Birth Centers in Charlotte, NC

[JulAmber]

Can anyone tell me of any birth centers in Charlotte, NC? My husband and I may have to be relocating there soon and I am due in March.

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by JulAmber

Can anyone tell me of any birth centers in Charlotte, NC? My husband and I may have to be relocating there soon and I am due in March.

Like, natural birthing friendly? None. High Point is the closest, other than homebirthing.


Pat

[gemasita]

The only freestanding birth center in NC is in Chapel Hill. I'm not sure about in SC though, since you are close to the border.

[dinahx]

Here are your options:
Presby-Huntersville (hospital): Very much a hospital but with a WONDERFUL CNM: Marcia Chilluck and a doctor Dr. Peacock. They practice together . . . They have the best hospital births locally and I have been reading local birth stories for over a year.

CMC-Pineville (hospital): More a hospital even, but has a practice of 4 midwives (within a huge doctor practice) who are CNMs and who will 'allow' natural birth . . . The staff there tends to be supportive too . . . But you would be, IMHO, more likely to get your ideal birth with Marcia . . . The midwives don't work weekends currently. If you go into labor on a weekend, a doctor will deliver you . . .

Under the Radar Care: We have a few CPMs practicing locally that do HomeBirths . . . If you ask around, you will find out who they are soon enough . . .

Birth Center in SC: This is theoretically possible, as is living in SC! You can live just south of the border (20 minutes to Uptown Charlotte) or get a sublet there and have a LEGAL homebirth attended by a State Licensed Midwife . . . Damaris Pittman is the local one who is great, I hear . . . She has a website if you search her . . . SC licenses midwives, but they cannot attend VBACs . . .

You could also travel to Asheville (Mission Hospital, New Dawn Midwifery, etc) . . . New Dawn will deliver at Mission. They are very picky about who they will take, so I don't know if renting a place near the hospital and asking them to attend you at home would work.

The SC birth centers are pretty far from CLT, I think the closest one is in Columbia . . . Which is a hike and I don't know anything about them . . . But worth checking into! HTH!!!

[JulAmber]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I currently live in SC and am seeing a midwife in Spartanburg. If we ended up living on the border, that would only be 45 minutes away. However, my husbands company is in N. Charlotte, making it more like an hour and a half. I don't know at this point how close to his company we plan on living. A lot will just depend on the cost of living around there but I think we would both prefer to live closer to SC than further away since all our friends will be in SC obviously and my family is in SC.

I may just stick with the birth center I have. That would make it closer for family to come see me, too. But I at least wanted to see what the options were in the Charlotte area. I wasn't aware that midwifery wasn't legal in NC. Is that the case? Would that explain the absence of birth centers? I have a friend in Raleigh that used a birth center so I guess I am confused.

[beanma]

your friend must have come to women's birth and wellness center in chapel hill since I think it's the only one still operating i the state. I think I read on here that the High Point center closed several years ago.

CNMs are legal in NC, but not CPMs. CNMs must have doctor back up as well.

[dinahx]

Yes, and it just that no doctors will back HB CNMs in NC (or very few) so it doesn't happen. It could but it doesn't . . . Maybe has something to do with our malpractice laws/rates? IDK

[JulAmber]

What about childbirth education in Charlotte? And doulas? I would prefer not to take one of the traditional hospital courses (although Spartanburg Regional has a Hypnobirthing class and that isn't traditional.) I had found the perfect one here in SC but I don't want to have to travel every week for it if there is something comparable in Charlotte.

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by JulAmber

What about childbirth education in Charlotte? And doulas? I would prefer not to take one of the traditional hospital courses (although Spartanburg Regional has a Hypnobirthing class and that isn't traditional.) I had found the perfect one here in SC but I don't want to have to travel every week for it if there is something comparable in Charlotte.

We've just created a new local network to connect the holistic community. We intend to have more social gatherings, MNO, holistic presentations, playgroups and events. Join us! Participation is FREE! http://xploringholisticalternatives.ning.com/

We are having a "Birth Awareness" presentation. We'll have a Bradley instructor, birth doula, post-partum doula, hypno-birthing support sharing information. And perhaps a midwife attending also. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month at EarthFare-Ballantyne. So, Oct. 15th, at 7:30pm.

You are also welcome to post for recommendations of birthing support on the forums there.


Our next MNO is Wednesday, October 1st at 7:30 pm.

Location: Melting Pot
901 South Kings Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28204
http://www.meltingpot.com/location.aspx?q=97

RSVP if you can join us!


Pat

[JulAmber]

Thanks! I don't know yet when we will be moving out to Charlotte but probably sooner rather than later.

[WuWei]

C-section, VBAC, vaginal birth records, 2007, Charlotte, NC

Just found this!

Wanted to share the data about C-section, VBAC, vaginal birth records, for Charlotte, NC. The 2007, "Method of Delivery" records, by hospital come directly from the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services. Please share them around for mamas interested in first time vaginal births, or VBACs. The national C-section rate has escalated to 31.7%. It is higher in NC.

