A Doula’s Top 10 Tips for Birth and Postpartum
Did you know that what you experience in your lifetime can be imprinted in your genetics and even affect future generations? Science now shows that both men and women pass on changes to their children and grandchildren through epigenetics (NCBI). Babies are shaped in the womb by what their mothers eat, feel, and go through, which is why stress reduction and good nutrition are so important.
In the U.S., prenatal care usually begins only once a woman is pregnant. But wisdom tells us that tending to our health in every stage of life shapes the health of the next generation. As a holistic full spectrum doula and student midwife, I love walking with families who are seeking the “ancient paths” of preparing for birth and raising children in faith.
Motherhood and fatherhood are blessings from Abba Yah and the foundation we lay for the journey matters. My prayer is that these ten tips will strengthen you with faith, wisdom, and peace as you prepare for birth and postpartum.
1. Protect your joy.
Comparison is the thief of joy and a form of coveting. Your birth, postpartum, and parenting journey is your own. Social media makes it easy to measure yourself against others, but Abba has blessings for you in your own path. Gratitude helps us see them clearly.
Here are a few gratitude affirmations to ground yourself in as you pray.
- Thank You for the privilege of choosing me to be a mother to this child
- Thank You for blessing me with the opportunity to raise up this child in qodeshah (set-apartness/holiness)
- Thank You for the restoration of my body and womb through Messiah
Scripture for grounding
“You are the One who took me out of the womb. You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts.” Tehillim (Psalms) 22:9
Try this today: Write one gratitude statement on a card. Place it where you will see it each morning. Add one weekly during pregnancy, then bring the cards into your birth space to be read aloud or hung on the wall.
2. Seek counsel prayerfully.
“In the abundance of counsel there is safety.” Mishley (Proverbs) 11:14
Pregnancy and postpartum were never meant to be walked alone. In many cultures, women learned by watching sisters and mothers. Today, we must seek that wisdom intentionally. Women with strong social support experience better birth outcomes and lower rates of postpartum depression (Bedaso, A., Adams, J., Peng, W. et al)
Practical wisdom
- Speak with sisters who have walked this road
- Schedule a consultation with a doula, midwife, or lactation counselor who aligns with your values
- Ask Yah daily to direct you to the voices He wants you to hear
Try this today: Write down three women you can reach out to for prayer or practical guidance.
3. Prepare before the 3rd trimester (and ideally before pregnancy)
Traditionally, girls were taught about birth and childrearing from a young age. Today we must be intentional.
Preparation should begin before pregnancy if possible. These conversations belong in marriage counseling and family discipleship. Parents should teach their children to honor and steward their bodies. Celebrate the onset of menses in young girls. Teach boys the power of their seed and the responsibility it carries.
Practical wisdom
- Enroll in a childbirth or breastfeeding class rooted in natural and holistic practices. Here is a free YouTube childbirth education series to get you started
- Read one book that aligns with your birth values (check out my pregnancy & postpartum reading list)
- Discuss your vision with your husband and pray together for guidance
Try this today: Write down one area where you feel unprepared and one step toward learning about it.
4. Care for your body with strength and movement.
Birth is muscular work. Your uterus, pelvic floor, and ligaments are all muscles. A sitting lifestyle weakens them and increases the risk of tearing, prolapse, and long recovery. In cultures where women walk, squat, and carry daily, labor is often shorter and healing smoother (NCBI).
Practical wisdom
- Walk daily for at least 30 minutes to build stamina
- Practice squats to strengthen your birth muscles
- Learn stretches that ease pregnancy discomforts. Magnesium spray or baths help, as does supplementation. I personally buy from Modern Roots Life, a Torah observant & Messianic believing business rooted in whole food supplements
- Eat 75-100 grams of protein daily when pregnant or breastfeeding (American Pregnancy Association)
- See a pelvic floor therapist before birth to prepare for smoother recovery
Scripture for strength
“For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Tehillim 139)
Try this today: Start squatting! Involve your husband or loved ones and start a squatting challenge. Make it EASY. Just 5 squats today. Add another 5 next week, another 5 the week after that, and so on.
5. Invest in this season.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Too often families try to save by cutting support, but beloved, do not go cheap on this season. There is always a return on investing in health and peace. Get creative! Ask providers about payment plans, use BeHerVillage to crowdfund your birth team, or ask your community to support you with meals, cleaning, or funds instead of baby gifts.
In many cultures, communities blessed the mother with circles of prayer and care. Consider shifting the focus from baby showers to mother’s blessings that strengthen the parents.
Practical wisdom
- Host a prayer and blessing gathering instead of (or alongside) a baby shower
- Ask your community to contribute to your birth team fund
- Invite friends and family to prepare freezer meals together
Try this today: Write one creative way your community could support you, then ask for it.
