May 20, 2025 • 39 mins
In this episode of Faith Over Fear: The Christian Pregnancy & Birth Podcast, I’m joined by my very first guest—Sarah Salain, a registered nurse, Christian holistic health coach, and new mama—who shares her powerful story of waiting, surrender, and God’s faithfulness.
After years of hormonal challenges and praying for a baby, Sarah found herself walking through a long and painful season of infertility. As a health coach supporting other women through fertility struggles, her own waiting felt especially heavy—until God moved in a way only He could.
In this deeply honest and hope-filled conversation, Sarah shares:
🌱 What it was like to walk through infertility while helping others heal
✝️ How the Lord clearly led her to wait—despite pressure to pursue fertility treatments
🤰 The joy and gratitude she experienced throughout pregnancy
🕯️ Her powerful, faith-centered hospital birth and the moment her life verse came to life
💛 The raw realities of postpartum, surrendering expectations, and finding purpose in motherhood
Scripture Shared:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” – Romans 8:18 (NIV)
(Spoiler: Her baby was born at 8:18 PM 🕯️)
A Prayer for You:
At the end of the episode, I offer a prayer especially for the mama in the waiting—whether you're longing for a baby, facing an unexpected diagnosis, or just needing reassurance that God sees you. May Sarah’s story remind you that God’s timing is never late and His promises are always true.
Mentioned in this episode:
✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library – Free tools & worship playlists to help you prepare with peace
💛 Explore Doula Support & Childbirth Education – Virtual and in-person care for faith-led births
🌿 Connect with Sarah – Learn more about her work through Simply Sarah Healing
If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend. Let’s keep choosing faith over fear—one birth story at a time.
👉 Visit the full blog post for show notes, transcript, and links to everything mentioned!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie Portman (00:45):
Hey friends, and welcome back.
I'm so excited for today'sepisode because I'm welcoming my
very first guest to the show,Sarah Salain.
is a registered nurse, a newmama, and the founder of Simply
Sarah Healing.
supports women throughfertility, pregnancy, and
postpartum with a faith-filledholistic approach.
(01:06):
I had the honor of meeting Sarahwhen she took my childbirth
education class during her ownpregnancy, and her story is such
a beautiful picture of God'sfaithfulness.
In today's conversation, we talkabout her health journey, her
miraculous birth story, and howshe's helping other women find
peace and clarity in their ownwellness journeys.
(01:27):
you'll be encouraged by herheart and reminded that God is
present even in the waiting.
Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Sarah Salain (01:35):
Thank you for having me, Natalie.
I'm so excited.
Natalie Portman (01:37):
I'm so excited too.
let's just get rolling.
Let's start from the beginning.
What was your journey like toactually becoming pregnant?
Sarah Salain (01:47):
Our journey was a little longer than expected.
We were dealing with a lot oflike hormonal issues, so it was
quite a trying process to behonest with you.
We were trying for a little overtwo years to conceive and so we
were just trying to figure itall out.
We got to the point where weactually reached out to an
(02:08):
infertility specialist.
That was like my very laststraw.
We're like, okay, we've beenwaiting for so long now, like
maybe we do need extra support.
That's what I do for a living ishelp women heal their hormones
and balance their hormones andbeat infertility.
So it was like a double-edgedsword because my clients were
getting pregnant following myprotocols and I was not.
(02:28):
Everyone around me all of ourfriends were getting pregnant
family members, everything.
And so And so of course it.
I was celebrating everyonearound us, but it was still
painful that we were goingthrough that silent battle.
We didn't really tell anyoneclose people to us knew that we
were struggling, but I don'tthink anyone really knew the
extent of how heavy it was onour heart.
(02:48):
And so I got to the placearound.
Actually, it was this time lastyear we actually found out that
we were pregnant, which is wild.
But around February last year,we got to like our tipping point
of what is happening and I wasfrustrated.
I was let down.
I was at the place where I wasstarting to see life being okay
(03:09):
without being a mom, I would sayit was, I was trying to come to
terms with it deep down was Ireally know.
But I was just trying to come toterms with the fact that maybe
this wasn't for us.
Like thinking about all thetrips that we could take and
let's go over to Europe andlet's do this and let's do that.
And just trying to imagine lifeif it were to just be me and my
(03:30):
husband and we decided to goseek.
Fertility specialist and we drewlabs.
We did the whole nine.
And.
Basically presented some optionsfor us, like procedures and
medication and this and that,and it just did not feel right
to me at all.
It just didn't feel aligned,which is probably why it took so
(03:50):
long to get there in the firstplace.
Honestly, it was just out of aform of desperation really.
And I honestly just wanted thelab work to see okay, am I
missing something?
What's going on here?
A few things did come back thatwere a little out of range and
it was just disheartening'causethey didn't wanna address those
before we like jumped intomedication or anything.
So it was really heavy on myheart.
(04:11):
I prayed about it a lot and Idecided, I had the tough
conversation with my husbandthis is not what I wanna do.
I really don't wanna do this.
And that was a really harddecision to make and verbalize
it too.
Because why wouldn't I, I wantedto be a mom so bad, why wouldn't
I, sign up, pay and do theprocedures and take the
(04:33):
medication and, that felt mychance to be a mom was like
wrapped up in a bow and here yougo.
You can have it this way.
And it just didn't feel right.
I cannot even explain.
It was just like this deepfeeling like on my heart when I
was praying about it.
Don't do it, don't do it, don'tdo it.
Just wait.
Be patient.
I have more for you is like allthe stuff that I kept hearing.
And around this time too, myhusband we were thinking about
(04:57):
moving and so we were like, thatwas up in the air.
An opportunity was presented tous.
We're like, do we take it?
Like what do we do?
And it's crazy, Natalie.
'cause we could not come to adecision like it was just like
so heavy on our heart and ourhousehold.
Like you could feel the energyof it.
What are we doing?
Are we gonna move?
Are we gonna move?
(05:17):
Are we gonna move?
He could not make a decision.
And literally at the last minutehe is I just feel like we need
to stay here.
I feel like we're supposed tostay here.
So we went to the fertilityspecialist in February and we
found out that we were pregnantin May.
So it was just very it wasshocking to find out I was
pregnant, but in that moment itreally felt like everything came
(05:39):
together.
Like the Lord was like, justwait.
I have something better for you.
I just, you just have to holdout on it.
And I could feel that so heavilyin our journey.
So yeah, it's.
It was a wild journey to getpregnant, honestly.
Natalie Portman (05:54):
Such a testament to the Lord's
faithfulness it's also justbeautiful to see your obedience
in that season, becauseobviously he did, he blessed you
guys with a baby how was yourpregnancy overall and how did
you prepare, emotionally,spiritually, and practically for
that?
Sarah Salain (06:12):
So I loved being pregnant.
It was probably honestly thebest that I've ever felt in my
entire life.
I enjoyed every moment of mypregnancy.
I really did.
Of course, there were some harddays, and the third trimester
really knocked me down a littlebit.
But really, truly loved.
Every second of it.
I don't know if that just camefrom a place of feeling so much
(06:35):
gratitude that I was able toexperience it and just shocked
at what my body could do on adaily basis.
But honestly, I really, I justloved it.
I felt so honored.
I felt like I get to do this,I'm honored that I get to do
this.
I get to grow this baby.
I get to nourish this baby.
I just.
(06:56):
I don't know.
I had so much gratitude that Iwas just living in this like
bubble.
I loved pregnancy.
I was so scared.
So I actually started talking onsocial media about it a little
bit.
I was so scared to be pregnantbecause I had heard so many
horror stories you're gonna feelterrible and you're gonna be the
sickest you've ever felt.
And it's terrible.
It's the worst nine months ofyour life.
You're gonna hate every secondof it.
(07:16):
And so I was petrified and whenI was experiencing it, I just
never felt that way.
I just.
Loved every second of it.
And so I did a lot of prep.
My husband and I both did a lotof prep on that.
Like infertility, struggling toget pregnant.
We revamped our entire home.
We got rid of toxins.
(07:36):
I revamped my entire nutrition.
He did too.
We were like in the best healththat we could be in.
And so I lived.
I would like to say I was livingan 80 20 rule, but I was living
like a 90 10.
'cause I really was desperate toget pregnant and I really wanted
my body to be in the best placepossible for that.
And I do think that contributedto a really good pregnancy.
(07:59):
As far as like spiritually, Ijust felt so overcome.
Like this whole journey hasreally, I feel brought me closer
to the Lord in a way.
Which is really weird.
Like I've always had a greatrelationship.
I feel like a personalrelationship with the Lord and
my faith, and I've always reliedon that, but it brings it to the
(08:22):
next level when.
