How God Used My Birth Story to Call Me Into Birth Work (Ellie’s Unmedicated Hospital Birth)

Written By Natalie Portman

🙋‍♀️ Hey friend,

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Faith Over Fear Podcast! 🎉
If you’re a Christian mama navigating pregnancy—or just dreaming about what birth might be like one day—this one’s for you. I’m kicking off the podcast by sharing my very first birth story: Ellie’s unmedicated hospital birth. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but it was filled with the Lord’s presence and totally changed the course of my life. Let’s dive in.

🎧 Listen to the Episode

Click below to listen to Episode 1

✍️ My Pregnancy, Birth & Doula Calling: A Testimony of Faith

After Brian and I got married in 2019, we decided to try for a baby in the middle of the Covid lockdowns. We were blessed to get pregnant right away—but that was just the beginning of a journey that stretched my faith big time. We walked through a scary miscarriage scare, some intense pelvic pain, and a whole lot of learning.

I’m a total researcher by nature, so I dove into birth stories, podcasts, audiobooks—you name it. I wanted to feel as prepared as I could, especially because so much about birth felt totally unknown.

That prep paid off, but so did leaning into the Lord. In the first trimester, I experienced heavy bleeding and cramping that shook me , which we later found out was likely caused by a subchorionic hematoma. But God gave us peace that passed understanding, and baby girl was safe and growing strong.

I struggled with pelvic pain due to hypermobility (if you know, you know), but found a lot of relief through chiropractic care, pelvic floor therapy, and reformer Pilates. I also tried out a bunch of cervical ripening methods to help get my body ready for labor—more on that in a future episode!

Labor kicked off early one morning, and by the time we made it to the hospital, I was already 5–6 cm. I labored using movement, breathing, hip squeezes, and the support of my husband, sisters, and mom. Eventually, when things stalled out, I agreed to have my water broken—and whew, things intensified real fast. But it worked! I was fully dilated within an hour.

After an hour and 15 minutes of pushing, Ellie was born at 6:09 PM on 6/9, weighing 6 lbs. 9 oz. (yes, really!). The song "Jesus, I Have My Doubts" was playing as she came into the world, and then Brian and I sang "The Blessing" by Bethel Music over her as she lay on my chest. I’ll never forget that moment—it felt like heaven touched earth.

Her birth sparked something in me. I couldn’t get enough of learning about birth. Within a year, I became a DONA-certified doula, a Body Ready Method Pro, and a childbirth educator. It’s been such a joy and calling to support other mamas as they prepare to meet their babies—with peace, faith, and strength.

📖 Scripture That Carried Me

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." – Proverbs 16:9

As a planner by nature, this verse reminded me that while I can prepare well, it's God who ultimately guides each step—especially in something as unpredictable and sacred as birth.

🙏 A Prayer for Your Journey

Father God, thank You for this sweet sister reading these words. Whether she’s hoping to get pregnant, currently expecting, or already in her motherhood journey—meet her there. Stir up deep trust in her heart. Help her surrender her fears and cling to Your presence. Establish her steps, Lord. And may her story be one that brings You glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

📎 Resources Mentioned

📣 Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode encouraged you:

Meet Your Host —

Hey there, I’m Natalie Portman! I’m a wife, mama of two, and certified birth doula and childbirth educator based in Jacksonville, FL. After my own life-changing birth with Ellie, I felt called to support other women through theirs. I now offer both in-person and virtual support to help you feel spiritually grounded, emotionally supported, and practically prepared.

About Me | Services

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📄 Full Episode Transcript

Hello there. I’m so excited to have you here. I wanted to kick off this podcast by introducing myself and sharing my birth story with my first baby girl, Ellie. I’ll go into detail about preparing for that pregnancy and birth, and share some takeaways that ignited my passion for birth work.

I’m here in Jacksonville, Florida. If you're in the area, I offer in-person doula support, and now I’m also offering virtual doula support for families both in Jacksonville and beyond. It’s a huge city, and I love serving families in all kinds of ways. I’m married to Brian—he’s an amazing husband and dad. We’ve been married for five and a half years, and we have two beautiful kiddos: Ellie, who turns four in June, and Daniel, who just turned one in March. We go to the Church of Eleven22, a large church here in Jacksonville, and we’re really grateful for our church and our little family. It’s been such an honor to watch the Lord move in my life through birth work—loving and ministering to other families.

So, let’s jump into Ellie’s birth story. We got married in September 2019, and then COVID hit in early 2020. We had just moved into our first house and started nesting—doing all the fun newlywed things. Originally, we planned to wait a year before trying for kids, but since there wasn’t much going on during the pandemic, we thought, "Why not start now?"

In September 2020, we started trying. I had been on an IUD for years and didn’t have periods, so I didn’t know when I was ovulating. I used ovulation test strips (the kind you dip into urine) to figure that out, and by God’s grace, we got pregnant on the very first try. I was in shock but also in awe. And then came the reality—"What have I gotten myself into?" I was about to grow and birth a human being! It felt like standing in front of a huge mountain I didn’t know how to climb.

