Made for This Birth

I am clergy in the United Methodist Church and I love this app! Pregnancy, labor, and birth are such sacred gifts and should get to be beautiful, safe, dignified and meaningful times in any woman’s life. We have been blessed with three girls, two sweet littles under three and another on the way. For each pregnancy I have used Mary Haseltine’s resources—her book, following her social media, and (for baby #2) her app! So much of labor and birth comes down to spiritual and emotional release and strength which simultaneously regulates the mind and body and reduces fear and pain. There is no better way to unite to God’s presence during labor and birth than prayer and this app will give you some tools not just to pray along with the app and the hundreds of other women who have used it, but it will give you tools to articulate your own needs and longings before the Lord. Even if you’re from a different theological tradition, with an open mind, in this app you will find a phenomenal resource for labor and birth filled with biblical wisdom and Spirit led encouragement. Plus, the creator is a mom of 7, a doula, and comes to this project with an excellent theological education so on all fronts she knows what she is talking about! Download this app! And, while you’re at it, get a copy of her book.

My first home birth was kept mostly secret from family/friends l and I went in very confident after doing so much research. Thanks be to God everything went smoothly. My second time around I felt so much anxiety. I felt like everyone knew I was birthing at home and it just made me uneasy. I was also busy with a toddler and had no real downtime to mentally prepare. I started reading Mary’s book and boy was it the answer to my prayers. It had so much good information. Then, I found out about the app. I had prodromal labor the 24 hours before my actual labor. I popped on my AirPods and listened to the prayers/affirmations in the app in between naps. Then came my labor, I breezed through early labor. As soon as active labor picked up, the Litany of Mother Saints began to play. I felt empowered, like each Saint I named was in the room with me. I started listening to the rosaries once I got into the pool. Transition started and I stalled in my labor pool at 8 cm. My midwife noticed some blood and we moved on to the bed. I started to worry, but kept praying with the rosaries playing in my ears. Within 7 minutes on the bed and three pushes my beautiful baby girl came earth side. She was 1.5 lbs heavier than my first and I had no tearing. It was a such smooth labor that I felt less mentally prepared for. I really believe it was all thanks to the prayers and affirmations in the app that kept me focused. This app is very different than the “Christian” focused programs I used in the past. This app and book focuses on the beauty of suffering. It’s hard to not feel pain or have a pain-free birth for me, but this program doesn’t embrace labor being pain-free, rather, it explains that labor is doable because God’s will be done. Mothers go on their own Calvary and what an honor and privilege that is. Thank you so much for this program 🙏🏼