The Birth Center

First time pregnancy, my son is now 8 months. Midwifery is a great alternative to the traditional hospital birth… Although I did end up in the hospital with an epidural, not to the fault of the birthing center… Just life. I enjoyed the experience of learning about midwifery and the classes were nice (and expensive). However, what I disliked the most was not having my own midwife whom I could connect with and build a trusting relationship. They rotate nurses and midwives every time you have an appointment and it’s likely once your giving birth that you may not know the midwife whom is helping you. So as I said I was in the hospital, there for two days and saw about 4 different midwifes who I’m sure did not read my birthing plan and just did what they do smh. That left me very upset and I did not like my birthing experience at all. Again not upset about being in the hospital although I bruised my tailbone and the midwifes made no big deal about it after my birth and I’m still suffering from the pain 8 months later… They referred me to go to my primary care doctor who seemed perplexed that I came to see her and not those who delivered my baby which caused my injury. They also messed up my paperwork to return to work, I had to suffer through the pain and they refused to fix my paperwork. I gave them 3 stars bc I did like the overall idea of having a midwife and enjoyed the process all the way up until the actual birth. My opinion could be bias but in the end I’ll be opting out of the birthing center for my next pregnancy… I recommend getting your own midwife whom you could really build a rapport.

I started my gynecology care here (now called Lifecycle Womancare) before I got pregnant, which is up to date and gave us priority to birth here. Had the most ideal birth experience I could imagine. Carol, the midwife who helped me deliver, was compassion, calm and encouraging. The nurses and staff are so wonderful. I wish more women knew that their birth experience could be this good!

I am so thankful to have found the birth center as an option for my prenatal, birth, and post-​partum care. I loved their laid back approach and sincerely held belief that pregnancy and birth does not always need lots of medical intervention, but it does have its place. I enjoyed meeting all of the midwives during my prenatal visits, and always felt welcome. As a first time mother, the birthing classes were very useful and helped us understand the whole process, coping strategies, and different scenarios.
The day my daughter was born, we arrived at the birth center to discover it was a full house! We later learned that we were part of a 24 hours baby boom, 8 babies were born that day! Despite it being full, the midwife on call, Autumn, handled things smoothly when we arrived and called an additional midwife for support. I ended up laboring in the classroom downstairs for a few hours (a very comfortable space, actually) since I was not close to pushing, and finally went up to the Green room. Carol checked on me throughout my labor and then Jane took over. She was wonderful through my transition and pushing process, and stayed with us the entire time as it got close. I appreciated having the big jacuzzi tub with jets while my contractions were so close. I had a long and difficult time pushing, and Jane and Emily, the nurse, were both positive and supportive the entire time and helped me stay calm and persevere. Once my little one was born, having two hours of skin-​to-​skin bonding time was absolutely magical, and Emily assisted in getting my daughter to latch and nurse. I appreciated being able to go home that night and sleep in my own bed instead of being checked on all night like in a hospital.
Unmedicated birth is not for everyone, but if it is your goal, the birth center at Lifecycle Womancare is a wonderful, supportive, positive place to do so.

I used TBC many years ago when my oldest was born. My birth experience was amazing. But more than the birth itself, Patty Siegrist, their IBCLC (lactation consultant) was a complete lifesaver. She has created a village of support in the Breastfeeding Support Groups that meet throughout the region. There I was given guidance from moms with older babies, met dear friends, and had Patty showing me the way. I have no idea how my nursing/​parenting journey would have been without Patty’s love and guidance!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Christine Shea as your Nurse Practioner. I’ve been a patient of hers since the early 2000’s and no matter where she is I will see her and only her. Nurse Shea she is highly educated, on top of her game, straight to the point, humorous and above all professional

Have had two visits at The Birth Center and it was just not my cup of tea. On top of that I have to find a different OBGYN because I need something that is closer to where I moved to. So while calling in to get my medical records I spoke with Nancy a few times who was SOO helpful! I work at another doctor’s office so I KNOW how rude some front desk people can be even to me when I’m calling from ANOTHER DOCTOR’S OFFICE. So I was blown away by how nice and helpful she was. But everyone there had always been so nice — that was never the problem, it’s just a place that is not quite for me.

My wife received her prenatal care and labor/​delivery at the Birth Center.
This being our second child, we have the perspective of both a hospital/​OB GYN experience vs our Birth Center/​Midwife experience.
The visits leading up to delivery had us meet with just about all of the midwives at the Birth Center which gave us a chance to have a rapport with the person who would be present for our birth.
The midwives are very approachable and personable and patiently listen and answer questions. We never felt rushed or like our questions or concerns were silly.
My wife had a healthy pregnancy and her labor and delivery went very smoothly. The time in the room after giving birth was nice. It gave us a chance to get to know our new baby and we were able to go home the very same day.
I definitely enjoyed our experience and would recommend for sure!

