If you’ve ever felt like your pregnancy checklist was full of nursery paint colors and registry items, but strangely empty of anything about preparing your body, mind, and soul for labor itself — you’re not alone. In fact, the spiritual aspect of Catholic birth preparation is often overlooked. So many women move through pregnancy checking boxes at appointments without ever pausing to ask: what do I actually believe about birth, and how do I want to walk through it?
That’s exactly what I dug into with Mary Haseltine, founder of Made for This Birth and a Catholic Birth Doula. On this week’s episode of the Holistically Well Podcast, we uncover faith, fear and the female body in God’s design for birth. Mary is a birth doula, author, and mom of seven who has spent over a decade helping women approach pregnancy and birth from a holistic, faith-rooted perspective. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our conversation.
Birth Is a Rite of Passage, Not Just a Medical Event
Mary’s approach is rooted in the idea that our bodies are designed to tell a story, and that pregnancy and birth are two of the most powerful ways we’re invited to connect with God through our physical selves. Instead of treating birth as a biological event to simply get through, Mary encourages women to see it as something spiritual — a rite of passage that deserves the same intentionality we’d give any other major life transition.
That shift in mindset changes everything downstream: how you prepare, who you invite into the process, and how you move through labor itself. Catholic birth preparation suddenly takes on a whole new meaning!
Reframing Fear: What Do You Actually Believe About Birth?
One of the most powerful points Mary made is that every woman, whether she realizes it or not, is operating from some underlying belief about birth. Is it a normal, healthy, physiological process the body was designed for? Or is it an emergency waiting to happen? Those beliefs, often shaped by stories we’ve absorbed from family, friends, or media, quietly steer the decisions we make.
Mary’s invitation is to get curious about where those beliefs came from and to actively reframe the narrative: birth unfolds biologically as it was designed to, and modern medicine is a gift for when it’s truly needed, not the default lens through which we view the entire process.
Inviting God Into Every Decision, Not Just the Outcome
A recurring theme in our conversation was the difference between praying for a good outcome and actually inviting God into the decisions along the way. That might look like praying over your baby daily, having your husband bless your womb before bed, praying the rosary during pregnancy, or simply bringing your provider choice, birth setting, and intervention preferences into your prayer life instead of keeping them separate from your faith.
Mary also shared a beautiful practice worth trying: inviting your husband to place his hands on your belly and pray a short blessing over you and the baby. Small, consistent moments like this build a spiritual rhythm that carries into labor itself.
Building an Aligned Birth Team
We talked at length about how the people around you during pregnancy and birth shape the entire experience — and that starts well before labor day. Having a team of aligned providers makes all the difference in Catholic birth preparation, truly helping you feel aligned physically and spiritually.
Your Husband
Every couple’s dynamic is different. Some women want a hands-on cheerleader; others want a calm, steady, prayerful presence in the background. The key is having those conversations before labor, not during it, so he can show up in the way that actually supports you.
Your Doula
Whether you’re birthing at home, at a birth center, or in a hospital, a doula doesn’t replace your husband’s role — she enhances it, giving him confidence and giving you an advocate who knows the process inside and out.
Your Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist
This is where I come in. Pelvic floor PT during pregnancy isn’t just about preparing your body physically for labor and delivery — it’s part of building the kind of supportive, aligned care team Mary and I both believe every mama deserves. If you haven’t yet worked pelvic floor and orthopedic care into your pregnancy plan, this is your sign. Learn more about my pregnancy program here, or reach out to book a 1:1 pelvic floor and orthopedic PT visit if you want individualized, hands-on support as you prepare. As a Catholic provider myself, you will feel supported in all aspects of your health and birth prep.
Preparing Holistically: Body, Mind, and Spirit
Nourish and Move
Mary isn’t a fan of overly intense pregnancy fitness programs. Instead, she encourages real, whole-food nourishment and reasonable movement — daily walks, staying active in ways that fit your season of life, and working with a pelvic floor PT beforehand to prepare your body well.
Train Your Mind
So much of birth prep is mental. Mary talks about practicing acceptance of discomfort in everyday life as training for labor itself — sitting with what’s uncomfortable instead of fighting it, and surrounding yourself with people who speak truth and confidence into you during this vulnerable season.
Feed Your Spirit
Spiritual preparation ties it all together: staying open to how the Holy Spirit wants to move through this specific pregnancy and birth. If you want a simple place to start building your own nourishment and preparation rhythm, grab my free prenatal nourishment guide here.
A note on this episode: some of the practices, birth settings, and interventions discussed reflect our guest’s clinical and personal experience. This content is educational and not a substitute for personalized medical advice — always discuss your specific pregnancy, birth plan, and any interventions with your own provider.
A Simple Nightly Ritual That Builds Muscle Memory for Labor
I shared one of my own favorite habit-stacking routines from my fourth pregnancy: after a warm shower, I’d rub in body butter, move through gentle mobility and diaphragmatic breathing, and press play on a birth affirmations track — all in low lighting, winding down for the day. By the time labor came, my body already recognized those same positions and sounds as a cue to relax and open, rather than tense up.
That’s the power of preparing your body and mind together, well before your due date. If you’re in your second or third trimester and want a structured, step-by-step way to build that same kind of physical, mental, and spiritual readiness for labor and delivery, check out my Preparing for Birth: Third Trimester Plan — it’s designed to help you walk into your birth feeling prepared, not just hopeful.
Birth Stories: A Powerful Source of Encouragement
We closed our conversation talking about the power of hearing other women’s birth stories — for inspiration, for practical tips, and for the simple reassurance of, if she did it, I can too. Mary’s app features real birth stories and photos from other women in the Made for This Birth community, and you can find several birth stories, including my own, right on their blog. Read all about my peaceful home birth in the living room at 41 weeks of pregnancy…”big baby” and all! Linked here.
68 | Holistic Birth Prep: Faith, Fear & the Female Body with Mary Haseltine
This topic goes even deeper on the podcast. Whether you’re a listener, a reader, or a watcher — there’s a version of this conversation waiting for you. Tune in on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and if it resonates, a review helps more women find their way here.
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