I’m a researcher, so I dove into podcasts, audiobooks, birth stories, and online courses. I wanted to prepare for something that felt so unknown. If you're like me, you want to feel equipped—and I really did feel prepared and excited heading into birth.

In the first trimester, though, we hit a rough patch. Around 10 weeks, I woke up with intense cramping and bleeding, which can be a classic miscarriage sign. We rushed to the ER, but the results were inconclusive. They treated it as a possible miscarriage. We were devastated. I had just told my family the good news, and we were all grieving. But even in that uncertainty, I experienced a peace that passed understanding. I played worship music and leaned into the Lord.

A few days later, I had another bleeding episode and went to my scheduled OB appointment. They told me I had a subchorionic hematoma—a pocket of blood near the cervix—which was causing the bleeding. It was a huge relief to know the baby was okay.

Then in the second trimester, I started having serious pelvic pain, especially in the pubic bone area. I couldn’t lift a leg without pain, and rolling over in bed was awful. I later realized it was due to hypermobility. Chiropractic adjustments were a lifesaver—I’d hobble in and walk out. I also did pelvic floor physical therapy, and it helped a lot. I stayed active with reformer Pilates, a gentle strength training method that’s great during pregnancy.

To prepare for labor, I also used cervical ripening methods (I’ll share more on those in a separate episode). Around 37–38 weeks, my provider began doing cervical checks, and there was a little progress. On June 8 (the day after my due date), I had an OB appointment and was already 3 cm dilated. They were like, “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!” That night, we went to Taco Tuesday, and I had spicy food (yes, another ripening method!), and my husband and I were intimate—also helpful for labor prep.

The next morning, I woke up feeling crampy. Around 6 a.m., while making oatmeal, I had my first powerful contraction. I showered, and by then, contractions were coming regularly and stronger. I got out, started timing them, and by 8 a.m., they were about five minutes apart. I called the OB office and left a message.

They called back and told me to head to the hospital, which surprised me because I thought I’d be laboring at home for a while. Contractions continued to intensify. I breathed deeply, moaned through them, and found swaying over the bed most comfortable. My sister came over to help pack since I hadn’t finished that yet. Between contractions, I directed her on what to grab.

We got to the hospital around 9:15, and I was already 5–6 cm. The nurse asked if I planned to go natural, and when I said yes, she said, "I think you’re going to do great." That encouragement meant so much.

By noon, I was 8 cm. They offered to break my water, but since I was progressing, I declined. A few hours later, around 4 p.m., they checked again and there’d been no change. I felt the contractions were strong but not progressing. So, we decided to break my water—and wow, that next contraction was intense! It pushed me quickly to 10 cm within the hour.

When I started feeling the urge to push, I was exhausted from laboring mostly on my feet for almost 11 hours. I got into bed and started pushing. I had requested warm compresses during this stage, and they were so helpful—not just for pain but also for reducing tearing. I pushed for about an hour and 15 minutes.

Ellie was born at 6:09 p.m. on June 9, weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces—on 6/9 at 6:09! She was born to the song “Jesus, I Have My Doubts” by Jon Foreman. It might sound like a funny title, but it’s a beautiful, emotional song. Throughout pregnancy, I had sung “The Blessing” by Bethel over her: “The Lord bless you and keep you…” Brian and I sang that over her after birth, and it was a sacred moment.

Having her placed on my chest felt like heaven met earth. I was in shock that I’d done it. We had our golden hour—uninterrupted skin-to-skin, nursing, singing, soaking her in. I did tear and needed stitches, and unfortunately, I wasn’t numbed enough, so it was painful. Note to self for next time: speak up!

But once things settled, I just remember looking at her, flooded with joy and awe at what God had done. It was worshipful.

That birth sparked something in me. I couldn’t stop learning about birth. I became a DONA-certified doula, a Body Ready Method Pro, and a childbirth educator—all within a year. I started taking clients and was so honored to be invited into their sacred moments.

What strikes me most is that birth is not just physical—it’s deeply spiritual. There are gospel parallels woven all throughout. I’ll share more about that in future episodes, but for now, I hope this story was an encouragement.

Before I go, I want to leave you with this verse:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

I’m a planner by nature, but this verse reminds me that no matter how much we prepare, it’s ultimately God who leads us.

Let me pray for you:

Father God, thank You for my sweet sister listening today. Whether she’s hoping to conceive, pregnant, or already a mama—meet her right where she is. Stir in her a heart of faithful stewardship. Honor her plans, but more than anything, establish her steps. Help her surrender control and trust You more deeply. In Jesus’ name, amen.

That’s it for today. Stay tuned for Episode 2, where I’ll share my home birth story—it’s a totally different setting, but just as full of God’s grace. See you then!

Natalie Portman