Sacred Haven provides birth options

ELIZABETHTOWN – Sacred Haven Midwifery officially opened its doors for a new brick and mortar practice at 103 Owen St. in Elizabethtown Aug. 15.

The profession of “midwife” is certainly not new and up until the early 20th century, it was a thriving business. The decline was due to many factors such as medicalization of childbirth, regulation and changing perceptions.

A midwife is a healthcare professional specializing in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care, often offering a holistic and personalized approach to women’s health. Midwives provide care during preconception, prenatal, labor and birth, and postpartum periods, as well as family planning, gynecological exams, newborn care and menopausal management. They may work in various settings, including hospitals, birth centers and homes.

Jenny Ownbey is a North Carolina native that has been living with her husband Andrew and their two daughters Savannah (14) and Ceylee (13) for the past six years in Lake County.

“My husband and I love old homes and old properties and we bought a historic home over in Tar Heel,” she said. “We’ve been doing home births in this area, but we do have a new birth suite here that we will be opening up starting in March. Right now, though we actually go out to our client’s homes and deliver babies.”

Ownby was a labor nurse in Ahoskie, North Carolina, for 10 years before deciding to open up her own midwifery.

“I worked as an RN in a labor nurse roll,” she said. “I fell in love with natural birth and felt very much called to try to do more and provide more for women in an out-of-hospital setting. I decided to go out and be a midwife. In the meantime, we moved down here and I did some training with some of the midwives over in Lumberton.”

Ownby said that although she felt compelled to improve on some of the hospital care, she definitely sees a place for hospitals when new mothers need intervention or medical care.

“But for women who have low-risk pregnancies and are healthy, and take good care of themselves, there’s no reason why they can’t have their birth at home.”

A CNM is a master’s degree in nursing and it takes about six years to complete. There are currently two CNMs on staff at SHM.

Although well-versed in delivery, and having been present for 100 births personally, Ownbey said that the biggest challenge was working with collaborators from other resources. Maybe some who don’t view home birth as a beneficial thing for women.

“We have a transfer plan on every client’s chart,” she said. “We know what the closest hospital is, we have the number to call for call for report if we have to transfer in the ambulance. Thankfully we’ve had all excellent outcomes. We don’t push our limits. We transfer in when it’s time and we need to transfer in.”

The benefits as outlined by Ownbey are something that she thinks women in pregnancy or pregnancy planning need to look at.

“One of the benefits is that they get to be in their own environment,” she said. “It’s going to be a calm, familiar space. When women go into the hospital, a lot of times there is a lot of fear and anxiety that surrounds that. That can increase their pain and it can also sometimes affect the hormones that actually allow labor to progress. That’s why we see so many women these days who end up in induction and medication trying to force labor. They go into this surrounding that’s not familiar to them and staff coming in and out of their room every couple of hours. With home birth, they know us. They become family.”

Prospective families get the opportunity to meet with the midwifery staff and there are a lot of visits during the pregnancy that are up close and personal where all their questions can be answered.

“We don’t have short visits like they sometimes have in a doctor’s office,” Ownbey said. “We spend 30 minutes to an hour at each visit. Getting to know us. Building a trusting relationship and feeling that compassion and love. So, when we come in and we do their birth, they know that they are loved and cared for and we’re going to do whatever is in their best interests.”

Ownbey had a love for nursing since a child and opening her own birth center was always a dream for her.

According to Ownbey’s website: https://www.sacredhavenmidwifery.com/ she says that their team provides midwifery-model care to low risk pregnant women and families in North Carolina. The midwifery model of care offers education and empowerment in pregnancy and across the life span. They provide comprehensive care which includes ongoing clinical assessments that inform risk evaluation and clinical decision making throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and the initial newborn and postpartum period.

​Prenatal care includes routine prenatal visits in office once monthly until 28 weeks; twice monthly until 36 weeks; once weekly until 40 weeks; and more as required past 40 weeks. They also provide an in-home prenatal visit around 35-36 weeks of pregnancy to review birth space and supplies for in home preparation for birth.

