She Waited Two Years for a Positive Pregnancy Test
Today’s episode is incredibly special—it’s our very first guest episode, and I could not be more thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Salain, a woman whose journey will touch your heart and strengthen your faith.
Sarah is a registered nurse, a holistic health coach, and the founder of Simply Sarah Healing. After walking through a long and painful season of infertility, God surprised her with a beautiful miracle—and a birth story that will give you goosebumps. Whether you’re navigating your own fertility journey or preparing for birth, Sarah’s testimony is one you’ll want to hear.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Sarah and her husband tried to conceive for over two years while she helped other women navigate infertility through her work. It was a bittersweet season filled with celebration for others and quiet heartbreak of her own. Even after visiting a fertility specialist, Sarah felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit: “Wait. I have something better.”
She and her husband stayed faithful to that prompting, and in May of that same year, they discovered they were pregnant—completely naturally. It was a gentle, powerful reminder that God’s timing is perfect and His ways are higher than ours.
🤰 A Joyful Pregnancy and Spiritual Preparation
Pregnancy was everything Sarah had prayed for and more. Despite hearing countless horror stories, she found herself enjoying each day—fully present and filled with gratitude. She prepared her body through nutrition and toxin elimination, but it was her spiritual preparation that left the deepest mark.
“I felt so honored to be pregnant. Like I get to do this. I get to nourish this baby. I was just in awe of how the Lord made my body to do this.”
Her perspective shifted: pregnancy wasn’t a burden—it was a sacred assignment.
✨ Sarah’s Birth Story: From Induction to a Spirit-Led Labor
Though Sarah originally planned for an unmedicated, spontaneous birth, her baby’s growth restriction led to an induction at 37 weeks. Initially devastated, she quickly experienced peace that surpassed understanding. With worship music playing, twinkle lights glowing, and her doula Kahla by her side, Sarah’s hospital room transformed into holy ground.
Her labor accelerated after her water broke, and she spent hours in the birthing tub—a place she described as peaceful, intense, and filled with the presence of God.
“It felt like I was leaving my body. It was the most intense thing I’ve ever done—but I never once thought I couldn’t do it.”
In a powerful moment of confirmation, Sarah’s daughter was born at 8:18 PM, the same numbers from her life verse: Romans 8:18.
📖 Scripture That Carried Her Through
Romans 8:18 (NIV)
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
This verse anchored Sarah through infertility and labor. And God, in His kindness, made sure she’d never forget it—her daughter’s birth time stamped His promise.
👶 Navigating Postpartum: Surrender & Identity Shift
Like many mamas, Sarah admits she didn’t prepare much for postpartum. The recovery was tougher than expected, especially after a NICU stay. But what surprised her most was the spiritual transformation that came from motherhood.
“Motherhood is now my ministry. I do laps around the kitchen with worship music and a baby on my chest, just surrendering it all to the Lord.”
She shares so honestly about the tension between striving and surrender, and how embracing her new “capacity” has required grace upon grace.
💼 Simply Sarah Healing: Serving Women Through Wellness
Sarah’s business, Simply Sarah Healing, was born out of her own health struggles. As an RN turned holistic health coach, she now equips women with hormone education, cycle syncing, fertility support, and lifestyle strategies rooted in grace and truth.
She offers:
Private 1:1 Coaching – Customized plans for PCOS, hormone imbalance, or fertility.
The She Rebalanced Collective – A group wellness program focused on community, education, and soul-aligned healing.
Follow her on Instagram at @simplysarahhealing for practical tips and encouragement.
🙏 A Prayer for the Mama in the Waiting
Lord,
For the mama whose heart aches in the waiting—for a baby, for a breakthrough, for a birth that glorifies You—we lift her up to You. Remind her that You are the Author of life and the Keeper of promises. Teach her to surrender what she cannot control and to trust in Your perfect timing. Just as You wrote Sarah’s story, You are writing hers.
Amen.
