Midwifery

The midwifery program at Drexel University College of Medicine has been an integral part of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1986. The six midwives in our practice work in collaboration with a supportive and highly respected team of Ob/Gyns, nurse practitioners and specialist in maternal and fetal medicine.

We are a diverse group of midwives with varied interests and experience but what binds us together is our commitment to the women to whom we provide care. Philosophically, midwifery means to be “with women.” Spending time at every visit getting to know each person and her very individual needs, questions, and concerns. Midwifery means viewing women through the very lens of their families, community, religious beliefs, language and country of origin. Fundamentall, midwifery is about honoring who the women is and what her choices are about her care. Midwifery is not about birth without pain medicine, but rather, it is about sitting next to a woman in labor and honoring the journey of her labor and the needs that arise on the way.

Midwives have a long and illustrious tradition of assisting mothers at birth. In addition, certified nurse midwives provide women – from teens to those in their childbearing years and beyond – with their well women, gynecologic and family planning care. We provide the same individual attention and unhurried atmosphere during the annual physical and gynecologic exam as we do for women receiving their prenatal care from our practice.

The midwifery practice at Drexel University College of Medicine is available in the office every day of the week. We currently have offices in north Philadelphia, west Philadelphia, on City Avenue in Bala Cynwood, in Germantown and at the Women’s Care Center at MCP Hospital. We hope to expand our office hours to include evening in our Center City location by the summer of 2002.

We welcome you questions about our practice and are available for consultations at any of our six offices. In addition, if there are questions I can answer personally, please feel free to contact me at (215) 762-1493.

Sincerely,

Laurie G. Jenkins, MSN, CNM
Division Chief of Midwifery
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Drexel University College of Medicine