​Home birth service includes attendance by an experienced home birth midwife team at your labor & delivery, including medication, equipment, and supplies needed for emergency interventions as indicated.

Postpartum care includes three postpartum home visits for mom and baby during the first two weeks postpartum and a return to office visit at six weeks postpartum. Newborn care includes initial newborn exam, birth certificate paperwork and newborn screenings, including metabolic screen (PKU), Hearing and CCHD screenings.

​Well Woman Exams/Screenings including full physical, pelvic exam and pap, infection screening/treatment, and contraception counseling available.

A little about Sacred Haven Midwifery’s staff:

Jenny Ownbey

Certified nurse, Midwife & Practice Owner

“My passion for assisting women during labor and childbirth was ignited during my nursing school years when I witnessed my first birth. I dedicated my career to labor and delivery nursing, serving in this role for a decade. During this period, I was blessed to experience childbirth firsthand, giving birth to my two daughters in the labor unit where I worked, surrounded by the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues. Over the years, I expanded my expertise by becoming a childbirth educator and later a lactation consultant (IBCLC). My commitment to empowering women and advocating for natural birth choices led me to embrace the midwifery model of care, which aligns perfectly with my values. I graduated from Frontier Nursing University in 2021 with a Master of Science in Nurse Midwifery.”

Samantha Sands

Certified nurse and Midwife

Samantha Sands is a native of Jamaica. She came to the States as a teenager, and after completing high school, she enlisted in the Army where she served as an active-duty soldier for eight years. During her childhood, she watched her mother struggle with access to care, and her interest in caring for women was sparked. It was, however, during her time in the service while working on a birthing unit at a military facility that she discovered her love for nursing and midwifery. While on active duty, she received her certification through the Army and became an LPN. After completing her time in service, she received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2014, then her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Fayetteville State University in 2017. Sam then acquired her master’s degree in Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University in 2021.

Sydney Nadolny

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counseling Associate and Certified Labor and Postpartum Doula

“In the words of 5-year-old me, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to help babies be born!’ Although that childhood dream felt unattainable for a time, God has beautifully brought that sweet “little girl” dream to full fruition in my life. My desire to dwell in the sacred space of birth, which had sparked as a little girl, grew even more on a mission trip in 2013, where I had the opportunity to help deliver a baby. I did take a detour on my way to the birth world, however, and taught middle school English for several years. Years later, in 2021, a dear friend encouraged me to become a certified doula, and God opened the door for my doula business to bloom and flourish in Lexington, Kentucky, my hometown. That same year, I felt called by the Lord to deepen my ability to help others heal, leading me to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling at Lindsey Wilson College, which I completed in 2024.”

Bethany Nelson

Birth Assistant / Doula

Bethany began working as a birth assistant in 2022. She has been a birth doula for almost 10 years, and also provides placenta encapsulation services. “Birth work has been a huge passion of mine for more than 10 years and the love for this work has me in awe and never ever gets old. Birth is such an intimate and exciting time, and being able to bring your baby earth side, in your own home, is an experience that you’ll never forget. Our goal at Sacred Haven Midwifery is to help you and your family have the most beautiful and healthy birth experience and to guide you in any way we can. We as a whole are continually learning and growing ourselves to ensure we give the best care possible to our families and Mamas. Birth and what you experience during that time is different for everyone and for every baby, whether it’s your first or seventh. When women trust their bodies and us with their care, we take that very seriously.”

Leigh Ann Hair

Administrative Assistant

“I was born and raised in Bladen County, North Carolina, and have called Elizabethtown home for many years. I spent 12 years working in the medical field as a medical laboratory technician, where I developed a strong passion for Blood Bank and Microbiology. I truly loved the work and the impact it had on patients’ lives. I now enjoy life in Elizabethtown with my husband, Seth and our two boys, Luke and Carver. We’re proud to be part of this close-knit community.”

​​For more information you can contact Sacred Haven Midwifery at 910-874-9022 or you can email them at: [email protected]