Preparing for Induction: What to Expect, Pack & Pray as a Christian Mama
Hey sweet mama! If you're reading this, chances are an induction is either on your radar or already scheduled for your upcoming birth. I know this might not be how you pictured your birth story unfolding, and that's okay. Today, I want to walk alongside you as we explore how to prepare for an induction with both practical wisdom and spiritual peace, trusting that God is still writing a beautiful story for you and your baby.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Your Induction Is Still a Beautiful Birth Story
Let me start by saying this: being induced does not make your birth less natural, less sacred, or less beautiful. It is still a precious birth story that the Lord can and will be glorified in. I know you might be feeling a mix of emotions right now—maybe excitement to finally meet your baby, but also disappointment, nervousness, or even fear that this isn't how you pictured things going. All of those feelings are valid, mama.
An induction is simply a medical process that helps start your labor or strengthen it when your body or baby needs a little help getting things going. Common reasons include being past your due date (41-42 weeks), dealing with high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, low or high amniotic fluid levels, or other health concerns for you or your precious little one.
Making Peace with Your Induction Decision
If you're feeling unsure about whether an induction is necessary in your situation, I want to share a powerful tool with you: the B.R.A.I.N. acronym. This helps you have informed conversations with your provider:
B - Benefits: What are the benefits of doing this induction?
R - Risks: What are the potential risks?
A - Alternatives: Are there alternatives to medical induction?
I - Intuition (or prayer): What is the Lord telling you as you pray about this?
N - No/Not now: What happens if you say no or want to wait?
Remember, you always have options, and it's so important to feel at peace with your decision rather than pressured or confused.
Surrendering Control and Embracing God's Plan
Instead of viewing an induction as a loss of control, I invite you to reframe it as a different way the Lord is bringing your baby into the world. Yes, it takes surrender. Even if your induction involves interventions you hadn't originally planned for, your stillness, your peace, your trust in the Lord—all of that becomes a place where God fights on your behalf.
He's already there, mama. He's preparing the way for you and will bring you victory.
Preparing Your Body for Induction
Let's get practical! Here's how to prepare physically in the days leading up to your induction:
Stay Active (as medically allowed)
Go for walks
Try curb walking (one foot on the curb, one on the street) to open your pelvis
Consider the Miles Circuit to encourage optimal baby positioning
Nourish and Hydrate
Drink electrolytes daily
Eat high-protein snacks
Stay well-hydrated
REST! (I cannot emphasize this enough)
I see so many mamas come into their inductions exhausted from trying "all the things" to get labor started naturally. Please don't do this! Pair movement with rest—take that walk, then soak in an Epsom salt bath or take a nap. Your body needs energy for the marathon ahead.
Preparing Your Heart and Mind
Carve out intentional time for prayer and worship. Put on your favorite worship music. Invite your husband, prayer warrior friends, or family to pray over you, your heart, your mind, your body, and your precious baby.
The mindset I want you to embrace is this: inductions are marathons, not sprints. They typically take days from start to baby in arms. Pack accordingly:
Your own pillow and blanket
Eye mask to block distractions
Essential oils for familiar scents
Worship playlist (grab mine free in the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library!)
Healthy snacks and electrolyte drinks
Cozy socks
Common Questions About Induction
"Will it hurt more?"
Honestly? Pitocin contractions often feel stronger than natural contractions. BUT—and this is important—with good comfort measures (movement, breathing, counter pressure, prayer), you can absolutely manage them well.
"How long will it take?"
Early cervical ripening (0-4cm): 12-36 hours
Active labor (6cm+): 12-24 hours
Pushing: 1-2 hours for first-time moms
Remember, these are estimates. God's timing is perfect.
"Can I move around?"
Yes! Unless you have an epidural, you can move, use the bathroom, and shower. Ask about wireless monitoring options.
Understanding Your Induction Options
Your provider may use one or more of these methods:
Membrane sweep - Can be done in the office to encourage natural labor
Cervical ripening medications (Cytotec, Cervidil) - Help soften the cervix
Foley balloon/Cook's catheter - Mechanically opens the cervix
Breaking your water - Best when baby is low and well-positioned
Pitocin - Synthetic oxytocin to create contractions
Each method serves a purpose in helping your body progress. Trust your provider while staying informed about your options.
