Discerning the Right Birth Setting: Hospital, Birth Center, or Home
Hey sweet mama! If you're here, you're probably wrestling with one of the biggest decisions of your pregnancy journey—where to give birth. Maybe you didn't even realize you had options beyond your OB-GYN's hospital, or maybe you're feeling overwhelmed by all the choices. I've been there, and I want you to know that there's no "right" answer—just the one that's right for you, your baby, and where God is leading you. Let's walk through this together with wisdom, prayer, and a whole lot of grace.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
My Story: From Feeling Pigeonholed to Finding Freedom
When I was pregnant with Ellie, I honestly didn't even know I had options. I just assumed everyone delivered with their OB-GYN—the same doctor I'd been seeing for years. But as I started researching and really felt called toward an unmedicated, low-intervention birth, I began looking into birth centers.
Unfortunately, my OB-GYN's practice had already required me to pay their full fees upfront with no refunds. I felt completely pigeonholed into staying with them, even though my heart was pulling me toward a different kind of birth experience.
Here's what I wish I had known then: it's never too late to change course if God is leading you somewhere new. I've had clients switch from hospital to home birth at 35+ weeks, and their births were absolutely beautiful. Whether you're in your first trimester or final weeks, if the Lord is opening a door, don't be afraid to walk through it.
With Daniel's pregnancy, we ultimately chose a home birth after starting with an OB-GYN due to some early complications. Around 20 weeks, we felt peace about switching to a home birth midwife, and it was the most beautiful decision for our family.
Hospital Birth: The Pros and Cons
The Pros of Hospital Birth
Immediate Access to Emergency Care The biggest advantage of hospital birth is having immediate access to:
Emergency surgery and C-sections
Epidurals and pain management
NICU care if your baby needs it
Anesthesiologists and specialized staff
This is especially important if you or your baby are considered high-risk for any reason.
Consistent Staffing Hospitals are always staffed with obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and nurses. Even if your specific provider isn't available, there's usually a hospitalist (an OB who works for the hospital) ready to handle emergencies.
Insurance Coverage Most insurance policies fully cover traditional hospital births, which can be a significant financial consideration for many families.
Extended Postpartum Stay This can be a pro or con depending on your perspective. Some mamas love having extra support and not worrying about older children at home, while others (like me!) feel ready to get back to their own bed and space.
The Cons of Hospital Birth
Less Personalized Care You likely won't know your nurse, and most practices operate on a rotation system where you get whoever is on call. If you're in a large group practice, you might deliver with a provider you've never met or maybe even had a difficult experience with.
Higher Likelihood of Interventions Hospital settings naturally lead to what I call a "cascade of interventions." You're more likely to be offered:
Continuous IV fluids
Continuous fetal monitoring
Restrictions on eating and drinking during labor
Pitocin to speed up labor
The “Cascade of Interventions” Effect Here's how interventions can snowball: You get an epidural for pain relief, which requires IV fluids for blood pressure management, continuous monitoring because of the epidural, and a catheter because you can't feel when you need to urinate. One intervention often leads to another.
Feeling Rushed If your labor progresses slowly, hospital providers may feel pressure to move things along with interventions like Pitocin, which can intensify contractions significantly.
During Ellie's hospital birth, I actually had to sneak snacks throughout labor because I was getting hungry from all the hard work, but eating wasn't encouraged. I didn't love feeling like I had to be sneaky about nourishing my body.
Birth Center: The Sweet Middle Ground
The Pros of Birth Center Birth
Home-Like Atmosphere with Medical Support Birth centers offer the cozy, non-clinical feeling of home while still being staffed by trained midwives who can handle common emergencies.
Natural Birth Focus Midwives at birth centers are experienced in supporting natural, unmedicated births. They have more tools and flexibility for comfort measures like:
Birth balls and peanut balls
CUB seats (inflatable support tools)
Freedom to move and change positions
Intermittent rather than continuous monitoring
Family-Friendly Environment Many birth centers welcome siblings during labor and birth, creating a more family-inclusive experience than most hospitals allow.
