I'm a mother of five and my first four babies were born in a hospital. We overall had great experiences with our hospital births: healthy mom and babies, great staff and no epidurals. However with each baby, I dreamed of what it would be like to have a home birth. At first our reasoning was simply the assurance and comfort of a hospital. Knowing you are right there at the hospital in case things go wrong was very reassuring when you have no idea what to expect with childbirth.

Then came #5! With our fourth child, we had a very hard labor and I was ready for a different approach of birth. From the beginning of the pregnancy, I heard the Holy Spirit encouraging my heart to go with a home birth this time. I felt so strongly that the Lord was saying He wanted to redeem all the hard that my birth story was with our fourth child. I was hesitate at first to mention it to my husband as he previously was not comfortable with the idea of home birth with the other babies. But to my surprise, he was more than happy to have a home birth this time around. Thus began our journey to finding Sarah.

As we met with Sarah, I loved the care and knowledge that she was giving to me and my baby. She was attentive to my physical, emotional and spiritual health. Our appointments were not rushed and I felt seen and heard through the whole pregnancy.

At 38 1/2 weeks, my water broke at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night. I told my husband and he asked "have you called Sarah?" to which I replied "not yet, we have time." I called her at midnight as my contractions were about 5 minutes apart to give her a heads up that I was in labor. We labored until 2am and by then I was having steady contractions a couple minutes apart. My husband again asked "Have you called Sarah to come?" to which I replied again, "not yet." I could see in his eyes that it was probably time to give her a call ha! So I called and when she arrived, we were 9cm. What a relief that was! We prayed together over this baby and delivery. Got the pool ready and starting pushing.

At 4:56am, Wilder Douglas arrived at a whopping 9 lbs 4oz, 21 in long. He was our biggest baby by 2lbs. He was so precious and we absolutely loved the peace that surrounded his birth. No bright hospital lights, no unnecessary cervical checks and I got to rest in my own bed. Our other four kids actually ended up being home asleep and awoke to a new sibling. What a gift! We are so thankful for Sarah and the gift she is to our family.

We wouldn't go back and trade our stories of the others' births, but home birth far exceeded our expectations and we're so thankful we followed God's voice to experience this.

There seems to be so many traumatic birth stories everywhere you turn. For me, I had seen my sister be induced early with her first, which resulted in a c-section from failure to progress. The doctor then scared her into C-Sections for her following babies. I so badly wanted to experience birth the way God designed. I also knew so many other stories like my sisters, proving medical interventions often result in a cesarean. At the time, my husband and I didn't know anyone that had gone through a midwife for the birth of their child. But out of fear and feeling "comfortable" at a hospital, we chose the OB route. My pregnancy with our first started pretty horribly in regards to sickness. I threw up anything I consumed so I spent 80% of my time in bed for a good four weeks. Fast forward to the end of my pregnancy- I gained 60 pounds, was getting a couple hours of sleep per night, and was in constant pain in my pelvic floor/hip/back area. At 41+ weeks, my water broke before any signs of labor. After laboring at home for a while, we headed to the hospital. It was 11pm on a Saturday and my doctor was not on call. After we made it through triage, the on-call doctor came in and without any introduction or hello, asked when my water broke. I told him around 5pm, and that I had discussed laboring at home until my contractions were consistent with my OB. His immediate response was "well that wasn't smart but you'll know for next time" and walked out. All I could focus on in that moment was to not cry. Up until that point, my contractions had been strong and consistently 3-4 minutes apart, but they stalled after that. By about 2am, he came back in to check for dilation. He informed me I was at a three and if I didn't start progressing we would have to do a C-Section. The exact phrase I had been preparing to avoid my entire pregnancy- or so I thought. I had never felt so discouraged in my life. The nurse came in and pretty much made pitocin seem like the only way out of a cesarean. I complied knowing pitocin makes unmedicated births way more agonizing. Hours later, contractions eventually got to the point where I couldn't handle them. I got an epidural by around 7am. Later that morning the doctor came back to check for dilation and I was at a 6, but he was not happy with that and told me I needed to prepare myself for a C-Section with no remorse. It felt like he had known from the very first check that he was going to do a C-Section and I was an inconvenience to him for trying to birth naturally. My nurses repositioned me many times throughout the next few hours and by the next cervical check I was fully dilated. Every aspect of my laboring had gone the opposite of how I wanted it to. I felt defeated by getting pitocin and an epidural; but when they told me I was fully dilated, I was certain I would at least have a vaginal birth. After a few pushes with the doctor, he immediately told me the baby wasn't moving and that we needed to do a C-Section. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to try to keep pushing, so he told me I could push for 4 hours and then they would take me to the OR. So I pushed that whole time with a nurse, my husband, and sister, until my OB eventually got there and had me push for him. He was much more comforting but told me the baby wasn't moving and we needed to go for a C-Section as soon as possible because his heart rate was declining. Neither doctor had an explanation as to why my baby wasn't moving. I didn't understand. Next thing I knew, they rolled me back and were transferring me to the operating table. I was so overwhelmed, shaking, cold, and trying my best not to throw up. While they were doing the cesarean, I started vomiting and coughing uncontrollably. The initial doctor yelled at me to "quit it". It felt like a nightmare. By this point I started to lose a lot of blood and had a hard time staying awake, I just remember them repeatedly telling me to keep my eyes open. I don't know how a normal cesarean goes, but mine was very rough. Praise the Lord, we eventually got to meet our baby boy. He was almost 10 pounds. My recovery period was traumatic and extremely painful, and I dealt with a lot of depression. It took me over a year to be able to think about having another baby, but I knew I wouldn't be doing the hospital route ever again.

