When Others Say “You Don't Get a Medal for Natural Birth”
In this episode I'm sharing one of the most powerful birth testimonies I've ever heard. My dear friend Katie Prizzia joins me to share her journey through three completely different births—and how each one taught her something profound about surrender, faith, and what it truly means to present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. If you've ever felt dismissed for your birth preferences or wondered if God cares about how you bring your babies into the world, this conversation will speak straight to your heart.
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🎧 Listen to the Episode
Three Births, Three Lessons in God's Faithfulness
Katie's story begins like so many of ours—with excitement, hope, and absolutely no idea what she was about to learn about herself, her faith, and God's incredible provision.
Jackson's Story: When Plans Go Out the Window
At 34 weeks pregnant with her first baby, Katie woke up to cramping that felt "different." What followed was a whirlwind premature birth that landed sweet Jackson in the NICU for a week.
"Looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way because the personality that Jackson has is so reminiscent of that birth. 'Nope, y'all want to keep me in, but I'm coming and I am here,'" Katie reflects with a laugh.
But in the moment, sitting in Jackson's empty nursery after coming home without her baby, Katie felt overwhelmed and unprepared. She realized she had trusted her doctors completely without learning about her own body or the birth process.
The lesson? Sometimes God uses our "unprepared" moments to prepare us for what's ahead.
Madeline's Birth: Learning to Advocate
Pregnancy number two brought new challenges—hemorrhages, measuring small, and pressure to take progesterone shots. But this time, Katie felt called to dig deeper into God's Word and seek His heart for her pregnancy.
"I was like, 'This is God's child. If He wants this child to be born earth side, it's going to happen whether I do the progesterone shot or not,'" Katie shares about her decision to decline the intervention.
When labor came fast and furious (literally parting traffic like the Red Sea so they could make it to the hospital!), God showed up in the delivery room through a familiar face—a nurse who had been Katie's childhood swim teammate.
The lesson? When we seek God's wisdom, He provides exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.
Christian's Birth: Surrender in Action
By her third pregnancy, Katie felt a clear calling toward an unmedicated birth. But this desire was met with resistance from family members who couldn't understand why she would "choose pain."
"My mom was like, 'You don't get a medal for going natural,'" Katie remembers. "And I was like, 'That's not why I'm doing it. God truly intended for this to be unmedicated and natural.'"
The pregnancy brought unexpected perinatal anxiety—something Katie had never experienced before. For 14 days, she wrestled with fears until the Lord lifted the burden. Through journaling, worship, and constant prayer, she anchored herself in Romans 12:1.
When labor began at 2 AM, everything happened lightning-fast. Katie arrived at the hospital already 9.5 centimeters dilated, and sweet Christian arrived after just one push—on all fours, exactly as Katie had hoped.
The lesson? When we surrender our bodies, our plans, and our fears to God, He meets us in our obedience.
📖 Scripture for Your Heart
"I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship." - Romans 12:1
This verse became Katie's anchor throughout her third pregnancy. As she explains:
"I was like, 'This body is yours, God. And you intended it to be used for unmedicated birth, and I know it's going to hurt, but I surrender it to you.'"
What a beautiful picture of worship—not just in our songs or prayers, but in how we steward our physical bodies during one of life's most intense experiences.
The Gospel in the Labor Room
One of the most profound moments in our conversation came when we discussed how birth mirrors the heart of Christ:
"A woman endures labor to gain her children, and Jesus endured the cross to gain us, His children."
Just as we might pray, "Lord, let this cup pass from me" when facing the intensity of labor, Jesus prayed those same words in Gethsemane. Yet He followed with, "Not my will, but yours be done."
When we approach birth with this posture of surrender, we get to participate in the shadow of the gospel story—enduring for the sake of love, just as Christ did for us.
For the Mama Reading This
Sweet friend, maybe you're facing pressure about your birth choices. Maybe family members don't understand your desires for a natural birth, or perhaps you're wrestling with whether God cares about these details.
Here's what I want you to know: Your body is the Lord's temple. How you choose to honor Him with your birth choices matters—not because there's only one "right" way, but because seeking His heart for YOUR unique situation is always the right starting place.
Whether your birth looks like Katie's emergency preemie delivery, her fast and furious unmedicated third birth—God is present in every detail. He can use a NICU stay to teach you about His provision. He can use an epidural to show you His grace. He can use an unmedicated birth to deepen your intimacy with Him.
The question isn't "What's the most spiritual way to give birth?" The question is "How is God calling me to honor Him in my unique situation?"
🙏 A Prayer for Your Birth Journey
Father, thank You for the precious mama reading this right now. If she's carrying fear about her upcoming birth, would You replace that fear with faith? If she's feeling pressure from others about her choices, would You give her wisdom and confidence to seek Your heart above all else?
Help her remember that whether her birth unfolds exactly as planned or completely differently than expected, You are present in every moment. You have equipped her body for this work, and You will provide everything she needs.
May she experience Your peace that surpasses understanding, Your strength in her weakness, and Your joy on the other side of surrender. In Jesus' name, Amen.