Personalized Birth Plans Birth centers typically have more flexibility to accommodate your specific desires and preferences, rather than following strict hospital protocols.
The Cons of Birth Center Birth
Distance from Emergency Care If complications arise requiring surgery or specialized medical care, you'll need to transfer to a hospital. This means potentially laboring with someone you've never met if you don't have established hospital care.
Risk of Transfer You must qualify as low-risk to birth at a birth center. If issues like high blood pressure or concerning fetal heart tones develop, you'll need to transfer care.
Shorter Postpartum Stay Most birth centers discharge you 4-8 hours after birth, which some families love while others find it feels rushed.
Limited Availability Many areas have few birth centers, and they can fill up quickly. Here in Jacksonville, Florida we only have a couple of options, and they're quite competitive. (See my recommendations for birth centers here)
Insurance Coverage Some insurance plans don't cover birth center births at all, or provide limited coverage compared to hospital births.
Home Birth: Ultimate Autonomy and Freedom
The Pros of Home Birth
Complete Control Over Your Environment You decide who's present, what the atmosphere feels like, and how your space is set up. There's something so powerful about being in your own space during birth.
No Travel During Labor If you've ever experienced contractions in a car (I have!), you know how uncomfortable it can be when you need to move and you're confined to a seat.
Fewer Interruptions No barrage of questions about your entire health history, or needing to fill out forms you've already completed. You can stay in that beautiful, instinctual labor flow without constantly switching to your thinking brain.
Known Support Team Everyone in your space knows you and you know them. During Daniel's birth, the only person I hadn't met before was the midwife's assistant. It felt like a party at our house with people who truly cared about me and my desires.
Lower Intervention Rates Home birth midwives are trained to handle common emergencies—they carry oxygen, know CPR, and can manage situations like babies who need help transitioning after birth. But they're also committed to letting birth unfold naturally when possible.
The Cons of Home Birth
Not Suitable for High-Risk Pregnancies Home birth is only appropriate for low-risk mothers and babies. If complications develop during pregnancy or labor, you may need to transfer care.
The Mental Load of Uncertainty I'll be honest—during Daniel's pregnancy, I dealt with anxiety every time something came up in my blood work or when my low-lying placenta took time to resolve. Having to potentially "risk out" of your chosen birth plan can be emotionally challenging.
Preparation and Organization Required You're responsible for gathering supplies, keeping everything clean and ready, and creating your birth environment. If you struggle with organization or keeping your home clean, this might feel overwhelming.
Often Out-of-Pocket Expense Many insurance plans don't cover home birth, though some (like ours, thankfully!) provide partial reimbursement. It's worth checking with a biller who can submit claims to your insurance company.
📖 Scripture for Your Heart
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6
This verse perfectly captures the heart of choosing your birth setting. Yes, research your options and understand the pros and cons, but don't lean solely on your own understanding. Submit your decision to the Lord, and trust that He will make your path clear.
🙏 A Prayer for Your Birth Journey
Father God, thank you so much for being a God who cares for these details. I pray for the mama reading this right now that you would give her clarity, help her choose her birth setting with faith, not fear, and show her where she will be most supported by people who love her and honor her desires for this birth and who will speak life into this season.
I pray that you would remind her that she is not alone and that you are always with her no matter where she goes. Thank you that you are making her path straight, even when she doesn't have every answer figured out. I believe that you will show her clarity to the path that brings you the most glory, Jesus. It's in your name I pray. Amen.
📎Resources & Links Mentioned
📊 Birth Setting Quiz: Take the quiz to help determine which setting aligns with your values and desires
📞 Schedule a Private Coaching Call: Get personalized guidance for your birth preferences and options
📚 Christian Mama Birth Prep Library; Free birth prep tools, worship playlist & more
💕 Work with Me 1:1 – Virtual Doula Support & Christian Childbirth Education
📣 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
Welcome back to the podcast. I'm so happy you're here because today we're walking through birth settings, how to choose between a hospital, a birth center, or a home birth. Each of these comes with different levels of support, intervention, comfort, and control. So there's really no "right" answer. It's just the one that is right for you and your baby.
