Newly accredited Waverly birth center combines comforts of home with medical precision

Sarah Paddock already had two young children at home, so when she got pregnant for a third time, she was pretty sure this was going to be her last baby.

But after two births in a sterile hospital environment, Paddock wanted to try something different. So she did some online research and found Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center in Waverly.

Paddock and her husband made the drive from their home in Millerton, near the Connecticut border, and met with Director Jennifer Seymour and other members of her staff. Paddock immediately decided this was where she felt at home, and where she wanted to go through her third pregnancy and birth.

It was a decision she didn't regret.

"It was almost a strange feeling being in charge of my own birth, being able to do what my body was telling me to do. I could move freely and decide what I wanted to do," said Paddock, 37. "Having my daughter was the most amazing experience ever. It felt so different from my other two births. I felt amazing, strong and just so, so happy."

Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center, which opened in 2021, recently obtained national accreditation, and now the center hopes other expectant parents will consider that option.

Waverly birth center offers alternative for parents

Seymour, a trained midwife, opened Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center in a remodeled Victorian mansion on Ithaca Street in Waverly because she wanted to give expectant parents an option that combined the best aspects of hospital care and in-home birth — a familiar, comfortable setting that still provided expert medical care.

"People were not satisfied with what is available in hospital settings," Seymour said. "(Hospitals) have their own routines. We can change the quality of the experience."

Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center has about a dozen staff, all trained and well-versed in maternal and infant care, Seymour said.

When expectant parents decide to choose Cocoon, they not only experience a more relaxed and home-like setting, but they get to call the shots, said nurse manager Amber Abby.

"The care is more individualized. The ball is in their court," Abby said. "When they are in the hospital, they don't know who is going to care for them. They know their provider, but not the nurses. We know them, we know their families."

At first glance, the birthing room at Cocoon looks like it could be someone's bedroom, with a large, comfortable-looking bed and other amenities.

Nearby is another room with a spacious, specially designed tub for mothers who prefer giving birth while immersed in water.

"It boils down to cultivating mothers' strengths and capabilities," Seymour said. "You will feel at home here."

Close ties with medical community

Seymour and her staff can readily handle routine pregnancies and birth, but sometimes there are complications during the labor process.

Expectant parents shouldn't worry that something might go wrong, Seymour said — Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center is ready to confront those challenges as well.

"We have contacts with local EMS and hospitals. We thought through all the what ifs," she said. "We have the highest quality of experienced care providers, all with decades of experience. We can also call 911, but we haven't yet had an emergency transfer."

The nearest hospital is Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, but the neonatal intensive care unit at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira is also available for emergencies if needed, a hospital spokesperson said.

Derrick Hall, chief of Greater Valley EMS in Sayre, said Seymour reached out to him to forge a relationship before Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center even opened.

"We've done training with their staff and ours in what to expect in case of an emergency at their facility, what both teams can bring to the table, and how we can collaborate most effectively to ensure we are providing good care to the patients," Hall said. "Jen has come to our station to provide training for our members and students."

What accreditation for the Waverly center means

Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center was recently accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and based in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

The commission assesses compliance with accepted standards adopted by the American Association of Birth Centers.

Commission evaluations are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness.

Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center is only the second birth center in New York state to achieve that accreditation, according to Seymour.

"Accreditation signifies we are systematically ensuring we have safe practices and consistent quality of care. We are all singing out of the same songbook," she said. "We have policies and procedures that are consistent with clinical decision making."

Once potential clients choose Cocoon, staff will meet with them on a regular basis throughout the pregnancy and tailor care specifically to their needs. They will also do follow-up after the baby arrives.

"If you are having a baby, I want to treat you like royalty," Seymour said. "I want you to feel special."

Clients speak highly of Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center

Paddock felt so special during her labor and birth experience with Cocoon that she's reconsidering stopping at three children.

"I would, and do recommend Cocoon to everyone," Paddock said. "Even now, a year later, I still smile and feel an overwhelming amount of joy when I think back to our experience there. So much so that I want a fourth child."

Cali Horton, of Wyalusing, was so impressed with Cocoon she has delivered both her babies there. In fact, she signed up for her first pregnancy before the birth center was even officially open.

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Horton wouldn't hesitate to encourage others to choose that option.

"Jennifer created an environment that not only empowered me as a new mom but also gave me the liberty to do it my way. It was stress-free," said Horton, 25. "When I was pregnant the second time in 2023, she was the first person I called. My husband agreed we wouldn’t do it any other way.

"The second birth was just as beautiful if not better than my first," Horton said. "Cocoon makes me want to keep having babies."

For more information, go to cocoonwellness.center.

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Cocoon Wellness and Birth Center in Waverly wins accreditation