📎Resources & Links Mentioned
✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library; Free birth prep tools, worship playlist & more
💕 Work with Me 1:1 – Virtual Doula Support & Christian Childbirth Education
📚 Childbirth Education Course – Learn the stages of labor, comfort measures, and labor positions
🤰 Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
✝️ Redeeming Childbirth by Angie Tolpin
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
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Grab your free birth prep tools at the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library.
Meet Your Host —
Natalie is a certified birth doula and childbirth educator in Jacksonville, FL, who equips Christian women to experience peaceful, faith-filled births through virtual and in-person support. She believes every mama deserves to approach birth with confidence, knowing that God has perfectly designed her body for this sacred work.
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📄 Full Episode Transcript
Natalie: Hi friend, and welcome back to Faith Over Fear, the Christian Pregnancy and Birth podcast.
Today I have a special guest joining me, someone I've had the honor of walking alongside through such a beautiful season of motherhood. Katie Prizzia first connected with me during her third pregnancy. She reached out for a one-on-one body assessment with me to help her prepare for birth, and from there she and her husband David went through my childbirth education class together. Eventually I had the great privilege of serving as their doula. And let me just say, I absolutely love when families invite support and education into their journey, even in later pregnancies. It's never too late to learn, grow, and experience something new.
Katie is a faith-filled mama to three little ones ages five, four, and 18 months, and today she's here to share her birth stories. Each one uniquely different, but all covered in the Lord's provision. Her testimony is a beautiful reminder that no matter what your birth story looks like, God is present in every detail. Katie, thank you so much for being here.
Katie: Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.
Natalie: Me too. Let's get right into it. So let's start with your pregnancy with Jackson and that birth experience.
Katie: Okay. So Jackson, he was our first and we were so excited when we found out about him because the Lord blessed us in the sense that it only took two or three tries and I found out. And I didn't even tell David when I found out. I found out on a Thursday and I literally was like, you know what? I need to take so many more pregnancy tests. And so I waited and I took some more on Friday and I saw it again and then I was like, okay, I want to make it super special. So I went to Walmart and I got a cute little Jaguars jersey onesie, and I got a football and wrote "I can't wait to play catch with you, dad." And then I ended up telling him the next day and he was so excited and he was like, "When did you find out?" I was like, "Thursday." And he's like, "We've been together 24/7 since then. How have you held it in?" And I was like, "I really don't know." So we were super excited.
We were living with his parents at the time, trying to find a house. We quickly pushed along our house hunting and we were able to find a home. And the pregnancy was—it was a breeze. I mean, I didn't have any trouble. I went to, you know, all the appointments and they checked me and everything was good.
And at 33 or 34 weeks, I told my OB at the time, I was like, "You know what? I think I may have lost my mucus plug." And she was like, "Oh, it's early. It'll grow back." And I'm like, "Okay, Dr. Google didn't say that, but you know, you're the professional, so I'll believe you."
And I don't even think it was a week later, I woke up at about 2:00 AM and really just that cramping where, even as a first-time mom, you're like, "This feels different." So I went out to the living room and laid down and I went and took a shower and David came out because he works out early. He came out and he was like, "Can I go to the gym?" I'm like, "Yes, go to the gym. It's fine." He went to the gym, came back, and it just progressively got worse. He's like, "I'm going to get dressed for work. We'll probably go to the hospital, get you checked out and it'll be fine." I was like, "Yes, let's do that." Well, by 7:00 AM, I went to the restroom and I saw blood in the toilet and I was like, "Okay, we got to go."
So we hauled butt down the road to the hospital and we got there and they were like, "How far along are you?" I'm like, "34 weeks." And they're like, "Okay." So they bypass triage, they put me up in a room, and at that point I was like three centimeters already. And I should have read up more on just ways to deal with birth, I guess. And so they immediately put me on magnesium and painkillers and I was just like, "Sure, let's, you know, let's do all of this." So they put me on magnesium for 24 hours. I couldn't eat, couldn't drink, and I was like, "Man," this was in the morning, so I hadn't eaten anything since that night before, so I was exhausted.
But they came back 24 hours later, checked me and they were like, "Okay, you know, you haven't dilated, so we may be able to send you home, but you have to be on bed rest." And I was like, "Yeah, but I can get up and walk around, right?" Because I was like super active throughout the whole pregnancy. The idea of just laying in bed, I was just like, "That doesn't register to me." And they were like, "No. If you can't promise that, then we'll just keep you here until you give birth." And I'm like, "Okay, fine, I promise." And they came back an hour later to start the discharge process and they were like, "We're going to check you one more time." And I had progressed to almost five centimeters. So they're like, "Okay, you're not going anywhere." And so they did the steroid shot.
So by 10 o'clock I was asking for an epidural and I was in an OB practice that had many practitioners in it, and I had never met the one that was on call. And she said no. She said, "We need to make sure that you're in labor," even though I was progressing. And so they gave me the narcotics, which essentially just knocked me out until midnight when I woke up in excruciating pain. And I was like, "Can I please have the epidural?" And finally she allowed it. And so the anesthesiologist came in and I got the epidural at two. And then come 4:15, the doctor comes in, my mom's with us and David is with us, and she just like slams on the lights and is like, "Alright, you're contracting, let's go." And I'm just like, "Whoa, can't I have a moment?" But I started pushing and an hour and 15 minutes later, Jackson arrived—all five pounds of him.