Shortly after my birthing experience, my dear friend had an amazing labor and delivery with Sarah Unruh at Baby Blessings and Beyond. As soon as I got pregnant with our second, my husband and I decided we wanted to go meet with Sarah. At the first appointment, we spent over an hour going over my prior birthing experience and she answered all of our questions and assured all of our worries. I had been dealing with morning sickness again so she sent me home with supplements to help, along with suggesting what to eat and how to eat it. Both ended up helping me dramatically. Sarah addressed her worries about me having undiagnosed gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy due to my weight gain and my son's birth weight. So throughout my pregnancy she gave detailed suggestions of what I should be eating and by the start of the third trimester she had me really dial in on my diet. I ate mostly carnivore with some low sugar fruits and veggies along with the occasional splurge on holidays and family gatherings. She also had me taking supplements to prepare my body and baby for labor in hopes of delivering her early- unlike my first pregnancy. This entire pregnancy was polar opposite from my first. I only gained 25 pounds and felt great the majority of the time. I was also getting very restful sleep. By 37 weeks we did my first cervical check to make sure I was dilating. I had been having a lot of labor signs and felt like my body was really preparing for delivery. It was so exciting because I didn't get to experience that before. I was especially excited when Sarah told me I was 3cm dilated, but during the cervical check she discovered I have a flat pelvis. I had no idea. This would be the reason I couldn't deliver my 10 pound baby, especially while laying on my back. That was another wave of emotions for me, but Sarah was very reassuring. She explained how she would assist me during the pushing process by guiding the baby's head out to deliver her smoothly. I spent my entire pregnancy praying for a quick, smooth, and pain free labor/birth experience and this news seemed to wreck all of that. I was already having some anxiety with the thought of doing a v-bac, so I definitely felt overwhelmed. Before leaving Sarah's that day, she spoke Truth over me in Jesus' name and told me she and the other midwife would be praying specifically for these things; which brought me a lot of peace. I went home and continued praying! That week Sarah prepared me with all the things to naturally guide my body into labor. Due to my flat pelvis, size was crucial so we needed to get the baby out as soon as she was ready. On Friday evening I was dilated to a 4 and she did a membrane sweep to help progress things. Saturday morning I took caster oil and Sarah did another membrane sweep that afternoon. I was dilated to 6/7 by that point. This whole time my contractions were extremely mild. I didn't even feel a lot of them. My husband and I passed time that day by walking around Sarah's pond, going on a drive, and playing pool. We joked that it felt like a little vacation. By Saturday night I was dilated to a stretchy 8 and still was not experiencing strong contractions, so we went to bed to try and get some rest. The next morning I woke up and continued all the things like going on walks, and sitting on a birth ball. I was ready to get the baby out. Shortly after 2pm, Sarah broke my water. By around 3:30 active labor began! Contractions intensified and I got in the tub. I wanted a water birth with my first pregnancy, so the joy I felt finally getting to experience that while enduring strong contractions was so uplifting. They turned on my labor playlist, the lights were dim, and I was able to talk to Jesus and ask him to guide my sweet baby out. I remember praying in the hospital felt so uncomfortable. It felt like I was being judged and the doctor/nurses were just waiting for me to cave into a cesarean. At Sarah's, it felt like everyone was praying with me. By 4:59, I pushed my daughter out quickly and safely without needing Sarah's hand to guide her out. A perfectly healthy 6lb 11oz, 20in baby girl. God is so faithful and answered all of my prayers at that moment. I couldn't have asked for a more redeeming birth story, and I wish every other woman that has had a traumatic birth could experience this with their next. There aren't enough thank you's I could say to Sarah to express how thankful I am for her confidence, constant involvement, and prayers alongside of me.

