BONUS: Big News + Taking Some Rest Time

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In this special bonus episode, I'm sharing some big news with you—we're expecting our third baby! This surprise pregnancy has been both a tremendous blessing and a journey that's teaching me so much about rest, surrender, and where my true worth comes from.

This announcement comes during a challenging first trimester filled with nausea, exhaustion, and the physical demands of being a pregnant doula. After walking through unimaginable losses with friends and battling fear about this pregnancy, hearing our baby's strong heartbeat was such a gift of peace from the Lord.

But this episode isn't just about baby news—it's about the deeper lesson God is teaching me about stepping away from performance-based worth and trusting His provision. As someone who's prone to proving my value through what I do, the Lord keeps whispering "I will provide" when I start spiraling about how we'll manage three little ones.

Whether you're in a season where you need to slow down, wrestling with perfectionism, or simply needing a reminder that your worth isn't tied to your productivity—this episode is full of encouragement for your heart.

In this episode, I share: 

🤱 Our surprise pregnancy announcement and my honest struggles with first trimester symptoms 

🏥 Starting pelvic floor physical therapy early to get ahead of debilitating pelvic pain 

💭 How the enemy planted fears after witnessing friends' losses, and finding peace in the Lord

✝️ Learning to rest instead of perform, and trusting God's provision over my own efforts 

🏠 Our plans for another home birth with a completely different heart posture this time 

📻 Why I'm taking a 4-week podcast break to practice the rest and boundaries I preach

Scripture Shared: 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." – Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

Mentioned in this episode: 

✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library - Free birth prep tools, cervical ripening methods, worship playlists & more 

📱 "Not By My Strength" 30-day devotional - A faith-focused devotional designed specifically for pregnancy.

📚 Childbirth Education Course – Learn the stages of labor, comfort measures, and labor positions all with a faith-focus!

💛 Work with Me 1:1 - Personalized pregnancy and birth support that integrates faith and evidence-based care, including virtual coaching, doula support, and comprehensive childbirth education. 

📸 Follow me on Instagram @faitoverfearbirthdoula

📅 New episodes return September 9th, 2025 with a wild birth story from my very first doula client!

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs to hear that her worth isn't tied to her productivity.

Let's keep choosing faith over fear, one surrender at a time.

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Natalie Portman (00:00):
Hey there, mama.
Welcome back to Faith Over Fear,the Christian Pregnancy and
Birth podcast.
I'm so happy you're joining metoday.
Today's episode is actually aspecial bonus episode.
It's gonna be quite differentthan our normal flow because I
actually have a specialannouncement to share with you
and it's gonna impact just theflow of the podcast episodes

(00:22):
this next month.
So, here's the big news.
I am pregnant again.
We are expecting our third baby.
This little baby came as acomplete surprise to us and we
are just overjoyed that the Lordwould choose us again to be
parents.
But to be completely honest,when we first found out we were
pregnant.
I was like, oh my goodnessgracious.

(00:43):
I have so much on my platepersonally, professionally, and,
you know, being a pregnantdoula, doing like in-person
doula work.
It's a lot of physical load.
And so I have been feeling alittle bit overwhelmed.
But this past week we got to seethe baby on an ultrasound and
got to hear the baby'sheartbeat.

(01:03):
And that was such a blessing.
It really just made it all feelmore real that this was actually
happening.
And I've actually been walkingthrough some unimaginable losses
right now with some friends.
And so the enemy's been reallygetting into my head about this
pregnancy and planting a lot offear and doubt and worry and

(01:25):
just being able to hear thatstrong heartbeat was such a
gift.
But then, you know, it's alsojust been really reminding me to
trust the Lord in this season.
Just like I'm alwaysencouraging.
From all of you to have thatfaith over fear.
But yeah, so this firsttrimester has been a challenge.
I have been so tired and, youknow, basically nauseous all the