Can I Still Have a Beautiful Birth Experience?
Absolutely YES! You can invite the Holy Spirit into every moment. Play worship music, pray together, have your partner read Scripture over you. God can and will be glorified in your induction.
I want to challenge you to examine your fears and spiritual hangups. Are you holding your plans so tightly that you can't see God's better story? Remember: an induction is not a reflection of your preparedness or your baby's cooperation. You cannot control what your cervix does—and that's not your responsibility to carry.
📖 Scripture for Your Heart
Throughout this episode, two powerful scriptures kept rising to the surface. Exodus 14:14 reminds us that "The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still." Mama, in the context of your induction, this means you don't have to strive or control every aspect of your birth. Even when medical interventions feel overwhelming, your stillness—your surrender—creates space for God to work. He's fighting for you in that hospital room, with every contraction, through every decision.
And then there's Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him." This truth transforms how we view an induction. It's not Plan B in God's eyes—it's part of His sovereign plan for your good and His glory. Whether your birth unfolds quickly or slowly, whether it follows your preferences or takes unexpected turns, God is actively working it all together for good. Your induction story isn't outside His perfect will; it's wrapped up in His loving purposes for you and your baby. These scriptures together remind us that we can rest (be still) because God is both fighting for us and working everything—yes, even an induction—for our ultimate good.
🙏 A Prayer for Your Birth Journey
Lord Jesus, I thank you that your word promises us that in all things you are working for our good and that you love us. I pray you would remind this sweet mama that nothing in her birth story is outside of your plan. You are not surprised by what's happening. If things move slowly, you're still working. When things change quickly, you are still good.
Fill her with peace that passes all understanding and a faith that refuses to fear because she can trust in you, Lord. As she labors, may she taste and see that you are trustworthy and that you are working all things for her good and for your glory. Safely bring this baby into her arms and let her heart overflow with awe and wonder at your name. In Jesus' precious name, amen.
📎Resources & Links Mentioned
✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library - Free birth prep tools, worship playlists & more
🚶♀️ Miles Circuit - These movements can help get baby into a more “optimal” position for labor
✝️ Online Christian Childbirth Education - Explore my complete birth preparation self-paced course
💛 Work with Me 1:1 - Personalized pregnancy and birth support that integrates faith and evidence-based care, including virtual coaching, doula support, and comprehensive childbirth education
📞 Free 15-Minute Discovery Call: Schedule your no-obligation consultation with me today! I would LOVE to connect with you.
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
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Meet Your Host —
Natalie is a certified birth doula and childbirth educator in Jacksonville, FL. She's trained through DONA International, certified as a Body Ready Method Pro, and an advanced VBAC doula. Through Faith Over Fear Birth, she equips Christian women to experience peaceful, faith-filled births through both virtual and in-person support.
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📄 Full Episode Transcript
Hey, sweet mama. Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're talking about something many women experience but few feel fully prepared for, and that is an induction.
Maybe your provider has already mentioned this to you as a possibility for your labor, or maybe it's something that is already scheduled and you know the time that you are going into your induction, and you might be feeling a mix of emotions about this upcoming induction or possible induction. Maybe you're feeling a little bit excited because you're just ready to meet your baby, but you might also be feeling maybe disappointed, nervous, or even maybe a little scared that this is how your birth is going to be starting, and this is not how you pictured things going.
So I want to start this episode by saying being induced does not make your birth less natural or less sacred or anything of the sort. It is still a beautiful birth story that the Lord can and will be glorified in. And so today I wanted to walk through some practical things, what to expect, and then also how to prepare for this induction.
So an induction is simply a medical process that helps start your labor or helps strengthen your labor when your body or maybe your baby just need a little bit of help to get started. Some common reasons for being induced: it can be, you know, being past your due date, 41-42 weeks. Each provider has a different timeline in which they deem you past your due date enough to induce you. If you're dealing with things like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, low or high amniotic fluid, or other health concerns for you or your baby, these are common reasons why we see inductions being used as a means to get the baby out sooner rather than later.