I'll start off with a little story behind why I'm doing this episode. When I was pregnant with Ellie, I didn't even realize that I had options. I basically assumed that you just go to your OB-GYN. It was the OB-GYN I had been seeing for several years, and I just thought, okay, well everyone just delivers their baby with their OB-GYN.
The more that I started researching about birth and really resolved that I wanted to pursue an unmedicated or low intervention birth, that's when I started looking more into pursuing something like a birth center. But unfortunately, my OB-GYN's practice had me pay for their full package all up front, and they did not give refunds. So I felt pigeonholed into going with the OB-GYN, even though I did feel like the birth center probably would have been more aligned with what I was actually wanting, especially if you are in the earlier part of your pregnancy where you're still shopping around.
But say you're even in the final weeks of pregnancy – I have actually had a handful of clients who decided at the last second, 35 weeks plus, that they wanted to choose a different option, going from a hospital birth to a home birth even, and they all have ended up being so beautiful. So all that to say, you're not too late if you're at the end of the pregnancy, but this is really a great time to start looking when you're in that first trimester, especially if you can do a bit of research and just pray about it and do all the necessary prep work to see which option is best for you early in the pregnancy.
I share my birth story with Daniel, but then we ended up choosing a home birth with him. However, I did start that pregnancy going to an OB-GYN because I was having cramping and bleeding and just some other issues. I had a low-lying placenta, and so I did go with an OB-GYN, a different OB-GYN practice. They even have midwives that are managing low-risk mom and baby care. So I was with their practice until I was about 20 weeks, and then I switched to a home birth midwife. Again, you can always choose a different option than what you started with if you feel like that's what the Lord's calling you to and that pathway opens up.
But whatever way you're leaning – hospital, birth center, home birth – I want to just walk you through some of those pros and cons of each option. But then most importantly, I want you to really tune into what the Holy Spirit is telling you to help you make a decision that aligns the most with where the Lord is leading, what values you have, and how you envision your birth experience.
Oh, and then another thing I wanted to mention is I have a birth setting quiz that can help you hash out maybe what birth setting is most appropriate for you. I'll have that quiz inside the show notes, so check that out. So we'll first start with the pros and cons of hospital birth.
We'll start with the pros. The pros are that in the hospital setting, you have immediate access to emergency care, surgery, having a C-section if that's needed, having access to an epidural, and the NICU if your baby is needing that level of care. So that's a huge pro, especially if you know you or your baby are high risk for some reason, to have all of that immediate care available to you.
Another thing is they always are staffed with obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and nurses. Even if your particular practice isn't available – say the doctor, the OB or the midwife that's on call isn't around and something emergent comes up – there's usually something called a hospitalist, and this is an OB that works for the hospital, not for a particular practice, that is there to manage things that are emergent. So that's another benefit of having the hospital birth: again, if you're in a high-risk situation or you know you're already high risk for some reason, or baby is, to have that staffing care and those interventions readily available.
Another pro to going with a hospital birth is that a lot of insurance policies cover your care if you go with this more traditional option. So that's something to definitely consider. And then this honestly could be a pro or a con, but typically your stay postpartum after you've given birth is longer than if you're giving birth at a birth center or obviously at home.
So that, again, can be a pro or con. When we had Ellie and we had that hospital birth, I felt like there was someone coming in and out of our room every 10 minutes, and it was so obnoxious to me. It was like the moment that I felt like I could finally just rest and relax, someone would come in and ask me to do something, or people just coming in at all points of the day. So that was a con for us because we just were itching to get home. We were healthy and just wanting to get back home to our comfy bed. But for some people, they really like that hospital stay. It's a time to – say you have older kids – you know, not have to worry about older kids and other things. So that's a pro or a con.
