Birth Center Birth and Water Birth in Cary, NC
Haven is a freestanding birth center where healthy women with low-risk pregnancies give birth with certified nurse-midwives in a calm, private suite. You're free to move, eat, rest, and labor your way, with skilled care close by the whole time. Our midwives are on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Inside Our Birth Suites
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Queen-size bed, with room for your whole family
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Deep soaking tub for hydrotherapy and water birth
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Extra-large shower
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Adjustable lighting and Bluetooth speakers
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Two kitchenettes for you and your support people
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Safety equipment, medications, and oxygen available when needed
Comfort in Labor, Your Way
You choose how you move and what helps. Options include:
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Warm water in the tub or shower
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Nitrous oxide
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TENS unit
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Birth balls, peanut balls, and a Swedish bar for positioning
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Aromatherapy
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Massage, counter-pressure, and warm compresses
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Eating and drinking as you like
Water Birth
Every suite has a large tub, and many women find warm water eases discomfort. Research shows that laboring in water may shorten labor and lower the need for an epidural. If you'd like to give birth in the water, your midwife will talk with you about the benefits and risks so you can decide together.
What to Expect on the Day
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Spend early labor at home if things are progressing normally. Call your midwife anytime.
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Come in when contractions are regular and getting stronger, your water breaks, you have vaginal bleeding or feeling pelvic pressure. We're also happy to see you anytime you have concerns.
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Your midwife and nurse will check on you and your baby throughout labor and support you and baby through birth and your early postpartum time.
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After birth, your baby goes straight to your chest for skin-to-skin time. We support delayed cord clamping and help you initiate breastfeeding.
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Your midwife does your baby's first newborn exam in your suite.
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Most families go home 4 to 12 hours after birth. We have a follow up visit 24 to 48 hours after birth to ensure that things are going well for mom and baby - in your home or here at the birth center.
Safety and Hospital Care
Haven is accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC), which means we meet national standards for birth center safety. Our team trains regularly and has a clear plan for transferring to hospital care if the need arises. Haven is less than 1/4 mile from the nearest hospital.
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Most transfers are not emergencies. The most common reasons are a long labor or a desire for pain relief. If a transfer is needed, your midwife explains why, shares your records with the hospital team, and helps make the move as smooth as possible.
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The national research is reassuring. In the National Birth Center Study II, which followed more than 15,000 families at 79 birth centers, 94% of those who began labor planning a birth center birth had a vaginal birth. The cesarean rate was 6%, and fewer than 1 in 100 needed an emergency transfer during labor.
Who Can Give Birth at Haven
Birth center care is for healthy women with low-risk pregnancies with labor occurring between 37 and 42 weeks. Your midwife reviews your health throughout pregnancy to make sure the birth center continues to be the right place for you.
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Cost and Insurance
Your bundled fee covers prenatal care, labor and birth, postpartum care, newborn care and classes. Haven is an out-of-network provider with many insurance plans, and our team can request an insurance benefits breakdown for you that shows your estimated costs. We also offer a self-pay rate, an interest-free payment plan through 36 weeks and CareCredit financing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my spouse, family, or doula be there?
Yes. Your support people are family are welcome and there's room for them in your suite or they are welcome to relax and enjoy our family room.
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Can I get an epidural at Haven?
We do not offer epidurals at Haven. Epidurals are only available in a hospital and require extra monitoring during labor. We hope to prepare you for a natural labor and offer many labor support options to help you go through the incredible and sometimes intense experience of giving birth. Prenatal education helps you and your support people to be prepared for the journey. We will provide options including recommendations for position changes, hydrotherapy in the shower or tub, TENS unit, access to nitrous oxide and many other comfort options as well as encouragement from a care team familiar with normal labor and birth. If you decide you want an epidural during labor, we'll help you transfer to a hospital.
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What should I bring?
See our birth center packing list on the blog for everything you'll need for you, your partner, and your baby.
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What happens if I need a c-section?
Cesarean sections are done in a hospital. Your midwife will help transfer your care and share your records with the hospital team.
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How far is Haven from the hospital?
Less than 1/4 mile from the nearest hospital.