And it was funny because I remember crying to my mom in the middle of all of this before I started pushing, and I was just like, "I thought I had more time." Like it was—I was 34 and a half weeks. I was like, "You know, everything was ready" because that's just the type of personality I have. But I was just like, "I'm not ready." And she's like, "You got this. Like you have a community, it's going to be fine." And she was with us the whole time while I pushed. And yeah, they let me see him. I was able to kiss him and stuff and then they whisked him off to the NICU and I got to see him about two or three hours later, I think. But bless his heart, I was so exhausted the only thing that I was really thinking about was the Panera sandwich and Caesar salad that David had bought and brought in right before they gave me the epidural and they said, "You can't eat anything." So that's all I was really thinking about.
Yeah. But yeah, and so he was in the NICU for a week and we tried to stay that whole time, but about three or four days into a hospital stay where David and I were both like, "We need our beds. Like we want our big bed, we want our comfy bed." And you know, the NICU said, "Come whenever, any hours of the day." And so we did, and coming home was hard. I immediately went into his nursery and I sat in his chair and I started crying and David came in and, you know, he teared up with me because it's just—it was not what was expected at all, and it was not the ideal birth. I mean, we went to a doula and we practiced all the management and the coping mechanisms and the different positions, but that was about it. That was the only studying I did of a natural birth and I was very much "I'll try it." But I didn't really know what to expect and so it was just not what we expected, but there was just an amazing sense of peace about it. I knew Jackson was going to be okay. The Lord put that on my heart. The Lord also put it on our hearts to go home and get, you know, another night or two of good rest because we're bringing this infant home with us, this little preemie home with us. So he was going to be a little more work in the beginning. And yeah, the Lord just—he really truly showed up and that was—looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way because the personality that Jackson has, it's just so reminiscent of that birth. "Nope, y'all want to keep me in, but I'm coming and I am here." So that was Jackson's birth.
Natalie: So that was the first experience into childbirth. It did embarrassingly make me realize that I did not pay enough attention in health education in high school. There is so much to learn about our bodies when we're going through this process and it really is the biggest biological change that happens all at once, giving birth to a child. And it's not that you need to know everything about everything, but it is incredibly helpful to have that foundational baseline knowledge before you go into that experience. I mean, even terms and anatomy that they're referring to, you're like, "What is a perineum? What is a cervix? What are these things that you're throwing at me?" So did Jackson's very wild, unexpected experience—did that just totally change how you prepared for Madeline's birth and the pregnancy?
Katie: Absolutely, and it was really funny going back when I had started pushing. I was like three or four pushes in and I was like, "Okay, how long is this going to take?" And we had the most amazing nurse and she goes, "Oh honey, it can go anywhere from a couple of pushes to up to three hours." And I'm like, "What? That's not what they say in the movies. In the movies, it's a couple of pushes and they're out." She's like, "Yeah, that is not how it works." And so after that hour and 15 minutes of pushing, I was like, "Okay, I'm going to definitely prep for this next time around."
And I feel like Madeline's pregnancy was very different than Jackson's in that I went in for the ultrasound and she was measuring small and that was the first big thing. Like with Jackson, it was just up until the birth, everything was textbook. And with Madeline's it started with, "Okay, she's measuring small," so there's a little bit of anxiousness that's already present. And then went back two weeks later, they said, "Okay, she's measuring great." Of course we didn't know it was a she at the time, but they were like, "She's measuring great, but you do have a hemorrhage that we can see it on the ultrasound. We need you to come back in two weeks." And I'm like, "What's supposed to happen in the next two weeks? What could happen?" And of course, they listed everything off and miscarriage was one of them. So I'm just like, "Okay, let's just add that to the anxiousness level."
And so went back two weeks later and by the grace of God, it had shrunk to the point where they couldn't even see it. So they're like, "You may or may not pass it." And I never did. And so at that point, I was 14 weeks and we found out we were having a girl and we were so excited. And it was amazing because with Jackson's—like I said earlier, I didn't really know anything. I trusted my doctor 100% and I didn't know anything different. This time around I was like, "Okay, I need to advocate for myself a little bit more." And I had a feeling that they were going to push the progesterone shot on me because they didn't even know why Jackson came. They had no idea. And they were like, "Since we don't know, we're going to recommend the progesterone shot."
And the nurse practitioner was like, "Oh yeah. It's so easy. I don't even know if she had kids, but she was like, "I had plenty of friends that took the progesterone shot. It's going to be fine. It's just once a week until you're 36 weeks." And it was the first time where I was like, "I don't know." So I went home and I truly gave it to God. I talked to the family and of course they had their concerns and they had their opinions. But I talked to David and I was like, "David, I really don't feel comfortable. I'm like, this is God's child. If he wants this child to be born earth side, it's going to happen whether I do the progesterone shot or not. I'd been on birth control since I was nine, so I knew the effects of putting synthetic hormones into your body. And I was like, "I don't really want to do that." And so I said no and they, you know, gave me the eye and stuff, but they accepted it. But they did send me to the ROC—our regional obstetrician clinic, which is the high risk pregnancy, because they were like, "We need to definitely monitor you so what happened to Jackson doesn't happen again." And I was fine with it. Every two weeks I went in and I got ultrasounds and it was great and after that she measured great. I did have some—I think UTIs throughout it, which I'd never had a UTI in my life. And so from then they're like, "You're automatically deemed strep B positive." But yeah, other than that, I did prep a little bit more, or I attempted to prep.
