If you're planning a natural birth in the hospital, understanding hospital policies and protocols is one of the most important things you can do to prepare.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why “going with the flow” without preparation can increase stress and interventions
• How hospital default policies influence birth (IVs, monitoring, movement, food, cervical checks, newborn procedures, and more)
• Why understanding routine vs. medical necessity changes everything
• The powerful question to ask your provider that reveals their birth philosophy
• How to use your birth plan as a communication tool 
• Why your husband or support person must understand your preferences too
• How preparation reduces fear and why that matters physiologically
• The role of prayer, discernment, and flexibility in birth decisions

Hospitals have a default flow. If you don’t intentionally speak into that flow, it will carry you along with it.

This episode is not about being combative; it’s about being informed, calm, and confident. Preparation allows you to advocate respectfully, reduce fear, protect your oxytocin flow, and approach your birth with clarity and peace.

If you’ve ever felt nervous about asking questions or worried about being “too picky,” this episode is for you.

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

In this episode, I’m joined by Paige Head, licensed therapist and owner of Crescent Counseling & Consulting, to talk honestly about postpartum mental health, birth trauma, expectations, and the kind of support moms actually need.

Paige shares her own story of traumatic birth, postpartum depression and anxiety, and how God used those experiences to shape her calling to serve women in every phase of motherhood...from trying to conceive to postpartum and beyond.

We discuss:

• Why unmet expectations can deeply impact mental health in pregnancy and postpartum
• How trauma is defined by nervous system response, not just medical events
• The difference between “baby blues” and postpartum mood disorders
• Why support (or lack of it) can change everything
• How to ask better questions when supporting new moms
• Why accepting help is not failure
• How faith, connection, and community play a role in healing

This conversation is compassionate, grounded, and deeply validating for any mom who has ever wondered, “Am I allowed to feel this way?”

Resources Mentioned:

• Crescent Counseling & Consulting
  • Instagram: @crescent.ccllc
  • Facebook: Crescent Counseling & Consulting
• Postpartum Support International (PSI): https://www.postpartum.net
  • Find a Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMHC): https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/provider-directory/
• The Climb – North Georgia (June 7, Fowler Park, Cumming, GA)
  • The Climb North Georgia on Facebook
• Charlotte Ramberg - Cherokee Rose Counseling and Consulting
• Victoria Hefton - Lillidale Designs Co

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Welcome to Rise: A Christian Birth Podcast.

This trailer introduces the heart behind the podcast and who it’s for: pregnant Christian women who want to prepare for birth with confidence, wisdom, and trust in the Lord...without being ruled by fear.

Hosted by childbirth educator, doula, and mom of three Mannah Liu, Rise blends practical birth education with biblical truth to help you understand how the body and mind work together in labor, how fear impacts birth, and how to prepare for natural or unmedicated birth in a grounded, faith-filled way.

This podcast isn’t about chasing a perfect birth or ignoring real risks.
It’s about preparing with wisdom, confidence, and trust so fear doesn’t have the loudest voice in the room.

If you’re a first-time mom, feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice, or longing for more peace as you approach birth, you’re in the right place.

New episodes release weekly.

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Expectant parents often ask, “What’s the best hospital in Atlanta for a natural birth?” hoping for a clear, reassuring answer. But in this episode, we unpack why that question may be oversimplifying something far more complex.

I share why I don’t rank or recommend specific hospitals, even though some have better reputations than others, and what actually matters more than the hospital name on your chart. Drawing from real client experiences and my observations as a Christian birthworker, we talk about why two people can give birth in the same hospital and have completely different experiences.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why hospitals aren’t monolithic and why reputation alone can be misleading
• How putting too much stock in finding the "right" hospital can actually work against you
• How provider philosophy, nurse support, and unit conditions impact labor
• Why preparation (mental, emotional, spiritual, and educational) matters everywhere

If you’re planning a natural birth in the Atlanta area (or anywhere) and feeling pressure to “pick the right hospital,” this episode will help you reframe the decision with clarity, stewardship, and peace.

Scripture referenced: 

John 16:33
Proverbs 4
Luke 14:28-29

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Most birth preparation focuses on labor and pushing but very few parents are truly prepared for what happens immediately after the baby is born.

In this episode, we walk through the first minutes and hours after birth and talk about what is normal, what is routine, and where you may have options. For many moms, this phase feels confusing or overwhelming...not because anything went wrong, but because no one explained what to expect.

This is a practical, educational episode covering:

• Why birth doesn’t end when the baby is born
• The physiology and importance of immediate skin-to-skin contact
• What happens during the delivery of the placenta (the third stage of labor)
• Common sensations after birth, including shaking, bleeding, and exhaustion
• Fundal checks and why they’re done
• Newborn procedures and how to protect the “golden hour”
• The emotional whiplash that can happen after birth (and why it’s normal)

The goal of this episode is not to create fear, but to replace uncertainty with understanding so you can prepare for this phase of birth with the same intentionality you bring to labor.

