I’ll never forget sitting on a park bench that Thursday afternoon when my friend Lizzy asked,
“Hey, have you heard of supernatural childbirth?”
“No, what’s that?” I asked.
“Well, there are women out there having supernatural, pain-free births because they believe Jesus redeemed us from the curse. Isn’t that amazing?!”
“What?!!!” I exclaimed.
I had never heard of such a thing, but it definitely intrigued me. My husband and I were ready to get pregnant and I couldn’t imagine the idea of having a pain-free birth. I was definitely curious and knew I had to find out more.
Through the coming months, we conceived our first son and I devoured books like “Supernatural Childbirth,” “Childbirth in the Glory,” and “God’s Plan for Pregnancy.” I was hooked on the amazing testimonies in these books and began to believe that my birth could be as pain-free and amazing as these. I printed out scriptures, read them daily, asked God for the desires of my heart, and believed He was going to show up in supernatural ways. I knew how good He was and that nothing was impossible for Him.
When it came time to look for a birth class to take, I searched for a class that would line up with what I’d been reading and believing. There had to be a Christian-minded birth class out there, right?
But to my great disappointment, I couldn’t find one. So we settled for a traditional birth class. And in some ways it was good. But in some ways, not so good. While it helped us understand the labor process a bit and some of what to expect, it also talked a lot about relying on Mother Nature and gave us a New Agey relaxation CD to listen to at night.
That wasn’t working for me, so I decided to make my own relaxation CD. Mine was filled with scriptures, the promises of God, and birth declarations in line with His heart.
As my due date approached, I was filled with great faith. This birth was going to be amazing!
But, things didn’t quite go as I had “planned.” Due to complications that arose before I even went into labor, my midwife sent me to the hospital to get induced.
WHAT?!!! I have to get induced? I don’t get to have the beautiful birth center birth I’ve been dreaming of? God, where are you in all of this? I believed you for NO COMPLICATIONS. Remember?
Crying on the way to the hospital, I felt really unprepared to handle this change in plans. The birth class I took had talked a lot about picturing your ideal birth. Well, I had pictured it, but now what? It wasn’t happening the way I pictured and I didn’t know what to do. And the “Supernatural Childbirth” books had encouraged me to stand on the Scriptures and believe God for a complication, pain-free birth. Well, I had done that, but so far, it wasn’t working. Now what? Where was God in all of this?
The truth was that He was right there with me and He showed up at the hospital in amazing ways. It just took me a while to get past my disappointment to actually see what He was doing. I ended up having an AMAZING pitocin-induced, 7.5 hr labor and I birthed a healthy baby boy.
Did I experience God in it? YES!
Did I experience pain? Yes!
But did I love the experience? YES!
An hour after he was born, I felt so incredible and empowered that I thought, wow, I can’t wait to do that again one day!
And yet in the weeks that followed, I found myself frustrated at the ways I felt unprepared for the birth both from the birth class I took and the books that I had read. Even though the birth ended up being great, I spent the first part of the day fighting tears and disappointment because God wasn’t showing up in the way I thought He would.
There’s more, I thought. There’s got to be a way to empower women to birth their babies in God’s joy and presence whether it ends up being supernaturally pain-free or not. A way to partner the natural and supernatural. A way to prepare women naturally and spiritually to experience the GIFT of birth. A way to prepare them emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually to receive all the gifts God wants to give them in their birth.
Books like “Supernatural Childbirth” are AWESOME! I have friends who’ve read them and had supernatural, pain-free births, as well as moms who’ve taken my birth class! But I also know people who read them and had disappointing painful births and didn’t have any other preparation to know how to work with the labor to partner with how God designed their body to birth to enjoy the experience.
And traditional birth classes are good. But they don’t approach the topic of birth from God’s perspective and they don’t empower a mom to birth her baby in God’s joy and presence. They don’t tell her what the Bible says about birth and that childbirth is a crazy, extravagant love gift that God wants to BLESS her with! They don’t teach her how to partner with God in the process or how to prepare spiritually. Which is too bad because above all, giving birth is a SPIRITUAL event! Much more than a medical event.
So I decided to create what’s been missing. I became a birth doula and childbirth educator and created a Kingdom-minded birth class that partners the natural and supernatural! A class that prepares couples naturally and spiritually.
This is my dream class – it’s the class that I wish I could have found when I was pregnant with my first son. It’s the class that would have made that first birth an incredible, joy-filled experience instead of a good, but also disappointing one. It’s a class that moves couples from fear to excitement for their upcoming births and a class that is radically changing lives and birth stories.
I love teaching this class and empowering moms to enjoy their birth experiences to the FULLEST! I love seeing babies born in the joy and presence of God instead of fear and trauma. I love encouraging moms, shifting mindsets, breaking the power of fear, and partnering the natural and supernatural. I love watching God show up at these births – whether pain-free or not.
What started as a local class taught in my family room has now grown to an online class that is radically impacting birth stories, breaking fear, and empowering moms all over the world. It’s turned into this website that provides encouragement and resources to equip moms to enter their births full of excitement, faith, and confidence instead of fear and anxiety.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering – my 2nd birth was absolutely HEAVENLY! My husband and I took my Kingdom birth class to prepare for it and the difference was night and day for me during the birth. I was able to labor in God’s overwhelming joy and presence the entire time and the only word I can think of to describe it is “Heavenly.” You can hear more of that story by clicking here (see “The Heavenly Birth”).
So that’s my story and I’m honored to have you on this journey with me. Thanks for making it this far!
Now you can do a few things to get started:
- Subscribe to my email list to get lots of practical tips and spiritual encouragement for pregnancy and birth.
- Read my blog that I keep updated with lots of encouragement for pregnant mamas.
- Check out my childbirth class that prepares you to birth your baby in the joy and presence of God!
I pray you are deeply blessed!
Loving this journey,
Kierra
Doula, Childbirth Educator and Founder of A Heavenly Welcome
* Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and none of this is to be taken as medical advice. If you have questions or concerns, always consult your primary caregiver. *
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