After 47 years of serving our community and welcoming more than 16,000 babies, it is with very heavy hearts that we share that Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center will be closing its doors in 2026.

From the beginning, Lifecycle Wellness has been dedicated to providing evidence-based, family-centered care that empowers clients to make informed choices and experience birth in a supportive, home-like environment. For decades, our team of Certified Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and staff have worked to create a model of care that honors the natural process of birth while ensuring safety, compassion, and respect for every family we serve. It has been our privilege to support so many of your families through some of life’s most meaningful moments.

Growing challenges have made it increasingly difficult for small, independent, and non-profit maternal health providers to exist. Birth centers are uniquely designed to serve healthy, low-risk pregnancies, yet shifts in public health and rising rates of medical complications have reduced the number of families eligible for this model of care. At the same time, the cost of maintaining high-quality, personalized services has continued to climb, from staffing and training to facility upkeep and liability coverage, while insurance reimbursement rates have not kept pace.

In addition, Pennsylvania, like much of the U.S., has seen a steady increase in malpractice insurance premiums and legal pressures on maternal health providers. These financial and regulatory challenges have been difficult for even large health systems to manage, and have forced many independent and community-based centers to close or merge. Despite our best efforts to adapt our model through partnerships, operational efficiencies, and advocacy, these pressures have grown too great to sustain. In today’s healthcare environment, it has become increasingly difficult for small, independent providers to continue offering the kind of individualized care that has always defined Lifecycle Wellness.

Our team is here to support our clients and community through this transition. Here’s what you need to know right now.

• Lifecycle Wellness will stop delivering babies as of February 15, 2026. Our midwives will no longer be able to support labor and childbirth services at either The Birth Center or Bryn Mawr Hospital after that date. For clients due through the end of January, Lifecycle Wellness is grateful to remain your chosen provider to support your childbirth journey. For clients due February 1st, 2026 and beyond, our team will begin supporting your transition to a new provider for your prenatal care and delivery. Your provider will discuss your options at your next visit to ensure your care and safety remain our top priorities, and we will provide resources to support your decision-making on next steps.
• Prenatal, postnatal, and gynecology care will continue until March 28, 2026 in a reduced capacity. Mental health services will be available until March 15th. Lactation services will be available until February 28. During this time, we will work closely with clients to support their transition to a new provider.
• Our community programs, including childbirth education classes and postpartum support groups, will end in January, 2026. Childbirth education classes will end on January 10th.Anyone registered for classes after January 10th (or a Preparation for Childbirth 4-week class series that will end afterJanuary 10th) will be reimbursed the registration fee.
• Guide to Transitioning Care: Information for current clients is available here.

We are so deeply grateful to our Certified Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses and staff who have been the most ardent supporters of this community. Their countless hours of care, expertise, and dedication have touched thousands of lives. They have stood beside families in moments of strength, vulnerability, and joy. Their unwavering commitment has been the heartbeat of Lifecycle Wellness and the reason we have been able to share our mission with this community since 1978.

We’d further like to thank the countless volunteers and donors who have stood with us for the past 47 years. From generous contributions to volunteer hours, advocacy and partnership, your commitment powered our mission and created lasting change.

We also want to extend our sincerest appreciation to every family who has walked through our doors in the past half century. It has been an honor to be part of every family’s journey and to witness the strength, the love, and the beginnings of so many lives. As we begin this transition, our focus remains on supporting our clients with the same compassion and integrity that have always defined us.

Sincerely,

Jessi Schwarz, CNM
Executive and Clinical Director
Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center

Lauren Harrington
President, Board of Directors
Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center