Dear friend,

 

 

- John 14:27 -

 

 

We fear what we don’t understand. But sometimes, even when we do understand—when we know exactly what’s coming—we fear that too.

 

Childbirth is the perfect storm of both these fears: fear born from the unknown and fear rooted in what we do know. But as believers in Christ, we are not alone in the birthing room. We carry His presence and power with us.

 

So how do we live that reality? How do we face birth without fear?
Is that even possible?

 

 

The process is simple, but it’s not always easy. That’s what I want to unpack with you today.

 

 

The circumstances surrounding my first birth were sudden and uncertain—more than enough reason to spiral into fear. And yet, that birth was marked by peace.

 

Looking back, I can identify three specific actions that helped me walk into labor confidently and calmly. As I prepare to deliver our sixth baby, fourth living, in just a few weeks, I’m leaning into these same truths again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of our popular Quick Theology booklets talks about why we need to reframe pregnancy and birth. Too often, Christian women see birth through the lens of the curse—pain, fear, failure. They see their bodies as weak and birth as a medical emergency waiting to happen. But this isn’t the full story.

 

Yes, the Fall changed birth. But it didn’t create it.

 

Before the Fall, both men and women had to work—man from the ground, woman from the body—to bring forth life. After the Fall, that work became painful. The ground resisted Adam. Birth resisted Eve. But that resistance doesn’t mean our labor is sinful or shameful.
It means that, in a fallen world, our creative work now requires partnership with a redemptive God. (from the Quick Theology, “Reframing Pregnancy & Birth”)

 

 

When we stop fixating on what might go wrong and instead lean into what God designed to go right, something shifts. We start to trust not only His presence—but the body He created for this exact purpose . . . even in a fallen world, where labor pains include infertility, loss, and scary changes to birth plans.

 

This doesn’t mean we ignore potential complications. It means we don't live in fear of what hasn’t happened. We educate ourselves on what is an emergency and what’s not. We learn what we can decline and what we can request.

 

 

 

 

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably heard of Before You Were Born, I Knew You—my prayer guide for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I wrote it just a month after delivering Adeline, while the power of prayer was still fresh in my heart.

 

Every prayer I prayed over my labor was answered. And I believe that was God’s grace to us in a season of intense stress (you can read her full birth story here).

 

Here’s what I’ve learned: many women view childbirth as something unchangeable. They accept fear, pain, and uncertainty as “just how it is.” And for many, this mindset comes from a weak or nonexistent prayer life. But prayer is not a last resort. It’s the first defense.

 

Our God is a Father. He cares about your labor. He cares about your fears. He invites you to come boldly—to ask, to seek, to knock. When we withhold our concerns and try to figure everything out on our own, we’re playing God with our worries.

 

Prayer doesn’t guarantee a perfect outcome. But it does change our posture. It reminds us that we are not alone. And it teaches us to receive whatever comes with open hands and expectant faith.

 

My labor went just as we hoped—but my postpartum was incredibly difficult due to an autoimmune disorder that complicates every pregnancy I have. After Ivan, I had unexplained secondary infertility for over four years, ending in two miscarriages. And yet I still pray, still plead, still ask God to lead me in my prayers over this next birth.

 

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

(Phil. 4:6–7)

 

That promise is real. I’ve lived it.

 

Even as someone prone to worry . . . even when everything around me feels uncertain . . . I have experienced the peace that guards my heart and mind. And it all begins with prayer.

 

(If you want help knowing what to pray, you can grab a copy of Before You Were Born here.)

 

 

You don’t have to be afraid.

 

You don’t have to walk into labor wondering if you’re strong enough, spiritual enough, or ready enough. You are. You were made for this. You can walk into motherhood with peace and confidence—both in your body and in your God.