📎 Resources & Links Mentioned
🎁 Christian Mama Birth Prep Library – Free playlists, handouts & printables for a faithful birth
🤰 Virtual Doula Support & Childbirth Education – Walk through pregnancy with faith & confidence
🌿 Connect with Sarah – Learn more about her work through Simply Sarah Healing
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
If this episode encouraged you:
Hit subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Text a friend and share the show with a fellow mama.
Grab your free birth prep tools at the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library.
🔗 More You Might Love
📄 Full Episode Transcript
Hey friends, and welcome back. I'm so excited for today's episode because I'm welcoming my very first guest to the show: Sarah Salain. She's a registered nurse, a new mama, and the founder of Simply Sarah Healing. She supports women through fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum with a faith-filled, holistic approach.
I had the honor of meeting Sarah when she took my childbirth education class during her own pregnancy, and her story is such a beautiful picture of God's faithfulness. In today's conversation, we talk about her health journey, her miraculous birth story, and how she's helping other women find peace and clarity in their own wellness journeys. You'll be encouraged by her heart and reminded that God is present—even in the waiting.
Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Sarah: Thank you for having me, Natalie. I'm so excited.
Natalie: I'm so excited too! Let’s just get rolling. Let's start from the beginning. What was your journey like to actually becoming pregnant?
Sarah:
Our journey was a little longer than expected. We were dealing with a lot of hormonal issues, so it was quite a trying process, to be honest with you. We were trying for a little over two years to conceive and were just trying to figure it all out. Eventually, we reached the point where we contacted an infertility specialist.
That was my very last straw. We thought, Okay, we’ve been waiting for so long—maybe we really do need extra support. And the hard part was… this is what I do for a living. I help women balance their hormones and overcome infertility. So it was this double-edged sword—my clients were getting pregnant following my protocols, and I was not.
Everyone around me—friends, family—were getting pregnant. Of course I was celebrating with them, but it was still painful. We were going through a silent battle. We didn’t really tell anyone. A few close friends knew, but I don’t think anyone realized how heavy it was on our hearts.
Actually, it was around this time last year that we found out we were pregnant—which is wild to think about now.
Back in February, though, I hit a breaking point. I was frustrated and disappointed. I was starting to tell myself that maybe life would be okay without becoming a mom. I was trying to come to terms with that—though deep down, I didn’t believe it. I was just imagining life as just the two of us—traveling, taking trips to Europe, creating a different kind of future.
We went ahead and met with a fertility specialist. We did all the lab work, ran all the tests, went through the whole process. They presented options—procedures, medications, all of it—but it just didn’t sit right with me. It didn’t feel aligned. Honestly, that’s probably why it took us so long to even get to that appointment in the first place. It was more out of desperation than anything. I just wanted to see the labs. I wanted to know: Am I missing something?
Some things came back a little out of range, but they didn’t want to address those things before jumping straight into medications and procedures. That was really disheartening.
It weighed heavy on my heart. I prayed about it constantly. Eventually, I had the hard conversation with my husband: “This just isn’t what I want to do.” And saying that out loud was so difficult. I wanted to be a mom so badly—so why wouldn’t I do all the things? Pay for the treatments? Try everything?
But it just didn’t feel right. I can’t explain it other than this deep, unshakable sense from the Lord saying: Don’t do it. Just wait. Be patient. I have more for you.
Around that same time, my husband and I were also considering a move. An opportunity came up and we were stuck—should we go? Should we stay? There was this tension in our home. The decision felt heavy. You could feel the unsettled energy in the house.
At the very last minute, he said, “I just feel like we’re supposed to stay here.”
That was in February. And in May… we found out we were pregnant.
It was shocking—but it was also like everything clicked into place. I felt the Lord whispering, “See? Just wait. I had something better for you.”
It was a wild journey—but a powerful one.
Natalie:
Such a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness. It’s also just beautiful to see your obedience in that season, because obviously, He did—He blessed you guys with a baby.
How was your pregnancy overall, and how did you prepare emotionally, spiritually, and practically?