David and I did a childbirth class and I read some books. I read some really good books, and I went into this pregnancy with the mindset that I can overcome this pain and I can have a super pain-free birth. And I went into this with the mindset of "That is what's going to happen." So when her turn came, it was really cool. I was watching the Chosen and we decided to name her Madeline after Mary Magdalene, and it was the Mary Magdalene episode. So when I went into labor, I was watching that, which I thought was really cool.
We live about 30 to 40 minutes away from the hospital. With Jackson, we were only about 15 minutes away, so I called the OB and I was like, "Hey, like they're five minutes apart, but they're only lasting like 30 seconds." They're like, "You need to get here now. You live far away." It was 4 o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon in May, and when we first moved out to where we are, it was just a two-lane road and there's a high school on it, and I was like, "Okay, it's time to go." My dad brought Jackson over, and my mom was coming to watch him, and then we left and we pull up onto the main road and it's like traffic for a mile down from the high school, and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I don't think we're going to make it." And David decides to like still continue with the traffic. I'm like, "What are you doing? You have to turn at this light." So we turned at the light, we were able to get on the interstate and I was talking to a friend of mine and she goes, "God literally parted the Red Sea." David made it like the 25 or 30 miles it takes to get to the hospital in 19 minutes on a school, normal afternoon at 4:00 PM. Like it was amazing. He said he was going a little faster, because he was like, "I wanted to get pulled over so we could call the cop and be like, 'Hey, lead us to the hospital.'" But that didn't happen. But so we got there and David dropped me off and I walked in and I was like, "Hey, I'm in labor." They're like, "Okay, great. We'll get you to triage." Which I was like, "What's that?" I thought they just brought us up to a room, but because with Jackson I didn't have to do that. So they put me in triage. I told her, I was like, "I want a natural birth." So she hooked me up to the monitor, sat me in the reclining chair and was like, "I'll be back shortly." And that was it. And within 30 seconds I pressed whatever button I needed to and I was like, "Yeah, no. Give me an epidural. I'm going to need the epidural."
And so that put her in action. She's like making all the calls. Within five to 10 minutes, they're whisking me up to the room, which I'm like, "Why didn't y'all do that anyway?" Because when she checked me, I was seven centimeters. And then by the time I got up to the room, they hadn't even checked me when the anesthesiologist came in and he was like, "Have y'all checked her?" And they're like, "We think she's seven, maybe eight." He's like, "She's pushing nine with the way she's acting. Y'all have to get her on that bed." Before I could get the epidural, they had to put the IV in my arm. Backtracking to Jackson's birth when they were trying to give me the Pitocin post-birth, they blew my vein. This time around, they're trying to put the IV in so I can get the epidural and the nurse blew my vein and it's just—I don't know if I was moving around too much or what, but they had to call the charge nurse and she was like, "You need to sit still for five seconds." I could tell she meant she was serious. And I was like—she's like, "If you don't, you will not get this epidural." And I was like, "Okay, fine." So she put it in like there was nothing to it. The anesthesiologist came in, he did a great job too. And within 30 minutes, my doctor, who I loved—that was also a God thing. I actually got the doctor I wanted, because I stayed with the same practice for Madeline's birth and she was like, "Okay, are we ready to push?" I'm like, "No. They literally just put the epidural in, like it hasn't even started working yet." She's like, "Okay, you just let me know when you're ready." I'm like, "Okay."
God showed up in the midst of the birth. Jackson's, I saw him afterwards, but like I was able to really pinpoint it during, because this girl, she comes running in with a mask on and it's a nurse and she's like, "Can I help you bring your baby girl into the world?" And I'm looking at her and I'm like, "Who, what?" And she pulled down her mask and I was like, "Oh my gosh. Like Leslie." We did swim together and we like did lifeguarding together and it was just so beautiful that God gave me someone that I could recognize in the midst of all this COVID stuff. And so I'm like, "Heck yes you can, please." And so after that I was like, "Okay, I am ready to push. I'm starting to feel that pressure down there." And so she brought the doctor back in and she broke my water and by the grace of God, two pushes, not even a minute. And Madeline was here and it was the Lord's blessing that she was born on the day she was because that's the birthday of my grandfather who Jackson is named after—my Papa Jack. May the fourth be with them. So it was really beautiful that she was able to come into this world on her due date, on my Papa Jack's birthday, and to see God's presence through that. It was beautiful.
