Coaching in The Way of the Hearthmother, as put forth by Lauren Hall
Prayer & Worship
This would include orienting your heart to the Lord first & being open to His journey for your birth; beginning every decision surrounding your birth with prayer
How this might apply to birth: start with prayer
Wait Upon the Lord
Listening to Him for an answer or a direction forward in any decision or situation; letting Him move first; preparing the way for Him to act
In birth: asking the Holy Spirit to guide your next questions, who to reach out to next, etc.
Get Curious
Ask good questions! Challenge assumptions from all angles - Why is my care provider saying or recommending x to me? Why might I be showing signs of x condition? What answers in physiology, research, and my own intuition can I find? What is the best way forward? Are there ways I need to reach out to be educated more on physiological birth, holistic pregnancy care, etc.?
In birth: Ask why is this happening? Does my body feel safe? What are conditions my body would need to feel safe again?
Engage the Body of Christ
If I don’t know about a certain topic, where or to whom can I look to for education? Where do I need more community support on my pregnancy & birth & postpartum journey?
In birth: do I have my support team with me: midwife, husband, doula, friend, etc.? Are those I do NOT want at my birth also out of the room?
Live as Designed
Am I living in alignment with how God designed the human body? Am I eating enough, sleeping well, nourishing my body, moving my body? Do I have a good community support system? Friends to share life with? A good & healthy relationship with my husband?
In birth: am I in a good position to labor & birth? have I tried different postures or comfort measures? are the lights low? can I move around freely? do I feel emotionally + physically + psychologically safe here & with these people?
Gentle Intervention
What are small external changes which I can add in to bring my body back into balance? Fascial maneuvers/perinatal massage, chiropractor, etc.
In birth: this could look like position changes, listening to baby, etc. Ask, is this intervention necessary? Waiting on God for an answer
Forceful Intervention
What are more drastic measures I need to take for my body to find balance? (Have I walked through all the steps & tried something in 3-6 before moving on to this point? why am I doing this? Is there a step I skipped or need to return to?)
In birth: For example, any type of induction
Invasive Intervention
Is this situation serious enough to warrant an invasive intervention?
In birth: This could include emergency C-section, forceps delivery, etc.
* keep in mind that some things which seem like harmless interventions such as cervical checks or continuous fetal monitoring may actually be unnecessary & produce more discomfort & anxiety for the mother