CenteringParenting at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Get expert care for your little one, in the company of parents and babies the same age as yours.

You deserve a lot of support, especially when your kids are little. And support is exactly what CenteringParenting offers – in addition to excellent care, of course.

CenteringParenting is a nationwide program that provides pediatric care in a group setting, and we’re proud to offer it at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. From birth to age 2, a small group of same-age babies and their parents come together for well-child checks, engaging discussions, and to learn from each other.

It’s a checkup, playdate and parent support group, all wrapped into one.

Call 336-716-3487 to learn how to become a CenteringParenting patient, or see where we’re located.

What to Expect

Children have many well-child visits over the first two years – 9, to be exact. As a CenteringParenting patient, you and your little one have one-on-one visits with their doctor, followed by discussion and learning with a group of other parents and babies the same age as yours.

From the screenings to the topics covered, each visit is designed to be age- and stage-appropriate for babies and their families. We’ll help you keep your baby healthy, tackle common concerns and prepare for what’s next.

Although no two visits are the same, here’s what you can generally expect:

Part 1: Individual Health Assessment

Once you’ve completed any pre-visit paperwork, you’ll be invited over to the exam table for your baby’s individual health assessment. Although your baby’s doctor will lead the exam, you’re encouraged to play an active role. You’ll learn to measure your baby’s head and length, which you can record in your copy of the CenteringParenting handbook. In addition to discussing your baby’s growth and development, you’ll also get to have a private, one-on-one conversation with your doctor before meeting with the group.

Part 2: Group Discussion

After all health assessments are complete, parents and babies circle up for group discussion – this is the fun part! Because your babies are the same age, there’s plenty to talk about: safety, feeding, sleeping, even how you’re doing personally. Your care team will provide a few conversation starters and let the group decide what they’d like to discuss.

Part 3: Immunizations

Immunizations are saved for the end of the visit – just in time for your little one to nap on the ride home, after a fun time with their doctor and friends. Similar to the individual health assessment, patients will be called over to the exam table one by one to receive their immunizations.

Benefits of CenteringParenting

CenteringParenting is a fun way to spend your baby’s doctor’s visits, but it’s more than that. Getting care in a group setting has many benefits for babies and their parents, including:

More time and support for babies and parents

CenteringParenting allows you to have more time with your baby’s doctor than traditional checkups. But your baby isn’t the only one being cared for. As a CenteringParenting family, you get the support of people who “get” where you are on your parenting journey – because they’re there too. In addition to caring for your baby, we support you and are here to help you with mood concerns, breastfeeding and family planning. That’s one reason many CenteringParenting families say they feel less alone and more confident as parents.

More convenient appointments (No waiting room!)

There’s a lot to remember when traveling with a baby, even if it’s just driving to the doctor’s office. As a CenteringParenting patient, all your baby’s checkups are on the same day of the week at the same time (for instance, Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m.). This makes it easy to remember and plan for upcoming doctor’s visits.

Plus, CenteringParenting visits are held in a large, private, baby-friendly space – and you get to skip the waiting room.

More education

All CenteringParenting families receive an educational handbook, which is full of helpful information and tips for keeping your baby healthy. It can even double as a baby book, with pages to track your baby’s growth and development. But the most meaningful part of each visit is far and away the group discussion. While your babies learn, grow and play together, you’ll get to discuss pediatric and parenting topics at length – and get answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.

More likely to keep up with visits

Everything’s easier with friends. Studies have shown that families who are part of CenteringParenting are more likely to stay on track with well-child checks and immunization schedules – 2 very important parts of your baby’s health.

Location

At this time, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is proud to offer CenteringParenting for patients at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Family Medicine Piedmont Plaza. We hope to expand to more locations in the future.

Call 336-716-3487 for more details or to join.