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In this episode I'm joined by Maria Lilly, a Christian mom whose first birth experience completely transformed her life—leading her from a corporate accounting job to becoming a doula and Lamaze certified childbirth educator. Maria shares her powerful story of navigating a terrifying prenatal diagnosis, NICU stay, and ultimately discovering God's faithfulness in the most unexpected ways.

When Maria was told at 35 weeks that her baby was severely growth restricted with only a 25% chance of survival, all her carefully laid birth plans seemed to crumble. But through faith, preparation, and God's grace, she experienced a redemptive hospital birth that defied medical expectations—and later learned her daughter had Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare chromosomal condition.

Whether you're facing pregnancy complications, wrestling with fear about your birth, or simply need encouragement that God is present even in the hardest moments—Maria's testimony will remind you that He holds every detail of your story.

In this episode, we discuss: 

🌸 How thorough birth preparation served Maria even in a high-risk hospital induction 

💔 Processing the grief of an unexpected diagnosis while bonding with a NICU baby 

✝️ Finding comfort in Mary's story as a mother who also faced extraordinary challenges 

🙏 Why no birth experience is neutral and preparation matters more than you might think 

👶 How God used Josephine's diagnosis to birth Maria's calling to serve other mothers

Scripture Shared: 

"This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." – John 9:3

Mentioned in this episode: 

📱 Primal Pregnancy App: Maria's comprehensive birth preparation tool with labor guides, weekly pregnancy tips, and pain-reducing recipes 

✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library - Free birth prep tools, worship playlists & more

✝️ Online Christian Childbirth Education - Explore my complete birth preparation self-paced course

💛 Work with Me 1:1 - Personalized pregnancy and birth support that integrates faith and evidence-based care, including virtual coaching, doula support, and comprehensive childbirth education

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a pregnant friend who needs hope.

Let's keep choosing faith over fear, one birth story at a time. Go here for the full blog post, show notes, and all resources mentioned!

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