And if you're feeling unsure about the necessity of an induction in your particular situation, I do encourage you to think about the B.R.A.I.N. acronym, which I've spoken to and touched on in previous podcast episodes, but I'll briefly touch on this. So this is the B.R.A.I.N. acronym, B-R-A-I-N, and B stands for benefits. So think about the benefits of doing this induction. Think about the risks. That's R, that's the next letter. What are the risks of doing this induction? A, what are the alternatives to a medical induction? I, what's your intuition telling you? Or I like to more so say, praying about it, bringing it to the Lord, asking him for his wisdom. And then N, what if you say no to the induction, or no, not right now?
And so thinking through those options, because again, you always have options and you can have an open dialogue with your provider if it's looking like an induction is the only possibility. So have that conversation, go through the B.R.A.I.N. acronym. I think it's really important to feel at peace with your induction rather than feeling really pressured or confused as to why you're being induced.
So instead of viewing this as like a loss of control, I invite you to reframe an induction as just a different way that the Lord is wanting your baby to come into the world, and that takes a lot of surrender. I wanted to point out Exodus 14:14 where this scripture says, "The Lord will fight for you. You only need to be still." So even if your induction involves utilizing all these interventions that you had originally not prepared yourself for or not preferred, your stillness, your peace, your trust in the Lord, all of that becomes a place where the Lord does get to fight on your behalf. And because he's already there, he's gonna prepare the way for you and bring you the victory. So that's just an encouragement. If, you know, without a shadow of a doubt, like this induction needs to happen, you know, this is the way that your baby needs to come into the world, and just to have a different perspective and just a different heart posture going into your induction.
Some practical things to prepare your body and your mind for your upcoming induction. The first is physical preparation. So this looks like staying active as long as you are medically able to, and this can look like going for walks, doing curb walking, where you have one foot up on the top of the curb and then one down on the street. And just doing some of that, like opening up the pelvis, allowing the baby to come down, hopefully become more applied into the pelvis so that maybe your body will go into labor on its own. Who knows? And so yeah, this just allows your body to more naturally see if you can get things going.
Another thing that I like to suggest is trying the Miles Circuit. It's basically three different moves or positions. You're not like going for a mile walk. That's not what Miles stands for. And it allows you to help encourage baby into a more optimal fetal position. So especially I recommend this if you're having prodromal labor, meaning you're having contractions that are consistently coming but they're not going anywhere. Like they're not getting longer, stronger, closer together. I always encourage doing the Miles Circuit for this, and I'll include a link to the Miles Circuit handout in the show notes.
But that is a great way to help encourage baby to come out of the pelvis. That's like the first move. And then the next two moves are moves to try to engage and rotate baby so that hopefully your body will go into labor on its own or with an induction like we're talking about. Once baby is induced and labor does begin, baby's in a more optimal position, which helps. The labor tends to go more smoothly and just less pain for you. All the things.
Another thing practically is to stay hydrated and nourished, especially in the days leading up to an induction. So I want you to think, you know, doing electrolytes daily, eating high protein snacks, drinking plenty of water, all of those things you will definitely want to do, as well as resting.
Oh my goodness. I feel like the number of mamas that I am, like, they're doula and they're just like, "Yeah, I just, I wanted to try all the things to try to get the baby to come." And so they come into their induction, they're so tired. I'm like, "No, I want you to come into this induction fully rested because as much as you think like you're just gonna be laying around in the hospital bed, your body is doing so much work." Intentionally plan to rest. I always like to say pair movement with rest. So say you do go for, you know, curb walking or a couple miles walk, pair that with, then you're gonna go sit in an Epsom salt bath or you're gonna just lay down and take a nap, like just rest and move. There's a good balance that I want you to try and strike there.
And then when it comes to mental and spiritual preparation, I want you to intentionally carve out time to go to the Lord in prayer and worship. So put on your favorite worship music. Maybe even invite, you know, your husband into this, or like particular friends, like prayer warriors or your family into this. And just make it a time to just pray over you, your heart, your mind, your body, and your precious baby as you prepare for this induction.
