DREXEL HILL, Pa. – The Midwives of Delaware County, a group of caring, committed midwives dedicated to providing gynecologic and obstetrical care for women of all ages, received a $17,556 grant from the March of Dimes to develop an innovative “Centering Pregnancy” program at their Upper Darby office.

Representatives from the March of Dimes formally presented the grant to the Midwives during a special ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 8, in the Horizon Room of the Philadelphia Sheraton at 17^th and Race Streets.

The grant will be used to develop a “Centering Pregnancy” program at the Midwives’ office, located at 1560 Garrett Road, Upper Darby. “Centering Pregnancy” programs alter routine prenatal care by bringing women out of exam rooms and into groups for their care. After each routine prenatal exam, women will be invited to join with eight to 12 other women with similar due dates, whom they will meet with regularly throughout their pregnancies.

“We’re thrilled and very grateful to receive this valuable grant from the March of Dimes,” says Becca Choitz, CNM, director of Midwifery Services for Crozer-Keystone Health System and a member of Midwives of Delaware County. “Our goal is to make our Centering Pregnancy program a method to give even more continued support to teens and other moms-to-be. The program will be an effective way of teaching women about their pregnancies and getting them involved in their own care.”

“We found that of the 330 deliveries reported by Upper Darby residents in the last year, 37 of the mothers were teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18,” said Barbara Hand, chair of the voluntary Community Grants Program Committee at March of Dimes. “We are grateful that our successful fundraising efforts, such as WalkAmerica, make it possible for us to support new programs in Upper Darby that can help more babies be born healthy.”

Beginning this spring, each group will be facilitated by one of the six midwives in the practice. Along with Choitz, the Midwives of Delaware County includes Rosemary FitzGerald, CNM; Bernadette Lloyd-Sobolow, CNM; Amy Nathans, CNM; Moon Smith, CNM; and Linsey Will, CNM.

Each “Centering Pregnancy” group will form between participants’ 12^th and 16^th weeks of pregnancy and continue through the early postpartum period, meeting every month for the first four months and then biweekly.

The Midwives of Delaware County is a practice of six gentle, responsive, competent and confident midwives. The midwives treat women with respect and dignity, and help them to feel empowered about their bodies, their babies, and their lives. Services provided by the Midwives include pregnancy testing, family planning services, gynecologic care for teens through menopause, prenatal care, labor and birth in beautiful birthing rooms at Delaware County Memorial Hospital, and on-site counseling services. Each patient who visits the Midwives of Delaware County is able to choose one midwife to provide gynecologic or prenatal care; will benefit from longer visits with more time to talk; and will receive all of the information needed to help make educated choices about their care. Patients choosing prenatal services from the Midwives will benefit from having their dedicated midwife stay with them throughout their labor and delivery and can have loved ones attend all aspects of prenatal care, from office visits to labor and delivery.

Delaware County Memorial Hospital (DCMH), a member of Crozer-Keystone, delivers more than 1,400 babies each year in its state-of-the-art Maternal/Child Health Unit. DCMH offers a number of amenities designed to make the most ideal birth experience for every maternity patient, including Jacuzzi tubs to soothe early labor pains, Papa Pagers for partners or support persons anticipating the birth, flexible visiting hours, a snack service for mothers who have recently delivered, and access to a Newborn Television Channel. New amenities available at DCMH include admission kits containing bath and beauty items like shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion and tissues; wireless Internet access in every maternity room so patients can stay in touch with friends and family even during bed rest; new baby photography services; and “Stork Parking” spots close to the hospital specifically reserved for expectant mothers or for those who have recently delivered. To learn more about maternity services at DCMH, call 1-800-CK-HEALTH (1-800-254-3258) or visit http://www.crozer.org/CKHS/COE/Maternity/.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies, and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes web site at www.marchofdimes.com, or its Spanish-language web site at www.nacersano.org.