From Hospital Birth to Home Birth: Daniel’s Birth Story
I'm so glad you're here. In this episode of Faith Over Fear: The Christian Pregnancy and Birth Podcast, I’m sharing the beautiful and intense story of Daniel’s birth—my second baby, my first home birth, and a huge step of faith. Whether you're dreaming of a peaceful birth or walking through the ups and downs of pregnancy, I hope this story reminds you that God is with you through it all.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Click below to listen to Episode 2
From Fear to Faith: Daniel’s Home Birth Story
Choosing Home Birth as a Doula Mama After experiencing a hospital birth with my daughter Ellie and stepping into the world of birth work as a doula, I felt a tug toward a different kind of experience with my second baby. The journey to Daniel’s home birth was filled with prayer, research, pros and cons lists, and some serious surrender.
Trying to Conceive and Trusting God's Timing We started trying for baby number two in April 2023. I tracked ovulation using a Bluetooth thermometer and an app that helped me line everything up. But even with the "perfect timing," I didn't get pregnant that first cycle. I was crushed. It reminded me that while we can prepare, we cannot control life. God used that time to refine my heart and remind me that He is the Author of life.
The Unexpected Scare Soon after we conceived, I had another miscarriage scare—like I did with Ellie. Intense cramping, bleeding, even passing small clots. But praise the Lord, bloodwork and an ultrasound confirmed a healthy pregnancy. Even in the unknown, I felt His peace.
Making the Switch to Home Birth At 20 weeks, after a healthy anatomy scan (despite a brief scare with a low-lying placenta), we switched from OB care to home birth midwifery care with the amazing Rebecca Ray of Sweet Grace Midwifery. She offered prenatal visits right in my home, which was so helpful with a toddler.
Mindset Battles and the Need to Surrender Even as a doula, I wrestled with fear. What if something disqualified me from home birth? What if I became high risk? I had to constantly surrender those "what-ifs" to the Lord. Each day, I laid my plans before Him again and again, trusting that His plan was good, even if it looked different than mine.
"I had to constantly surrender my plans for my birth to the Lord. It was a daily exercise."
Labor Day: March 1st, 2024 I was already 4 cm dilated when Rebecca did a membrane sweep. That evening, contractions began. My mom and sisters came over for a sleepover, and I sent the classic doula text to my own doula—"I think I might be in labor?" By 3 AM, the whole birth team was there: my doula Kahla, birth photographer, midwife and assistant, and even Ellie asleep in her room.
Party Vibes and Peaceful Progress We had coffee, a dance party, and lots of laughter between contractions. It really felt like a middle-of-the-night celebration! But when things began to stall around 8 AM, I asked for my water to be broken—just like I had done with Ellie. That shifted everything.
Into the Birth Pool: Meeting Daniel Once I got into the water, things intensified. Worship music filled the room. I closed my eyes, vocalized through each wave, and cried out, “Lord, help me.”
Daniel’s head was born slowly, then his body followed minutes later—his hand tucked up near his cheek. My husband, Brian, helped catch him and guide him into my arms. Daniel was born into the water, to the song Thanks Be to God Who Delivers Me. It was perfect.
The Joy After the Push Holding Daniel, everything changed. The pain vanished. The fear melted. Joy overflowed. Ellie met her brother minutes later, and we all snuggled up together for the sweetest family moment.
Postpartum Lessons Learned One thing I didn’t prepare well for? The postpartum season with a toddler. If I could do it again, I’d have a postpartum doula, childcare, or even scheduled help lined up. Just because birth happens at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have support afterward!
Check out some of the birth photos taken by Erin Heuser Photographer LLC
📖 Scripture That Carried Me
"When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world."
— John 16:21 (ESV)
🙏 A Prayer for Your Journey
Friend, I know the fears you might be feeling. I had them too. But God met me in the unknown. He was present in the pain, and faithful in the surrender.
Let me pray for you:
Father God, I thank You for this sweet sister listening and reading. Meet her in her season of waiting or preparation. Remind her that the pain and uncertainty are not wasted—that You are writing a beautiful story. Fill her with peace, hope, and joy as she places her trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
📎 Resources Mentioned
Christian Mama Birth Prep Library – Free tools, playlists, and guides to help you prep with peace
Cervical Ripening Methods – (Listen to Episode 3 - FREE handout inside the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library)
Virtual Doula Support & Childbirth Education – Explore Services
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
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Grab your free birth prep tools at the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library.
