Overview
Cleveland Clinic is committed to providing the community with the finest medical services. We offer CenteringPregnancy prenatal care so that your care during pregnancy can happen in a comfortable group setting.
At Cleveland Clinic, we strongly believe in the core goals of CenteringPregnancy: to help promote overall health and well-being, provide important education about the pregnancy process, as well as create a unique experience for you during your pregnancy.
CenteringPregnancy is patient-centered care that follows national guidelines recognized by hospitals around the country. The visit schedule, which consists of 10 group appointments between 90 minutes and 2 hours, provides the flexibility and time to explore health and wellness topics that might not be covered as extensively in a normal one on one prenatal visit. On average CenteringPregancy programs means that you could get ten times longer with a provider. Receiving healthcare in a group setting can also lead to greater engagement, learning, and self-confidence.
Why Is a Group Setting Beneficial?
National data has shown that CenteringPregnancy decreases the rate of preterm and low weight babies, increases breastfeeding rates, and leads to better pregnancy spacing. Black women, who are at higher risk for preterm birth in the US, also experience lower risk of preterm birth when enrolled in CenteringPregnancy than in traditional care.
CenteringPregnancy visits also allow more time for interaction which often identifies needs amongst group members. This allows for more timely intervention and referral to appropriate specialists and resources.
What To Expect With Group Prenatal Care
CenteringPregnancy is a group-based approach to prenatal care developed by the Centering Healthcare Institute. It combines traditional pregnancy checkups with additional time and support in a group setting.
How it works
You’ll be part of a group of 8 to 10 expecting parents, led by a trained prenatal care provider. Each Centering session lasts between 90 minutes and two hours, and follows a regular prenatal schedule throughout your pregnancy.
Centering sessions replace traditional individual prenatal visits — they are not additional classes. Because the Centering schedule aligns with the typical prenatal care timelines, you only need a few individual visits outside of the group sessions.
Here’s what you’ll do
- Take an active role in your care: You’ll learn how to monitor your weight, blood pressure and other key health indicators important for a healthy pregnancy.
- Build self-care skills: You’ll gain confidence as you strengthen your understanding of your body, your pregnancy and your baby’s development.
- Join meaningful conversations: You’ll participate in guided pregnancy and parenting discussions on topics like nutrition, breastfeeding, stress management, labor preparation and newborn care.
- Receive personalized care: You’ll continue to receive private, one-on-one health check-ins with your provider. Even in a group setting, each Centering session is considered your prenatal visit.
Why Centering sessions are beneficial
- More time with your provider: Centering sessions offer more face-to-face time with your provider than traditional prenatal visits. This allows for deeper conversations and personalized support.
- Supportive community: You can share experiences, ask questions and learn alongside other expecting parents. Everyone benefits from the collective wisdom of the group.
- Integrative care: CenteringPregnancy offers more than traditional prenatal care. It supports your whole well-being, including your physical, emotional, social and behavioral health.
- Support for you and your partner: We encourage your partner or support person to join you for group sessions. They’ll receive the same valuable health information, emotional support and community connection — helping to strengthen your support system and prepare you both for the journey into parenthood.
- Whole-person wellness: Group sessions promote emotional connection, reduce isolation and offer a safe space to express concerns.
Our Team
Susan Hudson, CMN
Director of Midwifery and CenteringPregnancy
Toni Mcdougald, CNP
Centering Coordinator
Jennifer Savitski, MD
Physician Lead CenteringPregnancy at Akron General
Melissa Solomon
Centering Coordinator at Akron General
Appointments & Locations
For more information about CenteringPregnancy or to find additional information about current Centering groups, please email CenteringPregnancy@ccf.org or leave a voicemail at 216.491.7200.
Locations
CenteringPregnancy group appointments are currently offered at these locations:
Akron General Akron Health Center
676 South Broadway St.
Akron, OH 44311
330.344.7666
Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Medical Office Building
1450 Belle Ave.
Lakewood, OH 44107
216.237.6300
Cleveland Clinic Lorain Family Health Center - CenteringPregnancy and CenteringPediatrics Group Location
5700 Cooper Foster Park Rd.
Lorain, OH 44053
Schedule from Amherst Family Health Center
440.282.7420
Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Medical Office Building A
4200 Warrensville Center Rd. Suite 215
Warrensville Heights, Oh, 44122
216.491.0141
Cleveland Clinic Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center
13944 Euclid Ave., East
Cleveland, OH 44112
216.767.4242
Cleveland Clinic Westlake Medical Campus
850 Columbia Rd.
Westlake, OH 44145
440.835.3883
Cleveland Clinic Willoughby Hills Family Health Center
2570 Som Center Rd.
Willoughby Hills, OH 44094
440.943.2500
Fairview Westown Physician Center
10654 Lorain Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44111
216.941.8888
Groups
How To Choose a Group
CenteringPregnancy groups are organized by due dates so that participants are at similar stages of pregnancy. Groups are flexible, but to get the most out of the experience, join a group around your 10th to 20th week of pregnancy.