And then just more practically, the mindset that I want you to have for an induction is that it is going to be a marathon. Inductions typically take days for you to actually be in full-blown labor to then have the baby. And so I want you to be prepared practically with, like, comfort measures, having lots of healthy snacks, electrolyte drinks, all the things with you. Some hospitals have a refrigerator in your room, like a little mini fridge in your room. Some don't. So that's something that's good for you to find out because if you do have some perishable snacks that you're bringing, just know whether or not you can keep that in your room.
Bring your own blanket and your own pillow. Those like very comforting things can help you just relax more. If you have an eye mask and that's helpful for you to block out not only light but just like distractions, I always recommend bringing an eye mask to the hospital. Bringing familiar scents, essential oils. Music. Music is so powerful for me, and having my worship labor playlist is so important. And inside the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library, this is my free library I offer to anyone and everyone as long as you sign up for it. And if you go to faithoverfearbirth.com, you can sign up for that birth prep library. But inside that, I do have a full hospital bag checklist. I have a labor worship playlist, so check out some of those things in there as a way to just prepare for this upcoming induction.
And then definitely just have a conversation with your partner, your spouse, your husband ahead of time to just know how you want him to best support you. Not only, you know, physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. If it's important to you that there's prayer, that there's, you know, music that's playing, like just make it known what your heart's intention is for that, because he can't read your mind. And of course, if you do hire a doula, whether that's an in-person doula or virtual birth support, like with me or somebody else, you know, we can certainly help you in those ways as well. But again, just having that open line of communication.
So much of this is mindset when it comes to an induction because most of us don't start our pregnancy thinking, "Oh, and at the end I'm gonna have an induction." Like typically this is like plan B or C. So when you are preparing for an induction, I want you to come at it with a posture of surrender rather than striving, where you are entering the induction with "I need to do all these things. I need to accomplish X, Y, Z." And if it takes longer or it goes differently, then somehow that's a reflection on my mistakes, my problem. And so I don't want you to think that at all, you know. God is going before you in this and he knew way before this baby was even conceived that this was gonna be how things unfolded. And so don't think that you're outside of his plan or his will if you find yourself in an induction scenario.
Some other things that I wanted to go over were like common questions that I get when it comes to an induction. So I'm gonna go through some of those. The first is I hear from a lot of mamas, "Will an induction hurt more? Will the contractions feel more painful? Will it just be a more painful process?"
And to be completely honest, Pitocin contractions usually feel a little stronger than normal contractions that your body is, you know, producing with the natural oxytocin. Pitocin is like the artificial version of oxytocin. However, with comfort measures, this pain scale, if we want to think of it that way, it can really diminish based on the types of comfort measures you're utilizing. So I want you to think movement, labor positions, breathing, using counter pressure, and all of these techniques and things I teach inside of my online childbirth education course as well as with my clients that I serve, whether that's in person or virtually.
Another question I get a lot is, "How long will this induction take?" And of course there is no crystal ball. There is no way to know for sure. However, just a general guideline to keep within a perspective is early cervical ripening, meaning like getting the cervix to open from zero to three, zero to four centimeters approximately, generally takes a lot of time. Think 12 to 36 hours. And again, that seems like a really long time, but sometimes it really does take that long to get that dilated and for the cervix to soften and to start moving from posterior to anterior, so back to front.
And then once active labor begins, things typically pick up a little bit more. So think another 12 to 24 hours possibly for active labor. And this is when they consider your cervix is six centimeters and beyond. So yeah, it can certainly take some time.
And then another question I get a lot is, "Can I move or get in the shower when I'm being induced?" And the answer is yes. If you're getting an epidural pretty quickly in the process, no, you will not be able to get up and take a shower. But if you're going unmedicated, especially in the first part, then yes, you are welcome to get up and use the bathroom, get up and use the shower.
