Homebirth Midwives in the Triangle of North Carolina: A Guide to CNM Homebirth Care
CNM Tina Braimah of Sankofa patiently waits as I support my client. Although no longer serving as a homebirth midwife, Tina now operates AYA Birth & Community Wellness, the only CABC accredited, black-midwife led birth center in NC.
Raleigh Birth Photography
Homebirth Midwifery Care in the Triangle of North Carolina
One of the most important decisions you'll make when planning a homebirth is choosing the care provider who will walk beside you throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Homebirth midwifery care is different from conventional maternity care in many ways. Appointments are often longer, relationships are built over time, and care tends to emphasize informed decision-making, individualized support, physiologic birth, and potentially continuous care throughout the childbearing year.
Rather than focusing solely on medical management, homebirth midwives often take a holistic approach that considers physical health, emotional wellbeing, family dynamics, nutrition, lifestyle, and preparation for the transition into parenthood.
As a doula serving families throughout the Triangle for more than a decade, I've had the privilege of supporting births alongside many incredible midwives. Every practice brings its own philosophy, strengths, and style of care. This guide is intended to help families become familiar with some of the Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) offering homebirth services throughout Central North Carolina.
How to Choose a Homebirth Midwife
No two midwives practice exactly alike. It’s important to take some time to explore what practices may be in alignment with your particular needs and wishes. The best midwife for you and your family should be someone you feel safe with and trust.
You can learn more about some specific questions to ask potential midwives by exploring my blog post Homebirth in NC. To get you started, you’ll want to consider some of the following topics:
Philosophy of care
Experience and training
Birth statistics and outcomes
Transfer protocols
Geographic service area
Communication style
Availability
Insurance and payment options
Below are several Certified Nurse Midwife practices serving families throughout the Triangle and surrounding communities.
Directory Of cnm Homebirth midwives serving the triangle of north carolina
CNM Nancy Harman checks fetal heart tones while her client relaxes in the birth tub
Photo: HannaHill Photography
Birthwise of Central NC
Midwife: Nancy Harman, CNM
Location: Pittsboro office, serving families throughout the Triangle, Triad & Sandhills.
Email: nwharman@gmail.com
Phone: (919) 548-0677
Philosophy & Approach
A trusted name in the homebirth community with years of service to families in the Triangle, Triad, and Sandhills. Birthwise has built partnerships of respect with other providers, most notably with UNC Family Medicine at Chapel Hill which has offered collaborative care over the years, making transfers happen with more ease when necessary.
What Makes Birthwise Unique
Longest practicing homebirth CNM in the Triangle
Practices collaborative care with UNC Family Medicine
Full-scope homebirth care
Breastfeeding support
Nutrition Counseling
Holistic and wellness-centered approach
Midwives Rose Watson-Ormond and Violet Trisolini
Photo: Katie Jackson
Haw River Midwifery
Midwives: Rose Watson-Ormond, CNM and Maddye McGinigle, CNM
Location: Office in Saxapahaw. Serving the Triangle, Triad, and parts of the Sandhills.
Website: Haw River Midwifery
Email: contact@hawrivermidwifery.com
Philosophy & Approach
Haw River Midwifery emphasizes informed consent, shared decision-making, trauma-informed care, bodily autonomy, and accessible community-centered midwifery care.
“Haw River Midwifery is built on the Midwifery Model of Care, seeking to partner with clients in a spirit of trust and shared-decision making. We believe that birthing people and women always know the right choice for their bodies and their babies. We are privileged to come alongside clients, honoring their knowledge and intuition, and by providing informed consent, trauma-informed care, and always upholding bodily autonomy at every stage in care.
We believe birth is an inherently normal, non-pathologic process that has traditionally been attended by midwives, wise women and healers throughout history, mostly in the home or community setting. We believe that our bodies are not inherently broken or flawed and that birth best unfolds when the birthing person feels safe and held, and for many people that means birthing at home. We believe that community birth should not be a luxury, and we strive to make our home birth care as affordable as possible to as many people as possible.
We recognize that racism is literally killing Black and indigenous people of color (BIPOC), and that the solutions to that are found in reparations and in handing power back to BIPOC communities. As white women, we recognize the power and privilege we hold and promise to trust Black women and to do our part to acknowledge our own biases and ways we benefit from racism.
We recognize that folks of all genders become pregnant, have babies, feed their babies, and are parents. The pregnancy, birth, and parenthood journey can be deeply feminine and an important part of being a woman for many people, and also multiple beautiful narratives exist outside of the gender binary around pregnancy, birth, infant feeding, and parenthood, all of which are valued, valid, and supported by HRM.
We do what we do because we love birth, we love seeing you come into your power, finding your voice and we promise to be with you every step of the way, regardless of if your birth takes place in your bathtub, on your bedroom floor, or in the hospital or in the operating room. We believe in the power of partnership and in continuity of care.
We do what we do because the postpartum time matters - we do unlimited in-home postpartum visits with a minimum of 3 visits, including a lactation consultant visit for everyone (even if you’re bottle feeding!), and non-stop on call time to help you navigate this tender time.
We do what we do because we love community - motherhood and parenthood can be isolating and lonely. We bring folks together as much as possible, help build connections, create the spaces for us to be there for each other, to show up for each other and cheer each other on. We want to see your babies grow up and we want to see you grow into parenthood.”
What Makes Haw River Unique
Strong focus on informed choice
Shared decision-making
Trauma-informed care
Inclusive care model
Knowledge of herbs
Sliding scale for qualifying families
Fertility, lactation, and primary care offerings
Community-centered philosophy
Offers community classes and support circles
CNM Laura Gray hugs her client after delivery
Ohana Midwifery & Wellness
Midwives: Laura Gray, CNM and Marinda Carraway, CNM
Location: Offices in N. Raleigh and Roseboro. Serving families throughout the Triangle & Sandhills.
