Where Chapel Hill babies arrive
Nearly all Chapel Hill families deliver at N.C. Women’s Hospital, part of UNC Hospitals on Manning Drive. Around 3,600 babies are born there each year. The birth center rooms come with Jacuzzi tubs for laboring, the midwifery and OB teams work side by side, and there’s a Level IV NICU for babies who need the highest level of care.
What sets UNC apart is the culture. Doulas aren’t just tolerated — they’re welcomed in addition to your support people, and the hospital runs Birth Partners, a volunteer doula program, because it believes in this kind of support. A private doula who knows that culture well can work seamlessly with your nurses and providers, and your birth plan gets heard in a place that’s used to listening. Some Chapel Hill families also choose Duke, about twenty minutes away, and I attend births there too.
Chapel Hill & Carrboro neighborhoods I serve
I support families across Chapel Hill — the Franklin Street neighborhoods, Meadowmont, and Southern Village — and throughout Carrboro, where so many young families land. I also serve Briar Chapel, Fearrington Village, and the Governors Club area just south of town. It’s a university town rhythm: faculty, grad students, medical residents, and families who moved here for UNC or Duke and are building their village from scratch.
Birth support, then postpartum care
We start with prenatal visits in your home — talking through what birth at UNC actually looks like, shaping a plan your providers will recognize, and practicing the comfort tools we’ll use together. When labor starts, I’m with you continuously: movement, water, rest, counter-pressure, and clear information when decisions come up, plus steady support for your partner.
After the birth, postpartum care at home matters just as much — especially in a town where many parents’ families live far away. I help with newborn care and feeding, keep the household basics moving, and make sure you’re eating, resting, and recovering while you learn your baby. Daytime and overnight support are both available.
The 7 Moons way
I’m Shannon Edwards, a certified labor and postpartum doula based in Apex, about twenty minutes from Chapel Hill. My consultations are free, relaxed, and honest — thirty minutes, no pressure, no obligation. You’ll leave knowing whether we’re the right fit, whether you hire me or not.
Two phases, one trusted face — that’s the whole idea behind 7 Moons Doula.
Wondering what to ask a doula before you hire one? Read how to choose a birth doula in Raleigh-Durham.