Sarah:
I loved being pregnant. Honestly, it was probably the best I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I enjoyed every moment—I really did. Of course, there were hard days, and the third trimester knocked me down a little bit, but overall, I truly loved every second of it.
I don’t know if it came from a place of deep gratitude, just being so amazed by what my body could do every day. But I felt honored—like, I get to do this. I get to grow this baby. I get to nourish this baby.
I was just living in this little bubble of gratitude.
I’ll be honest, though—I was so scared going into pregnancy. I actually started talking about it on social media because I had heard so many horror stories. People saying it would be the worst nine months of my life, that I’d feel sick all the time and be miserable. I was petrified.
But when I actually experienced it, I didn’t feel that way at all. I loved every second.
My husband and I also did a lot to prepare. During our infertility journey, we revamped our entire home—we got rid of toxins, completely overhauled my nutrition. He did too. We were in the best health we could be. I lived what I’d call a 90/10 lifestyle, not just 80/20, because I was truly desperate to conceive. I wanted my body in the best possible place.
And I really do believe that contributed to having such a great pregnancy.
Spiritually, I felt so overcome. This whole journey brought me even closer to the Lord. I’ve always had a personal relationship with Him—I’ve always leaned on my faith—but pregnancy and childbirth really take it to another level. It does something to you internally.
I leaned on the Lord through the hard days and the really good ones too. I’d remind myself: He’s here. This is a gift. I get to experience this. My daughter was perfectly made because of Him, and that’s such an honor.
That’s how I prepared for that season.
Natalie:
I love that. And then you also hired a doula.
Sarah:
I did! That was actually the first thing I did. I met Kahla after posting in a mom’s group—as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I wrote, “We need a doula.” I knew nothing about childbirth. I’m a nurse, and I’ve done rotations in labor and delivery, but I was absolutely petrified. I knew I wanted someone with a holistic approach.
I didn’t even think I wanted an unmedicated birth. I just knew I wanted someone in the room to support me.
So I posted in the group, and so many people recommended you and Kahla. I clicked on the website—there were hundreds of comments—but when I saw it was faith-based, it was an easy decision. I didn’t even think twice. I booked the call and set up a time to meet her.
I actually met Kahla before we even had our first confirmation ultrasound.
Natalie:
Oh, I love that.
Sarah:
She was literally the first person who really knew we were pregnant. And once we had the confirmation, it was just like—bam. She’s been with us from the very beginning.
That early support meant so much. When you’ve been trying for so long, there’s so much fear and doubt. You wonder, Is this really going to work for us? Is this really our time? Having Kahla there from the start was such a gift.
Natalie:
Yes—and for those who don’t know, Kahla Jurney and I work together! We’re in a doula collective, so yes, we’re teammates. And Sarah, you also took my childbirth education class. That’s how we got to meet in person!
Sarah:
I loved that class so much. You hear about childbirth classes and think, “Okay, I probably should do this,” and your husband’s like, “Do we really have to?” But you should do it.
I left that class in tears because I felt so empowered.
Birth has always scared me. I’ve never really wanted to do it. I used to think, “If I could just have the baby without actually having the baby, sign me up.” But after your class, I thought, I can do this. I really felt empowered.
Natalie:
I'm so glad you felt that way—because that’s exactly my prayer. That we would walk into this season not with fear, but with faith. That we wouldn’t make decisions out of fear, but would walk by faith, knowing it’s not up to us to make everything fall into place. He is the one planning and establishing all of it.
And I know a little about your birth story, but I can’t wait for you to share because I know there were so many beautiful, God-ordained moments. So—how far along were you when you actually went into labor?
Sarah:
Okay, yeah. This is actually the first time I’ve talked about my birth live. I’ve had conversations with friends, but I’ve never really shared it publicly or on social media.
Backing up—at our 20-week anatomy scan, or maybe even a bit earlier, our little girl started showing signs of growth restriction. I had some placenta complications, so we began going in every four weeks for growth scans.
She was falling a little behind on the charts, but nothing too serious at first. All of our blood work came back fine, so the doctors weren’t too concerned. But as we got closer to the end, her percentile dropped quite a bit.