The cons of the hospital birth: typically, this is a setting where things are much less personalized. You're not going to necessarily know the nurse you have. You may know who your actual provider like OB or midwife will be at the hospital, but typically, most practices have it to where you just get whoever is on call. It's really rare, at least where I am, where a practice will say, "Oh, for sure I will be attending your birth." Most practices are a group, and so you're going to be around, I don't know, three to seven potentially different OBs or midwives that could manage your birth. So that's a little less personalized, especially if you didn't get a chance to meet every single provider in that practice. Or even worse, say you have met them all, but you had a run-in or not-great experience with one of those providers, and you may end up getting them, which – that's not something to be anxious about. That's just the reality of being in a larger group practice. So something to keep in mind.
Another con is that you just have a higher likelihood of having interventions and having what I call a cascade of interventions, where they're typically going to offer you things like having an IV placed, continuous fetal monitoring, wanting to give you fluids so that you're staying hydrated, limiting your eating and drinking – things like this. That's really common in a hospital setting. Of course, not every single provider is requiring or pushing those things, but many of them do. So if you know for a fact that you want to eat and drink during labor, but your provider has already made it known to you that they really want you to restrict eating and drinking or outright will not "allow" you to eat and drink during your labor, that's definitely something to consider. Because for me, I love eating, and if somebody told me that I couldn't eat, I would not be okay with that. We ended up having me sneak snacks all throughout my labor with Ellie in the hospital because I was doing such hard work, and I was like, "I'm getting hungry, so I'm going to eat." But I had to be sneaky about it, and I didn't really like that.
And then like I mentioned, the cascade of intervention. You know, because you have access to more interventions, it's more likely that you will receive more interventions than if it's not really an option for you. So for example, if you are starting to have really intense labor pain and the OB or the nurse is observing that, their framework is to offer you an epidural because in their experience and based on the tools that they have, that is a great option for pain management. And not that that is right or wrong, but if you're giving birth in a birth center or a home birth setting, that's not an option to get an epidural. So you have to get creative with having other options to manage that intensity of the labor. So just something to throw out there.
But what that might lead to – getting the epidural – is when you get an epidural, it also leads to needing to get a full bag of IV fluids to help manage blood pressure changes for you. And after they place the epidural, they will require that your baby is monitored continuously, whereas before maybe you were doing intermittent monitoring or even had like wireless monitoring if you were up and moving. So that changes potentially. And then they also will do a catheter where they will drain your bladder for you because your muscles are numb and you're not able to pass urine on your own, and so they will manually do that for you with a catheter. So that's, you know, just again, thinking about the cascade of interventions – how one intervention leads to another. Not always, but that is a fact that when you start introducing interventions, it has a higher chance of leading to more interventions. So that's another con.
Another con to the hospital birth setting is feeling a little bit rushed, especially if your labor is progressing more slowly. And again, going back to what these providers in the hospital setting are used to is having access to things like Pitocin, the synthetic version of oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract. So if your labor is slowing down or things are just not moving as quickly as they would like or hoped, then they will likely offer things like Pitocin to get the labor going. And if you choose that option, then things can really start to intensify.
So something else to just consider is that some providers, again, depending on your provider, but many providers in the hospital setting are trying to make the birth just be as efficient as possible, which is not a bad thing. It's not evil that they want that. It's just a reality that then some moms can feel this pressure of, "I just need to get this baby out because then I feel like I need to start moving things along so that other things don't happen."
But when it comes to the hospital birth, I know I'm ending on a low note here, but when it comes to the hospital birth setting, it's obviously the most chosen option for many women. And I had a beautiful hospital birth with Ellie. So I am not saying all of this to only encourage out-of-hospital birth, but it is a reality that you have to be aware of that yes, there are definitely amazing pros to this hospital birth option, but you also really need to consider the cons as well because you, like I'm saying, have options, especially if you are low risk and baby is low risk, to really consider other options that might be available to you that might be more appropriate for the birth experience that you're hoping to have.