A Birth Center is opening in Fort Mill, SC this summer!
http://carolinabirth.org/

Total C-section rate for 2007
NC Total 32.2%
Lake Norman 37.5%
Presby-Huntersville 32.9%

CMC-Pineville 32.5%
CMC-Main 31.4% (lower than the state average)
Presby- Main 38% (18% higher than the state average!!)

CMC-University 38.4% (19% higher than the state average!!)
Presby-Matthews 34% (higher than the state average)
CMC-Union County 25.8% (20% lower than the state average.)



Best chance of a vaginal first birth is at
CMC-Union County 87.8% of all births are vaginal, much higher than the state average.
CMC-Main 82.7%
CMC-Pineville 81.9%

Worst chance of a vaginal first birth is at
Presby-Main 77.3% of all births are vaginal, much lower than the state average.
CMC-University 78%

Best chance of a VBAC is at
CMC-Main 2.5%
CMC-Pineville 1.6%
CMC-University 1.5%

Most chance of a repeat C-section is at
Lake Norman 16.6% of all births
CMC-University 14.9% of all births
Presby-Main 14.2% of all births

Least chance of a repeat C-section is at
CMC-Main-11.7%
CMC-Pineville- 12.7%
CMC-Union Co. 12.9%
Presby-Huntersville 12.9%

I'm trying to get a link to the source document. But, this is astounding.
I'm shocked that I was able to birth vaginally at Presby.


Pat Robinson
http://xploringholisticalternatives.ning.com/

[Mrs.Floyd]

I just wanted to add and update this a little bit -

Marcia (CNM) is no longer w/ Dr. Peacock. I don't have any info on where she went, but he is still a very supportive Dr. who is not afraid of VBAC from what I've heard/read.

CMC-Pineville - there are more CNMs now - Piedmont GYN/OB delivers there and now has 5 CNMs and has opened a second office in the Fort Mill area near I-77. I believe that now having 5 CNMs means that they now have 24/7 coverage at the hospital, since w/ 3 CNMs they did not cover the weekends, but I'm not positive... Overall the hospital has a decent reputation for 'allowing' natural birth but you really need to be prepared, especially if you are going to decline any 'routine' newborn procedures, b/c the nurses can get on auto-pilot if you're not careful (happened to me w/ the vit. K).

And I'm so excited about the Birth Center coming to Fort Mill!!! (greater Charlotte area) This will be the area's first 'legal' alternative to a hospital birth or underground homebirth (or of course legal homebirth in SC if you have a location). It will be midwife-run. They are currently trying to raise the funds to secure their site and hoping to be up and running by Labor Day 2009...

[momileigh]

update...

The Carolina Community Maternity Center is now open! It is located in Fort Mill, SC just south of Charlotte off highway 77. The website is CarolinaBirth.org

[vagirl]

There is something very, very important when interpreting these statistics, in order to be fair not only to YOURSELF but the facility as well.

The hospitals that have the highest rates of c-sections ALSO have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as well as a high-risk maternity sub-specialty of the Maternity Ward....as a NICU-RN, I can assure you that there are very valid medical reasons for c-sections on women who are NOT candidates for vaginal deliveries. 

If your baby is having late decels...your baby can only do that for so long during labor before it is either get out by c-section or you will risk your baby not surviving at all.  No OB is going to put a mother's life at risk along with her baby when her blood pressure shoots up to 240/125...that mother is going to get a c-section.  The diabetic mother who is a first-time mother with a breech baby that cannot be successfully turned that is estimated to be 10lbs plus...again, no way is the OB going to risk that.  There are other considerations such as known birth defects of the infant, reproductive history of the mother, it is only safe to deliver twins if both babies are in the vertex position...I have PERSONALLY witnessed a horrific outcome of an OB that tried to deliver twins when one was breech in "hopes" he could turn the other after he delivered the first  He was not successful.

Seriously folks...I am ALL FOR a natural birth if the mother desires one!  However, don't ASSUME that just because a facility has a high c-section rate that it means that the "hospital" is responsible.

Hospitals don't order nor perform c-sections...OB's do...do your research and find the right physician that will respect your wishes.  Understand that you have the right to refuse ANY TREATMENT or monitoring...however, understand that as healthcare professionals, they have to inform you of the risks if you do....he or she would be irresponsible if they did otherwise.

[cinderella08]

I had a c-section at CMC-Pineville.  The typical "failure to progress"  "baby is too big".  My OB coerced and bullied me into a section 33 minutes from her shift end.

I had a VBAC with a CNM in Columbia, SC

I'll be birthing at Carolina Waterbirth as a VBAC in Simpsonville, SC next time.

Edited by cinderella08 - 5/31/11 at 6:09pm

[BirthTender]

I am not working a birth center (but will consider that when the one in Statesville opens). I own and am CNM of homebirth practice in Hickory, NC.

I have worked in a few free standing birth centers since 1985 and enjoyed them all.

Karen Benfield, CNM of BirthTender

[BirthTender]

P.S. The whole Chrlotte area greater surrounding areas is withing my traveling radius. Back up doctor is up in Mooresville

I know quite a number of families on here have been wanting and needing a homebirth CNM practice.