And I just had this feeling. I kept telling everyone for about a month, “She’s not going to come on the 27th.” That was her due date—January 27th. But I had this strong sense she would come on the 17th, 18th, or 19th. I even wrote it in my pregnancy journal to her.
Leading up to our 37-week appointment, I had this deep feeling that they were going to induce me. So I called an acupuncturist and asked, “Can we do a crash course to try and bring on labor before my scan?”
Normally she wouldn’t do something like that so quickly, but she said, “Let’s just try it and see.” She was amazing—she came to my home and made sure everything was safe for the baby.
That first session was incredibly spiritual. I had worship music playing. I was lying there in my room, and it felt like the last sacred moments with her inside of me. I was so emotional. I wasn’t ready for it to not be just me and her anymore. That season of protection felt so precious, and I was grieving that change.
I felt this huge responsibility as her mom to say, “Okay, it’s time. You’re safe. We’re waiting for you.”
We did two nights of acupuncture, and labor started to stir a little. Then we went in for our 37-week scan. Sure enough, her percentile had dropped, her movements had slowed, and they said, “You’re having this baby tonight.”
That went against everything I had hoped for. I did not want to be induced. I was terrified of Pitocin. I really wanted spontaneous labor—to trust God’s timing.
I broke down and cried right there in the room. I didn’t want it to happen that way.
But we went in that night to begin the induction. And honestly—I wasn’t afraid. I thought I would be. But I felt this deep peace, like, Okay, we’re doing this. This is the plan.
Thanks to Kahla’s support and my provider, we did a very slow induction that mimicked natural childbirth as much as possible. That night we started, and by 5:00 a.m. the next morning, they started Pitocin.
I was contracting and things were moving, but I wasn’t feeling any pain. I thought, Surely this can’t be labor?
Then we broke my water—and no one warned me it would go from zero to 100!
Kahla said, “Things usually move pretty quickly after this,” but I was not prepared for how fast it got. It became intense really quickly.
Kahla switched into full support mode. The room was beautiful—dim lights, twinkle lights, and the birth tub was set up. I knew I wanted to labor in water because I love hot water and being near water is so calming for me.
We had worship music playing, and I just floated in the tub for about two hours. It felt so peaceful, and I could feel the presence of the Lord in the room.
I kept asking, “Is this going to get worse?” because I still felt comfortable and confident. I was surrendering to it—listening to my body and breathing through each wave.
Eventually I told Kahla, “I think I need to push. I think I need to get out of the tub.”
What’s wild is that I never truly committed to an unmedicated birth until that moment. Even leading up to labor, I was unsure. But in that room, I never once thought, I can’t do this. I never once asked for an epidural or pain meds. It just didn’t cross my mind.
I felt like I got to fully experience birth—every part of it.
We moved to the bed and I started pushing. My active labor was only about four hours total. It went by fast—but in the moment, it felt like I was outside of time. Like I was in another realm.
I told Kahla, “I think I’m leaving my body.” It felt so surreal.
Natalie, you talk about “labor land,” and that’s exactly what it was. There’s no concept of time. Just instinct and surrender.
The support I had—my husband, Kahla—it was everything. Kahla had peppermint oil, a fan in my face, ice on my back, the TENS unit, massage… she even kept putting chapstick on my lips because she knew I didn’t want dry lips.
I didn’t have to think about anything. She had it all handled. And she encouraged my husband too, whispering, “You’re doing great. She needs you. Keep going.” He told me later that meant the world to him.
At one point I said, “This is really painful,” and Kahla didn’t brush it off. She looked at me and said, “Yes. It is. And this pain is bringing you closer to your baby.”
That validation changed everything. She met me in the pain and reminded me it had purpose.
And then something incredible happened.
As I was pushing, my husband said, “If she’s born now, it’ll be 8:18 p.m.” And 8:18 is my life verse—Romans 8:18: ‘I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’
I actually have that verse tattooed on my wrist. It carried me through our infertility journey. And I remember thinking, This is the moment. This is what God promised.