So now let's talk about birth center. Some of the pros of a birth center: the birth center has a more home-like atmosphere and feeling, and yet you're still managed with medical professionals. These are midwives that are trained in all of the things that are common emergencies. So it's not like they have no tools at their disposal. But the pro is that you get to labor with a medical professional, a midwife, but the atmosphere itself is so much more cozy than a clinical hospital setting.
The other pro with this option is that midwives are much more experienced and used to having care that is focused on natural and unmedicated birth options, and they're just going to naturally have more tools at their disposal for that type of birth experience. And with your birth plans, whatever things that you desire for your birth, they're typically much more able to accommodate those versus having a hospital provider that might have to – by hospital protocol or their practice's protocol – do certain things just because that's the policy, not necessarily because it's most appropriate for your actual situation. So birth centers typically have a little bit more leeway with doing the monitoring and things like that.
Most birth centers that I see do intermittent monitoring where the midwife is just there listening in on baby, making sure everything sounds good, and then you go back to laboring and you're not bothered by having the contraction monitor on you the whole time. You also have the ability to move around more. They are really great about having lots of tools and things there, which hospitals sometimes do as well, like the birth ball – which birth balls are a little bit harder to come by in hospital settings, but some of them do. But peanut balls, CUB seats, which is like an inflatable, U-shaped – almost looks like a pool float thing. But yeah, so all of those things are available typically in birth centers and other just non-medical comfort measures to help get labor going.
And then they also are good about having good family involvement. So if you have older siblings, siblings are even allowed to come into the birth center and be with mom as she's laboring and definitely be there after baby is born. Whereas in the hospital setting, that might be a little bit harder depending on visiting hours or just the policies that they have around having, you know, younger siblings involved in the birth experience and postpartum.
And then some of the cons of the birth center option: not being as close to emergency equipment and surgery like a C-section if complications were to arise. But if you and your baby are low risk and having an uncomplicated pregnancy, there's a good chance that you will not transfer to a hospital either before or during labor. But sometimes that does happen. So you have to be okay with the possibility that if you're going with a birth center and for some reason your blood pressure starts spiking, you're starting to show signs of preeclampsia, baby for some reason isn't having some good signs, then you will not be able to give birth in the birth center. You will need to be transferred to a hospital under the care of an OB.
And that also can cause a lot of anxiety, especially if you are on the cusp of having some medical issues between you or baby that you're worried or concerned about. So something to consider: at that point, if you don't have care established with an OB-GYN or a midwife practice in a hospital, then you would have to be at the mercy of whoever is there at the hospital, whatever hospitalist at whatever hospital you choose. Sometimes you don't even get a choice. It's just whichever hospital is closest to you. So something to consider with that. If everything goes smoothly, it's fine – you don't have to change birth location. But if there are complications, you have to be okay with the possibility of a transfer.
And then another pro or con, depending on how you want to look at it, is you have a much shorter postpartum stay. Right after baby is born, you typically stay at the birth center for four to eight-ish hours, and then you drive home. And for some, that's great – they want to get home. For others, if you're needing just a little bit more time, that can feel a little bit rushed. So again, just depends on what you're needing at that point, but that could potentially be a con.
And then another con to the birth center option is you have limited availability and locations, depending on where you're at and how quickly the birth centers in your area fill up. So like in Jacksonville, we only have a couple birth centers, and their availability can be extremely competitive because there aren't many options. So look at that.
And you also have to qualify for a birth center birth, meaning you are low risk. So again, if you have some known issue or are starting to present issues, you will risk out of birth center being an option for you. And that may or may not be something you want to deal with, you know, mentally and emotionally and spiritually, or even financially. So keep that in mind as you're thinking through this decision.