Check with your hospital and the provider about the different monitoring options. Most of the time they will want continuous monitoring, especially because of the medications and Pitocin and different things that they're introducing just to make sure that baby and you are tolerating them well. But ask about wireless monitoring. Or if you're doing minimal medication induction routes, maybe you could do intermittent monitoring. So again, just talk with your provider about that. But movement does help the baby not only descend, but it also makes the contractions feel more manageable. So as much as you can move, again, pairing it with rest, I highly recommend that you go that route.
Another one is, "Can I still eat when I'm being induced?" And policies vary on this. You know, providers vary as well, like what they're gonna recommend. But most of the time they're going to say clear liquids. They're gonna say, you know, you can have electrolytes, you can have bone broth, you can have coffee and tea and all that kind of stuff, but nothing solid. So like they, I think they even consider things like applesauce a solid.
And this rule, this kind of policy goes back to the fifties when women would go under a heavy medication called twilight sleep for giving birth. And what would happen is these women would end up like vomiting and aspirating, meaning like they would like choke on their own vomit and die. And so they didn't want women eating all this food ahead of all of that because they didn't want them to, you know, have all these complications.
Okay. We've come a long way since then. We're not doing twilight sleep. And even if you did have a C-section, even an emergency section, I've actually had a client who had a—she ate dinner. Yeah, and then went to the hospital. Baby was not tolerating labor well and they immediately did an emergency C-section a couple hours just after she had a full-blown dinner.
And so all that to say, I'm not saying you need to break every rule when it comes to eating in labor, but I want you to again think about the B.R.A.I.N. acronym: the benefits, risks, alternatives. What's your intuition telling you? And then what if you say no or not right now about, you know, choosing a clear liquids diet versus eating some actual healthy food. And I think that's the caveat here. I'm not saying you need to go to, you know, Chick-fil-A and just gorge yourself on a bunch of food. But having intentional things that you're eating that will keep your energy up. So thinking high protein, even smoothies are great if your appetite isn't super high, but you can tell you're hungry.
But I just don't see how your body is meant to labor for days without actual food in your system, like we need energy. So think about that, pray about that. But that's my stance on it. A little bit bending the rules there. But that's just my personal take.
And then the last thing I wanna touch on is women feeling like, "Can I still have a beautiful birth experience?" And the answer is absolutely yes. You can invite the Holy Spirit into your birth experience, praying when appropriate during labor, playing worship music, inviting your partner, your husband to pray over you, to read scripture over you, to read affirmations over you. And then just knowing that God can and will be glorified in all things, including your induction.
And I really want to challenge you to examine what your fears are and your spiritual hangups going into your induction. So are you holding onto your plan so tightly because you feel like only you know what's best for your baby and yourself? Or can you release that control and know that God can still be glorified even if your birth goes completely haywire and just, it doesn't go according to your quote unquote plan?
Another thing is, you know, I want you to think about how an induction is not a reflection of you and how prepared you were or how compliant your baby is or any, anything like that because you can't control what your cervix is doing or not doing. And so for you to take on this responsibility, like somehow it's your fault that you're in this situation, you need to let that go. That spirit of condemnation is not of the Lord because there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And if you're in Christ Jesus, there is nothing to condemn you. The Lord is so proud of you and he has entrusted you with this precious baby that you're growing.
And so I want you to lean into not fighting for victory in your labor and your birth experience, but that you are fighting from victory. That you have already won, that the Lord has already gone before you, and he already knows how things are gonna pan out. So I want you to look at who he is. He is so capable. He has literally created everything that has ever been created, and nothing that has ever been created, it doesn't even exist because he is a creator of all beautiful and perfect and wonderful things. And the child in your womb is a beautiful thing from the Lord, and so he will make it happen. You don't need to condemn yourself, feel hard on yourself, feel like your experience is going to be lesser than because it's not how you wanted things to go.
And I would say, just continue to bring that to the Lord. "Lord, show me my feelings, my heart about this induction so that I can lay that before your feet." I know that if I was in this situation, if I had to be induced with the pregnancy that I'm currently going through, I know I would struggle. And I'm not saying that it's easy to lay this down, but I would encourage you to do it. I would encourage you to just go to him and say, "Lord, search me. Search my heart, search my fears, search my pride and help me to understand how you can be glorified even in this experience that I did not plan for."