Natalie Portman (08:23):
Oh.
Sarah Salain (08:25):
When you're pregnant and after childbirth,
like it just does something toyou internally.
And so I've just relied on that.
Like I relied on that on thehard days.
I relied on that on the reallygood days that he's here and
that this is a gift and I get toexperience that.
And she was perfectly madebecause of him, and that's just
(08:47):
an honor.
So that's how I prepared forthat season.
Natalie Portman (08:50):
I love that.
And then you also hired a doula.
Sarah Salain (08:53):
I did hire a doula.
That was the first thing I did.
I met Kahla.
I actually reached, so I postedon a mom's group.
That was the first thing I did.
As soon as I found out I waspregnant, I'm like, we need a
doula.
Because I knew nothing about I.
Childbirth.
I knew nothing about it.
I'm a nurse.
I've had rotations in labor anddelivery.
(09:14):
All I knew was I was petrifiedand I wanted someone with a
holistic approach.
I didn't even think I wanted todo an unmedicated birth.
I was just like, I just wantsomeone in the room with me to
support me.
Natalie Portman (09:25):
Yeah.
Sarah Salain (09:26):
on Mom's page and.
So many people had recommendedyou guys had recommended Kahla.
And so I clicked on the website.
There were hundreds of commentsfor doulas, hundreds, and when I
clicked on the website, I sawthat it was faith-based and easy
decision.
It just, I didn't even thinktwice about it.
I booked the call link orwhatever I had to do and I set
(09:49):
up a time to meet her.
I had met Kahla before we evenhad our first confirmation
ultrasound.
Natalie Portman (09:55):
Oh, I love that.
Sarah Salain (09:57):
So she was literally like the first person
that really knew that we werepregnant and then when we had
the confirmation it was justlike bam.
And so Kahla has literally beenwith us from the very beginning.
But yeah, that support I.
Within itself even especiallythat early on because of course
when you're trying for so long,there's a lot of fear and some
(10:18):
doubt creeps in.
Is this really gonna work forus?
Is this really our time?
And so having Kahla that earlyon was really nice too.
Natalie Portman (10:26):
Yes.
And for those who are not aware,Kahla Jurney and I, Sarah's
doula and I work together.
We're in a doula collective.
So yeah, we worked together.
And then Sarah, you took mychildbirth ed class as well.
So that's how I got to actuallymeet you in person was during
that class.
Sarah Salain (10:42):
Oh, I loved that class so much.
When people think, you thinkabout a childbirth class and
you're like, okay, I have to dothis, I should do this, and then
your husband's oh, do we have todo this?
But you just should do it.
I left that class in tearsbecause I felt so empowered and.
Has always scared me.
It's always scared me.
I've never really wanted to doit.
I'm like, if I could have thebaby but not actually physically
(11:03):
have the baby let's do that.
But when I left that class, I'mlike, gosh, I can do this.
I feel really empowered.
So I love that class.
And you offer that online nowtoo, right?
Natalie Portman (11:14):
I do.
Yeah, so I'm offering it online,and then if you're local, in
Jacksonville, then I do it stillin person as well.
But yeah.
Oh, I'm so glad that you feelthat way because that,
Sarah Salain (11:24):
Yeah.
Natalie Portman (11:25):
is my prayer, is that we would face this
season not with fear.
We would not make decisions outof fear, but we would walk in
faith and walk out this seasonjust knowing that it is not up
to us to make everything fallinto place, that he is the one
that's in control, that he isthe one that is planning and
(11:47):
establishing.
Everything that's taking place.
And, I know a little bit aboutyour birth story, but I can't
wait for you to get into thebirth story because I know there
was just like some reallyamazing, just like God things
that happened.
So let's just dive right intoyour birth story.
How far along were you when youactually went into labor?
Sarah Salain (12:06):
Okay.
Yeah.
This is actually the first timeI've talked about my birth.
In person, like live, like I'vehad conversations about it with
friends and stuff, but I'venever really talked about it and
I haven't talked about it onsocial media either.
Okay.
So back it up to, I think 20weeks at our anatomy scan, or
maybe even before that our girlywas growth restricted, so I had
(12:26):
some placenta complications andso we were going to get scans
every four weeks for her growth.
She was falling like a littlebehind on the charts, but
nothing serious.
I.
And all of our blood work cameback fine, so they weren't too
concerned.
But as we started getting to theend, she started dropping
percentiles quite a bit.
And I just had this feeling Ikept telling everyone for about
(12:49):
a month.
I'm like, so her due date wasthe 27th of January, and I just
had this feeling that she wascoming the 17th, 18th, or 19th.
I just.
I had wrote it in my littlejournal that I was journaling to
her my whole pregnancy.
I'm like, I just don't thinkthat it's happening on the 27th.
And so leading up to thatappointment at 37 weeks, we were
(13:10):
gonna do another scan to checkher.
And I just had this deepfeeling.
So I actually called anacupuncturist, and I said, Hey,
is there any way that we can dolike a crash course of
acupuncture to induce laborbefore my 37 weeks?
Because I really have a feelingthey're gonna induce me.
In three days.
(13:31):
And she's normally this is nothow fast we do this.
Let's just try it, give it a go.
So she was amazing.
She came to my home.
And basically we just wanted tomake sure that baby was
responding okay and doing itthings safely.
So we did the first session andNatalie, there was something
very spiritual that happenedduring that session.
I just, I don't know, it was.
(13:52):
It was like my last moments withher inside of me.
And I had this whole thing whereI was just not ready for it.
I was not ready to give birth.
I was not ready for it, to notbe just me and her anymore, like
just this protection over her.
I was not ready.
And so the acupuncturist came tomy home.
We did it at my bedroom, and itwas just so spiritual.
(14:15):
Like I had the worship musicplaying and I could just feel it
was my job as a mother to tellher like, okay, it's time to
come.
Everything's fine.
We're waiting for you.
You're safe.
And so we did two nights of thatand Labor had, kicked on just a
little bit.
And when I went in for my 37thweek appointment, of course she
had dropped her percentiles.
(14:36):
Her movement was decreased andthey were like, okay, you're
getting induced tonight.
You're having this baby tonight.
And so that went againsteverything that I wanted.
I did not wanna be induced,Natalie.
That was the last thing I everwanted, was to have pitocin.
I was terrified of that.
I just wanted a spontaneouslabor.
I wanted to trust the Lord'stiming.
(14:57):
So that kind of threw me for aloop.
Like I literally cried.
I had a breakdown as soon as shecame into the room and she's
you're having your baby today.
I was like, no, I don't wanna dothat.
So we went into the hospital tobe induced and honestly, I.
I wasn't fearful at all, and Ithought I was going to be, I
don't know what overcame me, butI just wasn't very fearful at
(15:19):
all.
I just walked in and I was like,we're doing this because we
don't have another choice.
But never in the process of thisentire situation did I feel
scared or fearful or anything.
I just had this reassurancelike, come over me, like
everything's gonna be okay.
And thankfully, with Kahla'sguidance and everything and the
practice that I was with, we dida really slow induction that
(15:42):
really, truly mimicked naturalchildbirth.
They attempted their hardest tomimic a natural childbirth.
And yeah, we started theinduction that night and then
around 5:00 AM they startedPitocin.
But I was like contracting andeverything was going and going,
but I was not feeling any pain.
And I'm like, surely this cannotbe.
(16:04):
What's going on here?
Like I had, I'm not feeling anypain, and so we decided to break
my water.
No one told me that was like azero to 100.
Natalie Portman (16:13):
Yeah, it is how quickly things change when that
water's broken.
For a lot of women it definitelycan.
Yeah.
Sarah Salain (16:22):
It was very insane to me.
Yeah, I didn't even have a full60 seconds to catch my breath
and I thought I'd have okay,five minutes.
Kahla was like, typically thingsspeed up pretty fast after this
I just did, was not prepared forhow fast.
And so we broke my water andthat's when things started to
get really intense.
Kahla went into just full workmode.
(16:43):
So my room was beautiful.
The lights were dim.
I don't think the lights wereever bright at all.
Actually they weren't the entiretime.
We had little twinkle lightseverywhere.
We had the birthing tub set up.
That's something I really wantedto do'cause I'm a water bug and
I love hot water.
So I knew I wanted to do that.
And we had worship musicplaying.
(17:03):
It was just this.
Serene environment.
How could it be in a hospitalroom?
I've never said that in my life.
I worked in the hospital.
It's always been like sterileand gross to me, but it was just
this crazy experience When mywater broke, we went straight
into the tub and I know a lot ofpeople say water is like
nature's epidural, but reallyand truly it was not that bad.