But they said my blood pressure was a little high for one or two readings, and one of them was like when I was actively pushing. But they were still concerned. So they put me on magnesium again. So for another 24 hours I was not able to eat or drink. But luckily my mom and I were prepared and she had bone broth that she had already made. And so I was like, "Please bring it with you because there's not going to be any eating for me again." And that was really hard because looking back, again, I didn't advocate for myself like I should have. But yeah, and then Madeline, she was able to be with us, you know, the whole time, which was new for David and I with Jackson being whisked off to the NICU and we were able to, you know, go home normally. And Jackson was super excited to welcome his baby sister home. And yeah, she's been a hoot ever since.
Natalie: Oh, that is so precious. So then, now that you've had those two experiences and you guys, finding out you're pregnant for a third time—how did your perspective shift even more as you prepared for that birth?
Katie: I was so ready to finally have my natural birth. I was like, "This is going to happen. I did really good." I am undiagnosed ADHD, so I am an amazing perpetual learner. If I find a topic, I go all in on it. And so I feel like I learned really well with Madeline. Oh yeah. Going back, it was not a pain-free birth, hence why I had to have the epidural. That mindset definitely had to change. But I was like, "I feel like God is calling me to do this. I want to do this." Explaining that to my mother who had only one—me—and was like, "Give me the epidural as soon as she got to the hospital," she's like, "You don't get an award for going natural." And I'm like, "That's great. That's not why I am doing it." I was like, "God truly intended for this to be unmedicated and natural." And I know clearly there are situations where medicine is needed and that God has also blessed us with medicine in that sense. But I was just like, "I feel like he's truly calling me to this. I feel like this can bring me closer to him." And so I just started listening to all the podcasts I could. I found another great Christian childbirth podcast out there, which I'm so happy you're doing this because there's literally only one or two out there. So this is beautiful that you're doing this. And I mean, I just listened and I listened more and I just repeated stuff and I read books. I read Ina May's book.
Natalie: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.
Katie: Yes. And Redeeming Childbirth by Angie Tolpin was just gorgeous. And so I, you know, I learned as much as I could. And I, about 14 or 16 weeks I went on Google and I was like, "Christian childbirth educator" and who popped up, but Miss Natalie Portman, and I was like, "Oh, this is so great" and so messaged you and then we got to having our discovery call and I was like, "Oh, you go to Eleven22," so do I. And then we found out we had mutual friends and it was just awesome because I'm pretty sure we were like sitting in church next to each other that following Sunday.
Natalie: I know. And it was funny because after we connected we would run into each other all the time because we had all these circles that we ran in together and we had no idea.
Katie: Nope. And so that was beautiful in of itself. And then you came out and did the body assessment. And then I was like, "We get a discount on our childbirth class, so let's just go ahead and do this." And David told me later, he was like, "Yeah, my friends gave me a hard time for going to another childbirth class because they're like, 'Isn't this your third?'" And I was like, "Yes it is, but you can never learn too much with this." And so did your childbirth class. And I just used you as a resource and you were great. You let me text you with any questions. All of our play dates, I always had something that I wanted to share or a question I wanted to ask.
And then I had been praying the whole pregnancy. Well, so that talking about Christian's pregnancy, we were so excited to find out that we were pregnant. And then about 24 hours later, I was hit with an anxiety I had never felt before. The first two, the Lord blessed me to not have any perinatal depression, anxiety, or postpartum depression, anxiety. So I never really was able to relate to friends that would talk about it and everything. I would, you know, just try to listen and be there for them. But this pregnancy, I was hit with it and I was hit with it very early on. It was like four weeks because I remember we went to church that Sunday after we found out and we told the people we were close to at church and I couldn't get through it without crying because I was like, "Yeah, we're pregnant and I'm so scared." And I, you know, I was down at the altar almost every Sunday just praying for myself and having people pray over us because I was just so anxious. And it lasted 14 days. And if it were to have gone to 15 days, they would've deemed me as the perinatal depression and would've probably tried to treat me for it, but the Lord stopped it. So I was able to be excited from then, you know, from then on.
And one big thing I prayed about was that my mom would be accepting of me wanting to go natural because it took her a while to be on board because again, she was very much "You don't get a medal. Like why go through this pain if you don't have to?" And I told her, I was like, "I would love for you to be in the birthing room with us again because she wasn't there with Madeline because, you know, with COVID and the restrictions and everything like that. Plus I actually did want to do it, just David and I'm happy we did. But with the third, I was like, "This could possibly be our last. And mom, I would love you there with us, but I'm letting you know I'm going unmedicated. Like this is happening." And she was like, "We'll see." And I was like, "No, like this is happening." And so throughout the pregnancy I would talk to her about it and I would give her like little things that she could do to one, keep reminding her this was happening, and two, be like, "Hey, if David needs a break, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to help get me through it." And so we attended your childbirth class and I passed a lot of that information onto her and I just kept praying. I was like, "God, please help her to accept this and be supportive. And if she can't, then please bless her with the strength to say, 'I love you. I'm going to come up after,' or 'I'm going to wait out in the waiting room and then I'll see you guys.'" And so that was pretty tough because it was almost having that constant "Are you sure? Are you sure?" But the Lord blessed me with so many verses to go to, and it was definitely the birth that I truly was in constant contact, praying without ceasing with the Lord the whole time. And I mean, I kept a journal and it was almost daily where I would find something. I'd be listening to a song, and I would write down the worship lyrics or I would be just reading and something that never stuck out to me before would stick out to me.
