I strongly recommend asking about hidden fees before your visit. I went in for my annual…read moreappointment with Dr. Gamburg, assuming it would be fully covered, but later received a copay. I was told--after the fact--that part of the visit was billed as an additional service. It seems that simply discussing concerns during what's supposed to be a routine exam can trigger extra charges. If that's the case, patients deserve to be clearly informed before those questions are asked. When Dr. Gamburg asked if I had any concerns since my last visit, there should have been transparency that addressing them might not be covered under the annual exam. Without that disclosure, it feels misleading. Given this experience--and the broader issues surrounding the office since the scandal involving Dr. Pierce--I've decided to look for a new OB-GYN. Patients should feel informed and respected, not surprised by unexpected bills afterward.

Dr Grove is absolutely the best. Competent, knowledgable and caring…read more I am sure I receive the same treatment as if I was a family member.

I had my annual physical with Dr. Gamburg and left feeling fine about the visit--until I received a…read more$15 bill afterward. This was supposed to be a routine preventive exam, which under my insurance does not require a copay. During the appointment, the doctor asked if I had any concerns since my last visit. I answered honestly, assuming that was a normal part of an annual checkup. At no point was I told that responding to that question could result in an additional charge. Only later did I find out that my visit had been expanded and billed in a way that generated a fee. If discussing concerns during an annual exam leads to extra charges, patients should be clearly informed beforehand so they can decide how to proceed. Given the recent issues involving Dr. Pierce Portin and the office, this kind of billing practice raises additional concerns about transparency and trust. Patients deserve clear communication--not unexpected charges after the fact. Transparency matters. Patients shouldn't be surprised with unexpected charges for simply answering their doctor's questions during what is supposed to be a covered annual visit.

I relocated from Texas and chose this facility somewhat as a gamble, hoping for the best…read more Throughout my pregnancy, I had a very pleasant experience here, rotating between different doctors and midwives at each appointment. Every visit made me feel more comfortable with my decision. I was unexpectedly told that I would need to be induced three weeks before my due date because of two high blood pressure readings. I was extremely nervous, and after being in the hospital for a few days, the induction unfortunately failed. I was very against having a C-section, but Dr. Gamburg took the time to walk me through the entire procedure and made me feel calm and reassured. In the end, I had a very smooth surgery and recovery. I will forever be thankful that God placed me and my baby in his care and hands.

I delivered my son naturally at the BirthCenter and I could not have done it…read morewithout care and attention of my nurse and midwife. I had a very intense and fast labor and they were with me every step of the way. My first birth experience was very long and horrible in a hospital setting. However, this time around I felt in control and empowered to deliver without medical intervention. I delivered my son on the toilet and into a room full of love. Thanks Lifecycle!

I transferred my care from an ob to Lifecycle because I knew people who had delivered here. I…read moredidn't want to feel like my pregnancy/birth was just something that happened to me. Throughout my journey I appreciated their patient education, empowerment, and support so I could make informed decisions about my care. I like that my prenatal visits were longer than I could expect with an ob and that they provided a binder for me to bring with assigned homework each visit. Rather than having a "birth plan" (because they usually don't go as planned anyway) we were encouraged to think about our hopes and dreams. Everyone I've met here from the nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, lactation consultants, the clinical director, etc. have all been wonderful to me and if I could do it all over again I would have become a patient here sooner. I had many questions along the way so I'm going to be detailed here so others may know what to expect. Before you can become a patient here you have to attend a seminar to learn more about their midwifery model of care, the differences between a birth in their suites vs. at Bryn Mawr Hospital nearby (you can plan to deliver there or there may be reasons you are transferred there the day of, the nurse midwife on call has the clearance to deliver there), postpartum care, and next steps to become a patient. After attending the seminar, I had to sign a medical release forms to have my records transferred from my previous provider before I could schedule any appointments. They have two locations (Bryn Mawr and South Philly) and prenatal visits could be with the same provider or different providers. The first prenatal visit is longer and billed separately while the rest of the appointments are billed to insurance together under their global plan after delivery (not after each appointment). During my regular prenatal visits they measured my fundal height and would feel my bump for the baby's position while estimating weight (they were pretty good at that)! I had to pay for lab tests and non-stress tests separately. While I had to do my formal ultrasounds elsewhere, they had the equipment to do informal ultrasounds just to check on the health of the baby and seemed to be training their staff to do these more. I was required to schedule several classes to prepare for childbirth (series of 4 classes), about lactation essentials, and about navigating your first days at home after birth. The instructors really encourage asking questions and participation, so it was helpful to have this intimate space for that. The dates and cost of these classes are available on their site but you can't schedule them until you're confirmed as a patient. After your delivery they will follow up with you (home visit if you delivered at the birth center or phone call if you delivered at the hospital). There will be a 6-weeks postpartum visit to examine you and make sure your body is recovering but also to check on your mental health (so necessary and important)! They also have weekly lactation support and new parent support groups that were happening on Zoom, I think they are also now offering in-person options too. I could tell from the session I went to that the other families really found this space helpful and were wanting to offer encouragement to newer parents like me while sharing about their knowledge/experience. Cara, one of the lactation consultants, facilitates the virtual groups and is amazing! I hope all this information helps anyone who is considering becoming a Lifecycle patient because the last thing a pregnant woman should have to worry about is the quality of care she is receiving.

