Birth Center

PROVIDES GYNECOLOGIC, PREGNANCY, & BIRTH HEALTH CARE SERVICES, USING A MIDWIFERY MODEL OF CARE

MATERNITY CARE - THE BIRTH CENTER DBA LIFECYCLE WOMANCARE (LWC) PROVIDES COMPLETE PRENATAL AND BIRTHING SERVICES TO MORE THAN 600 LOW RISK CHILDBEARING CLIENTS AND THEIR BABIES EACH YEAR, OFFERING A SAFE, HOMELIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR BIRTH, AND EMPOWERING, EXCEPTIONAL, EVIDENCE-BASED CARE. LACTATION COUNSELING SERVICES SUPPORT NEW PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY RECEIVED PREGANCY CARE. AS MATERNITY CARE AND BIRTHING OPTIONS DWINDLE FOR PERSONS IN THE DELAWARE VALLEY REGION, LWC'S CLIENT BASE AND ITS RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY CONTINUES TO GROW.

GYNECOLOGICAL CARE - LWC PROVIDES SKILLED GYNECOLOGICAL SERVICES TO MORE THAN 3,000 CLIENTS OF ALL AGES ANNUALLY. LWC'S GYNECOLOGICAL CARE INCLUDES ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH CONCERNS FROM MENARCHE TO MENOPAUSE. LWC MIDWIVES AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS SUPPORT THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY WITH PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE SCREENINGS FOR CANCER AND OTHER MODIFIABLE CAUSES OF DISEASE. THEY HELP CLIENTS MEET THEIR HEALTH CARE NEEDS INCLUDING ROUTINE EXAMS, TREATMENT AND COUNSELING, HPV VACCINES, CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES, HORMONE REPLACEMENT QUESTIONS AND MANY OTHER WOMEN'S HEALTH CONCERNS.

EDUCATION AND SUPPORT - EDUCATION IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF LWC AND DRIVES MANY ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES. IT IS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE MISSION STATEMENT.EDUCATION IS RECOGNIZED IN THREE OF THE CORE LWC VALUE STATEMENTS:- WE BELIEVE THAT LIFECYCLE EVENTS SUCH AS PUBERTY, BIRTH, AND MENOPAUSE ARE NORMAL, HEALTHY TRANSITIONS THAT ARE BEST SUPPORTED BY EDUCATION AND EVIDENCE-BASED MIDWIFERY CARE - WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEST CARE HAS, AT ITS CENTER, A TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A CLIENT AND THEIR PROVIDER, WHICH EMPOWERS, EDUCATES, AND ENABLES CLIENTS TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHCARE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES. - WE PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND ANYONE SEEKING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MIDWIFERY MODEL OF CAREOUR EDUCATIONAL COMMITMENT TAKES MANY FORMS AND SERVES HUNDREDS OF CLIENTS/COMMUNITY MEMBERS PLUS HUNDREDS OF NURSING/MIDWIFERY STUDENTS EACH YEAR:1. MULTI-MONTH CLINICAL PLACEMENTS FOR SELECTED INDIVIDUAL MIDWIFERY AND NURSING STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES2. TOURS/SEMINARS FOR GROUPS OF NURSING STUDENTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES 3. PARTICIPATING AS GUEST LECTURERS ON MIDWIFERY CARE AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES4. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT GROUPS, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, FOR LACTATION SUPPORT AND NEW PARENT ADJUSTMENT. THIS SUPPORTS HEALTHY INFANT DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTAL WELL-BEING. FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC, PROGRAMMING IS PROVIDED VIA BOTH ONSITE AND REMOTE PLATFORMS, ENABLING US TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.5. FREE POSTPARTUM SUPPORT GROUPS FOR CLIENTS AND PARTNERS IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING BIRTH6. CLASSES INCLUDE PREPARATION FOR CHILDBIRTH, POSTPARTUM MOTHER AND BABY CARE, PRENATAL YOGA, AND EFFECTIVE PARENTING.7. ENGAGEMENT BY SENIOR STAFF IN VARIOUS HEALTH ADVOCACY GROUPS: PENNSYLVANIA BREASTFEEDING COALITION, DELAWARE COUNTY BREASTFEEDING COALITION, KEYSTONE 10 COLLABORATION, PENNSYLVANIA DOULA AND PERINATAL ADVISORY GROUP, CHOP COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR BREASTFEEDING, FIRST FOOD COLLABORATION, BABY'S 1ST PROJECT COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK8. LWC IS A MID-ATLANTIC MOTHERS' MILK BANK DEPOT. WE HOUSE AND SHIP BREAST MILK FOR LOCAL MAMMB APPROVED DONORS MAKING MILK DONATION FOR MEDICALLY FRAGILE INFANTS CONVENIENT AND ACCESSIBLE.