Sure enough—she was born at exactly 8:18 p.m. on January 17th.
It was confirmation from the Lord: This is the baby you waited for.
Natalie:
Love that so, so much. How did the postpartum time go? I mean, you're only what—15 weeks postpartum right now—so you’re still very much in the thick of it. But how did those first few days go with her?
Sarah:
Yes, very much still in the thick of it. We're still a little bit in the trenches. Just as a first-time mom, I’m learning a lot. There’s a lot I don’t know. And yes, they say a lot of it is innate—and I think some of it is—but it’s a huge adjustment.
The first few days were rough. She actually ended up going into the NICU, so our hospital stay wasn’t really the typical experience. We didn’t get a lot of that beautiful, immediate bonding time. We did spend as much time as we could in the NICU with her, though.
Coming home was all about rest and recovery and just soaking in our time together. I remember thinking constantly, Take as many videos as you can. It was such a special time—we just got to snuggle our tiny baby and begin to wrap our heads around the fact that she was finally here.
Natalie:
Oh, I love that so much. And how did you feel, recovery-wise? Was it what you expected?
Sarah:
I’m not going to lie—I did not prepare for postpartum. Not even a little. I was so focused on giving birth that I couldn’t even get my brain to think about actually coming home with a baby and healing while caring for a newborn.
Natalie:
I feel you. I shared that in my story with my second. I had the same thing—just laser-focused on the birth, and then I kind of neglected preparing for postpartum. I mean, I’m a doula. I should have known better. But we really do have to give ourselves some grace for that.
Sarah:
Exactly. The recovery was harder than I thought it would be. I had expected that since I had a natural childbirth, my recovery would be easier. And online you see people walking a mile just a few weeks postpartum.
I was healthy and active before pregnancy, and during it too, so I expected to bounce back quickly. But that wasn’t the case.
It wasn’t until around the 8-week mark that I finally started feeling like myself again.
Natalie:
It’s fascinating, especially for high achievers. You seem like a high achiever. And that mindset of getting back or doing all the things—it can really work against you in postpartum.
I try to remind mamas that success in postpartum isn’t about how quickly you’re up and doing things. It’s about slowing down, savoring the moment, and allowing your body to heal.
Take all the pictures and videos. That newborn stage flies by. And if you rest, you really will recover faster. It’s just true.
Sarah:
That’s so true. Around 12 weeks, I could really see the shift. She’s rolling now, has a little personality, she’s moving, she has opinions. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, you’re like a toddler already!”
She’s obviously not—but she’s not a newborn anymore either. Those days are over, and it went fast.
The transition was hard for me, especially being a business owner and a very type-A personality. I like things done a certain way, on my terms. So I’ve had to find my new capacity, and that’s taken a lot of surrender.
It’s been a lot of walking laps in my kitchen with worship music on, baby pressed to my chest, just surrendering it all. Telling myself, The laundry can wait. The work can wait. I’m doing what I need to do for her.
I’ve really tried to view this as kingdom work. This is ministry now. My role is to care for this child. And that’s beautiful—but also hard.
Natalie:
Yes. And what’s wild is—you don’t ever really take that hat off. Once you’ve conceived, once you become a mother, that calling is on you forever.
It doesn’t mean your child completely overtakes your life for the rest of your life, but there is a season of motherhood that is all give and very little take. And the discipleship of our kids starts immediately.
Everything you’re doing is planting seeds—teaching them how to love and know God.
We can miss the sacredness of it if we try to rush into the next season. But changing a diaper is kingdom work. Jesus washed feet. He made himself the lowest servant—and then told us to go and do likewise. And that’s what we’re doing when we love and serve our babies.
Sarah:
It’s such an honor. But also so draining. And that’s why I love what Kahla said during my labor—validating the pain and reminding me it had purpose. That’s the motherhood journey too.
There’s nothing more sanctifying than becoming a mom. Whether it’s a vaginal birth or a cesarean, you go through the refining process of birth—and then you continue to be refined in motherhood.