I had a traumatic time working with Erin in 2021. It was my first pregnancy and things were going…read morewell at first. In the second trimester, she started mentioning that my blood pressure was elevated. I looked up standards online and it was not yet elevated, so this seemed more precautionary at this point. She kept mentioning that every single appointment. I started to feel extremely anxious going into her office. I was terrified of being risked out and I felt very helpless because I had already paid the majority of the agreed upon payment, so I couldn't transfer to someone else. Around 30 weeks is when things took a turn for the worse. I was panicking about appointments at this point, which of course would give an elevated reading. However, it was when she checked my fundal height and implied that I have gestational diabetes, without doing any testing, that really drew the line. At that point, the only testing I've had was A1C at the beginning and it was borderline pre-diabetes, so based off of that and her checking fundal height, she was asking for a growth scan with no other testing. I was not offered to check my sugars with a glucose monitor, no fasting sugar test, no 1 or 3 hour test, nothing, but her hunch. This also happened at the appointment after I made my final payment to her. At this point I stopped going to her because the anxiety I had was causing me too much stress. Feeling like you will be risked every single appointment based off of hunches made me feel so helpless. She never offered for me to check my blood pressure at home. She never offered anything except what I suspect is discrimination towards my weight. She assumed my higher weight meant health issues, and I guess it was too much liability for her. But, she had no problem keeping everything I paid her. I've worked with other midwives since and they know about this situation and to this day I am measuring BP at home because doing it in office brings up a lot of this for me anxious. That's why I called this experience traumatic, it truly was for me. To make things even worse, when I was giving birth at the hospital, she transferred records and in her records had but that I have hypertension and gestational diabetes, which led to extra testing to my baby. The hospital was shocked by both of those records because my BP was perfect during birth and my and my babies sugars were perfect as well. They wondered after the fact why it even said that. So not only did she risk me out for refusing a growth scan, she then sent false records based off of her hunches to a medical facility. The hypertension part I can understand bc of the readings in office (they never actually reached 140, which is the diagnosis for hypertension), but to say I have GD with zero testing to a hospital, as a "natural" midwife, is just beyond anything imaginable. I've gone on to have a successful home birth with wonderful midwives who actually cared about me and my wellbeing. They never assumed anything about my weight, they gave me tons of options for testing to make sure we have a full picture of my health. They never made me feel like I would get risked out. If anything was every wrong, we talked about it extensively, including what to do to help the situation (iron). If you look at Erin's website, you will find zero photos of anyone who is at a higher weight. She did not have to agree to work with me. I chose her because she claimed to be inclusive. This was a lie that cost me emotionally, financially and ruined my first birth being a home birth. I'm happy to provide proof of working together through email correspondence and receipts.

Choosing Erin as our midwife was by far the best decision we could've made for the birth of our…read morelast baby. After two hospital births and my second being traumatic I finally got the birth I wanted and deserved. The entire experience with Erin from start to finish was amazing. She is extremely knowledgeable, caring and I learned so much from her. The care you receive is WAY beyond the care you would ever receive at an OB office (at least from my experience). Erin truly takes the time during your appointments and you're not rushed out. During my labor I was able to do my own thing but she was readily available when needed. After baby was born she was able to diagnose his lip and tongue and recommended a place to get him revised and did all the standard checks. We had an issue with jaundice on day 2 and Erin acted swiftly to ensure we had a bili blanket delivered right to our door so we never had to step foot in a hospital. During the days we used the blanket she was text and check up on us. I truly cannot say enough good things about our experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

There's a LOT I could say from expired urine dipsticks to ignoring a patient advocating strongly…read morefor themself but I won't say anything. I'll just leave my rating.

GOOGLE HER. Multiple wrongful death cases. Awful experience. DO NOT USE THEM. Never showed up to…read moreour birth- even after calling when labor began and giving them ample heads up warning. Didn't leave for 2 hours after we called saying active labor was underway. Every appointment we went to, we were told stories of how they rush to births and drive quickly and it's a whirlwind. It should have been a red-flag. Do your research. We delivered our child alone. After, we wrote several emails trying to discuss why this happened, why they dropped off and no aftercare was received & they refused to communicate or acknowledge us while not responding to anything. Please please please consider another midwife! *Their response to my negative review speaks for itself.*

