Centering Pregnancy and Parenting Group Care at Penn State Health St. Joseph
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center runs Centering Pregnancy, prenatal care given in a group setting that includes self-monitoring and extended time with the provider. It brings together three parts of care: health assessment, education and support.
Expecting moms are placed in a group of eight to twelve women due within the same month, and they attend group sessions until it is time to deliver. A prenatal provider sees each woman as she would be seen in a traditional appointment, and exams take place in a private section of the Centering room during the group session. After all the women have been examined, the group gathers in a circle for discussions about pregnancy topics led by expert facilitators. Sessions cover prenatal nutrition, dental health, healthy relationships, labor preparation, pain management during labor, breastfeeding, post-partum depression, bonding with your baby, preventing SIDS and Shaken Baby Syndrome, and newborn care. This is not just for first-time moms; experienced moms share their pregnancy and parenting knowledge in the relaxed group discussion.
Mothers who complete Centering Pregnancy are offered the chance to continue group care with their babies through Centering Parenting, offered at Downtown Campus Pediatrics for well-baby check-ups for the first two years of a child's life. Centering Parenting brings six to eight moms, partners and their same-age infants together with their health care providers and other parents. Each session provides two hours of time with the pediatric provider, a community health worker and other parents, with discussion of developmental milestones and age-specific education. The goals are higher attendance at well-child visits, keeping up with immunization schedules, and higher exclusive breastfeeding rates at six months.
Any new mother who plans to receive care for her baby at the Downtown Pediatrics clinic can also have this option. Centering Parenting is discussed at the first or second newborn visit, and babies are enrolled into a group with other babies born around the same time. All of the Downtown Pediatrics providers facilitate this model of care, so many times a baby can see the same provider from the very first newborn visit all the way until his or her second birthday.
Groups are offered in both English and Spanish at the Downtown Reading and Bern Campuses. The Downtown Campus is at 145 N. 6th St., Reading, PA 19601.
To learn more about the Centering programs, contact Alexandra Torres at 610-378-2440. For general questions about classes at St. Joseph Medical Center, the hospital number is 610-378-2000.
The page does not say what Centering Pregnancy or Centering Parenting costs, whether insurance is required, or what days and times the groups meet, so ask when you call.
Source: pennstatehealth.org/locations/st-joseph/classes-programs, read September 18, 2026.
The details
In Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center’s words
Centering Pregnancy is an innovative model in a group setting that includes self-monitoring and extended time with the provider. It integrates three major components of care: health assessment, education and support. Expecting moms are placed in a group of eight to twelve women due within the same month, and they attend group sessions until it is time to deliver. They are seen by a prenatal provider as they would be in a traditional appointment, and their exams take place in a private section…
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Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from pennstatehealth.org/locations/st-joseph/classes-programs. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.