Natalie Portman (17:27):
Yeah, it's like you become so much lighter and
buoyant in the water and it justmelts some of that pressure.
It's incredible.
Sarah Salain (17:36):
it's incredible.
And I just floated there forabout two hours.
The worship music was going andthat was just, in my head and it
just felt like this hugepresence of the Lord was in the
room.
You could just feel it.
And.
Yeah, it was just the surrealexperience, truly, and I kept
telling myself, is it gonna getworse?
(17:57):
Is it gonna get worse because.
I just felt like verycomfortable and I felt very
confident in what I was doingand I really was just
surrendering to it.
I guess that's what I could say.
I was surrendering to theprocess.
There was surrendering to whatmy body was doing and what my
body was telling me to do, and Iwasn't fighting it.
I was just trying to breathethrough it and just lean into
how women are innately.
(18:18):
And yeah, it was just amazing.
I told Kahla, I'm like, I thinkI have to push.
I think I need to get out ofthis tub.
And it's crazy because like Isaid before, I didn't even know
when I had met Kahla or hired adoula or any of that if I wanted
to actually do a unmedicatedbirth.
It was just like this littlethought in my mind, like maybe
(18:38):
my husband's yeah, you should doit.
And even leaning up to the dayof, I still didn't know if I was
like, okay, maybe like maybe Ican do it.
But being in that room, it wasnever.
Never even a thought in my headlike, I need an epidural, or I
need pain medication, or I can'tdo this.
(18:59):
How never once crossed my mind.
It was just surreal.
I felt that I got to experienceall of that and feel all of it.
Yeah, so then we transferredover to the bed and we started
pushing and I guess the wholelabor process, of active labor
was only four hours, so I.
Natalie Portman (19:20):
Wow.
Sarah Salain (19:21):
Really quick process.
Once that water was broken, thatwas like the last thing that
just needed to happen.
She came pretty quick.
But when you're in it, dayscould have passed and I wouldn't
have known.
You're like in this light ofjust.
Natalie Portman (19:35):
I call it labor land and labor land.
There is no time.
uh, It's very hard to explain.
Sarah Salain (19:41):
Very hard.
I felt like at some points, andI'm pretty sure I told Kahla
this, that I'm like leaving mybody.
I think I'm leaving my body.
Like I just felt like it was ina whole different realm of
things.
Natalie Portman (19:55):
Well, you're literally Operating in a
different part of your brain,it, it does feel out of body.
Like I also, as you were saying,that like kind of got
transported back to whenever Iwas in my birth pool and like I,
I distinctly remember a timekind of felt out of body.
Like kind of see myself, but Icould obviously couldn't, but it
was, yeah, it's very intense.
(20:15):
Like you're just going into.
Like a very deep instinctualpart of yourself that you
probably rarely go to.
Sarah Salain (20:24):
I have never felt that way in that sense at all.
And not in a bad way, just.
Out of, I've never experiencedanything like that.
Intense is a good word to putit.
It was the most intense thingI've ever experienced in my
life.
In a very good way.
And I had all the supportivemeasures though, and that was
the amazing thing about having adoula, having Kahla, there was
(20:47):
my husband.
Was there with me, but I think Iwould've given into the fear if
it had just been the two of usin the hospital room.
Instead, I had Kahla there andshe was, keeping ice on my back,
had the fan in my face usingpeppermint oil, the tens unit
massage, down to the fact thatshe literally kept.
Putting chapstick on my lips'cause she knows that I didn't
(21:10):
wanna have dry lips.
Like all those little thingsmeant so much because I didn't
have to focus on anything else.
She had literally everythinghandled.
And I could hear her in thebackground of, telling my
husband, you're doing great.
Like you're doing everythingthat you can do for her.
And she was encouraging him.
He's like, I don't know if I'mdoing the right things.
(21:32):
I don't know if I'm saying theright things.
I don't know what I could do forher.
And so hearing her encourage himwas amazing too.
And then, when it got to thehard part of, I.
I don't know if I can do this.
Like I knew I could, but I'mlike, oh, this is getting a
little hard.
How much longer?
I remember saying to Kahlaspecifically, I'm like, this is
really painful.
And she's like, yeah, it ispainful.
(21:54):
And she validated how I felt inthat.
Experience and she reassured methat pain and the discomfort
that I was feeling was going tobe re bring me closer to my
baby.
And hearing those words were wasjust so encouraging.
It wasn't like, no, it's notthat much pain.
Or, yeah, it's painful now, butit's not gonna last forever.
It was very much real.
(22:15):
Yes, this is painful and you'reexperiencing this right now, and
that is valid and it's gonnabring you closer to your baby.
And I will never forget when shesaid that.
I'm
Natalie Portman (22:23):
Yep.
Pain with a Purpose.
Sarah Salain (22:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I remember the way she justintertwined everything and.
Just filled my birth experiencewith the Lord was unreal to me
and amazing.
To the point where, so we gotout of the tub and we were
pushing, I was pushing for quitea bit.
(22:45):
She was a little lopsided inthere.
I.
But I distinctly remember, likemy husband was behind me, and
he's like, if you have the babynow, it'll be at 8:18 PM and
eight 18 is my favorite Bibleverse, Romans eight 18.
And it's basically like for, Iconsider the current sufferings
(23:08):
to, at this present time arenot.
Compared to the glory to berevealed.
And I actually have that eight18 tattooed on my wrist right
before I went to see thefertility specialist.
I was just at the brink of it,and eight 18 was just on my
heart.
I'm like, I'm getting thistattooed for my baby.
It's carrying me through thisreally hard time.
(23:30):
And that's just something that Ialways relied on.
Like what you're going throughright now, it's gonna get
better.
Glory is gonna be revealed.
He is gonna reveal it to me.
It's not worth the sufferingright now.
Like it's going to turn aroundand I've relied on that verse
for a lot of things in my life.
But truly like our infertilityjourney is what really I relied
(23:51):
on.
And sure enough, she was born ateight 18,
Natalie Portman (23:55):
I have goosebumps over my whole body.
That is insane.
Sarah Salain (23:59):
Every time I think about it, I get goosebumps.
I still feel like I haven't cometo terms with it yet, but it
really was like the Lord sayingthis is what you waited for.
This perfect baby is what youwaited for, and I'm gonna show
you.
I'm gonna let you know.
Yeah, she was born January 17th,so she did not come on the 27th.
(24:21):
She came on the weekend.
I thought she was gonna come andJanuary 17th at 8:18 PM
Natalie Portman (24:26):
Love that so, so much.
How did the postpartum time go?
I mean, You're only, what, 15weeks postpartum right now, so
you're still very much in thethick of it.
But how how did those firstcouple days go with her?
Sarah Salain (24:40):
So yes, very much.
Still in the thick of it.
We're still a little bit in thetrenches.
Just as a first time mom, I'mlearning a lot.
There's a lot that I don't know,and yeah, they say.
A lot of it is innate and Ithink it is for sure, but it is
a huge adjustment to life.
So the first few days were alittle rough.
She actually ended up going intothe nicu, so our hospital stay
(25:01):
wasn't really like the typicalhospital stay, so we just didn't
get a lot of that.
Super amazing bonding time.
We did try to spend as much timein the NICU with her as
possible.
And then coming home was just alot of relaxing and recovering
and spending as much time withher as possible.
I remember like the only thingin my mind was take as many
(25:24):
videos as you can, and it was areally special time yeah, we
just all got to snuggle thistiny little baby and just come
to terms with the fact thatshe's here.
Natalie Portman (25:32):
Oh, I love that so much.
And then how how did you do,like recovery wise, did you feel
like it was.
Or tougher than you imagined itwould be.
Sarah Salain (25:43):
I'm not gonna lie to you.
I did not prepare forpostpartum, not one bit.
Not one bit.
I was so scared to give birththat I could not even get my
brain to the fact that I wasactually gonna leave the
hospital and experiencepostpartum and have a child,
like there was a block there.
Natalie Portman (26:04):
I feel you.
And, And I shared that in mystory with my second because I,
same thing, I just was like, I'mjust gonna get to this birth
and.
the things and then completelyneglected to really care for
myself for that postpartum time.
Preparing for, you know, thefact that I have another kid
that I also need to take care ofand all the things.
So I feel you there, and I'm adoula, so I should know this.
(26:27):
And we just have to cutourselves some slack on that
one.
Sarah Salain (26:30):
Yeah.
Yeah, I definitely did notprepare.
The recovery was a little bitmore rough than what I expected.
I anticipated having a naturalchildbirth, and I just really
anticipated it being an easyrecovery.
I.
Online.
You see so many people, threeweeks postpartum going on a mile
walk.
