Pregnancy often brings with what I like to think of as a wave of preparation; doctor visits, antenatal registrations at the hospital, shopping lists, and of course, the birth plan. Birth plan is deciding where you’d like to deliver, who you’d like by your side, what your preferences are for labor, pain relief, and immediate baby care. It gives you a sense of order and preparation, and that’s okay.
If you are like me, you have probably read tons of articles, asked other moms questions, maybe even watched videos. And that’s wonderful! Planning is good. God Himself is a planner. He is not the author of confusion.
But, here’s the truth: You can make plans, and you should. But hold them in open hands, knowing God sees the full picture, and He knows exactly what you need, even when it doesn’t match your script. That’s not a scary thing; it’s actually the most reassuring truth to hold onto in this season. If you truly see God as your Father and know He loves you, then you can release the pressure to have everything go your way.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Plan, But Release the Pressure
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21). That verse hits different when you’re in the labor room, things aren’t going according to your plan, and you realize you’re not in control. Even though you may feel this way, it doesn’t change the fact that God still is.
Whether it’s a vaginal birth, C-section, induced labor, home delivery, or an emergency detour, God doesn’t exit when the script changes. He is in the room. In every decision. In every contraction. In the voice of the nurse and the strength of your spouse or loved ones. In the moment your baby takes their first breath.
This is not a call to throw your hands in the air and say, “Well, God will handle it.”
No.
Plan.
Pray.
Prepare.
That’s wisdom. But there is greater wisdom in committing that plan to the Lord and trusting Him to walk you through it, even if the outcome looks different from you envisioned. But keep in mind that God is more committed to your peace than to your preferences.
Sometimes, His love looks like a detour that saves your life or your baby’s.
Sometimes, it’s not about what you expected, it’s about what you didn’t even know to pray for.
That’s why we trust Him.
C-SECTION IS NOT A BAD THING AND IT’S NOT A SIN O!: Hezekiah’s Poultice
When you trust God with your birth plan, you free yourself from the unbearable pressure of perfection. You shift your heart from “everything must go as planned” to “Lord, let everything go according to Your will.”
And in that shift, peace flows, regardless of how your baby comes.
I like how my husband puts it, he says medical help or interventions are in his opinion part of God’s structured system of healing for humanity. It’s like He gave man something tangible to place their faith in. And really, who gave the doctors and scientists the wisdom they use to bring healing? God did. I believe God is fully aware of every single medical help rendered. In fact, no one is healed outside His permission. He is the ultimate healer.
It’s like when the prophet gave King Hezekiah a poultice to place on his boil. Was it the poultice that healed him? No. When you read the full story in context, you’ll realize that the word of healing came from God through the prophet first, then the poultice followed. The physical application was just a channel, but the healing itself? That came from God. (Isaiah 38:4-5)
When My Own Plans Didn’t Go As Expected…
I thought I’d be strong in prayer during labor, singing, praying aloud, speaking scriptures😂. But when the moment came? I could barely speak. Just many “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, pleaseee”. All I could think of was how to survive the next wave of painful contraction.
Still, I wasn’t alone. I was carried by the prayers of others. Friends and family who didn’t even know I was in labor told me they suddenly felt burdened to pray in the night.
God sent help, even through people who weren’t in the room. He showed me again that it’s not about how put together you are in labor; it’s about being held by the One who formed you and your baby.
That’s what I want for you, to be able to say; “I planned. I prayed. I prepared. But most importantly, I trusted God.”
How To Surrender Your Birth Plan To God: Write the plan, but pray over it.
Invite God into every detail.
Don’t be sentimental when planning, be spiritual.
Seek God’s desire and plan accordingly.
Don’t make a choice simply because someone else did it that way.
I remember when I was pregnant with my first son, a friend called to check on me. In the course of our conversation, she began to tell me about another woman who had recently lost her baby and nearly lost her own life. In that moment, I thought to myself, “Why am I hearing this now? Do I even need to hear this at all?”
Still, I listened. As she continued, I asked what had happened. She explained that the woman was determined to give birth vaginally. I thought, Well, that’s not a bad thing in itself. But then she added something that shocked me:
It was her pastor who had insisted she must not have a C-section. Right there, I saw the real issue. The woman wasn’t operating by personal faith, she was following someone else’s instruction without her own conviction.
Honestly, in moments like this, you must know God for yourself. You must know what He is saying to you, not just what your pastor, mentor, or friend believes. God may lead different people differently, so your faith must be rooted in revelation, not replication.
Don’t create a birth plan just because someone else did it that way.
Don’t reject one option because someone told you it’s more “spiritual” to do the other.
What is God saying to you?
That’s the plan to run with.
Talk to your birth team (doctor, midwife, spouse) about your preferences, but be open to their wisdom and changes if needed.
Speak scripture over your birth experience. Let God’s Word keep your heart in faith and peace.
Let go of guilt or disappointment if things don’t go the way you imagined. God is still faithful.
At the end of the day, a healthy delivery is a miracle, whether it comes through your “dream” plan or through what feels like an emergency. God never makes mistakes.
