livelihood of the person accessing care, their loved ones, and our team. We value each person's humanity and right to access reproductive health care. We value each person's right to make informed decisions about their care; trust, integrity, and privacy
Black Centering Group Prenatal Care
A Black community space to celebrate your journey with those with similar due dates. Scheduled time for private check ins with your midwife regarding clinical care & group space for shared wisdom while navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.

What is Centering Pregnancy?

CenteringPregnancy is a type of group prenatal care with evidence for reducing the incidence of pregnancy complications such as preterm birth, increasing breastfeeding rates, better prenatal knowledge, greater readiness for labor and delivery, and higher satisfaction with prenatal care services compared to individual care models. For example Instead of a 10-15 minute 1:1 visit with a provider, you will have 2 hours of group care with one midwife throughout your whole pregnancy. The visit will start out with private time before the group starts. For private items that require a 1:1 visit that can be scheduled as an additional visit with your midwife or for more complex care with a doctor from our team.

So What is Black Centering Midwifery Led- Group Prenatal Care then?

Great Question! Though Centering meets many of our needs, we also know that same race and cultural care can improve patients' satisfaction with care and potentially health care outcomes for baby and their parent. For this reason, we are proud to launching San Francisco General Hospital's first ever Black Centering pregnancy community, led by Black folx for Black Folx. There will be two facilitators to lead the group, a midwife and a co facilitator, either a medical assistant, nurse, or community liaison. We have guest experts at different sessions when covering topics like newborn care, breastfeeding etc. This group will consist of people with due dates close to yours! Creating a Black space allows us to center our experiences.
Community Activities
Facilitating community spaces including nature walks, CPR classes, belly casting, gatherings, and so much more
Resources and Referrals
Thanks to our collaborators we are able to provide each participant with new books, NOURISH! postpartum meals for 6 weeks delivered to your doorstep, and referrals to local programs like One Love Black Community.