I was healthy before, I was veryactive, before I was healthy and
(26:52):
active my entire pregnancy.
So I was just shocked at therecovery.
But I would say around thateight week mark, I started
feeling like myself again.
Natalie Portman (26:59):
Well, And it's so fascinating because I feel
like, especially like highachievers, like you strike me as
a high achiever, but it's.
actually counterintuitive tothink to yourself.
I can't wait to see all thethings I can get back into or
try to get back to my quoteunquote normal self.
Those that type of mentalityends up biting you in the butt.
(27:23):
And I fell into that trapmyself.
I try to encourage mamas.
That a sign of success in thatpostpartum time is not all of
the things you're doing.
It's not bragging about the factthat you're going on walks
around the neighborhood, oneweek postpartum.
It's like, That's not the point.
It's a time to slow down, tosavor those moments, the times
(27:47):
with that little, littlenewborn.
Absolutely fly by take as manypictures and videos as you can
because that baby, that versionof your, of your child is very
quickly going to change, and ifyou rest, you will recover
faster.
It's just a fact.
Sarah Salain (28:06):
Yeah.
No, I appreciate that so muchbecause it's true when you say
that, just I think around like12 weeks, she really started
changing.
Just like now I look at her andshe's got this full personality
and she is rolling and.
Moving and has an opinion aboutstuff and I'm like, oh my gosh,
you're like a little toddler.
Like she's obviously not, butshe's not a newborn anymore and
(28:28):
those days are over.
So it does rapidly fly by forsure.
And I've struggled with that alot, as a business owner and
just.
Very type A driven likes to doeverything and likes to do it.
On my terms, it's been a lot tofind my new capacity is what I'm
(28:48):
saying, and it's been a lot ofsurrendering.
It's been a lot of days in mykitchen doing laps with worship,
music with my baby pressed to mychest, surrendering to it and
saying the laundry can pile upbecause I'm.
Doing what I need to do for thischild.
The work can wait because I amserving my child.
(29:10):
And so I've been trying veryhard to see postpartum and
motherhood as, and I think Imentioned this when I talked to
you before, like kingdom worklike
Natalie Portman (29:21):
Yes.
Sarah Salain (29:21):
this.
Is a ministry now, this is whatI do, my sole purpose is for my
child.
And so surrendering to that,although it sounds like so
beautiful and it is, it's veryhard.
Natalie Portman (29:35):
Yeah, well, because you don't get a time of
that hat off, taking off thatrole.
like once you have in your heartthe desire to have a baby from
that point on, you are tetheredto either that goal or that
dream of becoming a mom.
And then once they're conceivedand born.
(29:58):
Forever that is the role thatyou will have.
And it's not that theycompletely and utterly take over
your life for the rest of yourlife, but the Lord certainly
does call us to a season wherewill be much more give than take
and you're just discipleship ofthem begins immediately.
(30:19):
everything You are doing is too.
them up in the ways of the Lord,to know the Lord, to love him,
to hopefully serve him one day.
But it, begins from the verybeginning and that weight is so
much, but I think if we.
If we try to just skip ahead tolike the next season, we can
(30:39):
miss out on the fact that like,changing a diaper is kingdom
work.
Just like Jesus dressed himselfas a servant and washed his
disciples feet.
He made himself the lowest and,and said, and now I want you to
all do this too.
So as mamas, we are loving andserving just like Jesus did.
When we love and serve ourbabies,
Sarah Salain (31:01):
It's an honor to be able to do that.
Natalie Portman (31:03):
But it's also extremely draining.
And so kind of, you know whatKahla said about, you know
you're experiencing.
Yes.
This is hard.
So to validate that, but also tosay, but it's pain with a
purpose like that is themotherhood journey.
Like There is hardly anythingmore sanctifying than becoming a
mama.
(31:23):
I mean, Quite literally you gothrough the trial, whether
that's a vaginal delivery or acesarean delivery, you go
through the trial of growing,giving birth to that baby,
raising them, feeding them,changing them all, doing all the
things.
But yeah, it is, pain with apurpose for sure.
Sarah Salain (31:41):
so true.
There is so much of a miracleand it just continuously
happens, like it's just a Evergiving miracle.
And so it's amazing to see that.
Natalie Portman (31:53):
yeah.
No, for sure.
Well, I wanted kind of switchgears here.
Thank you so much for sharingyour birth story, but I wanted
to kind of talk about SimplySarah Healing.
What made you decide to startyour business, and how did you
know God was leading you toserve women in that way?
Sarah Salain (32:10):
Oh, that's such a good question, and that's a hard
loaded question too.
So I was a emergency departmentnurse.
That's where I started my careerduring the pandemic.
And so I started experiencing alot of my own hormonal issues.
Things were off infertility, allthose things.
I left the bedside to manage mystress because my end goal was
(32:33):
to be a mom and based off of myfertility and hormone labs, that
was not gonna happen under thestress I was under.
Or with the way I was feeling.
So my husband and I decided, themove for our family is to.
Find something more suitable forour future.
And so I left, went into afunctional med spa, and at that
time I was really strugglingwith my health.
(32:53):
I was really struggling with alot of things.
So I signed up to be a holisticnutritionist just solely to help
my body heal because I wasn'tgetting answers from any
providers.
And when I started seeing thechange in my body and leaning
into my hormones and what washappening, I'm like, oh my gosh,
like I have to.
I have to do this.
(33:13):
I have to help other women whoare also struggling.
I knew women were struggling.
They were coming to me at themed spa, all the time talking
about it.
It felt like time to make aswitch, and it was like
everything in my life wasfalling apart.
Like all the doors were justlike slamming shut and I was
like, this is my sign.
This is my sign because I'mdoing life my way and.
(33:35):
maybe this is him just closingall of these doors, like he was
slamming them shut in my face.
And so I just on a whim did it.
And I started Simply SarahHealing.
So I help women heal theirhormones overcome PCOS
infertility, fertility support,and I do it naturally with cycle
based nutrition and also justholistic nutrition, lifestyle
(33:58):
changes.
And it's wild because I alwayssay I never really publicly talk
about the things that I'm goingthrough until I come out on the
other side.
And so my business is reallywrapped up in that.
Like it served me to the pointwhere I knew that this is what I
had to do with one my career,but two, like my life, I feel
like this is my trajectory to mylife.
(34:20):
I feel like God gave me thecircumstances of struggling to
conceive a child and havinghormonal issues and going
through all of those strugglesand painful times.
I feel like he gave me thatbecause he knew that I wouldn't
lose myself in it.
I wouldn't just fall into that.
I would surrender to it and getthrough it and come out on the
other side, and I really, trulyfeel like I do what I do and I'm
(34:44):
good at it because.
I lived it.
I am that person that I workwith.
And so I feel like the Lordreally blessed me in that way,
although very painful times.
He knew that I would help otherwomen on the other side of it,
and I strongly believe in that.
Natalie Portman (35:01):
Yes, definitely.
you know, I feel like a lot ofwomen, they feel overwhelmed
when they start looking intolike holistic health and
nutrition.
But what would you say to awoman who wants to start taking
better care of her body but shedoesn't know where to start?
I.
Sarah Salain (35:17):
Community, for sure.
Community.
It can be so isolating, being amom or being a woman, being a
working woman, like whatever youare, whoever you are, whatever
you're going through, it can bevery isolating.
And so trying to work onyourself and work on your health
can also be isolating.
(35:38):
So find community.
I feel like the majority of theclients I work with.
They just need love.
They need compassion.
They need empathy.
They need support.
They don't have that.
I have a whole collective, theShe Rebalanced collective.
The whole point of that is toget women in community.
If you can't find it whereyou're at, then let's do it
virtually.
(35:58):
Just finding support, findingfriends, finding women who are
going through the same thingthat you're going through
because there is power in.
Struggling together andovercoming something.
I truly think that is ablessing.
Natalie Portman (36:11):
Absolutely.
I mean, It's why like we'recalled to a church, right?
doing the whole Christian thingis not a solo effort.
The church is the community ofbelievers.
And so yeah, I completelybelieve the kind of secret sauce
there is having other people tonot only just empathize with the
struggle, but also to encourageyou in the victories small and
(36:35):
big.
Well, Sarah, if somebody isdrawn to, working with you if
they kind of notice that they'rehaving issues, whether that's
fertility or they have beendiagnosed with PCOS or they're
resonating with your journey.
How could they start workingwith you?
What's one of the first stepsthat they could maybe connect
with you?
Sarah Salain (36:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
Everyone can find me at SimplySarah Healing That is my
Instagram.
I'm most active on Instagram.
