ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – In a big room full of moms-to-be, pregnant women check each other’s blood pressure and weight, a nurse-midwife measures their growing bellies, and they all join a seated circle for two hours of candid talk about what to expect when you’re expecting.
A young woman’s revelation about her strange cravings for glue and fabric softener gets some chuckles, followed by the nurse’s explanation that odd signs like that can signal iron deficiency. It’s the kind of quirky topic that doesn’t always surface in typical 15-minute prenatal checkups, when doctors can seem rushed and patients hesitant to mention those little nagging worries that may seem inconsequential.
But in a more relaxed group setting, women open up and conversation flows beyond vital signs, weight gain and due dates.
“I can tell them it’s normal, but if you have another mom in the group who says, ‘Oh, that happened to me, it’s normal.’ It’s more acceptable, if it comes from a peer,” said Laura Moore, a nurse at the Asheville, North Carolina, clinic.
Pregnant women at the clinic can opt to join a group session for their monthly checkups instead of the traditional one-on-one office visits with their doctor that are usually recommended.