And one big one that I wrote that I still have written is Romans 12:1, and it's "May my body be a sacrifice to the Lord," because that's what I wanted. I was like, "This body is yours, God. And you intended it to be used for unmedicated birth, and I know it's going to hurt, but I surrender it to you." And then I read your post—I think it was an Easter post, but it was about your birth with Ellie and how you were just brought eye to eye with God in that unmedicated birth. And I was just like, I took a screenshot of it and I sent it to David and I was like, "This is what I want." That kept me going.
And so finally, I think it was like 34 or 35 weeks, maybe even later, when mom texted me and she was like, "Hey. I don't think I'm going to be able to be in the birthing room with you with an unmedicated birth." She's like, "I don't know what a peanut ball is. I don't know what the essential oils you want." She's like, "I just—" she's like, "I don't know the difference between a birthing ball or a peanut ball, or the different positions you want." And she's like, "Can you text Natalie and ask her if she'll be your doula because I will help contribute to that fund."
And I like texted you and within five minutes you were like, "Let me ask Brian." And then within another minute you were like, "Yes." And it was just like the most beautiful answer to a prayer that I had seen, a tangible answer to a prayer that I had seen in a really long time. And so I still continued, you know, to read the books and listen to any time I got to listen to a podcast on natural birth. I was just like listening to it and just soaking in.
And then it was 38 weeks, I went for my 38 week check and he was like, "Okay, you're three centimeters, but that doesn't mean anything." He's like, "You could go in a week, two weeks, so you could go tonight. Do you want me to strip your membrane?" And I was like, "No, thanks." And he's like, "Okay, that works." I had the most amazing doctor, the fact that he was a man. So I had switched doctors between Madeline and Christian because another funny story about Madeline's birth was we had to drive past our closest hospital to get to the other hospital, and I'm pretty sure I had—I know I had tears in my eyes because I was in so much pain. I looked over, I'm pretty sure David had tears in his eyes because he was like, "We could literally be going right there, but we have to drive another 15 miles." So we made sure to make the switch and I chose a male, and I was like, "You know what? It's fine." I'd seen him before and he was like, "Are you planning on having any more kids?" And I was like, "I think we are, but I'm not sure when." This was literally like a month before I found out I was pregnant. And he was like, "We would be so happy and honored if you chose us to have that birth." And I was like, "Okay." For a guy to say that, that's pretty cool. And I know it's a business, but it was, you know, genuine. And I asked him at one of the later appointments, I was like, "How do you feel about an unmedicated birth? Or natural birth." He was like, "What you mean like with no medicine?" I'm like, "Yeah." He's like, "That sounds fine to me. That's less work for me." And I was like, "Perfect. Because that's what's going to happen."
And so saw him that day. He told me it probably won't happen, but it could happen tonight. It could happen next week. But I was starting to feel the very familiar cramping. And so I told David, I was like, "It's definitely going to happen within the next week." And as the afternoon progressed, I was like, "It's definitely going to happen within the next few days. Oh, it's definitely going to happen in the next 48 hours. Okay. These are getting a little more intense." So that was when I texted you and you were very calm. You were like, "Okay, we'll just see how this goes." And I texted a friend of mine because I got that fear came back again and anxiety and I was texting her and I was like, "Did you feel this right before? You know, you went into labor?" And she's like, "Yes, it's, you know, the hormones that are raging. I can't tell you when it's going to happen, but you've got to, you know, be in the word, get on your knees, be with the Lord."
And so I like sprinted into our little—my little war closet, our master closet. And I closed the door and I just opened my Bible and I found the verse and I just prayed the verse over myself and it was the first time of understanding, praying scripture over yourself. It was Isaiah and I just constantly prayed it over myself and after a little while, I was able to get up off the floor and I was calm and I was like, "Okay, I think this is going to happen within the next 24 hours." And so I texted my dad prepping him because he lives about 10 minutes away. And he was prepped to know when he needed to get in the car and come rush over here to be with the two olders. And I texted mom and I was like, "You know, get your bags ready, be prepared. It's going to be soon." And then we went to bed. I was like, "David, you need to sleep out on the couch or at least fall asleep on the couch because I'm going to be tossing and turning." And I was tossing and turning. I was laboring. I was peeing every five minutes maybe. I was like, "This is new." But I was doing that for a couple of hours and then all of a sudden I felt him drop and I got the birthing ball and I mooed through three, four contractions and David, like sleepily walked into the door and I was like, "We got to go. It's time to go."
So called you, called my mom, called my dad, and dad was here within five minutes. And you were like, "Call labor and delivery. Let them know you're coming." So I did that and this is the part of the story that I love. So I walked in, and of course, it's 2 in the morning, right? We walk in and there's someone checking in to the emergency room ahead of me, and bless this young guy's heart who's checking him in. I mean, I'm like, there is no modesty. There is no care. I am moo screaming up a storm. They're trying to get me a wheelchair. My mom's like, "Yes, get her a wheelchair." I'm like, "Don't get me a wheelchair" because it was back labor, which is what I had with the other ones too. And I just stood there and I was still cognizant enough to where I was like, "I must not be mooing or making a big enough scene because they're not rushing enough." So I like went louder. I did not care.