And then some insurance plans, if they do cover birth center at all – some just don't cover birth center birth whatsoever – and so that's another thing to keep in mind is just the financial impact of choosing a birth center birth over potentially a hospital birth that is covered fully or has more coverage financially for that option.
And now the final option we'll go over is home birth pros and cons. For pros, you have the most autonomy and control over your birth setting when you're giving birth at home. And obviously that makes sense. You are in charge of your house and who all is there, who all is not there. So that's really great if you're wanting that level of control.
The other thing is you don't have to pack or travel far away to a birth place, a birth center, or the hospital if you are choosing this option. Everyone comes to you. If you've ever experienced contractions in a car, I've thankfully only had to do that once, but having contractions when you're riding in a car is not comfortable at all. Like, you need to move when you're contracting. And so when you're just confined to your seat, that can feel overwhelming. And for a lot of moms, that alone can be a reason why they don't want to give birth anywhere else besides home.
Another pro to the home birth option is there are typically fewer interruptions. And so this really helps your labor flow where you are not being asked questions. And this is a thing that I see a lot in hospital births: nurses are required, because this is their job, to ask you a lot of questions about your health, about your baby's health, have you fill out forms and sign forms that you've already filled out once before, and it can just become very interrupting when you are trying to just stay focused on relaxing and breathing through contractions, which requires you to be in your instinctual part of your brain.
But then when you're having to recall facts like, "When was the last time you had a bowel movement?" and "What was the first day of your last menstrual period?" you're having to go into your thinking brain, and that is not helpful when you're trying to stay in a good labor flow. So keep that in mind as well. When you are in a home birth setting, the beautiful thing is you don't have to answer those types of questions. You get to just be there, and everyone who's coming into your space knows you and you know them. Maybe the only person you don't know is the midwife's assistant. That was the only person I didn't know ahead of time before they were in my home during my home birth experience. So that's really cool that I knew every single person. They knew what I wanted, and it was really beautiful to just feel like it was like a party at our house. That was just a really beautiful part of having a home birth.
And then a lot of women who have home birth, they tend to have a really satisfying birth experience and are having lower rates of interventions in their birth experience, which makes sense because home birth midwives are trained to be able to manage the common risk factors and common things that can be unsafe for mom or baby. So for example, baby having a hard time transitioning after being born. This is something that the midwives carry oxygen for, they know how to do CPR, they know how to manage that. It's not like the midwife is just, "Oh, sorry." They are trained to help in these types of situations.
And then of course, if things become much more high risk throughout the labor, birth, or even just before, you would, again, need to have that understanding that there's a chance that you would have to risk out of your home birth and go under the care of an OB in a hospital setting. So that is a con. This would not be an option for you if you actually do have high-risk pregnancy factors, or your baby has some high-risk factors, and so that can be really disappointing.
I will be completely honest. The Lord had to really help me through some anxiety and things that I had in Daniel's pregnancy because after we had chosen to do the home birth, I had not gotten 100% clearance that my placenta, which was deemed low-lying, was not completely resolved yet. And if the placenta had remained low-lying or even covered part of the cervix, a C-section would have been my only option for delivery because a vaginal delivery would have been much too risky. And that kind of was in the back of my mind gnawing at me, and I just had to give that to the Lord. And I'm so glad that we continued on with our home birth plan, and it ended up resolving – the placenta grew upwards more and it wasn't an issue at all.
But, you know, every time some little thing came up – something with my blood work, I can't even remember what it was now. I think it was my, maybe my platelets or I can't remember. Something was not right, and I had to start taking supplements to make sure that was good, because if my blood work wasn't looking right, then I would have had to transfer under the care of my OB again. So that was a little bit stressful. But if you know and recognize that's an option, but you're still willing to go with this option, that's great.
