Birth Center

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

OBSTETRICAL CARE - THE BIRTH CENTER DBA LIFECYCLE WOMANCARE (LWC) PROVIDES COMPLETE PRENATAL, AND BIRTHING SERVICES TO APPROXIMATELY 667 HEALTHY CHILDBEARING PERSONS AND THEIR NEWBORNS EACH YEAR, OFFERING A SAFE, HOMELIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR DELIVERY, AND EMPOWERING, EXCEPTIONAL, EVIDENCED BASED 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 CONTINUE TO GROW

GYNECOLOGICAL CARE - LWC PROVIDES SKILLED GYNECOLOGICAL SERVICES TO APPROXIMATELY 2,800 PERSONS 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 ADVICES, HORMONE REPLACEMENT QUESTIONS AND MANY OTHER WOMEN'S HEALTH CONCERNS. LWC'S PROVIDERS OFFER "LIFECYCLE LIVE": REGULAR, FREE, ONLINE WEBINARS RELATED TO COMMON GYNECOLOGY PROBLEMS. THESE ARE ADVERTISED THROUGH VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ARE OFFERED TO THE COMMUNITY.

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 ADOPTED IN 2020: 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 ABOUT 1000 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 18-20 ANNUAL GROUPS OF NURSING STUDENTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES 3. PARTICIPATING AS GUEST LECTURERS ON MIDWIFERY CARE AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES4. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING, FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ON LACTATION SUPPORT AND NEW PARENT ADJUSTMENT. THIS SUPPORTS HEALTHY INFANT DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTAL WELL-BEING. NOW ONLINE, THESE WERE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE REGION PRE-PANDEMIC.5. CLASSES INCLUDE PREPARATION FOR CHILDBIRTH, POSTPARTUM MOTHER AND BABY CARE, POSTPARTUM PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT, COPING AFTER CAESAREAN SECTION, SIBLING PREPARATION FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS, AND EFFECTIVE PARENTING.6. NURSE OUTREACH, VIA PHONE CALLS AND VISITS, TO NEW MOTHERS AT RISK FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION7. 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.