And so finally they like had me fill out or sign the few forms, even though I signed everything. They still make you sign stuff when you're in the midst of labor. And so they rushed me to the elevators, put me up. I told them one fun thing was I always said, "If I have a boy and then a girl, we are not finding out the gender of our third." And that's exactly what happened. So the whole pregnancy, I told my doctor and he was like, "I'm not even putting it in your chart" so that it was kept secret. I went to triage and I was like, "We're not finding out." And they got so excited. They were like, "Oh my gosh, it's an unknown." And I was like, "And I'm not using any medication." And they're like, "That's great because you're nine and a half centimeters. We need to get you to a room, now. You have a bulging bag." And I was like, "Great."
So I'm walking and one of the nurses leads me into the very first room and they're like, "No. Put her in room 803," which is literally like all the way down the hallway. And I'm like, "What's going on?" But I'm like set, and I'm having to stop to contract. And I had the most amazing set of nurses where the nurse would be like, "All right, dad, get in position." And she would squeeze and then David would be holding me. But it was so funny because I'm starting to go into that twilight zone, but I'm still hearing—she's like, "She's walking" and I was like, "Yeah, like it would be too painful to sit down." And I like remember looking behind me and there's two nurses. One has a thing of towels and the other one has a bucket. And I'm like, "What is going on?" And later when I came to, I was realizing like, "Oh, bulging bag means like as soon as that bag breaks, like that baby is coming." So they were like, "She's probably going to give birth in the hallway." And there's just like a slew of nurses and I'm pretty sure there had to have been like 15 nurses in that room. I think it was because it was 2:00 AM and it was a very quiet night. They informed us, so I think they were all just "Let's just go see this birth."
And so we got into the room and I climbed up on the bed on all fours, and I just stayed there. They tried and this was also where God was so good. They really, even if you're going unmedicated, they really want to put that IV in just in case. And she tried like once or twice, and I don't know if she saw red in my eyes because I was just like, "Don't touch me." And she like threw it across the room. She was like, "This isn't happening. We'll figure it out once the baby comes." And so that was when you walked in and my mom was like, just right there behind you. So we got to the hospital at two. This is probably 2:30, 2:35 at this point.
And David is having to do the double hip squeeze and he's not getting a break because the contractions are not stopping. Like Christian was just like, "I'm just coming. I'm not going to give her any bit of a break." So it was just a constant contraction. And so finally you were like, "David, get in front of her. You nurse come over here, you put—you push on this side, I'll push on this side." I heard my mom crying and so that was after the fact. I realized that she was so against me going unmedicated because she knew the pain and she didn't want to see me in it. It wasn't like she thought negatively about it. It was, "She was thinking, I'm going to see my baby in pain and I don't want to." And so she's crying in the corner. So I'm really glad that we were able to hire you because she wouldn't have been able to help. And David and I are nose to nose and bless his heart at one point. I'm like just gripping at his chest. And he like tries to pull away for something. And it may even been to have just repositioned. And I was like, "What are you doing?" And like the nurses were like, "Don't move." All y'all were like, "Don't move." He's like, "I was just moving." But I mean the water was able to break on its own, which was really cool. Never had that experience and he came sliding out, not even. I think it was one push and I was able to give birth on all fours, which is the position I, as I thought I would feel most comfortable in. But was able to give birth on all fours and I was able to semi catch him.
And then afterwards we were so excited. My mom was like, "It's a boy." And I like couldn't roll, I couldn't turn around to start the golden hour. I was like, I think my body was just in shock that I was just like stuck in the all fours position with my head on the mattress and my chest on the mattress. And they're like, "Don't squish the baby." And I'm like, "I'm not squishing the baby. All of my weight is on one side." I was like, "But I can't get out of this." My body was just like shocked because it was so fast. So after a while we were able to turn me over and I wanted to do the delayed cord clamping. That was another great thing that you did. You came in and you were like waving my birth plan. You were like, "This is her birth plan." And they were so great at really trying to make it happen. But they did notice that he was just not becoming colorful, and so they were like, "We have to cut the cord." And at that point I was like, "I need a minute." You know, like I was just, I felt bad afterwards because I thought I would feel like this oxytocin moment where, you know, just this beautiful, heavenly moment after. And I just didn't get that and my body was just in shock after, so it just needed some time to calm down. So I was like, "That's totally fine. Y'all take him. He's, you know, his health is more important than anything."