I learned so much about prenatal health and my own body by going through Sarah for our second pregnancy instead of the doctors. One being the fact that I have a flat pelvis and will probably never be able to deliver a baby on my back. I also always wonder why nobody ever told me this information at the hospital when Sarah was able to tell me right away. Another is that even though you have one rough pregnancy, they don't all have to be that way. Through nutrition and monitoring certain levels, Sarah helped me feel the best I possibly could and maintain a small fetal size, avoiding that 10 pound baby. She told me the OB has you take the gestational diabetes test at 28 weeks gestation, when it usually doesn't appear until after 32 weeks. Hints why I probably had it undetected with my first. I am also so confident in v-bacs. I understand it might have to be something you need to experience before fully trusting your body can do it, but having a confident midwife is crucial in guiding that journey. Another major thing that is absolutely not talked about enough is poor diet affecting your amniotic sac. Your water should not break before labor begins and that was proof of my health not being where it should have been with my first. Contractions were a lot more painful at the very start of dilation because of it rupturing so early. My sac was extremely thick the second time around so it helped with pain tremendously. Sarah did so much in regards to preparing my body and baby for earlier delivery to prevent another 10 pound baby, which isn't an option in the medical world aside from medical induction. The list goes on and I reflect on my second birth story often; thanking Jesus for His provision and for fully equipping Sarah.

May 2026 - December 2026

As a first time mom, my experience with pregnancy and delivery was more amazing than I ever could have imagined. Miraculous honestly, and I couldn't have done it without Sarah.

My husband and I knew that we wanted to start a family soon after we got married. Once we found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to use a midwife and attempt a homebirth. I was connected to Sarah through a cousin who had delivered her first baby with Sarah the previous summer. I really had no idea what I was getting into, but never having seen an OBGYN, it felt natural to take a holistic approach from the beginning. After one consultation visit with Sarah my husband and I left knowing without a doubt she would be my midwife. Walking into Sarah's home that first time, it felt like we had known Sarah for years, the presence of the Lord was undeniable, and the comfort I felt was reassuring I was in the right place for this experience.

Prenatal appointments were the best and I genuinely looked forward to them. Not only did I look forward to hearing our son's heartbeat but to also get 1 hour of undivided attention from our provider. I knew at each appointment Sarah would meet our questions and concerns with thorough, calm, confident answers. Sarah is a wealth of knowledge and we walked away from each appointment learning something new and feeling more prepared for the arrival of our son.

Again, being a first time mom I had almost zero idea of what prenatal appointments would look and sound like, but after our experience with Sarah I can't imagine them any other way. In the comfort of her home birth suite, on a cozy couch with my husband, low and calming lighting, and having casual conversation. Each appointment was very low stress and I felt comfortable voicing concerns and questions knowing there would be no judgement. These appointments were an opportunity to get to know Sarah more, learn how to continue caring for myself in the best ways, and feel all the joy and happiness surrounding my pregnancy.

At our last prenatal appointment on Monday, December 22nd, I shared with Sarah I thought I had been having contractions the night before. When I shared my symptoms with her she suggested checking me before I left to give us both a better idea of if I was in the early stages of labor. Sure enough I was 4 centimeters dilated and 80% effaced! Sarah looked at me and said "You're having your baby, probably tonight!" With a mid January due date my husband and I were shocked to say the least. We had spent almost 9 months preparing for our son, so we thought, but all the emotions hit us at that moment. The most we could do was laugh! We couldn't believe this was really happening. Sarah did what was left of a membrane sweep and sent us home with directions to prepare our house for the birth of our son. My husband had more instructions than me as my job was to come home and attempt to get a good night's rest, to call Sarah if I thought I was having contractions in the night, and if we didn't call overnight she would come to our house Tuesday around lunch time.