But it’s pain with a purpose.
Natalie:
Absolutely. It’s miraculous, and it continues to be miraculous. Every day. Over and over again.
Well, I want to switch gears here a bit. Thank you so much for sharing your birth story. It was so powerful. Now I’d love to talk a little bit about Simply Sarah Healing. What made you decide to start your business, and how did you know God was leading you to serve women in that way?
Sarah:
That’s such a good question—and honestly, it’s a big one.
So, I started out as an emergency department nurse. That’s where I began my career—right in the middle of the pandemic. And during that time, I started experiencing a lot of my own hormonal issues. My cycle was off, I was dealing with intense stress and burnout, and we were walking through infertility.
Eventually, I had to leave the bedside. The stress was just too much. I knew I wanted to be a mom, and looking at my fertility labs, that wasn’t going to happen if I stayed in that high-stress environment.
So my husband and I made the decision—it was time to make a change for our family’s future. I left the hospital and started working at a functional med spa.
At that time, I was really struggling with my health. I couldn’t get answers from my providers. So I signed up for a holistic nutritionist certification—not because I wanted a new career, but because I needed to heal.
And once I started healing, once I learned how to support my cycle, balance my hormones, and actually feel good again—I knew I had to help other women do the same.
Women were coming to the med spa and sharing their stories—so many of them were struggling and getting dismissed. I felt like God was just lining everything up. And then everything in my life kind of fell apart. It was like He was closing every single door, showing me that the way I was doing life wasn’t working anymore.
So I finally said, “Okay, Lord.” And I launched Simply Sarah Healing.
Now, I help women heal their hormones, navigate PCOS, prepare for conception, or overcome infertility—using a holistic approach rooted in cycle-based nutrition, lifestyle changes, and spiritual encouragement.
It’s wild, because my business is so wrapped up in my personal story. I always say I don’t share publicly until I’ve walked through it and come out the other side. And I think that’s why this work is so fulfilling—because I’ve lived it. I am the woman I serve.
And I really believe God allowed me to walk through those painful seasons because He knew I wouldn’t lose myself in them—I would surrender to the process, get through it, and then help someone else do the same.
Natalie:
Yes, yes. I love that. And I know a lot of women feel overwhelmed when they start looking into holistic health. It can feel like so much. What would you say to a woman who wants to take better care of her body—but doesn’t even know where to begin?
Sarah:
Community. Start with community.
It’s so isolating to walk through motherhood, or fertility struggles, or even just burnout as a woman. And when you try to start healing—when you try to prioritize your health—it can feel even more isolating.
That’s why I created my collective—She Rebalanced. Most of the women I work with don’t need more information; they need more love, more empathy, more support. They need to be surrounded by other women who get it.
If you can’t find that kind of community where you are, we’ll create it together virtually. Because healing is so much more powerful when you’re not doing it alone.
Natalie:
That’s so good. It’s exactly why we need the church too—why the Christian walk isn’t meant to be a solo journey. We need people who can sit with us in the struggle and celebrate the small victories. That’s where transformation happens.
So, if someone is drawn to working with you—maybe they’re dealing with PCOS, or fertility challenges, or they just resonate with your heart—what’s the best way to get started?
Sarah:
The easiest way is through Instagram. I’m @SimplySarahHealing and I’m most active there. You can also head to my website—SimplySarahHealing.com.
I offer one-on-one coaching where I walk alongside you and help you create a customized plan for hormone health, cycle syncing, sustainable weight loss, PCOS management, or fertility.
And then I also offer She Rebalanced—the group collective. We meet weekly in a beautiful online community and talk about all the things: nutrition, lifestyle, hormones, mindset, faith. It’s a holistic program—mind, body, and soul.
If you’re looking for community and encouragement, that’s the place to be.
Natalie:
That’s amazing. Sarah, thank you so, so much for coming on and sharing your birth story, your wellness journey, and your heart for other women. I know this is going to bless so many mamas.
Sarah:
Thank you, Natalie. I’m so excited—and so honored. This was beautiful.
