About Us

Our story

LVMWW started in 2006 with the intention of being a birth center as requested by the families in the area. While working through the regulations, we were (and still are) a homebirth service. In 2009, Susan was offered privileges at Ephrata Community Hospital providing more continuity of care. The Commission on Accreditation of Birth Centers accredited Lebanon Valley Birth Center (finally) opened in October 2014.

Susan started to add staff as we grew. Currently we have two full-time and two part-time nurse-midwives, three registered nurses, a lactation consultant and three office support staff.

LVMWW’s Philosophy and Mission of Care

Lebanon Valley Midwifery and Women’s Wellness (LVMWW) is an autonomous life-affirming birth and wellness center. Our mission is to provide safe, gentle, and sensitive midwifery care to the diverse families in our community. We believe that in an atmosphere of shared knowledge, mutual responsibility and education, people are empowered to be active partners in developing a safe and comprehensive plan for their care. We believe that optimal health care combines current scientific knowledge with a deep respect for individual physical, social, spiritual, psychological, and economic needs. We believe in wellness care – health promotion and disease prevention.

Pregnancy and childbirth is usually a healthy, normal process and a natural, joyous family event.  Worldwide, most babies are born into the hands of a midwife. It is a great honor to support our clients’ power to give birth and be present with them and those they love. We respect their self-determination of their birthing experience – their provider and a birth setting in which they are safe and most comfortable.

What Sets Us Apart

We offer comprehensive care by state-licensed certified nurse-midwives with office or home visits in the context of consultation, collaboration with or referral to other health care providers as appropriate. Services include: 

-Well-woman care: health screenings, physical exams and family planning

– Gynecological and incidental health problems: evaluation, counseling and/or treatment for minor problems and referral for more complicated ones

– Childbearing: pre-conceptual, comprehensive prenatal, labor and birth, postpartum and initial infertility care

– Newborn care: through 4 weeks of age, especially including breastfeeding aid.

We promote family-centered childbirth and respect a woman’s right to control her birthing experience. We support a woman’s power and her ability to give birth naturally with minimal technical intervention. LVMWW respects a women’s choice of birth setting, be it home, birth center or hospital, after informed consent, including the potential benefits and harms of each, and, for those who chose out-of-hospital settings, who meet the selection criteria.  

We pledge our guidance, knowledge, and presence during a women’s care.  

LVMWW is committed to the development of the midwifery profession by practicing in accordance with ACNMs professional standards, by participating in research and quality evaluation, and by precepting students and new CNMs.