So that's my big encouragement there. A little bit of encouragement, a little bit of a challenge. 'Cause it's hard. It's really hard.
On a more practical note, I also wanted to go through in this podcast episode about understanding the different induction methods that you might encounter. So the first is that you may have the opportunity to do a membrane sweep. This is typically done in your provider's office. Even midwives can do this where, like between 38 to 41 weeks, they can do a membrane sweep. And this is where they take a gloved finger and they gently separate the cervix from the amniotic sac. And that typically causes just like a hormone cascade where it releases prostaglandins and different things to help the cervix start to ripen, to soften. And that can sometimes in and of itself help you go into labor if your body is ready.
And that's why I love this as a method because if your body is not ready, it's not going to throw you into labor. But it can certainly help if you are staring down an induction. You're wanting to try and avoid that medical induction. I feel like this is a great route to try ahead of a medical induction. And you can even ask them to do a membrane sweep when you get to your induction. Just ask them, say, "Hey, is it possible to do a membrane sweep?" You do need to be at least one centimeter dilated in order for them to do that. But if not, you can even ask them to do cervical massage. So if you're completely closed, cervix is very tight, you can ask them to do cervical massage and then go into these other medication, you know, options.
So the second would be doing cervical ripening medications. These names of these medications are called Cytotec and Cervidil. Sometimes they have different names. And so just you, you can always ask them, you know, "Is this Cytotec? Is this Cervidil?" But these are prostaglandin medications that help soften and ripen the cervix. They're either placed vaginally, so like they place it inside of the vagina, or they give it to you orally. Sometimes they'll even have you take it sublingually, so you put it under your tongue, and you might feel mild cramping or contractions from this. But many of the times you're not gonna feel a whole lot when this medication gets into your system. They typically will administer this at night. A lot of the times I have clients that will be induced at night so that they can start the process. You hopefully get some rest, and then they pick things up later on.
The other option is having a Foley balloon or Cook's catheter. This is a small balloon that is inserted into the cervix and then they inflate it with sterile water. And it just helps like gently open the cervix mechanically or manually rather than it being medicine that's causing it to soften and open. Again, this is typically used overnight. Something that they'll place and then say, "Okay, now try to get some sleep."
For some women it can be quite uncomfortable to have this Foley balloon or Cook's catheter in. You can experience some, you know, pressure, cramping. That's normal. I even had one time a mama who got pretty sick from it. Like it, it just was like so intense, the sensation that like, she was like throwing up. So sometimes that can be a little bit intense, but other times if you're wanting to avoid like the medical route as the first line, this is a great route to go. And like I said, not everyone experiences it, that feeling that intense to them.
Another thing your provider can do is breaking your water, amniotomy. This is something that I would suggest you do when the cervix is more open and the baby's head is not only like low in the pelvis, but is in a good position in the pelvis. There's a couple providers here in Jacksonville, Florida that are notorious for starting labors with breaking the water and it makes me cringe because it's like you're putting the cart before the horse. Like the breaking the water is a great step at a certain point, but early on in the labor is generally not going to lead to the best results.
And so if your provider is wanting to break your water really early on in the process, again, I keep bringing up the B.R.A.I.N. acronym in this episode but talk about that with your provider. Benefits, risks, alternatives, intuition, or no, not right now. But that's my general recommendation is to wait until baby is nice and low in the pelvis. Maybe close to the mid pelvis or in the mid pelvis. And then also wanting to be pretty dilated, like honestly, 4, 5, 6 or more dilated. So that's my personal take on that one.
The thing with breaking your water is it does seem to intensify contractions because you are losing that cushion between you and baby. And so baby's head usually is more applied. And while that's great for helping things progress, it also just makes things feel more intense. So things that I like to do at this point, once the water's been broken, again, if you're unmedicated, is getting in some warm water, whether that's a shower or a tub, utilizing some great breathing techniques, counter pressure, movement, labor positions, prayer. Like all of those things are so helpful to just make things more comfortable once that water is broken.
