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November 2023 by Elizabeth Macon
I wanna start by saying all of their staff is very kind. I was treated kindly by everyone and I truly believe that if you’re young, healthy, and have an absolutely uncomplicated pregnancy they’re probably the perfect place to go. But that was not my experience.Administratively they are not the best. Just about every single referral ordered was incorrect. Once a referral was written for a Covid test but it should have been a non stress test. Just stupid hassles all the time. It was as if they had never dealt with a HMO before or written a prescription using appropriate diagnosis and procedure coding. The maternal fetal medicine doctors who were doing ultrasounds wanted them to share records of my non stress tests for collaborative care- those records were never sent. I needed my records when I ultimately had to transfer care and they printed 200 plus pages rather than being able to share them digitally directly with the doctors. Also when verifying insurance benefits they should inform clients of cost at lifecycle and at Bryn Mawr hospital- for my insurance it would have been basically nothing at lifecycle but over 10k at Bryn Mawr. Should have been told that from the first appointment- would have left then.I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes some time in March and I don’t believe I was properly guided. There was all this focus around making sure my blood sugars were controlled enough so that I would not need insulin, because insulin was the factor that would risk me out and force a hospital birth.However, after being put on insulin and risking out of the center, I learned that although blood sugar control is important during pregnancy, the control matters the most during labor. And that there is no way to predict how your body will respond during labor. That high blood sugar during labor is what puts the baby at risk of having hypoglycemia and seizures during those first few hours/days of life. If blood sugar spikes during labor insulin must be given, which they couldn’t do. It is not even clear to me if they would have been checking my blood glucose levels frequently during labor. Under their care it was my understanding as long as I could control my blood sugar with diet and exercise during pregnancy the risk to my baby after birth was very low. That is just not true.Thank god I ended up needing to go on insulin and had to transfer out of the practice because otherwise the potential of something happening to my baby due to uncontrolled blood sugar during labor could have been high and we would have been at the birth center rather than a hospital. I know the hospital is across the street but that just doesn’t seem worth the additional risk to my newborn.Although I did end up getting the care I needed via transferring to an OB at the very last week of my pregnancy, I do wish the risks were explained to me more clearly and that they had suggested a transfer of my care at the time of the gestational diabetes diagnosis. In hindsight I really feel like this mishandling is negligent at best and at worst dangerous.Because of the last minute transfer of care it seemed at first like I would have to show up at an ER during labor because no OBs had any appointments within the week. Fortunately, the staff at lifecycle was able to pull some strings and get me seen by an OB at Crozer. I was seen by him once before my daughter was born, 4 days later. This was very stressful though I am grateful for their effort.It was disappointing to be under the care of lifecycle for my entire pregnancy, transferred out at week 39, and they never reached out to see how it went or if she was okay or if I was okay. Just seemed like ultimately they didn’t care about me as a person or my baby- they only cared about the business.Needless to say I won’t be returning and would caution anyone with gestational diabetes to be sure to educate yourself better than they will.
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November 2023 by Constance Marie
Horrible experience here this past year. Trusting Lifecycle/TBC with our prenatal care, birth and postpartum care was one of the worst mistakes I have ever made :(. Wish I would have trusted my gut.
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October 2023 by Allison Greenplate
I wish I could give more than 5 stars! I received phenomenal care from Lifecycle both during the recent birth of my son and previously for well woman visits. Every staff member and care provider has been amazing. I had a difficult pregnancy and ended up deciding to give birth in the hospital under the care of the midwives. They were so attentive, responsive, and knowledgeable. I felt so cared for as a full human being, not just a carrier of a baby. The birthing classes, lactation consults, support groups, and world class medical care are an amazing full-picture experience that prepared me for birth and postpartum.
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October 2023 by Bianca Charbonneau
where women are in control of their own health! Delivered my second baby here. Support leading up to birth and during was exactly what I was looking for. So blessed to have a birthing center in the area.
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August 2023 by Jamiylah Miller
Beautiful and comfortable place! If anyone is looking for a birthing center, I suggest this one. It feels like you're at home in the birth suite.
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July 2023 by Linsay Fetrow
I gave 2 stars because I had a great experience up until 37 weeks then all of a sudden I was “full term” and needed to be induced at the HOSPITAL from two elevated blood pressure readings despite lab results coming back normal and non stress test showing baby was under no stress. They made me go to the hospital for hours of monitoring (fine we want to make sure baby is okay of course) which non stress test again showed he was fine. She kept telling me if I wasn’t induced that night the baby would most likely be a still born. She said it at least 5 times. Every time she came in the room she asked if I was ready to be induced and when I declined she’d just say okay we are going to monitor you a little longer. I was told my placenta was dying and it was affecting baby - the placenta was perfectly fine when I delivered it. So here we are, forced into an induction. Baby had to spend days in the nicu for under developed lungs and we were told if he was born a week later he most likely would have not had to spend time in the nicu. Since he was already in the nicu we asked the hospital staff to do his circumcision and clip his tongue tie. The hospital was more than happy to do that for us however the midwife form the birth center kept overriding what we THE PARENTS asked and kept telling hospital staff we had already scheduled it to be done outpatient at the lifecycle facility which was BS. We didn’t call to schedule nor did we want them to do it at that point. They also claim going through the birth center is more cost efficient and they want to allow moms to go into labor and have as much of a natural labor/delivery as possible which is total BS. It seems like most of their patients end up in the hospital to deliver and then surprise - you get billed extra. It cost me about 4k more going through them then it did when I delivered my first son in the hospital. If you want a place where they constantly change their “guidelines” within hours with no explanation on why it changed, a place where they push you despite your wants, lie about calling you, have to pull teeth to get your lab results released into the portal or even for someone to let you know what the lab results were, then this is the place for you! Going through here was suppose to be less stressful and it was more stressful than anything. Definitely learned my lesson with this
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July 2023 by Julia Dykyj
I was told great things about this hospital but I’m beyond disappointed in my experience here. I think the facility was clean and very nice and the nurses were phenomenal who I worked with while giving birth. That being said, after birth I had a nurse who was pretty aggressive with how she was teaching me to breast feed. I also was ready to push for over an hour but became there was one doctor on call I was told I had to wait. During that hour I had ran out of my epidural and it took about 20 minutes of pain and constant beeping before someone finally came to change it. I let that go, but today I got my birth certificate in the mail and the father isn’t listed. I know I properly filled out the information, so the hospital clearly incorrectly filed it. I now have to send in the correct information and wait around 20 weeks for it to be fixed. This was the last straw, I spent the morning in tears. I never write out bad reviews like this but I just feel so let down by my experience with this hospital.