(01:49):
time.
And then on top of everythingelse, I sound a little weird
because Daniel gave me a coldbecause he loves to share my
little precious bubby.
And so yeah, my body is justlike really needing rest right
now.
And I think I've mentioned in mybirth stories on the podcast
before that, you know, pelvicpain has been a big challenge

(02:10):
for me in all of my pregnanciesand already starting to get some
of that pelvic pain even thisearly on.
And so I've started pelvicfloor, physical therapy, trying
to just get ahead of justfeeling so debilitated through
my pregnancies.
So if you wouldn't mind, bepraying for me.
Just'cause it's not fun.
I joke with Brian that it feelslike I get transported into like

(02:33):
a 90 year old's body.
I, you know, how would I knowthat?
But that's what it feels likewhere my body just hurts, like
all the time.
So it's funny because, you know,birth and pregnancy and all this
this is my professional likelife, and I'm always, you know,
around pregnant women, but Ipersonally have a hard time

(02:53):
really just loving beingpregnant.
That's, that probably soundsbad, but I would rather give
birth all day, every day.
Instead of being pregnant.
Because being pregnant is notfun for me, but it is still a
blessing.
Even then, even when it's hard,it's still a blessing.
So yeah.
So I will be taking a littlestep back for the next four

(03:14):
weeks and I'm going to releasethe next new episode on
September 9th.
So there's gonna be a little bitof a break there.
And you know, it hurts my heartto step away from recording this
podcast.
I absolutely love thiscommunity.
I love showing up weekly,serving you giving you
encouragement and tips andtricks and all the things.

(03:37):
But I really do feel like theLord's been challenging me to
really practice the rest andboundaries that I preach.
So, i'm just gonna put a pauseon this and allow my body to
rest, which is hard for mebecause.
I am definitely one of thosepeople that I am very prone to

(03:57):
going into like performancemode.
I want to prove myself, I wantto prove my self worth to
myself, to others, and even tothe Lord.
And if I'm being honest, it'sbecause I, deep down, have this
lie in my heart that my value istied to what I do, what I don't
do, and it's not healthy.

(04:18):
And I really feel like the Lordhas been trying and constantly
trying to root that out of me.
And so I feel like this is mewanting to step into a place of
obedience with the Lord oftaking a step back.
The world will absolutely keepgoing on.
You guys are not hanging on myevery word.
And you guys don't need me.
You need the Lord.
Just like I desperately need theLord.

(04:40):
And the Lord has really been sogracious to me from the moment I
found out I was pregnant andjust feeling like oh my
goodness.
Like how are we gonna do this?
You know, we have two kids.
Daniel right now is 17 months.
Ellie is four.
She starts VPK next week and I'mlike, Lord, I don't know how
this is gonna work out, but theLord just keeps telling me"I

(05:02):
will provide." And that has beensomething that I keep going back
to over and over in the season.
As soon as I start spiralinginto feeling like I don't know
how I am going to do this, theLord is so quick to remind me.
"I will provide." And so, Ilooked up some verses that I
felt would be just a beautifulencouragement if you also find

(05:23):
yourself in that season, if youfind yourself kind of bending
that way.
Feeling like everything dependson you.
So this comes from Ephesians2:8-9 and it says.
"For by grace, you have beensaved through faith, and this is
not your own doing.
It is the gift of God, not aresult of works so that no one

(05:44):
may boast." So, you know, oursalvation, our worth, our
identity, none of that comesfrom what we do.
It is all a grace gift.
And if you're listening to thisand you are in that season where
you maybe feel the Lord callingyou to slow down you know, your
body is needing rest or thecircumstances are just causing

(06:06):
you to have to slow down, sayyou're sick too, you know, like
that there's literally nothinglike your body saying you need
to slow down'cause it will makeyou like, you will get sick.
If you feel like the Lord iscalling you to just trust him
more deeply definitely listen tothat and allow yourself that
rest, and that it comes from aplace of resting in him that he