My website'ssimplysarahhealing.com, and I
offer two things.
So I offer private one-on-onecoaching, which is you and I
work together to come up with aplan, whether it's.
Sustainable weight loss orhormone balancing PCOS or
(37:17):
infertility.
And then I offer my collective,which is she rebalanced, and
that is the group collectivewhere we meet once a week.
And you really get intocommunity.
You learn all about health,whether it's nutrition,
lifestyle, adjustments, andhormones.
It's very holistic based, mind,body, and soul.
It's a beautiful program.
So if you're looking forcommunity, that's the place to
(37:39):
be.
Natalie Portman (37:40):
That's awesome.
Well, thank you Sarah, so, somuch for coming on, sharing your
birth story, sharing yourwellness journey.
I know so many women are gonnabe encouraged by this.
I appreciate you so much.
Sarah Salain (37:53):
Thank you, Natalie.
I'm so excited.
Hey friends, and welcome back.
I'm so excited for today'sepisode because I'm welcoming my
very first guest to the show,Sarah Salain.
is a registered nurse, a newmama, and the founder of Simply
Sarah Healing.
supports women throughfertility, pregnancy, and
postpartum with a faith-filledholistic approach.
(01:06):
I had the honor of meeting Sarahwhen she took my childbirth
education class during her ownpregnancy, and her story is such
a beautiful picture of God'sfaithfulness.
In today's conversation, we talkabout her health journey, her
miraculous birth story, and howshe's helping other women find
peace and clarity in their ownwellness journeys.
(01:27):
you'll be encouraged by herheart and reminded that God is
present even in the waiting.
Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Sarah Salain (01:35):
Thank you for having me, Natalie.
I'm so excited.
Natalie Portman (01:37):
I'm so excited too.
let's just get rolling.
Let's start from the beginning.
What was your journey like toactually becoming pregnant?
Sarah Salain (01:47):
Our journey was a little longer than expected.
We were dealing with a lot oflike hormonal issues, so it was
quite a trying process to behonest with you.
We were trying for a little overtwo years to conceive and so we
were just trying to figure itall out.
We got to the point where weactually reached out to an
(02:08):
infertility specialist.
That was like my very laststraw.
We're like, okay, we've beenwaiting for so long now, like
maybe we do need extra support.
That's what I do for a living ishelp women heal their hormones
and balance their hormones andbeat infertility.
So it was like a double-edgedsword because my clients were
getting pregnant following myprotocols and I was not.
(02:28):
Everyone around me all of ourfriends were getting pregnant
family members, everything.
And so And so of course it.
I was celebrating everyonearound us, but it was still
painful that we were goingthrough that silent battle.
We didn't really tell anyoneclose people to us knew that we
were struggling, but I don'tthink anyone really knew the
extent of how heavy it was onour heart.
(02:48):
And so I got to the placearound.
Actually, it was this time lastyear we actually found out that
we were pregnant, which is wild.
But around February last year,we got to like our tipping point
of what is happening and I wasfrustrated.
I was let down.
I was at the place where I wasstarting to see life being okay
(03:09):
without being a mom, I would sayit was, I was trying to come to
terms with it deep down was Ireally know.
But I was just trying to come toterms with the fact that maybe
this wasn't for us.
Like thinking about all thetrips that we could take and
let's go over to Europe andlet's do this and let's do that.
And just trying to imagine lifeif it were to just be me and my
(03:30):
husband and we decided to goseek.
Fertility specialist and we drewlabs.
We did the whole nine.
And.
Basically presented some optionsfor us, like procedures and
medication and this and that,and it just did not feel right
to me at all.
It just didn't feel aligned,which is probably why it took so
(03:50):
long to get there in the firstplace.
Honestly, it was just out of aform of desperation really.
And I honestly just wanted thelab work to see okay, am I
missing something?
What's going on here?
A few things did come back thatwere a little out of range and
it was just disheartening'causethey didn't wanna address those
before we like jumped intomedication or anything.
So it was really heavy on myheart.
(04:11):
I prayed about it a lot and Idecided, I had the tough
conversation with my husbandthis is not what I wanna do.
I really don't wanna do this.
And that was a really harddecision to make and verbalize
it too.
Because why wouldn't I, I wantedto be a mom so bad, why wouldn't
I, sign up, pay and do theprocedures and take the
(04:33):
medication and, that felt mychance to be a mom was like
wrapped up in a bow and here yougo.
You can have it this way.
And it just didn't feel right.
I cannot even explain.
It was just like this deepfeeling like on my heart when I
was praying about it.
Don't do it, don't do it, don'tdo it.
Just wait.
Be patient.
I have more for you is like allthe stuff that I kept hearing.
And around this time too, myhusband we were thinking about
(04:57):
moving and so we were like, thatwas up in the air.
An opportunity was presented tous.
We're like, do we take it?
Like what do we do?
And it's crazy, Natalie.
'cause we could not come to adecision like it was just like
so heavy on our heart and ourhousehold.
Like you could feel the energyof it.
What are we doing?
Are we gonna move?
Are we gonna move?
(05:17):
Are we gonna move?
He could not make a decision.
And literally at the last minutehe is I just feel like we need
to stay here.
I feel like we're supposed tostay here.
So we went to the fertilityspecialist in February and we
found out that we were pregnantin May.
So it was just very it wasshocking to find out I was
pregnant, but in that moment itreally felt like everything came
(05:39):
together.
Like the Lord was like, justwait.
I have something better for you.
I just, you just have to holdout on it.
And I could feel that so heavilyin our journey.
So yeah, it's.
It was a wild journey to getpregnant, honestly.
Natalie Portman (05:54):
Such a testament to the Lord's
faithfulness it's also justbeautiful to see your obedience
in that season, becauseobviously he did, he blessed you
guys with a baby how was yourpregnancy overall and how did
you prepare, emotionally,spiritually, and practically for
that?
Sarah Salain (06:12):
So I loved being pregnant.
It was probably honestly thebest that I've ever felt in my
entire life.
I enjoyed every moment of mypregnancy.
I really did.
Of course, there were some harddays, and the third trimester
really knocked me down a littlebit.
But really, truly loved.
Every second of it.
I don't know if that just camefrom a place of feeling so much
(06:35):
gratitude that I was able toexperience it and just shocked
at what my body could do on adaily basis.
But honestly, I really, I justloved it.
I felt so honored.
I felt like I get to do this,I'm honored that I get to do
this.
I get to grow this baby.
I get to nourish this baby.
I just.
(06:56):
I don't know.
I had so much gratitude that Iwas just living in this like
bubble.
I loved pregnancy.
I was so scared.
So I actually started talking onsocial media about it a little
bit.
I was so scared to be pregnantbecause I had heard so many
horror stories you're gonna feelterrible and you're gonna be the
sickest you've ever felt.
And it's terrible.
It's the worst nine months ofyour life.
You're gonna hate every secondof it.
(07:16):
And so I was petrified and whenI was experiencing it, I just
never felt that way.
I just.
Loved every second of it.
And so I did a lot of prep.
My husband and I both did a lotof prep on that.
Like infertility, struggling toget pregnant.
We revamped our entire home.
We got rid of toxins.
(07:36):
I revamped my entire nutrition.
He did too.
We were like in the best healththat we could be in.
And so I lived.
I would like to say I was livingan 80 20 rule, but I was living
like a 90 10.
'cause I really was desperate toget pregnant and I really wanted
my body to be in the best placepossible for that.
And I do think that contributedto a really good pregnancy.
(07:59):
As far as like spiritually, Ijust felt so overcome.
Like this whole journey hasreally, I feel brought me closer
to the Lord in a way.
Which is really weird.
Like I've always had a greatrelationship.
I feel like a personalrelationship with the Lord and
my faith, and I've always reliedon that, but it brings it to the
(08:22):
next level when.
Natalie Portman (08:23):
Oh.
Sarah Salain (08:25):
When you're pregnant and after childbirth,
like it just does something toyou internally.
And so I've just relied on that.
Like I relied on that on thehard days.
I relied on that on the reallygood days that he's here and
that this is a gift and I get toexperience that.
And she was perfectly madebecause of him, and that's just
(08:47):
an honor.
So that's how I prepared forthat season.
Natalie Portman (08:50):
I love that.
And then you also hired a doula.
Sarah Salain (08:53):
I did hire a doula.
That was the first thing I did.
I met Kahla.
I actually reached, so I postedon a mom's group.
That was the first thing I did.
As soon as I found out I waspregnant, I'm like, we need a
doula.
Because I knew nothing about I.
Childbirth.
I knew nothing about it.
I'm a nurse.
I've had rotations in labor anddelivery.