And then another more final typical induction method is utilizing Pitocin, which again is that synthetic oxytocin which is what tells your body to contract. And this is also the love hormone. So oxytocin is the love hormone. The hormone that you feel when you're having a really good meal, when you are with people you love, when you are having sex, when you have an orgasm. So oxytocin gives us all these like kind of benefits, but Pitocin, when it's just that synthetic version, we don't have all those side benefits too. So that's the other reason why I think most women are a little hesitant to wanna do an induced labor is because their body is receiving a synthetic version of the hormone oxytocin.
But yeah, so it does increase your contractions. Not only, you know, how frequently they're coming, but how intense you feel them. Typically the nurse will start with one or two units and then go up gradually every 15, 30 minutes or so, going up on that dosage. And then they have a certain, you know, max dose they can give you. If you are laboring without like internal monitoring to really check on your contractions and baby, the max is 20 units. And if your baby is being monitored with an internal monitor and all that, then you can go up to 30 units on Pitocin.
But all of this to say, you may use some of these, you may use all of these, you may use none of these. You may end up just doing the membrane sweep, and then your body just goes into labor. But no matter how the process begins, God is still the author of life, and so just being able to trust him and give him the glory in the process that, you know, he's good. If things progress quickly, he's good. If things progress slowly, he's good. If things progress not at all and you end up with a C-section, he is still good in all those things. So I tell you these methods not to make you feel like you need to figure all this out, but just as a way to just inform you and have an understanding. But then at the end of the day, trusting the Lord with the way he's going to make this story pan out.
Some things I wanted to also go over in this episode are some more comfort measures and support things you can do. So physical comfort. Some things that I always recommend is utilizing things that the hospital provides. Some hospitals provide a birth ball. A lot of providers here in Jacksonville don't provide birth balls. They just provide peanut balls or something called the CUB. And CUB stands for Comfortable Upright Birthing. So there's peanut ball, birth ball, and the CUB seat. And these are all just like little ways that you can get into different labor positions comfortably, both medicated and unmedicated. So if you have an epidural, you can still utilize the peanut ball in the CUB seat to help baby reposition for your comfort. Like all the things. And especially if you're going unmedicated, you will want to utilize all these tools during your labor as well.
Another thing I like to recommend is, again, resting and doing more movement heavy positions. So you can alternate between an upright birthing position to a laying reclined position. Another thing you can try is something as simple as using a warm compress or a heating pad. Cold compress can be nice too, especially when you get to the pushing phase or just if you're like feeling really warm at any point. Hydrotherapy. So this can look like, you know, utilizing the shower in the labor room or some places provide a tub for you to be able to submerge and labor in there.
Some other things is really honing in on practicing your slow deep breathing as a way to relax your body. There is such a mind-body connection, and breath is a great way to help you control your body. And again, if you would like more information on these comfort measures, I teach all of this inside my online childbirth education course as well as going over this with my clients as well.
And then when it comes to emotional and spiritual support, again utilizing music, reading scripture, or silence—like that can also be so helpful. Dimming the lights or using battery operated candles or twinkle lights, whatever you need to set the mood.
And I even one time had this sweet family go through and they made scripture birth affirmations. They would just like at breaks in the labor, would just read them to her. And so she didn't have to go up to the wall and like stare at all the affirmations, but somebody would just be like speaking and praying them over her. So I thought that was so beautiful. And then just being able to find little pockets of time where this would actually be a great time to pray. And so having somebody either pray with you or you pray and just being able to again, invite the Holy Spirit into your birth experience.
Having a partner that is supportive is so important. And if you're interested in doing an in-person doula or a virtual doula, I do offer those for people here in Jacksonville for in-person, and then virtual for everywhere else. But yes, there can be just so much help in understanding the community aspect to this whole process. And if you go back to episode 26, I actually go in full detail about what virtual birth support looks like and some of the benefits of that, as well as, you know, just debunking some fears or doubts about that kind of support. So check that out if you're interested in that at all.