Resources & Research Mentioned:

Cochrane Review: Strong evidence supports skin-to-skin contact after birth
WHO: Immediate skin-to-skin care for newborn survival
UNICEF: Research on skin-to-skin contact
Evidence Based Birth: The third stage of labor and Pitocin

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Fear of labor pain can create a cycle that makes contractions feel more intense: the fear-tension-pain cycle. In this episode, we break down exactly what that cycle is, why it matters, and how to stop it before it controls your labor.

You’ll learn:

• How fear physically affects your body during labor
• Practical tools to release tension and breathe through contractions
• Faith-based strategies that actually impact your nervous system
• How to prepare now so fear doesn’t dominate your birth experience

If you’ve ever worried that fear will take over your labor or wondered how to stay calm and confident when the pain hits, this episode is for you.

Scripture referenced:

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears."

Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Pregnancy is physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental...all at the same time. If you’re preparing for birth, it’s not enough to only focus on nutrition and physical preparation. Your heart and soul need care too.

In this episode, I share five simple daily habits every pregnant Christian can use to nourish both body and soul while preparing for labor. These practices are meant to be realistic, gentle, and sustainable even in busy seasons of life.

We cover:

• Why Scripture and prayer matter for birth preparation
• How intentional movement supports both your body and your mindset
• Daily surrender as an antidote to fear and control
• Nourishing your body in a way that honors God
• Ending the day with reflection and gratitude

These habits aren’t about perfection or adding pressure. They’re about showing up consistently, building trust in God, and creating a foundation of peace that carries into labor and birth.

Scripture referenced: 

Philippians 4:6-7 “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.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”

1 Corinthians 6 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? Therefore honor God with your body.”

Resources mentioned:

Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols

Brave Birth Bootcamp - learn pain-coping and mindset strategies for unmedicated birth. 

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Have you ever wondered how to pursue a natural birth when you’re not sure you can trust the system you're giving birth in?

In this episode, we will cover:

Why acknowledging your unease about hospital birth is actually a key part of Christian birth prep...

How faith-centered pregnancy planning helps you prepare for natural childbirth without falling into fear or false optimism...

My best tips for navigating hospital birth with confidence, boundaries, and spiritual peace as a pregnant Christian...
… and a whole lot more!

If you’re ready to prepare for a faith-filled birth even in a setting you don’t fully trust, then this episode is for you!

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Planning a natural birth can feel isolating...especially when you’re the only one in your circle choosing to go unmedicated.

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

In this episode, I’m speaking directly to the mom who feels misunderstood, questioned, or quietly discouraged by friends, family, or coworkers who don’t share her birth goals. If you’re tired of justifying your choices or wondering if you’re being unrealistic, this conversation is for you.

We cover four key reminders to help you stay grounded and confident:

• Why you don’t need everyone’s approval
• Where true confidence actually comes from
• When and how to limit what you share with others
• How to find support even if no one close to you “gets it”

This episode will help you protect your peace, strengthen your conviction, and remember that you are not alone...and you are not wrong for wanting a natural birth.

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

How does a biblical approach to birth differ from the way U.S. culture views it?

In this episode, we explore the key difference between fear-driven birth decisions and faith-filled, God-centered stewardship. Too often, U.S. culture treats birth as a high-risk event to control, leading to anxiety, rigid plans, and unnecessary interventions.

We discuss:

• How fear and control shape US birth statistics
• What Scripture says about trust, stewardship, and surrender in pregnancy
• Practical ways to prepare for birth without letting fear dominate your decisions
• Aligning your heart, mind, and birth plan with God’s design

Learn to approach birth with peace, intentional preparation, and trust in God’s sovereignty and discover how Scripture can guide you to walk through pregnancy and labor with confidence.

Scripture referenced: 

2 Timothy 1:7 "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

1 Chronicles 29:11 – “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Scripture references to loving the Lord your God with all your heart/soul/mind/strength: Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27

Proverbs 19:20 "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future."

Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth

Many women choose their OB or midwife for birth the same way they choose a dentist...based on convenience, familiarity, or recommendations from friends. But birth is a completely different specialty, and a provider who is great at routine gynecologic care may not be aligned with the kind of birth you want.

In this episode, I break down how to interview midwives and OB-GYNs for birth and, more importantly, how to interpret their answers so you can understand their true birth philosophy before you’re deep into pregnancy.

We talk about:

• Why provider philosophy matters more than credentials alone
• The difference between managing labor and supporting physiologic birth
• Key questions that reveal how a provider views intervention, autonomy, and unmedicated birth
• Red-flag answers vs. answers that indicate alignment with natural or low-intervention birth
• Why “I support all births as long as mom and baby are healthy” often tells you very little
• How tone, flexibility, and openness to questions matter just as much as statistics

Choosing the right provider is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your birth. This episode will help you approach that decision with clarity, confidence, and wisdom so you’re not surprised late in pregnancy by misaligned expectations.

Just getting started?
Use my free pregnancy and birth research checklist to jumpstart your learning.

Free roadmap to planning a natural birth:
10 Steps to Natural Birth

Want to feel more confident making decisions in labor?
Join the Autonomous Birth Workshop to learn how to advocate for yourself and navigate birth with clarity.

Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards
For encouragement and truth as you prepare for birth, download my Free Scripture-Based Affirmation Cards

Connect with me on Instagram:
@rise.birth