🔗 More You Might Love
📄 Full Episode Transcript
Hello there, and welcome to Episode 2, where I'll be sharing the birth story of my son, Daniel — my second born — and the growth that happened from preparing for and experiencing a different type of birth. I had a hospital birth with Ellie, and deciding to go with a home birth for Daniel was a huge decision — one we were really happy we made, but a lot went into it.
It's funny because I became a doula after I had Ellie. So, going into this birth with the knowledge and experience I'd gained from being a doula for a couple of years had its pros — and definitely some cons, too. I'll go into more detail about that.
After Ellie's delivery, at my six-week postpartum OB visit, I had an IUD placed. I didn't have a period with the IUD, so when we were ready to try for another baby, I was once again in the same boat as the first time — not knowing when I was ovulating. I used ovulation test strips and checked my basal body temperature — taking my temperature first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed.
I used an app that paired with a Bluetooth basal body thermometer. It would automatically log my temperature into the app. I'll put the link for the Bluetooth thermometer, test strips, and app in the show notes in case you're interested. It was relatively inexpensive and really helped us figure out the timing.
We started trying for a baby in April of 2023. We were at a wedding, and while at the airport about to leave, I realized I was about to ovulate. I thought for sure we would get pregnant that time. When the time came for pregnancy testing, though, the tests were negative. I told myself, "Just wait a few more days." I felt pregnant. I had some crampiness. But I wasn't pregnant. I was really disappointed. I felt like I had misunderstood my body's cues and doubted myself.
The next month — May — I decided to take a step back. I wasn't actively tracking, or at least not as closely. I needed to posture my heart toward trusting God's timing and away from controlling the process. I had fallen into thinking that if I just did A plus B, it would automatically equal C. But fertility doesn't always work that way. It was a heart check moment.
Come June, we tracked again, and after celebrating Ellie's second birthday on June 9th, we conceived shortly after. I found out at the end of June that I was pregnant! I felt so grateful that it didn't take long for us to conceive again. But even more, I was thankful for the spiritual refining God had done in my heart during those months of waiting.
Because I was a doula by this time, I already knew who I wanted for my own doula: Kahla Jurney. If you're in Jacksonville, you've probably heard of her! She's an incredible doula. Kahla and I later went on to start Beloved Birth & Beyond Collective together. But even back then, just one day after I found out I was pregnant, I called her and asked, "What are you doing in March 2024? Would you like to be my doula?" She said yes!
Crazy enough, I had another miscarriage scare with this pregnancy — similar to my experience with Ellie. I had intense cramping and passed some small blood clots. It was terrifying. Thankfully, Full Circle Women's Care — a wonderful OB/midwife practice in Jacksonville — got me in for bloodwork. My HCG levels were rising appropriately, and an ultrasound confirmed that the baby was growing in the right place. It was another reminder that God is near even in uncertainty. I felt a deep peace, no matter the outcome.
Around the time of my anatomy scan at 20 weeks, Brian and I started talking about switching to home birth care. I resolved to get through the anatomy scan first, and as long as everything looked healthy, we would consider the switch. The anatomy scan went well, though it showed a low-lying placenta. Most of the time, those move up as the uterus grows — and thankfully, mine did.
We prayed, made pros and cons lists, and had many conversations. Ultimately, we decided to pursue a home birth. We hired Rebecca Ray of Sweet Grace Midwifery. She was wonderful! At the time, she did home visits, which was such a gift with a toddler at home.
Early on, I also started regular chiropractic care with Dr. Paige — who was Webster-certified. I started seeing her around five weeks pregnant, first monthly, then biweekly, and finally weekly as I approached the end of pregnancy. That care made such a difference, especially with my hypermobility and pelvic pain.
Starting around 35 weeks, I felt intense pelvic pressure. It felt like a bowling ball between my legs! Rebecca did a cervical check and confirmed that Daniel was already very low and engaged. I was having tons of warm-up contractions, losing my mucus plug, experiencing backaches, and nesting urges. I was doing all the natural cervical ripening methods: red raspberry leaf tea, dates, acupuncture, spicy foods, intimacy, and more.
Because Daniel was so low, I backed off a bit on cervical ripening efforts until I reached 37 weeks. Home birth midwives typically require you to be at least 37 weeks to deliver at home. If I'd gone into labor earlier, I would've needed to transfer to a hospital. This period of "holding back" and surrendering my timeline to the Lord was challenging but sanctifying.
Throughout the pregnancy, I wrestled with fears: What if I became high-risk? What if I needed a hospital transfer? Daily, I had to lay those fears at Jesus' feet. I practiced imagining "worst case" scenarios — not to dwell in fear, but to prepare my heart to trust that no matter what, God would be with me.
