Homebirth attended by certified nurse-midwives is legal in NC. The hard part is there just are not that many CNM's doing homebirths. I believe there are (or used to be) a couple homebirth CNMs in the Triangle area, but I don't know their names. In western North Carolina, New Dawn Midwifery (in Asheville) attends homebirths.
There are also freestanding birth centers, which usually cost quite a bit less than hospital birth, and are attended by midwives.
There are MANY practicing "direct-entry" midwives as well (also called "lay midwives"). I am pregnant again and currently seeing a DEM and planning a homebirth. Her fees are $2200, which from checking around appears to be on the low side. Depending on location and experience, fees for a homebirth with a DEM in NC can range from $2k-$4k or so. Yes, it is not considered legal for DEMs to attend homebirths in NC. In my area (near Asheville) it is an accepted part of the local culture. I understand in other parts of the state there are DAs and hospital administrators who make it much more difficult for DEMs and they have to be a lot more discreet.
I will say though that I don't think finances alone are a good reason to choose homebirth. I am very pro-homebirth but not because of cost, in fact it would be cheaper for me to have a hospital birth because I have pretty good insurance, whereas I'm paying my midwife's fee out of pocket.
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