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July 2023 by Karyn Navin
Lifecycle is the best!! I could write 10 pages about how much I love this organization. Everyone was so kind and attentive to my needs. They made me feel comfortable, safe, heard, and understood throughout every aspect of my care.I was fortunate enough to deliver both of my children at Lifecycle and I am forever grateful for my wonderful birthing experiences.
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June 2023 by Celia S
Gave birth in the car on the way to the birth center in 2018 because I wasn't believed that I was actually in labor. For an institution that promotes "women's rights" and "listening to your body," they really don't value a woman's own opinion on what is happening to her body.
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May 2023 by Lola Bala
Title: Frustrating Billing Experience at Life Cycle for Woman Care with AetnaThe billing process at Life Cycle for Woman Care with Aetna has been extremely frustrating. Despite having a PPO plan, I have been charged $70 instead of the expected $30 copay. Additionally, they consistently misclassify my provider, resulting in incorrect charges. Despite opening a case with Aetna and getting approval, the same issue persisted during subsequent visits. Sadly, I'm considering finding a new center despite appreciating my provider, Ruth.
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May 2023 by Maurie Smith
I love LWC and especially the South Philly location. It is so convenient for folks who want midwifery care and a birth center model but cannot make it out to Bryn Mawr for every appointment. Users should note that this location provides pre-natal care and gynecological care but cannot provide births due to zoning restrictions! I did my research as a city planner :)Each provider I saw at the location was knowledgeable, comforting, and patient as I asked a million questions (first-time anxious mom!). Special shoutout to Autumn and Francesca both of whom provided great pre-natal care. I wish I could've given birth at the LWC location in Bryn Mawr but the end of pregnancy lingered on much longer than expected and I had to be induced for a handful of personal reasons. Every step of the way I felt empowered to make the decisions that were right for me as a woman and as a new mom. At the hospital, I was able to receive care from my midwife (Autumn - the absolute best!) and it provided me an incredible amount of comfort during a stressful time physically and emotionally.Would highly recommend LWC and the South Philly office in particular for folks who want the birth center experience but for whatever reason cannot make it to Bryn Mawr for the pre-natal visits!
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May 2023 by Lauren KW Brennan
I have been a patient/client at LifeCycle WomanCare for almost 7 years now and cannot recommend it highly enough, both for prenatal care and delivery, and for routine gynecological care. The Birth Center is a perfect blend of evidence-based care, personalized and homey by being outside of a hospital setting, with all the technology and resources of a big hospital system right across the street. Both of my babies were born there and I wouldn't have it any other way. I also go to LifeCycle WomanCare for routine gyn care and it's equally humanizing and homey. All of the providers I've met are sensitive, experienced, thoughtful, and accessible, and prepared to spend the time needed to address all questions and concerns. Simply the best!
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April 2023 by Sandy T.
The best OBGYN experience I've ever had. I met with Heather to conduct my annual exam, pap smear, and blood work. She was kind and courteous. She made me feel completely at ease even when I was getting my exam done. We went through my medical history and she asked questions that not even my primary asked. I learned a lot from her. I highly recommend coming here for your OBGYN needs. FYI she is also a mid-wife.
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January 2023 by Elysse Ricci
Not the same place as it was years ago. Lifecycle is not the same place as TBC and it makes my heart so sad. Having said that, my birth did turn out the way I’d hoped for, but took me fighting against a certain ex-hospital based midwife tooth and nail. As with any birth you really, really need to be your own advocate and listen to your gut, they cannot ‘make’ you do anything. Having said that there are some real gems here: Jamesina, Megan and Lisa to name a few. I had 4 babies here and the experience post 2020 is sadly not even close to the small loving and birth-empowered community it once was.
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December 2022 by Candice Cadence
If you want to feel loved and supported in your pregnancy and during your birth this is not the place. The front desk staff are amazing but some of the midwives are pushy and very medicalized. They only explain their (very) biased opinion on the interventions they think are necessary. After every conversation I have with them I look at the evidence based birth website and make an informed decision based off of the actual evidence. I feel so angry multiple times I was basically lied to and almost bullied into unnecessary interventions. Please do your research and educate yourself! Because they have their own objectives.