Here’s a typical schedule of sessions:
- Session 1: 12–16 weeks
- Session 2: 16–20 weeks
- Session 3: 20–24 weeks
- Session 4: 24–28 weeks
- Session 5: 26–30 weeks
- Session 6: 28–32 weeks
- Session 7: 30–34 weeks
- Session 8: 32–36 weeks
- Session 9: 34–38 weeks
- Session 10: 36–40 weeks
Your provider or Centering Coordinator (CenteringPregnancy@ccf.org) will help you select the group that best matches your due date. Space is limited. Scheduling early guarantees your spot and allows you to attend the full series, so you can get the most benefit.
Groups
Dates are subject to change. For more information about CenteringPregnancy or to find additional information about current Centering groups, please email CenteringPregnancy@ccf.org.
Lakewood Medical Building
216.237.6300
Lakewood CenteringPregnancy Group #50 with Tamara Noy, CNM on these Saturdays at 8:30 a.m.
Due dates through Mid November 2025
- March 15 - Session 1 (10:30 a.m. this day only)
- April 19 - Session 2
- May 17 - Session 3
- June 21 - Session 4 (Sue Hudson, CNM)
- July 19 - Session 5
- August 2 - Session 6
- August 16 - Session 7 (Molly Carrigg, CNM)
- September 6 - Session 8 (Candice Boddy, CNM)
- September 20 - Session 9 (Susan Klein, CNM)
- October 4 - Session 10 (Angelita Nixon, CNM)
- October 18 - tentative
Lakewood CenteringPregnancy # 51 with Tamara Noy, CNM and the Cleveland Clinic midwife team on these Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.
Due dates through December 2025
- June 21 - Session 1 (Tamara Noy, CNM) Joining 8:30 a.m. group this day only!
- July 19 - Session 2 (Tamara Noy, CNM)
- August 16 - Session 3 (Molly Carrigg, CNM)
- September 20 - Session 4 (Susan Klein, CNM)
- October 4 - Session 5 (Angelita Nixon, CNM)
- October 18 - Session 6
- November 1 - Session 7
- November 15 - Session 8
- December 6 - Session 9
- December 20- Session 10
Westlake Medical Campus Building A
440.835.3883
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #46 with Renae Shire, CNM on these Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Due Dates through July 2025
New Dates
- January 16 - Session 1
- February 13- Session 2
- March 13- Session 3
- April 17- Session 4
- May 15- Session 5
- May 29- Session 6
- June 19 - Session 7
- July 3- Session 8
- July 17 - Session 9
- July 31 - Session 10
- August 14- tentative
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #48 with Dr. Collins on these Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
Due Dates through Mid October 2025
- April 1 - Session 1
- April 29 - Session 2
- May 27- Session 3
- June 24 - Session 4
- July 8 - Session 5
- July 22 - Session 6
- August 5 - Session 7
- August 19 - Session 8
- September 2 - Session 9
- September 16 - Session 10
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #49 with Renae Shire, CNM on these Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Due Dates through Mid November 2025
- May 1 - Session 1
- June 5 - Session 2
- June 26 - Session 3
- July 24 - Session 4
- August 7 - Session 5
- August 21 - Session 6
- September 4 - Session 7
- September 18 - Session 8
- October 2 - Session 9
- October 16 - Session 10
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #50 with Dawn Dulin, CNM on these Saturdays at 8:15 a.m.
Due Dates through November 2025
- May 10 - Session 1
- June 14 - Session 2
- July 12 - Session 3
- August 9 - Session 4 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- August 23- Session 5
- September 13 - Session 6
- September 27 - Session 7 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- October 11 - Session 8
- October 25- Session 9 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- November 8 - Session 10
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #51 with Dawn Dulin, CNM and Renae Shire, CNM on these Saturdays at 10:15 a.m.