Website: Ohana Midwifery & Wellness
Philosophy & Approach
Ohana describes their care as being rooted in trust, education, connection, and personalized support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
“We believe that every person ~ regardless of gender, background, or stage of life ~ deserves care that is compassionate, personalized, and rooted in trust.
We combine the wisdom and presence of midwifery with the accessibility and consistency of direct primary care to offer a truly holistic model. Whether you're preparing to welcome a new baby, navigating a health concern, or simply seeking a provider who sees you as a whole person, we’re here to walk beside you.
Our mission is to create a safe, welcoming space where clients feel informed, empowered, and supported — from birth to everyday wellness and everything in between. By stepping outside the traditional healthcare system, we make room for longer visits, deeper connections, and care that honors your voice, your values, and your family.”
What Makes Ohana Unique
Family-centered, relational model
Full-spectrum midwifery care & homebirth support
Collaborative care & informed consent
Lactation and postpartum services
Focus on whole person care ~ emotional, social, and spiritual well-being
Special Beginnings Midwifery
Midwives: Adiah Oyefesobi, CNM, Kristina Boyd, CNM, Ambar Montero-Diaz, CNM
Location: Office in Cary. Serving the Triangle and Triad.
Website: Special Beginnings Midwifery
Philosophy & Approach
“At Special Beginnings Midwifery, we believe pregnancy and birth are normal life events that deserve individualized, evidence-based care in an environment where families feel safe, respected, and empowered.
We offer both home birth and birth center services throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina, providing families with options that align with their values, preferences, and goals for birth. Our care includes comprehensive prenatal visits, continuous labor support, birth attendance, and attentive postpartum care for both mother and baby.
Since opening, we have had the privilege of serving hundreds of families and attending nearly 300 births while maintaining a low cesarean birth rate. We combine clinical excellence with relationship-centered care, giving families the time, education, and support they need to make informed decisions throughout pregnancy and birth.
Our mission is simple: to provide safe, compassionate midwifery care while honoring the strength of women, supporting healthy families, and preserving birth as a normal and meaningful life event.”
What Makes Special Beginnings Unique
Homebirth and birthing suite options
Established practice serving Central NC
Personalized maternity care
Formed & Foreknown Midwifery Services
Midwife: Patricia Funk, CNM
Location: Triangle region. Alamance County, NC, and surrounding areas
Website: formedandforeknownmidwifery.com
Phone: 336-908-7789
Philosophy & Approach
Convenient in-home prenatal care focuses on the holistic well-being of mom, baby, and the entire family. Extended visits give ample time to develop a trusted relationship with your midwife and have all of your concerns addressed.
What Makes Formed & Foreknown Unique
Evidence based care
Christian Midwife
Holistic well-being of mom, baby, and the entire family
In-home prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum support
Gentle Spirit Birth
Midwife: Sakina O’Uhuru, CNM
Location: Raleigh. In home and office options. Triangle and surrounding areas.
Phone: 704-420-0424
Website: gentlespiritbirth.com
Philosophy & Approach
Gentle Spirit Midwifery Service offers family centered prenatal, labor, birth, and postpartum health care services. Their philosophy centers on dismantling structures of oppression within the birthing space, specifically addressing the alarming issue of Black maternal mortality. Their services are tailored to each women’s / person's needs.
What Makes gentle spirit Unique
Culturally competent health care
Over 25 years in Midwifery care
Fostering self awareness & empowerment
Celebrates diversity & equality
Acknowledges birth as sacred & transformative
Create spaces of safety free of bias, trauma, and microaggression
Other CNM Homebirth Options by region
Eastern/Coastal NC
Bear Root Midwifery
Dr. Belinda K. Lashea, PhD, CNM, Clinical Herbalist
Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas
Wild Moon Midwifery & Women’s Health
Casey Hartell CNM WHNP
Leland, Wilmington, Brunswick and Coastal NC
Olivia Mashburn CNM
Hampstead, NC 910-200-8389
midwiferyservices.netomarshburn@gmail.com
Bella Donna Birth & Womens Health
Michelle Rhude CNM Rhonda Hilliker CNM
Jacksonville, NC 910-621-4266
Sandhills
Sacred Haven Midwifery
Jenny Ownbey CNM
Elizabethtown, NC
sacredhavenmidwifery@gmail.com
Triad
Melanie Boling CNM
Asheboro, Triad, Moore County areas
910-420-9610
New Eden Birth & Wellness
Carly Waller CNM
Midwifery Practice Homebirth & Well Woman
Kannapolis, NC 1.5hr radius from Kannapolis including York County SC
704-799-5378
newedenbirthandwellness@gmail.com
Western NC
Mountain Rose Midwifery
Ellie Lee CNM
Asheville, NC 828-713-9176
(1 hour radius of downtown Asheville)
ellie@mountainrosemidwifery.com
Birth Tender Midwifery
Karen Benfield CNM
(1hr 30min radius of Marion, NC)
423-213-3996 423-895-3018
Planning a Homebirth?
Choosing a midwife is only one piece of preparing for birth.
Whether you're newly exploring homebirth or actively building your birth team, thoughtful preparation can help you feel informed, confident, and supported throughout pregnancy. As one of the areas most experienced homebirth doulas and the founder of the NC Homebirth Community*, I’m available to help guide you through the process of choosing the midwife who best meets your needs and educate you on how to prepare for your homebirth.
*The NC Homebirth Community can be found on FB and is an active network of families, midwives, and doulas supporting out of hospital births.