Women and their families, health-care practitioners, and primary health care providers are invited to an information session about centering pregnancy on Jan. 28 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Comox Valley Campus of North Island College, Courtenay, Room P121.

Centering pregnancy is a model providing prenatal care to women in a group setting so that prenatal classes, prenatal visits and support are all delivered at one time and in one place, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

One appointment provides individual care by the caregiver as well as facilitating learning, support and empowerment through group interaction. A group of women whose babies are due at the same time go through their pregnancies together, sharing their learning and building friendships.

This program is associated with decreased premature birthrates and higher breastfeeding initiation and duration rates compared to women receiving individual prenatal visits.

For more information, contact jenny.nijhoff@viha.ca, RaeAnn.Hartman@nic.bc.ca, or emmamidwife@yahoo.co.uk. Come and find out how you can be involved.