Due Dates through March 2026
- August 23 - Session 1
- September 27 - Session 2 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- October 25 - Session 3 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- November 22 - Session 4 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- December 13 - Session 5
- December 27 - Session 6 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- January 10 - Session 7
- January 24 - Session 8 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- February 14 - Session 9
- February 28 - Session 10 (Renae Shire, CNM)
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #52 with Renae Shire, CNM on these Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Due Dates through Mid March 2026
- August 28 - Session 1
- September 25 - Session 2
- October 23 - Session 3
- November 20 - Session 4
- December 4 - Session 5
- December 18 - Session 6
- January 8 - Session 7
- January 22 - Session 8
- February 5 - Session 9
- February 19 - Session 10
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #TBD with Renae Shire, CNM on these Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Due Dates through mid-March 2026
Tentative Future Group
- October 9 - Session 1
- November 6 - Session 2
- December 11 - Session 3
- January 15 - Session 4
- January 29 - Session 5
- February 12 - Session 6
- February 26 - Session 7
- March 12 - Session 8
- March 26 - Session 9
- April 9 - Session 10
- April 23 - tentative
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #TBD with Dawn Dulin, CNM and Renae Shire, CNM on these Saturdays at 8:15 a.m.
Due Dates through mid-March 2026
Tentative Future Group
- October 11 - Session 1 10:15 a.m. (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- November 8 - Session 2 10:15 a.m. (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- December 13 - Session 3 (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- January 10 - Session 4 (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- January 24 - Session 5 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- February 14 - Session 6 (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- February 28 - Session 7 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- March 14 - Session 8 (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- March 28 - Session 9 (Renae Shire, CNM)
- April 11 - Session 10 (Dawn Dulin, CNM)
- April 25 - tentative (Renae Shire, CNM)
Columbia Rd. CenteringPregnancy group #TBD with Renae Shire, CNM on these Thursdays at 1 p.m.
Due Dates through mid-July 2026
Tentative Future Group
- December 18 - Session 1
- January 15 - Session 2
- February 12 - Session 3
- March 12 - Session 4
- March 26 - Session 5
- April 9 - Session 6
- April 23 - Session 7
- May 7 - Session 8
- May 21 - Session 9
- June 4 - Session 10
- June 18 - tentative
Lorain Family Health Center - No Current CenteringPregnancy Groups
440.282.7420
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center (2nd floor conference room)
216.767.4242
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Health Center CenteringPregnancy Group #30 with Najma Ibrahim, CNM on these Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Due dates through December 2025
- June 24 - Session 1
- July 22 - Session 2
- August 19- Session 3
- September 16 - Session 4
- September 30 -Session 5
- October 14 - Session 6
- October 28 - Session 7
- November 11- Session 8
- November 25 - Session 9
- December 9 - Session 10
South Pointe Medical Office Building A (Entrance #2)
216.491.0141
South Pointe CenteringPregnancy Group #33 with Fran Jackson, CNM on these Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Due dates through June 2025
- December 18 - Session 1 (9 a.m. this day only)
- January 12 - Session 2
- February 12 -Session 3
- March 12- Session 4
- March 26- Session 5
- April 9 - Session 6
- April 23 - Session 7
- May 7 - Session 8
- May 21 - Session 9
- June 4 - Session 10
South Pointe CenteringPregnancy Group #34 with Shatoya McQueen, CNM on these Fridays at 10 a.m.
Due dates through Mid September 2025
- March 7 - Session 1
- April 4 - Session 2
- May 2 -Session 3
- May 30- Session 4
- June 13 - Session 5
- June 27 - Session 6
- July 11 - Session 7
- July 25- Session 8
- August 8 - Session 9
- August 22 - Session 10
South Pointe CenteringPregnancy Group #35 with Susan Klein, CNM on these Thursdays at 1 p.m.
Due dates through December 2025
- June 19 - Session 1
- July 17 - Session 2
- August 14 - Session 3
- September 11 - Session 4
- September 25 -Session 5
- October 9 - Session 6
- October 23 - Session 7
- November 6 - Session 8
- November 20 - Session 9
- December 4 - Session 10
South Pointe CenteringPregnancy Group #36 with Fran Jackson, CNM on these Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Due dates through mid-January 2026
- July 9 - Session 1
- August 6 - Session 2
- September 3 - Session 3
- October 1 - Session 4
- October 15 - Session 5
- October 29 - Session 6
- November 12 - Session 7
- November 19 - Session 8
- December 3 - Session 9
- December 17 - Session 10
Wooster Family Health Center
330.287.4500
Wooster CenteringPregnancy group #6 with Jessica Costa, CNM and Courtney Plotts, CNM at 2:30 p.m. on these Wednesdays
Due dates through Mid October 2025
- April 9 - Session 1
- May 7 - Session 2
- June 4 - Session 3
- July 1 - Session 4
- July 23 - Session 5
- August 6 - Session 6
- August 13 - Session 7
- August 27- Session 8
- September 10 - Session 9
- September 24 - Session 10
Willoughby Hills Family Health Center (Lower-level conference room) - No Current CenteringPregnancy Groups
440.943.2500
Brunswick Family Health Center - No Current CenteringPregnancy Groups
330.225.8886