(09:14):
All I knew was I was petrifiedand I wanted someone with a
holistic approach.
I didn't even think I wanted todo an unmedicated birth.
I was just like, I just wantsomeone in the room with me to
support me.
Natalie Portman (09:25):
Yeah.
Sarah Salain (09:26):
on Mom's page and.
So many people had recommendedyou guys had recommended Kahla.
And so I clicked on the website.
There were hundreds of commentsfor doulas, hundreds, and when I
clicked on the website, I sawthat it was faith-based and easy
decision.
It just, I didn't even thinktwice about it.
I booked the call link orwhatever I had to do and I set
(09:49):
up a time to meet her.
I had met Kahla before we evenhad our first confirmation
ultrasound.
Natalie Portman (09:55):
Oh, I love that.
Sarah Salain (09:57):
So she was literally like the first person
that really knew that we werepregnant and then when we had
the confirmation it was justlike bam.
And so Kahla has literally beenwith us from the very beginning.
But yeah, that support I.
Within itself even especiallythat early on because of course
when you're trying for so long,there's a lot of fear and some
(10:18):
doubt creeps in.
Is this really gonna work forus?
Is this really our time?
And so having Kahla that earlyon was really nice too.
Natalie Portman (10:26):
Yes.
And for those who are not aware,Kahla Jurney and I, Sarah's
doula and I work together.
We're in a doula collective.
So yeah, we worked together.
And then Sarah, you took mychildbirth ed class as well.
So that's how I got to actuallymeet you in person was during
that class.
Sarah Salain (10:42):
Oh, I loved that class so much.
When people think, you thinkabout a childbirth class and
you're like, okay, I have to dothis, I should do this, and then
your husband's oh, do we have todo this?
But you just should do it.
I left that class in tearsbecause I felt so empowered and.
Has always scared me.
It's always scared me.
I've never really wanted to doit.
I'm like, if I could have thebaby but not actually physically
(11:03):
have the baby let's do that.
But when I left that class, I'mlike, gosh, I can do this.
I feel really empowered.
So I love that class.
And you offer that online nowtoo, right?
Natalie Portman (11:14):
I do.
Yeah, so I'm offering it online,and then if you're local, in
Jacksonville, then I do it stillin person as well.
But yeah.
Oh, I'm so glad that you feelthat way because that,
Sarah Salain (11:24):
Yeah.
Natalie Portman (11:25):
is my prayer, is that we would face this
season not with fear.
We would not make decisions outof fear, but we would walk in
faith and walk out this seasonjust knowing that it is not up
to us to make everything fallinto place, that he is the one
that's in control, that he isthe one that is planning and
(11:47):
establishing.
Everything that's taking place.
And, I know a little bit aboutyour birth story, but I can't
wait for you to get into thebirth story because I know there
was just like some reallyamazing, just like God things
that happened.
So let's just dive right intoyour birth story.
How far along were you when youactually went into labor?
Sarah Salain (12:06):
Okay.
Yeah.
This is actually the first timeI've talked about my birth.
In person, like live, like I'vehad conversations about it with
friends and stuff, but I'venever really talked about it and
I haven't talked about it onsocial media either.
Okay.
So back it up to, I think 20weeks at our anatomy scan, or
maybe even before that our girlywas growth restricted, so I had
(12:26):
some placenta complications andso we were going to get scans
every four weeks for her growth.
She was falling like a littlebehind on the charts, but
nothing serious.
I.
And all of our blood work cameback fine, so they weren't too
concerned.
But as we started getting to theend, she started dropping
percentiles quite a bit.
And I just had this feeling Ikept telling everyone for about
(12:49):
a month.
I'm like, so her due date wasthe 27th of January, and I just
had this feeling that she wascoming the 17th, 18th, or 19th.
I just.
I had wrote it in my littlejournal that I was journaling to
her my whole pregnancy.
I'm like, I just don't thinkthat it's happening on the 27th.
And so leading up to thatappointment at 37 weeks, we were
(13:10):
gonna do another scan to checkher.
And I just had this deepfeeling.
So I actually called anacupuncturist, and I said, Hey,
is there any way that we can dolike a crash course of
acupuncture to induce laborbefore my 37 weeks?
Because I really have a feelingthey're gonna induce me.
In three days.
(13:31):
And she's normally this is nothow fast we do this.
Let's just try it, give it a go.
So she was amazing.
She came to my home.
And basically we just wanted tomake sure that baby was
responding okay and doing itthings safely.
So we did the first session andNatalie, there was something
very spiritual that happenedduring that session.
I just, I don't know, it was.
(13:52):
It was like my last moments withher inside of me.
And I had this whole thing whereI was just not ready for it.
I was not ready to give birth.
I was not ready for it, to notbe just me and her anymore, like
just this protection over her.
I was not ready.
And so the acupuncturist came tomy home.
We did it at my bedroom, and itwas just so spiritual.
(14:15):
Like I had the worship musicplaying and I could just feel it
was my job as a mother to tellher like, okay, it's time to
come.
Everything's fine.
We're waiting for you.
You're safe.
And so we did two nights of thatand Labor had, kicked on just a
little bit.
And when I went in for my 37thweek appointment, of course she
had dropped her percentiles.
(14:36):
Her movement was decreased andthey were like, okay, you're
getting induced tonight.
You're having this baby tonight.
And so that went againsteverything that I wanted.
I did not wanna be induced,Natalie.
That was the last thing I everwanted, was to have pitocin.
I was terrified of that.
I just wanted a spontaneouslabor.
I wanted to trust the Lord'stiming.
(14:57):
So that kind of threw me for aloop.
Like I literally cried.
I had a breakdown as soon as shecame into the room and she's
you're having your baby today.
I was like, no, I don't wanna dothat.
So we went into the hospital tobe induced and honestly, I.
I wasn't fearful at all, and Ithought I was going to be, I
don't know what overcame me, butI just wasn't very fearful at
(15:19):
all.
I just walked in and I was like,we're doing this because we
don't have another choice.
But never in the process of thisentire situation did I feel
scared or fearful or anything.
I just had this reassurancelike, come over me, like
everything's gonna be okay.
And thankfully, with Kahla'sguidance and everything and the
practice that I was with, we dida really slow induction that
(15:42):
really, truly mimicked naturalchildbirth.
They attempted their hardest tomimic a natural childbirth.
And yeah, we started theinduction that night and then
around 5:00 AM they startedPitocin.
But I was like contracting andeverything was going and going,
but I was not feeling any pain.
And I'm like, surely this cannotbe.
(16:04):
What's going on here?
Like I had, I'm not feeling anypain, and so we decided to break
my water.
No one told me that was like azero to 100.
Natalie Portman (16:13):
Yeah, it is how quickly things change when that
water's broken.
For a lot of women it definitelycan.
Yeah.
Sarah Salain (16:22):
It was very insane to me.
Yeah, I didn't even have a full60 seconds to catch my breath
and I thought I'd have okay,five minutes.
Kahla was like, typically thingsspeed up pretty fast after this
I just did, was not prepared forhow fast.
And so we broke my water andthat's when things started to
get really intense.
Kahla went into just full workmode.
(16:43):
So my room was beautiful.
The lights were dim.
I don't think the lights wereever bright at all.
Actually they weren't the entiretime.
We had little twinkle lightseverywhere.
We had the birthing tub set up.
That's something I really wantedto do'cause I'm a water bug and
I love hot water.
So I knew I wanted to do that.
And we had worship musicplaying.
(17:03):
It was just this.
Serene environment.
How could it be in a hospitalroom?
I've never said that in my life.
I worked in the hospital.
It's always been like sterileand gross to me, but it was just
this crazy experience When mywater broke, we went straight
into the tub and I know a lot ofpeople say water is like
nature's epidural, but reallyand truly it was not that bad.
Natalie Portman (17:27):
Yeah, it's like you become so much lighter and
buoyant in the water and it justmelts some of that pressure.
It's incredible.
Sarah Salain (17:36):
it's incredible.
And I just floated there forabout two hours.
The worship music was going andthat was just, in my head and it
just felt like this hugepresence of the Lord was in the
room.
You could just feel it.
And.
Yeah, it was just the surrealexperience, truly, and I kept
telling myself, is it gonna getworse?
(17:57):
Is it gonna get worse because.
I just felt like verycomfortable and I felt very
confident in what I was doingand I really was just
surrendering to it.
I guess that's what I could say.
I was surrendering to theprocess.
There was surrendering to whatmy body was doing and what my
body was telling me to do, and Iwasn't fighting it.
I was just trying to breathethrough it and just lean into
how women are innately.
(18:18):
And yeah, it was just amazing.
