Midwifery and Home Birth Care in Allentown, PA
If you live in Allentown and want a midwife who takes time to know you, Cardinal Birth Midwifery would love to hear from you. Led by Abby Iovine, a traditional midwife, our practice offers care built on trust, information, and respect for your choices.
Abby Iovine is a traditional midwife. She provides care centered on listening, informed choice, and respect for each family's values. Appointments are designed to be unhurried, so you have time to ask questions and understand your options. Whether home birth is a good fit for you depends on your health and circumstances, and we will talk it through together honestly.
Photo: Soldiers and Sailors Monument by AllieJo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to expect
Here is what you can expect when you work with Cardinal Birth Midwifery:
A free phone or video consult first, with no pressure to commit
Prenatal visits that focus on you as a whole person, not just a checklist
Shared decision-making, with clear information so you can choose what feels right
Birth and postpartum care, with a plan in place for what to do if plans change
About Abigail Iovine
I'm Abby. I founded Cardinal Birth in 2013 after five years of apprenticeship under local midwifery elders.
I'm a mother of ten. Four hospital births. Six at home — three with a midwife, three unassisted. I am not theorizing about what birth can look like when it's left alone. I know.
I've attended births across this region for over a decade. I bring emergency preparedness, deep experience, and the kind of calm that only comes from having seen a lot of births — including my own.
You are the lead in your care. My job is to make sure you stay that way.
Allentown rowhome or suburban cul-de-sac, same care.
Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County and the third-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It began as a German-speaking farm town, then grew with the Lehigh Canal into one of the first industrialized areas in the country. Families live in Center City, the West End, Old Allentown, South Side, and out in Whitehall, Salisbury, and Emmaus. We bring full traditional midwifery care to your home: prenatal visits, birth attendance, and postpartum and newborn visits.
First-time parents, big households, and homeschoolers are all welcome. Children are welcome at visits and at the birth. Your home visit covers parking, stairs, and where the birth space will be. Consults by phone or video are free.
Hospital transfer and honesty about our care. Every family gets a plan. As part of her care model, Abby identifies the nearest appropriate hospital to your home and explains how a transfer would work. Which hospital that is depends on where you live, and you can look at Pennsylvania hospitals, blood banks, and EMS on our Safe Passages map. Pennsylvania does not license traditional midwives, so we do not have collaboration or backup arrangements with physicians, and Cardinal Birth is not state-licensed. We tell every family that up front.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer home birth in Allentown? Yes. Allentown is within our service area, which reaches about two hours from Stroudsburg (ZIP 18360). Whether home birth is a good fit depends on your health and pregnancy, which Abby will talk through with you.
Is home birth right for everyone? Not necessarily. Eligibility depends on your health, your pregnancy, and other factors. Abby will review your history with you and talk honestly about what is and is not a good fit.
What happens if I need to go to the hospital? Where you would transfer depends on where you live. As part of her care model, Abby identifies the nearest appropriate hospital to your home and walks you through how a transfer would work. You can also explore Pennsylvania hospitals and EMS on our Safe Passages map: https://www.pamidwife.com/safe-passages-map
Do you work with a doctor or have backup providers? No. Pennsylvania does not license traditional midwives, so Cardinal Birth Midwifery does not have formal collaboration or backup arrangements with physicians. Cardinal Birth is not state-licensed, and we tell every family that up front.
Is the first consultation free, and how do I book? Yes. Phone and video consults are free. Book a time here: https://calendly.com/abigail-iovine/let-me-give-you-a-call, or email cardinalbirth@gmail.com.
Where we serve in Allentown
Allentown is within Abby's service area of about two hours from Stroudsburg (ZIP 18360). We serve families in Allentown and nearby Emmaus, Macungie, and Center Valley, all in Pennsylvania.
Our towns near you:
Allentown
Emmaus
Macungie
Center Valley
Nearby areas we also serve: Lehigh Valley · Poconos · Scranton & Wilkes-Barre · Carbon & Schuylkill
Ready to talk?
Book a free consult. Phone and video consults are free. Book a time here or email cardinalbirth@gmail.com. Bring your questions, your family, and your hopes, and Abby will be honest about what care with Cardinal Birth Midwifery can and cannot offer you.