Advah Shani, CNM

Advah came to Lifecycle in 2016. Prior to moving to Philadelphia to pursue her midwifery degree, she worked as a birth doula in New York from 2011 – 2013 and earned her BSN from New York University in 2013. She graduated with her MSN in Midwifery from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015.

Advah said that since she was a child, she knew that she wanted to take care of people. Giving birth to her first baby at a birth center, with the loving support of her midwife, sparked her interested in becoming a midwife

Soon after, she and her family moved to Uganda and she began volunteering at a birth center and women’s health clinic in a town called Atiak. She says, “witnessing the art of midwifery practiced by the midwives, even with very limited resources, and seeing the benefits of midwifery care, I knew this was my calling.”

Advah grew up in Israel in a small farming community called Kibbutz. Living here taught her a love for nature, community, and hard work. After finishing the Israeli mandatory army service, she went backpacking and traveled to India, Thailand, Nepal, China, Mongolia, and Australia. Her “big love” is still being in nature and traveling to new and exotic places.

She loves the community here at Lifecycle. “The midwives, nurse practitioners, nurses, office staff, and ClinTechs – everyone! – cares about giving the best possible care to our clients and we work well as a team to achieve that.”

Advah feels that it is a great privilege and honor to be a part of a birth. She also loves taking the time to talk to and educate clients about their bodies, pregnancies, and growing babies.