So they took him. They were able to get him angry and crying. They discovered that he had hypospadias which if they hadn't taken him, we never would've known that he has it which is where his little pee hole is lower than it should be. And so they were able to address that. They were like, "He has to pee right now, otherwise we have to take him to the NICU." And so they were able to get him to pee instantly. So that was a blessing. They found the hypospadias. He was able to do what he needed to. So it wasn't like an immediate need that needed to be addressed. So they brought him back to me, and then finally I was able to just like breathe and then my doctor comes walking in. So my doctor lives on the other side of the city and he got the call. I mean, I'm pretty sure they called him as soon as I called them prepping them that I was on my way, but he still lived pretty far away. And so he walks in, he's like, "Guess you had your baby. He's like, "Didn't I see you yesterday morning?" And I was like, "Yes, you did." And he blessed me with the information that I did not tear at all, which was amazing. And so he didn't have to do anything. They did give me a shot of Pitocin in the leg, which I was fine with. I thought that was really cool. I'm like, "You know, if God wants us to have another one, I'm glad to know that's something I can advocate for. Be like, 'I don't want an IV. I will take the Pitocin shot post-birth, but until then I don't want it.'" Yeah. And you went and got us coffee at 5:00 AM because we had to wait till Starbucks opened and we were able to go home I think 36 hours later. So it was just a beautiful stark difference between Jackson's and then a little bit of a difference between Madeline's, but still all of them were just all so beautiful and I would not trade any of their stories for anything.
Natalie: Yeah I loved that thrill of a birth that you had. And there's been a couple of those that I've had that. It's usually second and third time moms where it's that, like fast and furious, but it is a thrill whenever your baby is just like coming without anything that you're doing that your body truly just knows what to do. And because the Lord has designed it that way and it's just all unfolding. And it can be a little intense. So a labor that is three hours or less, we consider it a precipitous labor. And you certainly had a precipitous labor, and I've never gone through it myself, but just seeing it as a doula, it's almost like watching somebody hang on to a moving freight train where it's like the train is just booking it, and you're just trying to hold on for dear life as it's happening to you. And yeah, it is so intense. But I found that post that you brought up that I posted at Easter time and it says, "A woman endures labor to gain her children and Jesus endured the cross to gain us his children." And it was one of those things where after I gave birth for the first time and as I, you know, spent the time meditating on the worship, what you were doing, where you were like journaling if you like heard a lyric or a verse or something and it kept occurring to me how much birth shows the heart of the Lord for us, his children that you know Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, the night before he's crucified, is going to the Lord and he's saying, "Lord, if there's any way for this cup to pass from me, but not my will, your will be done." And I feel like a lot of us, when we contemplate the task and the challenge of giving birth to a human being, it can feel like that "Lord, let this cup pass from me." Like I don't want to do this this seems overwhelming. But, not my will your will be done. And I feel like when we have that posture, we get to enjoy the unfolding, however that looks and for some of it it's really smooth and it's easy. For others, it's like hanging onto a moving freight train. For others it's a complete train wreck and everything goes completely wrong but either, no matter how it's unfolding, that struggle parallels the gospel. Because Jesus looked at you. If you are a believer, Jesus looked at you and said, "But you're worth it. You're worth this excruciating agony." And so it was like I could see the shadow of how the gospel was so interwoven into birth and the birth experience. So I love that you brought that up. And, what was that verse again that was pivotal for you?
Katie: It was Romans 12:1 "I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord, holy and pleasing because this is true worship."
Natalie: Yeah and it is true worship to lay before the Lord everything about your being, but your body is certainly no exception. It is the Lord's temple, and we get to honor Him when we nourish our body with good foods, when we are moving and exercising, we get to honor the Lord when we get to feel our babies kick inside of our bellies, we get to honor the Lord by seeking him with what we decide to do with our bodies. And that's another piece that I love about your story, the Lord was kind of showing you through each pregnancy, not that you need to distrust your providers or anything like that. Because I totally believe that the Lord, it's his common grace to give us the knowledge of our providers and all that, we don't take the back seat, to what we should be seeking the Lord for, to choose certain interventions to choose a certain birth setting or to choose a certain kind of birth preference. I think it's really important for us to seek the Lord for those things. Instead of fully depending on our provider, fully depending on what other women have done, fully depending on ourselves to figure it out. But really seeking the Lord and the way that he wants us to honor him and honor our bodies as a temple for his presence. And I think that, obviously extends well past even birth and pregnancy and postpartum. But I think especially in this time when it is such a physical change and event that is happening in your body. That's a beautiful verse. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Natalie: Absolutely. Well, Katie, this was an absolute pleasure to hear your birth stories. I love that mamas get to hear just the differences and we talked about this a little bit ahead of time. But to just hear how even one person can have three very different birth experiences and to see the Lord moving in all of those some of them where things were not going right, at all. Some where there was some sense of "I'm feeling more confident in my ability to do this thing that the Lord's equipped me, called me to do." And then a third where it was just a manifestation of just the Lord's provision and it had nothing to do with you where it was all on you to figure all of this out, but you came to a place where you're like, "I can't do this all on my own. And Lord, I'm just have to run to you constantly. When I feel this anxiety bubbling up, when I feel inadequate, when I feel like I'm not equipped." And to see that because I know your heart. And it's not just in this, that I see you doing this. I see you doing this in every aspect of your life. And so it's so beautiful to see how the Lord can take this season of your life to just draw closer to you. And that's what I pray for every mama that's listening to this is that they would acknowledge that this season is beautiful, it's also really challenging at times. But that it is an opportunity for us to draw closer to him.
Katie: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. I love talking about their birth stories, so I could talk about it all the time.
Natalie: Me too. Hence why I'm doing this podcast. Thanks so much girl, and appreciate you.