Fast-forward to March 1st: Rebecca came for a prenatal visit. I was 2 centimeters dilated, 75% effaced, and Daniel was at 0 station. I asked her to do a membrane sweep, and she was able to stretch me to 4 centimeters. That night, I had mild cramping and increasing Braxton Hicks. We ordered Mexican food (spicy food, of course!), and I took an Epsom salt bath.
I called my mom and sisters to let them know things might be starting. They all decided to come over for a sleepover! My mom stayed in our guest room; my sisters camped out in the living room. I told Brian, "Okay, we're having sex tonight." (Just keeping it real!)
We went to bed around 10 PM. At midnight, I woke up with strong, regular contractions. I tried to ignore them as long as I could, but they kept coming. I started timing them around 12:30 AM and sent screenshots to Kahla. I’m a doula, but it’s still hard to tell when it’s your own body! Kahla confirmed that it looked like active labor.
Everyone started making their way over: my midwife Rebecca, her assistant, Kahla, Paige (who was also serving as a doula), and my birth photographer Erin. My sisters and mom were already there. Brian was my rock throughout.
It felt like a party in the middle of the night! We moved the dining table aside and set up the birth pool in front of our sliding glass doors. My sisters helped string lights and set out all my labor tools.
By 5 AM, Rebecca checked me. I was 7-8 centimeters dilated, 80% effaced, and Daniel was moving down! My contractions were manageable — about a 4 or 5 on the pain scale. We had a dance party on the birth ball, I drank coffee, and we laughed and enjoyed the sweet anticipation.
Around 7 AM, Ellie woke up. Seeing her sweet face brought a rush of emotions. I realized this was one of our last moments as a family of three. I cried bittersweet tears.
By 8 AM, things had plateaued. I asked Rebecca to check me again. I was still about the same, so I asked her to break my water. Afterward, contractions picked up gradually (thankfully, not all at once!). I labored on the toilet for a bit to help move Daniel down.
Eventually, I got into the birth pool. The water felt way too hot at first! My team cooled me down with fans, towels, and ice. As I labored in the water, I closed my eyes, vocalized through contractions, and leaned hard into worship music.
I cried out to Jesus: "Lord, help me!" It wasn't fear — just acknowledging that I needed Him. His presence was so near.
Suddenly, I needed to move. I instinctively got into a squat in the water, grabbed the side of the birth pool, and felt Daniel descending. His head crowned, and then — pause. His head was out, but no urge to push.
I asked Rebecca, "Is everything okay?" She reassured me he looked great. After about 30 seconds, we shifted my position, and I finally felt the urge to push again. After a powerful final push, Daniel was born with his hand near his head (a compound presentation!). Brian helped catch him, and we brought him up to my chest.
Daniel let out a strong cry and then quietly took it all in. It was pure joy. The pain was instantly gone.
The song playing when Daniel was born was "Thanks Be to God Who Delivers Me" by Jon Foreman — the perfect anthem for the moment.
Ellie came back inside minutes after Daniel's birth. She was fascinated by her new baby brother. We had the sweetest first moments as a family of four.
Delivering the placenta was a whole adventure — it took a lot of work! I ended up needing a shot of Pitocin for bleeding. My placenta had an extra lobe and an unusual cord insertion, but everything was ultimately okay.
After a quick shower, I crawled back into bed. Brian, Ellie, Daniel, and I snuggled up together. Our birth team celebrated with mimosas and brunch — bagels and all!
Spiritual Encouragement:
John 16:21 says, "When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world."
That verse so beautifully captures birth. The struggle, the surrender, and ultimately the indescribable joy.
It also reminds me of Jesus — how He endured the cross "for the joy set before Him." Your pregnancy, birth, and motherhood journey will have challenges. But they are leading you to a greater joy.
Let's Pray:
Father God, I thank You for this sweet sister listening. I pray You would meet her in whatever season she's in. Remind her that the pain and challenges have purpose. Fill her heart with hope, peace, and joy in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Thank you for sticking around for Daniel's birth story! I pray it encouraged your heart.
Next episode, I'll be diving into cervical ripening methods — sharing what I tried, what I recommend, and offering a helpful handout you can use.
Until next time, let's keep choosing faith over fear.
Resources:
Don't forget to grab your free Christian Mama Birth Prep Library with practical handouts, a worship labor playlist, and more at faithoverfearbirth.com! You can also find the link in today's show notes.
If today's episode blessed you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend! Your support helps more women find this podcast and embrace faith-filled birth and motherhood.
Bye for now!