Tuesday morning I woke up from a full night of rest. I spent the morning relaxing and patiently waiting to feel those same feelings from Sunday night that I had learned were contractions. When Sarah arrived I was resting on the couch and she asked how my contractions were feeling. I told her I had not felt contractions since Sunday evening. With that she put me to work to get labor progressing. I was now 6 centimeters dilated and began what would end up being 8 miles of walking over the next 24 hours. Yes, 8 miles.

For it being the end of December it was beautiful weather to be outside in nature being able to move freely as my body progressed with labor. As Sarah, Kristin and I were walking I was trying to tell them when I was having a contraction, but ultimately could not feel them and had no pain. This is where it becomes miraculous. Tuesday afternoon and into the evening the only way we knew if I was having contractions was if Sarah was checking me. Kristin was timing and they were about 2-3 minutes apart and I was up to 8 centimeters dilated. After I had walked about 5 miles throughout the day I decided it was time to change up my strategy. This is one of my most favorite parts of my home birth - I was able to move freely and as I wanted. I wasn't confined to a small room and had total control of how I wanted to labor. Other strategies I used were the excerise ball in the living room watching my favorite TV show, and rocking the peanut ball in the comfort of my bed. By dinner time we were coming to a stand still. I was still having consistent contractions, but could not tell when they were happening and was in no pain. There was discussion of breaking my water but we knew the Lord had a plan for me and we didn't want to interfere. It was starting to get late and we decided it would be best for Sarah and Kristin to stay the night because my husband and I would likely not know when to call them to come back due to no pain and not feeling contractions.

Wednesday morning, now Christmas Eve, I woke up feeling rested from sleeping again through the night. We all said a prayer in our kitchen asking the Lord for discernment over the situation. I was still not feeling my contractions, but was well rested and ready to have my baby in my arms. I am so grateful for homebirth where I was in the relaxed environment of my own home and not on a rushed time schedule. After breakfast I felt confident in breaking my water. I had 2 very restful nights in a row and was ready to try something different. Sarah and Kristin prepped my bed where she broke my water. We were blessed with another beautiful December day so back outside walking is what I chose to continue progressing labor. My husband decided to join us walking this day and after a while I felt the instinct that we were venturing too far from the house. Sarah asked if I was feeling contractions and still I wasn't, but something was telling me I needed to be closer to home. Back at the house I ate some lunch where I had the first contraction I could feel and not sit through. I remember Sarah tapping Kristin's leg so excited that I was finally able to feel something. I believe instincts were kicking in and I wanted to be alone. I went to our bathroom where I proceeded to get comfy and breathe through the first contractions I was feeling now at 10 centimeters dilated. Kristin came to check on me after a while and I asked her "how do I know when it's time to push?" She explained the feelings leading up to being ready to push, I said, "yup I have both" and she hustled to get Sarah up from her nap. How amazing that my provider was able to rest and recover through this as well! Sarah and Kristin started converting the bathroom into a birth space and filling up our tub. Over the next several hours I moved throughout the house in different laboring positions - on the toilet, in the tub, on the birth box, in my bed, and walking through the house.

After 4 hours of differing labor positions and minimal progression we attempted the Welchin. My only plan for this birth was to have the baby at home, but I was ready to throw in the towel and go to the hospital. My body was exhausted and I was losing the mental game at this point. I broke down to Sarah leaning on my husband as I could barely hold myself up crying asking what else we could do. She suggested we try for 1 more hour at home and then we could go to the hospital. I asked what would happen at the hospital and Sarah calmly walked me through what would likely happen, C-Section. The last thing I wanted was to have a C-Section, but I was willing to do whatever was necessary to deliver our son keeping us both safe. I finally had an end goal in mind and found the courage deep within myself to try at home for 1 more hour. Sarah, Kristin, and my husband gave me some space while I went back to the bathroom and continued pushing. I pushed 2 times alone in the bathroom and on the third contraction with my foot elevated on the tub, I watched my baby crown in the mirror. I was immediately overjoyed and shouting I could see his head. I had done it. The hard part was over and I was going to get my homebirth. While carefully listening to Sarah's instructions we got ready for our baby boy to make his appearance. With Kristin behind me on the birth box and my husband ready to catch our son, 2 more pushes and the first cries of our sweet boy filled the room. I leaned back into Kristin as my husband put our son on my chest saying "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus!" I had done it.

Birth is the most challenging and beautiful experience of my life. When the body is allowed to move freely and do what it knows to do without fear or pressure, miraculous things can happen.