Awesome staff. Great service. They take you from start to finish and you are the voice that helps guide these wonderful Midwives. I wish I would have found this hidden gem 8 years ago… Great For GYN Care too!

DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE.
Birth Center was recommended to me from a co-​worker and I went there, mistake number one. Serviced by Anne, mistake number two. Make the long story short, my healthy pregnancy went out the window and now suffering the consequence, after many bad decisions made by the midwives on-​call.
This is not an attempt to make any hurtful or outlandishly mean-​spirited comment. This is a warning to those who blindly go there without doing the research, so do your research, you are your best advocate.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met plenty of caring, competent midwives at the birth center, just wasn’t lucky enough to have them on-​call.
Note to the Birth Center: To some midwives, this is also just a job. Sad. I hope the future brings more caring, competent midwives, who enjoys their passion.

This is my first baby. The staff is very knowledgeable and very helpful easy to talk to and not judgemental.

Knowledgeable, friendly, and 100% dedicated to providing great care to mothers-​to-​be and their babies. I have had 4 children here and recommend it to anyone who wishes to be more involved in their pregnancy. They also have routine woman care which I use as well.

I LOVE the Birth Center– I’ve had both of my children here. First time we transferred to the hospital and I thought Jamesina was a true advocate for me while we were there. I really think without her the hospital staff may have encouraged a CSection– but Jamesina muscled through for us and we got my bb out.
Second time around I had my baby at the center and it was all I could’ve wanted– I was in at 8pm and home the next day for lunch with my little nugget.
I was in just today for my general OBGyn appointment and each time I visit I really feel like they listen to me, take the time to write down all of my family history and educate.
This place is for people who want to take the reigns in their reproductive health– I love it here and would recommend it to ANYONE (unless you’re having multiples… they don’t do that here :-)

We didn’t end up delivering here, but it was almost as if we did. The midwives, nurses, and other staff are gentle, empathetic, and kind. They are also educated and helpful. Really, this is a great place to get care for you and your baby. Of course, I’m a man, so my perspective is a little clouded, but I felt safe and comfortable and even loved here all of the time. The classes it offers are great and the instructors as good. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

The BEST well-​woman and GYN care out there. Tell your friends! The Birth Center is not just for pregnancy and birth. TBC sets a high standard for what people ought to expect from health care providers in general. There is no place so special and wonderful.

I can’t thank TBC enough for assisting me in having the birth plan I wanted! I originally became a patient receiving GYN care and fell in love with the place. From the midwives to the nurses to both Nancy’s at the front desk — you won’t be treated better any where else! I highly recommend TBC to anyone and everyone looking to receive superior care!

I had the most amazing experience at The Birth Center! You guys are amazing, thank you for assisting me in achieving all my birthing hopes and dreams!

The best place to give birth in PA :-) I am happy to be a part of TBC community. My experience with TBC was so great if you should see my review and have questions, feel free to msg me.

To add to Rafael’s review, I came to The Birth Center for the first time when I was, well, brand-​new: my two sisters and I were all born here, and now we all visit TBC for our OB/​GYN care. The midwives are incredibly knowledgeable and non-​judgmental. Even though I’ve lived out of town, out of state, and/​or out of the country for the past six years, I still make sure to come to TBC for my annual visits – I can’t imagine receiving care anywhere else.

The Birth Center (TBC) offers a very attractive alternative to the traditional hospital birth, if you are interested in a less-​medical, more-​comfortable approach to this important life event. There are no doctors on staff or on call at TBC; the staff consists of midwives and nurse-​midwives. They provide a high level of support during pregnancy, labor and delivery, as well as a home visit after delivery. When my wife switched from a traditional obstetrics practice to TBC during her pregnancy, she noticed a major difference. Most of her obstetrician appointments were literally 2 or 3 minutes long; the staff at TBC would check her and educate her for 30 minutes to an hour each time. During delivery, they will let you do things almost any way you want, as long as it is safe, except that they do not offer major anesthesia, such as an epidural or other major medical interventions. My wife was most comfortable laboring on her knees, leaning her torso on my shoulders, and they were totally supportive of this. The birthing room is essentially a comfortable bedroom — a regular double bed and nicely decorated. After our daughter was born, she was placed directly onto my wife’s chest and we were all able to fall asleep in bed together for a couple hours.
Overall, this place should appeal to mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies who are willing to go though the process without major interventions such as epidurals, induction, or c-​section. It certainly isn’t for everyone, but we found they were more interesting in helping us do it they way we wanted to, and never seemed to be pushing any sort of agenda. Also, it is worth noting that Bryn Mawr Hospital, which has a high quality neonatal intensive care unit, is just walking distance away from TBC, insuring that if mom or baby need serious medical help, they can get there quickly.