(06:27):
is enough that he will provideand you don't feel like you need
to have everything figured outto keep things going.
And, yeah, so, and then we'realso planning on doing another
home birth with this baby.
And you know, God willing thatbaby and I remain healthy to do
that.
But really.
I feel like the Lord has justbeen, again, really speaking to

(06:49):
me a lot through this pregnancybecause I've been in such a
desperate place and I reallyfeel like he is just wanting me
to change my heart posture.
I had a lot of anxiety withDaniel's home birth because I
felt like at any point me orDaniel would become high risk
and then we would risk out ofthe home birth.
But this time I feel like theLord is just like, Natalie,

(07:10):
don't make that your focus.
Don't make that the measure ofif you succeeded or not.
I really feel like he's callingme to just the goal of the
birth.
The goal of this wholeexperience and really of life is
that I would fall more in lovewith Jesus.
That.
The Lord would just show up andshow out.
He would show me his goodness,his glory, and that I would come

(07:32):
away from that experience lovingand trusting him more.
So that's really my prayer.
And maybe that's what the Lordis also inviting you to to just.
Lean into that.
You know, the goal is not tohave the birth go exactly the
way you want.
It's not to have a certainoutcome.
It's to come away from whateverexperience, whatever birth story

(07:52):
the Lord has written, and youcome away from it thinking,
Lord, I love you more, I trustyou more.
And those are gifts beyondanything, literally anything
else in the world.
So, I hope that encourages you.
But yeah, so some fresh episodeswill be coming out September
9th, and I can't wait to besharing with you what you know,

(08:15):
the Lord's been teaching meduring this time of rest.
And the episode that will dropat that point will be an episode
with my first doula client ever.
Her name is Nicki and she had awild birth experience and so
that will be a really fun one tohop into but yeah, check that
out.
And then in the meantime youknow, if you haven't caught up

(08:38):
on any of the episodes, I have15 right now that are out.
So catch up on that and I'llprobably share some episodes
that are most popular in themeantime, just so you can see
those on the feed.
And if you want to kind of keepup with me in how I'm doing see
some updates for this pregnancyjourney, you can follow me on
Instagram and that's@faithoverfearbirthdoula And

(09:02):
I'll share some, behind thescenes stuff while we're on this
little podcast break.
And then if you haven't yetdefinitely sign up for the
Christian Mama birth preplibrary.
There are so many free resourcesin there.
The cervical ripening methods,worship labor playlist discounts
on the childbirth education.
So yeah, if.
You're, if you're looking forfaith centered, Christ-centered

(09:25):
childbirth education, definitelycheck out the faith over your
online childbirth ed course thatI put out.
And I also have a 30 daydevotional.
If that's something that youwould like to just be able to
just refocus during this seasonand kind of get a sense of why
we're doing all this work.
So check out that as well.
And, you know, during theseason.

(09:47):
Being pregnant again myself.
I am super excited for all theways that I get to support you
and, you know, just all the waysthat the Lord is like bringing
things to my heart and mind toshare with you all.
And so if you are, evenconsidering birth support with
me, virtual birth support pleasereach out.
I would love to hear from you,even though I'm pregnant myself,

(10:08):
I would love to hear from youand hear how I can maybe help
support you.
But yeah, so thank you so muchfor sticking with me as I give
my little bonus episode,pregnancy announcement and some,
you know, stuff that's going onlogistically.
But, you know, you mean theworld to me, you tuning in and
listening and, just investing inyour pregnancy, that it is a way

(10:31):
of stewarding what the Lord hasgiven you.
The knowledge, theencouragement, the truth, which
we all need reminding.
I know I need to and so I'mexcited to be dropping some new
episodes next month, but in themeantime, I'm going to rest.
I'm going to enjoy this littlebreak as much as I can.
And just thinking of you,praying for you, But until then,

(10:54):
take care of yourself, mama.
You've got this because God'sgot you.
Bye-bye for now.