I told Kahla, I'm like, I thinkI have to push.
I think I need to get out ofthis tub.
And it's crazy because like Isaid before, I didn't even know
when I had met Kahla or hired adoula or any of that if I wanted
to actually do a unmedicatedbirth.
It was just like this littlethought in my mind, like maybe
(18:38):
my husband's yeah, you should doit.
And even leaning up to the dayof, I still didn't know if I was
like, okay, maybe like maybe Ican do it.
But being in that room, it wasnever.
Never even a thought in my headlike, I need an epidural, or I
need pain medication, or I can'tdo this.
(18:59):
How never once crossed my mind.
It was just surreal.
I felt that I got to experienceall of that and feel all of it.
Yeah, so then we transferredover to the bed and we started
pushing and I guess the wholelabor process, of active labor
was only four hours, so I.
Natalie Portman (19:20):
Wow.
Sarah Salain (19:21):
Really quick process.
Once that water was broken, thatwas like the last thing that
just needed to happen.
She came pretty quick.
But when you're in it, dayscould have passed and I wouldn't
have known.
You're like in this light ofjust.
Natalie Portman (19:35):
I call it labor land and labor land.
There is no time.
uh, It's very hard to explain.
Sarah Salain (19:41):
Very hard.
I felt like at some points, andI'm pretty sure I told Kahla
this, that I'm like leaving mybody.
I think I'm leaving my body.
Like I just felt like it was ina whole different realm of
things.
Natalie Portman (19:55):
Well, you're literally Operating in a
different part of your brain,it, it does feel out of body.
Like I also, as you were saying,that like kind of got
transported back to whenever Iwas in my birth pool and like I,
I distinctly remember a timekind of felt out of body.
Like kind of see myself, but Icould obviously couldn't, but it
was, yeah, it's very intense.
(20:15):
Like you're just going into.
Like a very deep instinctualpart of yourself that you
probably rarely go to.
Sarah Salain (20:24):
I have never felt that way in that sense at all.
And not in a bad way, just.
Out of, I've never experiencedanything like that.
Intense is a good word to putit.
It was the most intense thingI've ever experienced in my
life.
In a very good way.
And I had all the supportivemeasures though, and that was
the amazing thing about having adoula, having Kahla, there was
(20:47):
my husband.
Was there with me, but I think Iwould've given into the fear if
it had just been the two of usin the hospital room.
Instead, I had Kahla there andshe was, keeping ice on my back,
had the fan in my face usingpeppermint oil, the tens unit
massage, down to the fact thatshe literally kept.
Putting chapstick on my lips'cause she knows that I didn't
(21:10):
wanna have dry lips.
Like all those little thingsmeant so much because I didn't
have to focus on anything else.
She had literally everythinghandled.
And I could hear her in thebackground of, telling my
husband, you're doing great.
Like you're doing everythingthat you can do for her.
And she was encouraging him.
He's like, I don't know if I'mdoing the right things.
(21:32):
I don't know if I'm saying theright things.
I don't know what I could do forher.
And so hearing her encourage himwas amazing too.
And then, when it got to thehard part of, I.
I don't know if I can do this.
Like I knew I could, but I'mlike, oh, this is getting a
little hard.
How much longer?
I remember saying to Kahlaspecifically, I'm like, this is
really painful.
And she's like, yeah, it ispainful.
(21:54):
And she validated how I felt inthat.
Experience and she reassured methat pain and the discomfort
that I was feeling was going tobe re bring me closer to my
baby.
And hearing those words were wasjust so encouraging.
It wasn't like, no, it's notthat much pain.
Or, yeah, it's painful now, butit's not gonna last forever.
It was very much real.
(22:15):
Yes, this is painful and you'reexperiencing this right now, and
that is valid and it's gonnabring you closer to your baby.
And I will never forget when shesaid that.
I'm
Natalie Portman (22:23):
Yep.
Pain with a Purpose.
Sarah Salain (22:25):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I remember the way she justintertwined everything and.
Just filled my birth experiencewith the Lord was unreal to me
and amazing.
To the point where, so we gotout of the tub and we were
pushing, I was pushing for quitea bit.
(22:45):
She was a little lopsided inthere.
I.
But I distinctly remember, likemy husband was behind me, and
he's like, if you have the babynow, it'll be at 8:18 PM and
eight 18 is my favorite Bibleverse, Romans eight 18.
And it's basically like for, Iconsider the current sufferings
(23:08):
to, at this present time arenot.
Compared to the glory to berevealed.
And I actually have that eight18 tattooed on my wrist right
before I went to see thefertility specialist.
I was just at the brink of it,and eight 18 was just on my
heart.
I'm like, I'm getting thistattooed for my baby.
It's carrying me through thisreally hard time.
(23:30):
And that's just something that Ialways relied on.
Like what you're going throughright now, it's gonna get
better.
Glory is gonna be revealed.
He is gonna reveal it to me.
It's not worth the sufferingright now.
Like it's going to turn aroundand I've relied on that verse
for a lot of things in my life.
But truly like our infertilityjourney is what really I relied
(23:51):
on.
And sure enough, she was born ateight 18,
Natalie Portman (23:55):
I have goosebumps over my whole body.
That is insane.
Sarah Salain (23:59):
Every time I think about it, I get goosebumps.
I still feel like I haven't cometo terms with it yet, but it
really was like the Lord sayingthis is what you waited for.
This perfect baby is what youwaited for, and I'm gonna show
you.
I'm gonna let you know.
Yeah, she was born January 17th,so she did not come on the 27th.
(24:21):
She came on the weekend.
I thought she was gonna come andJanuary 17th at 8:18 PM
Natalie Portman (24:26):
Love that so, so much.
How did the postpartum time go?
I mean, You're only, what, 15weeks postpartum right now, so
you're still very much in thethick of it.
But how how did those firstcouple days go with her?
Sarah Salain (24:40):
So yes, very much.
Still in the thick of it.
We're still a little bit in thetrenches.
Just as a first time mom, I'mlearning a lot.
There's a lot that I don't know,and yeah, they say.
A lot of it is innate and Ithink it is for sure, but it is
a huge adjustment to life.
So the first few days were alittle rough.
She actually ended up going intothe nicu, so our hospital stay
(25:01):
wasn't really like the typicalhospital stay, so we just didn't
get a lot of that.
Super amazing bonding time.
We did try to spend as much timein the NICU with her as
possible.
And then coming home was just alot of relaxing and recovering
and spending as much time withher as possible.
I remember like the only thingin my mind was take as many
(25:24):
videos as you can, and it was areally special time yeah, we
just all got to snuggle thistiny little baby and just come
to terms with the fact thatshe's here.
Natalie Portman (25:32):
Oh, I love that so much.
And then how how did you do,like recovery wise, did you feel
like it was.
Or tougher than you imagined itwould be.
Sarah Salain (25:43):
I'm not gonna lie to you.
I did not prepare forpostpartum, not one bit.
Not one bit.
I was so scared to give birththat I could not even get my
brain to the fact that I wasactually gonna leave the
hospital and experiencepostpartum and have a child,
like there was a block there.
Natalie Portman (26:04):
I feel you.
And, And I shared that in mystory with my second because I,
same thing, I just was like, I'mjust gonna get to this birth
and.
the things and then completelyneglected to really care for
myself for that postpartum time.
Preparing for, you know, thefact that I have another kid
that I also need to take care ofand all the things.
So I feel you there, and I'm adoula, so I should know this.
(26:27):
And we just have to cutourselves some slack on that
one.
Sarah Salain (26:30):
Yeah.
Yeah, I definitely did notprepare.
The recovery was a little bitmore rough than what I expected.
I anticipated having a naturalchildbirth, and I just really
anticipated it being an easyrecovery.
I.
Online.
You see so many people, threeweeks postpartum going on a mile
walk.
I was healthy before, I was veryactive, before I was healthy and
(26:52):
active my entire pregnancy.
So I was just shocked at therecovery.
But I would say around thateight week mark, I started
feeling like myself again.
Natalie Portman (26:59):
Well, And it's so fascinating because I feel
like, especially like highachievers, like you strike me as
a high achiever, but it's.
actually counterintuitive tothink to yourself.
I can't wait to see all thethings I can get back into or
try to get back to my quoteunquote normal self.
Those that type of mentalityends up biting you in the butt.
(27:23):
And I fell into that trapmyself.
I try to encourage mamas.
That a sign of success in thatpostpartum time is not all of
the things you're doing.
It's not bragging about the factthat you're going on walks
around the neighborhood, oneweek postpartum.
It's like, That's not the point.
It's a time to slow down, tosavor those moments, the times
(27:47):
with that little, littlenewborn.