And now we're kinda getting to the end here. We're gonna go over what to eat, what to expect, and like again, how long to expect things to take. So before you go into your induction, I would choose easy to digest, nourishing meals. So think things like oatmeal with nut butter, making yourself a really hearty, healthy smoothie, avocado toast, and then hydrating. Whether that's coconut water or electrolytes, that kind of a thing. Again, please bring healthy, yummy snacks that you and your husband like, pack cozy socks, essential oils, all that stuff. Again, check out the handout on what to pack in the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library.
And then again, going over the timeline of how things will pan out. In early labor, like as your body is trying to get in the zone of like, "Oh, I'm in labor," think 12 to 24 hours, possibly. And so this will look like zero to six centimeters or so. It can take a long time because your body has to realize, "Oh, I'm supposed to be in labor."
Now, once we get to active labor, that's, you know, generally six centimeters and more. This is typically when the body more so takes off and we progress more quickly. Not always, but typically. And so think, you know, six to 12 hours from that point.
And then for pushing, actually pushing the baby out, this is once you're fully complete and your body is telling you it's time to push. Think one to two hours, especially for a first-time mom. If you're a seasoned mama, that could, that time could be significantly less, but especially for first-time moms, expect it to take a few hours.
And then some things you can do before your induction. I have all of this inside of the Cervical Ripening Methods handout, again, inside the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library. I also have a full episode three that goes over all of this. But doing acupuncture or acupressure ahead of the induction again might help your body go into labor, you know, spontaneously.
Another thing is doing nipple stimulation. It helps release oxytocin, which is that hormone that helps, you know, stimulate the uterus. It's the love hormone. But that can also help your body go into labor if it's ready. Using evening primrose oil. Typically this is a supplement you're taking a couple times a day. Drinking red raspberry leaf tea. It helps support uterine tone so that your contractions are efficient.
And then my favorite is going for a walk. Preferably a prayer walk and again, just going to the Lord in worship, whether that's putting on some music and praying, putting on some music and journaling, talking to a friend that's going to speak life and truth into you or your doula. Just being able to again, just align your heart and your mind and your spirit to what is about to unfold.
And then the last thing I want to leave you with is the verse, Romans 8:28. And it says, "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him." So even if your birth is looking like it's very different than how you imagined, God is still working in that. He is still in all of it. And I don't want you to feel like he has abandoned you. That he didn't come through for you because you didn't go into labor spontaneously like you had hoped. Because he is good. Even in inductions, I have seen the Lord move in beautiful and mighty ways in an induction, and so he can be glorified anywhere.
So just to leave you with that encouragement and just knowing that it is for your good. Whatever he's doing, whatever story he's writing, it's for your good. And he does not withhold anything from you that is necessary for you. And he will never give you something that was not intended for you. And so you get to hold onto that as well, that for whatever reason—and you may know this side of glory, you may not—why he has made your story what it is. But just know that it's for your good and for his glory.
So now I'd love to just close us out with some prayer. As you know, we all just need encouragement in this season.
"Lord Jesus, I just thank you so much that your word promises us that in all things you are working for our good and that you love us. And Lord, I just pray that you would remind this sweet mama that nothing in her birth story is outside of your plan. You are not surprised by what's happening, and if things move slowly, you're still working, and when things change quickly, you are still good. I pray, Lord Jesus, that you would fill her with peace that passes all understanding and a faith that refuses to fear because she can trust in you, Lord.
And I just ask that as she labors, I pray that she would taste and see that you are trustworthy, Lord, and that you are working all things for her good and for your glory. Jesus, I pray that you would safely bring this baby into her arms and let her heart just overflow with awe and wonder and glory at your name. Jesus, and I ask this in your precious name, amen."
So if today's episode blessed you, I ask that you would share this with any of your friends that are preparing for an induction. And again, don't forget to grab all the free resources mentioned in this episode inside the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library. Things like the labor positions cheat sheet—that's so helpful. Cervical ripening methods handout and then that worship labor playlist. And you can go to faithoverfearbirth.com to check out all of that as well as services. So if you are looking for doula support, virtual doula support, I'm happy to chat with you even if you're here, down to the wire. But until next time, I want you to just trust that the Lord is good and just remember that he is working all things for your good, sweet sister. And I will talk with you soon. Bye-bye for now.