My wife and I hired Kate to be the doula for the birth of our daughter in March of 2013, and I…read morecannot recommend her enough. We first met with Kate during my wife's second trimester, still unsure if we wanted to hire a doula (and, for my part, unsure of what exactly a doula did!). Our doubts were completely put to rest from the very first meeting. Kate exudes a sense of calm and competence, and answered all of our (probably lame) questions respectfully and intelligently. From the beginning, Kate was most interested in helping us to have the kind of birth experience that we wanted, rather than imposing her views or preferences on us. From our experience, her approach is as hands-off or hands-on as the parents or partners want, though she was constantly supportive and encouraging, and full of resources. We took Kate's Healthy Childbirth classes as well, and I would highly recommend these. Over three weeks, Kate gave us a great sense of what to expect from the birth experience, as well as strategies for coping with unexpected contingencies. By the end, I felt I knew what we could ask of each other and the baby, as well as what to expect from the hospital birth experience. She helped us negotiate the fraught politics of childbirth in a non-judgmental, accepting, and highly-knowedgable way. As we approached the birth, I knew that Kate would be supportive no matter what we decided to do, and prepared to guide us through any crisis. My wife's labor and birth experience were difficult. She labored for over forty hours, and at the end the baby was delivered via emergency C-section. Although because of the surgery Kate wasn't able to be with us during the birth itself, she was a great source of support and calm during the labor and afterward, as my wife recovered from the surgery. It was immensely reassuring to know that we had someone present who could be our advocate, should we need it. Although we never needed Kate to act on our behalf, it was immensely calming to know that she was there, and to trust that our best interests were in good hands. If we have another baby, we will definitely hire Kate again.

I think it's safe to say that I (or my husband) wouldn't have made it through a natural labor…read morewithout Kate's calming presence. If and when baby #2 comes along, I will definitely give Kate a call.

7 days for a call back to reschedule an apt…read more I was told "we don't have anymore appointments for the month when I was 36 weeks pregnant and needed weekly appointments... It's taken them over 3 business days to send a clearance for an antibiotic for an infection in my tooth. No one answers the nursing line, and they don't call you back for days. The doctors are great, everything else is not good. If you need to make or change an apt. I would recommend driving to the office.

I switched from another practice to this one a few years ago because the other practice was grossly…read moreincompetent. At my first well woman visit at this practice, the midwife caught that my thyroid felt enlarged, and sent me for blood work and an ultrasound. It turned out I'm hypothyroid, and thanks to the early detection, I was able to get on medication quickly. I've also been with this practice through two pregnancies. The first was low risk until I sadly went into preterm labor and delivered my daughter at 22 weeks. The second was high risk and involved many, many appointments, both with the OBs and with the MFM at the hospital. I've gotten to know all of the OBs who deliver babies at this practice (there are 8) and they all are fantastic. Dr. Balwani delivered my daughter, and while I didn't get a chance to see her in my pregnancy with my son, she saw me in the hospital after delivery. It was good to connect with her again in a situation that had a better ending than the first time. Dr. Grant held my hand through scary carrier screening results in my first pregnancy, and admitted me to the hospital in at 23 weeks my second pregnancy because she believed my concerns and took me seriously. Luckily, baby and I were fine. Then, she wrote a strongly worded letter to the insurance company when they tried to deny payment for my hospital stay. The insurance company paid up after that. Dr. Leedom was so kind and reassuring at all my appointments. In fact, I saw her for a concern I had in between the loss of my daughter and conceiving my son, and I was impressed with her bedside manner. She takes the time to answer all your questions and never rushes you. She explains everything thoroughly. Even though the answers aren't always what I want to hear, I appreciated her taking the time to explain things. Dr. Loeb happened to be on call the weekend I presented at the hospital, when it turned out I was in labor with my son. I was almost 35 weeks. I'd been iffy on him in my first pregnancy, so I hadn't seen him in my second. BUT, I have egg on my face now. Dr. Loeb ended up performing an emergency c-section when it became clear that my baby was in distress. I had minimal complications with recovery thanks to his skill. I and my husband thanked him multiple times for saving our baby, but Dr. Loeb is very humble and almost seemed embarrassed by our praise. If you end up needing a c-section, you want Dr. Loeb to do the surgery. Dr. Miranda is wonderful. She is incredibly personable and, like Dr. Leedom, takes her time and doesn't rush. I often ended up seeing her at the Bordentown office when I needed a last-minute appointment, as Lawrence is incredibly busy and rarely had same-day openings. I actually liked the Bordentown office a lot because it was so quiet! Dr. Przybylko performed my cervical cerclage surgery at 22 weeks in my second pregnancy. The cerclage held until I went into labor at almost 35 weeks (for reasons unrelated to the cerclage). I'm thankful for her skill which helped prolong my pregnancy, because without it, I'm convinced I would have lost my second pregnancy in the same manner as I lost my first. Dr. Stanell is utterly fantastic. He was the doctor who discharged me after my daughter was born. He ordered a lot of tests for me to help rule out causes for my loss. And, he ordered other tests in my second pregnancy and assured me that I wouldn't have to go past 39 weeks given my history. In fact, I had a scheduled induction with him, but I didn't make it that far! Dr. Tashjian is so kind and also wonderful. She believed me and my concerns and was so empathetic when I cried in the exam room. She made it possible for me to be seen at the MFM's office a day before my scheduled appointment. I ended up having my cerclage surgery done the next day. I know on certain corners of the internet, OBs get a bad rap and people prefer midwives. They think OBs are dismissive and uncaring and push c-sections because it's "more convenient" for them, but I don't think that's true at all. There are inevitable personality clashes, but at the end of the day, the OBs at this practice care about a healthy mom and a healthy baby. I plan on staying here for my well woman visits, and if I was to have another pregnancy, I would totally trust them with my care.