Absolutely fly by take as manypictures and videos as you can
because that baby, that versionof your, of your child is very
quickly going to change, and ifyou rest, you will recover
faster.
It's just a fact.
Sarah Salain (28:06):
Yeah.
No, I appreciate that so muchbecause it's true when you say
that, just I think around like12 weeks, she really started
changing.
Just like now I look at her andshe's got this full personality
and she is rolling and.
Moving and has an opinion aboutstuff and I'm like, oh my gosh,
you're like a little toddler.
Like she's obviously not, butshe's not a newborn anymore and
(28:28):
those days are over.
So it does rapidly fly by forsure.
And I've struggled with that alot, as a business owner and
just.
Very type A driven likes to doeverything and likes to do it.
On my terms, it's been a lot tofind my new capacity is what I'm
(28:48):
saying, and it's been a lot ofsurrendering.
It's been a lot of days in mykitchen doing laps with worship,
music with my baby pressed to mychest, surrendering to it and
saying the laundry can pile upbecause I'm.
Doing what I need to do for thischild.
The work can wait because I amserving my child.
(29:10):
And so I've been trying veryhard to see postpartum and
motherhood as, and I think Imentioned this when I talked to
you before, like kingdom worklike
Natalie Portman (29:21):
Yes.
Sarah Salain (29:21):
this.
Is a ministry now, this is whatI do, my sole purpose is for my
child.
And so surrendering to that,although it sounds like so
beautiful and it is, it's veryhard.
Natalie Portman (29:35):
Yeah, well, because you don't get a time of
that hat off, taking off thatrole.
like once you have in your heartthe desire to have a baby from
that point on, you are tetheredto either that goal or that
dream of becoming a mom.
And then once they're conceivedand born.
(29:58):
Forever that is the role thatyou will have.
And it's not that theycompletely and utterly take over
your life for the rest of yourlife, but the Lord certainly
does call us to a season wherewill be much more give than take
and you're just discipleship ofthem begins immediately.
(30:19):
everything You are doing is too.
them up in the ways of the Lord,to know the Lord, to love him,
to hopefully serve him one day.
But it, begins from the verybeginning and that weight is so
much, but I think if we.
If we try to just skip ahead tolike the next season, we can
(30:39):
miss out on the fact that like,changing a diaper is kingdom
work.
Just like Jesus dressed himselfas a servant and washed his
disciples feet.
He made himself the lowest and,and said, and now I want you to
all do this too.
So as mamas, we are loving andserving just like Jesus did.
When we love and serve ourbabies,
Sarah Salain (31:01):
It's an honor to be able to do that.
Natalie Portman (31:03):
But it's also extremely draining.
And so kind of, you know whatKahla said about, you know
you're experiencing.
Yes.
This is hard.
So to validate that, but also tosay, but it's pain with a
purpose like that is themotherhood journey.
Like There is hardly anythingmore sanctifying than becoming a
mama.
(31:23):
I mean, Quite literally you gothrough the trial, whether
that's a vaginal delivery or acesarean delivery, you go
through the trial of growing,giving birth to that baby,
raising them, feeding them,changing them all, doing all the
things.
But yeah, it is, pain with apurpose for sure.
Sarah Salain (31:41):
so true.
There is so much of a miracleand it just continuously
happens, like it's just a Evergiving miracle.
And so it's amazing to see that.
Natalie Portman (31:53):
yeah.
No, for sure.
Well, I wanted kind of switchgears here.
Thank you so much for sharingyour birth story, but I wanted
to kind of talk about SimplySarah Healing.
What made you decide to startyour business, and how did you
know God was leading you toserve women in that way?
Sarah Salain (32:10):
Oh, that's such a good question, and that's a hard
loaded question too.
So I was a emergency departmentnurse.
That's where I started my careerduring the pandemic.
And so I started experiencing alot of my own hormonal issues.
Things were off infertility, allthose things.
I left the bedside to manage mystress because my end goal was
(32:33):
to be a mom and based off of myfertility and hormone labs, that
was not gonna happen under thestress I was under.
Or with the way I was feeling.
So my husband and I decided, themove for our family is to.
Find something more suitable forour future.
And so I left, went into afunctional med spa, and at that
time I was really strugglingwith my health.
(32:53):
I was really struggling with alot of things.
So I signed up to be a holisticnutritionist just solely to help
my body heal because I wasn'tgetting answers from any
providers.
And when I started seeing thechange in my body and leaning
into my hormones and what washappening, I'm like, oh my gosh,
like I have to.
I have to do this.
(33:13):
I have to help other women whoare also struggling.
I knew women were struggling.
They were coming to me at themed spa, all the time talking
about it.
It felt like time to make aswitch, and it was like
everything in my life wasfalling apart.
Like all the doors were justlike slamming shut and I was
like, this is my sign.
This is my sign because I'mdoing life my way and.
(33:35):
maybe this is him just closingall of these doors, like he was
slamming them shut in my face.
And so I just on a whim did it.
And I started Simply SarahHealing.
So I help women heal theirhormones overcome PCOS
infertility, fertility support,and I do it naturally with cycle
based nutrition and also justholistic nutrition, lifestyle
(33:58):
changes.
And it's wild because I alwayssay I never really publicly talk
about the things that I'm goingthrough until I come out on the
other side.
And so my business is reallywrapped up in that.
Like it served me to the pointwhere I knew that this is what I
had to do with one my career,but two, like my life, I feel
like this is my trajectory to mylife.
(34:20):
I feel like God gave me thecircumstances of struggling to
conceive a child and havinghormonal issues and going
through all of those strugglesand painful times.
I feel like he gave me thatbecause he knew that I wouldn't
lose myself in it.
I wouldn't just fall into that.
I would surrender to it and getthrough it and come out on the
other side, and I really, trulyfeel like I do what I do and I'm
(34:44):
good at it because.
I lived it.
I am that person that I workwith.
And so I feel like the Lordreally blessed me in that way,
although very painful times.
He knew that I would help otherwomen on the other side of it,
and I strongly believe in that.
Natalie Portman (35:01):
Yes, definitely.
you know, I feel like a lot ofwomen, they feel overwhelmed
when they start looking intolike holistic health and
nutrition.
But what would you say to awoman who wants to start taking
better care of her body but shedoesn't know where to start?
I.
Sarah Salain (35:17):
Community, for sure.
Community.
It can be so isolating, being amom or being a woman, being a
working woman, like whatever youare, whoever you are, whatever
you're going through, it can bevery isolating.
And so trying to work onyourself and work on your health
can also be isolating.
(35:38):
So find community.
I feel like the majority of theclients I work with.
They just need love.
They need compassion.
They need empathy.
They need support.
They don't have that.
I have a whole collective, theShe Rebalanced collective.
The whole point of that is toget women in community.
If you can't find it whereyou're at, then let's do it
virtually.
(35:58):
Just finding support, findingfriends, finding women who are
going through the same thingthat you're going through
because there is power in.
Struggling together andovercoming something.
I truly think that is ablessing.
Natalie Portman (36:11):
Absolutely.
I mean, It's why like we'recalled to a church, right?
doing the whole Christian thingis not a solo effort.
The church is the community ofbelievers.
And so yeah, I completelybelieve the kind of secret sauce
there is having other people tonot only just empathize with the
struggle, but also to encourageyou in the victories small and
(36:35):
big.
Well, Sarah, if somebody isdrawn to, working with you if
they kind of notice that they'rehaving issues, whether that's
fertility or they have beendiagnosed with PCOS or they're
resonating with your journey.
How could they start workingwith you?
What's one of the first stepsthat they could maybe connect
with you?
Sarah Salain (36:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
Everyone can find me at SimplySarah Healing That is my
Instagram.
I'm most active on Instagram.
My website'ssimplysarahhealing.com, and I
offer two things.
So I offer private one-on-onecoaching, which is you and I
work together to come up with aplan, whether it's.
Sustainable weight loss orhormone balancing PCOS or
(37:17):
infertility.
And then I offer my collective,which is she rebalanced, and
that is the group collectivewhere we meet once a week.
And you really get intocommunity.
You learn all about health,whether it's nutrition,
lifestyle, adjustments, andhormones.
It's very holistic based, mind,body, and soul.
It's a beautiful program.
So if you're looking forcommunity, that's the place to
(37:39):
be.
Natalie Portman (37:40):
That's awesome.
Well, thank you Sarah, so, somuch for coming on, sharing your
birth story, sharing yourwellness journey.
I know so many women are gonnabe encouraged by this.
I appreciate you so much.
Sarah Salain (37:53):
Thank you, Natalie.
I'm so excited.
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