6. Choose your birth team with intention.
Birth is a sacred space. Every person present influences your ability to feel safe, let go, and labor in peace. You have the right to choose your birth team and setting. In fact, women supported by doulas are more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births and lower rates of cesarean (Evidence Based Birth).
Practical wisdom
- Pray over who should be in your birth space
- Interview doulas, midwives, and providers who align with your values
- Do not ignore red flags or uneasiness with any provider or support person
- Husbands, learn about hormonal and emotional needs during birth and postpartum so you can cover your wife in peace and advocacy
Scripture for discernment
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Mishley (Proverbs) 15:22
Try this today: Write a short list of who you want in your birth space. Share it with your husband and pray for unity and discernment.
7. Train for the birth you desire
If you were running a marathon in 9 months, would you show up without training? Labor is no different. If you desire a natural birth, you must prepare your body and your mind.
Practical wisdom:
- Nourish with whole foods that build strength
- Practice breath work and positions that ease contractions (Lamaze)
- Study pain management rooted in prayer, scripture, and physiology
Scripture for endurance
“My being finds rest in Elohim alone. He alone is my rock and my deliverance.” Tehillim (Psalms) 62:1-2
Try this today: Practice slow breathing in a squat for one minute intervals. Recite a favorite scripture aloud as you breathe.
8. Be strengthened by testimonies
Mothers’ stories are medicine. Hearing the beauty, the hardship, and the redemption builds courage and reminds us of Yah’s faithfulness. In every culture, testimonies of birth were shared openly. Reclaim this practice by listening to sisters who have walked before you. Evidence even shows that hearing positive birth stories reduces anxiety in pregnancy (NCBI).
Practical wisdom
- Ask sisters in faith who had natural births to share their stories
- Journal their wisdom, struggles, and victories
- Share your own testimony when the time is right—it will bless another woman
Scripture for courage
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their witness.” (Hazon (Revelation) 12:11)
Try this today: Reach out to one mother you admire. Ask her to tell you her story over tea or a phone call.
9. Bring your fears into the light
Fear hides in the dark and grows heavier when ignored. Past trauma, uncertainty, and concerns about labor can all affect the process of birth. Do not hide them. The truth sets us free. Name your concerns. Pray over them. Share them with trusted support. Preparing for the unexpected is not unbelief, it is wisdom.
Husbands, cover your wives with prayer. Speak life over them when fears arise.
Practical wisdom
- Write down your fears and pray over them with your husband
- Share them with your birth team so they know how to cover you
- Make emergency plans with peace, not anxiety
- Husbands, speak life over your wives when fear arises
Scripture for peace
“For Elohim has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Try this today: Write down one fear you carry about birth or postpartum. Follow it with a truth from scripture or a practical step to address it. Release it to Yah in prayer.
10. Honor your postpartum season
“The first forty days shape the next forty years.” In Torah, postpartum has a set apart this time for women to rest and be restored. In many cultures globally, mothers are nourished with healing broths, warming foods, herbs, celebrations, and community care for weeks after birth. Yet in the U.S., women are often rushed back to “normal life” within weeks, despite full recovery taking at least 1 year post-birth.
Practical wisdom:
- Prepare freezer meals early and set up a meal train for your community to join
- Plan for nutrient-dense meals to sustain breastfeeding (La Leche League)
- Register for services like meal delivery, doula support, or house cleaning instead of only baby gifts
- Ask providers about income-based pricing or community-supported funds
- Consider mother and father blessing ceremonies instead of traditional baby showers
- If breastfeeding, consider having your husband be in charge of replenishing the feeding station. (Snacks, water, pads, nipple butter, etc.)
Scripture for restoration:
“My being, find rest in Elohim alone, Because my expectation is from Him…” Tehillim (Psalms) 62:5
Try this today: Write down one way your community can serve you in postpartum and ask for it.
Motherhood and fatherhood are assignments to be stewarded. Birth and postpartum are not just medical events but spiritual passages. When we walk them with wisdom, faith, and preparation, we make space for Abba’s design to unfold.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links (Amazon, Modern Roots Life). I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you. I only share products I personally use and recommend.
Written by Rachel Ramirez, the founder of Amana Birth. Amana is a Hebraic word, loosely translated as belief. Amana activates the daughters of Zion to navigate birth and postpartum in belief and with wisdom that blends Scripture, ancestral practices, and modern evidence. To connect with Rachel, visit www.amanabirth.com.
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Birth in Belief: 10 Steps to Prepare Your Body, Heart, and Mind for a Natural Birth the Creator Intended
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Wonderful! This is a wealth of info I wish I had access to in my personal child- bearing years!!