The other con to the home birth is that you have to set up your birth environment, meaning you have to gather the right supplies and have them on hand and ready. If you are not good at staying organized or your house is always a mess, that honestly can be a factor whether or not it's a good idea for you to be doing a home birth. You need to have the towels washed and ready to go. And obviously your home birth midwife would give you all of the things that you would need. My home birth midwife actually has a kit that you just purchase, and then there's some straggler things that we needed to get outside of that kit. But she had all the stuff for us that we needed. But gathering all those supplies instead of, you know, in a hospital setting where they will have all those supplies for you, and even in a birth center setting they sometimes have you bring the supplies that you ordered or they have it there with you, or a combination. But yeah, in a home birth setting, you have to make sure you have all of the supplies ready and cleaned and available for when labor begins.
And then another con to the home birth setting is many of the times, although not always, you have to pay for this option out of pocket. Brian and I were really blessed that our insurance actually covered part of the home birth. And so that was a huge blessing that we were able to get a couple thousand back from our home birth experience, but that's really dependent on your insurance carrier. And my home birth midwife has a biller where she took all of our records and sent the billing information to the insurance company for reimbursement. So if you do decide to go with a home birth midwife, that's a great option to look into – seeing if she has a biller available or doing some research, asking around if somebody in your area can help assist you with getting your billing submitted to insurance for reimbursement. Something to consider if that is a huge factor for you and your family.
I hope this information was helpful, but I hope that you don't feel like you need to have everything figured out today. I want you to take your time, pray about this, ask more questions, and most of all, please listen to where you feel like the Lord is leading you. This isn't about what setting sounds impressive. It's about what aligns with your body, your baby, and believing that God is with you no matter where you choose to give birth.
That's why I created that birth settings quiz. I wanted it to just help you reflect a little bit more on what experience you hope to have, and hopefully it can give you some clarity there. So that quiz again will be linked in the show notes. And I'm also available for private coaching calls, and so if you ever have any questions – and birth setting is a great one, a great topic to talk through. But if you ever have anything you want to talk about related to your birth preferences, options that you're looking at, I would love to connect with you. So if you go to my website, faithoverfearbirth.com/private-coaching-call – sorry, that's a mouthful. I'll link that in the show notes. You can go there to get more details about that private coaching call with me, for us to connect one-on-one, and I can help you decide what option might be best for you or just any other questions that you have related to this season in your life.
So I want to just impart some scriptural wisdom for this topic. And I really love Proverbs 3:5-6, where it says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." And this could not be more perfect because I think there is understanding what your options are, but not leaning fully only on your own understanding in all of this.
I wish so much with my first birth with Ellie that I really had sought the Lord more instead of just feeling tied to a certain option because of financial things or just not even realizing that there were options available to me. Not that I made the wrong choice. I'm not saying that. It's just that I know that I would have had a different experience and probably one with a little bit more support than my hospital birth. And it's really so personal where you decide to give birth. I like to say it is so important to give birth where you feel the most safe, and you should feel most safe with where the Lord is leading you. So please trust in him. Lean not fully on your own understanding, but submit your ways to him, and he will make your path straight. He will show you which path you are to choose and will continue to walk down that path with you if it continues to be windy and not at all what you expected.
I'd love to just pray for you and encourage you more in this decision.
Father God, thank you so much for being a God who cares for these details. I pray for the mama listening right now that you would give her clarity, help her choose her birth setting with faith, not fear, and show her where she will be most supported by people who love her and honor her desires for this birth and who will just speak life into this season. I pray that you would remind her that she is not alone and that you are always with her no matter where she goes. Thank you that you are making her path straight, even when she doesn't have every answer figured out. I believe that you will show her clarity to the path that brings you the most glory, Jesus. It's in your name I pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode. I pray this encouraged you, and if you would, please do me a favor. Will you please leave me a review either on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, wherever you're listening to this. I so appreciate reading those, and it really does help so many more women find this podcast and this information. So I would love that so much if you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to do that.
And don't forget to take the birth settings quiz. The link is in the show notes for that, and I just pray that also just helps give you a little bit more confidence and clarity when you're making this decision. And most of all, I just hope that you realize and remember that God will equip you wherever he's calling you.
