New Pregnancy Program Opens at Columbus Regional Health

May 17, 2016 1796 Views Dorothy Bonawit Kole School, Eastern U.S., John Ciardullo P.C., Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, P.S./I.S. 49

COLUMBUS, Ga. – Columbus Regional Health in Columbus opened its new Centering Pregnancy Program on May 10. The program was made possible from an undisclosed grant from the March of Dimes organization. March of Dimes reported that the state of Georgia currently has a high premature birthrate of around 10.8 percent, and with the new program, pregnant women will be able to get the care and answers about their pregnancies that they need.

The March of Dimes mission is to lower the number of premature births by educating mothers about pregnancy and positive health practices. The organization has provided more than 400 pregnancy programs across 45 states.

“Traditionally, women spend about 10 to 15 minutes with their health care provider for routine prenatal visits,” Dr. Demetrice Hill of Maternal Fetal Medicine Center at Columbus Regional Health told local news station WTVM. “With the group prenatal care, patients have a chance to have that individualized time, but in addition to that, they have an opportunity to spend at least an hour or sometimes an hour and a half in a group setting.”

Columbus Regional Health’s Centering Pregnancy Program is included in maternity health care coverage and shouldn’t cost any additional fees, according to the hospital. Along with the Centering Pregnancy Program, Columbus Regional Health offers other programs as well, including the WellConnect concept, which opened in December 2013.

Moreover, the hospital hopes to provide workshops and sessions for mums to be where women can be open and honest about their experiences of pregnancy. For instance, a lot of women have concerns about whether or not it is safe to have sex with their partner during pregnancy. Some couples find having sex enjoyable during pregnancy, while others simply feel they do not want to have sex at all.

Correspondingly, some expecting couples even like to experiment with sex toys during this time. Ultimately though it is important to keep a few positions and toys in mind that are safe for pregnancy. These workshops and sessions will therefore provide a safe space for frank discussions about pregnancy.

The hospital system is focused on improving the lives of the community, whether it be through informing pregnant women in its new program or supporting lifestyle habits in its WellConnect concept by offering Pilates, yoga, cooking and health demonstrations. Through group support, patients at Columbus Regional Health have the opportunities to share their journey and improve their health needs.

“[The female patients] get the normal clinical assessment, but the educational support that will be there is of unbelievable importance,” said Columbus Regional Health Dr. Richard Allen, in a statement.