The VBAC Link
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- Último episodio
- 10 Nov 2026
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Here at The VBAC Link, our mission is to make birth after cesarean better by providing education, support, and a community of like-minded people. Welcome to our circle, we are so glad you are here!
Episodios 165
482 Prepping Your Pelvic Floor for VBAC | Krystle Howald (PT, DPT) from Expecting & Empowered
We are fangirling today, THE Krystle Howald from Expecting & Empowered is here!!Krystle Howald is a pelvic floor PT, co-founder of Expecting & Empowered, and 3x cesarean mom joining us to talk about preparing …
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We are fangirling today, THE Krystle Howald from Expecting & Empowered is here!!
Krystle Howald is a pelvic floor PT, co-founder of Expecting & Empowered, and 3x cesarean mom joining us to talk about preparing your body for a VBAC and supporting recovery after cesarean. Krystle shares her own birth stories, the barriers she faced while going for a VBAC, and what she wishes she had known along the way.
This episode is DENSE, touching on all things like:
- how cesarean scar mobilization is so much more than scar massage
- how her practice flipped 11 out of 12 breech babies last year
- how our core, pelvic floor, posture, and alignment work together
- movements to prepare for labor
- intentionality behind their prenatal and postpartum exercise programs
- how to choose a pelvic floor PT and what red flags to watch out for
- energy healing
- how to be supportive when a friend/family member has the birth you hoped for
- why VBAC is so beneficial
We hear over and over again how insanely impactful pelvic floor PT has been for our listeners. And while we can’t control every aspect of birth, tools like this really can make all the difference.
Code for 15% off Expecting and Empowered App: VBACLINK
Expecting and Empowered Provider Map
The C-section Mobilization Scar Episode
Krystal's First C-section Episode
Krystal’s Second and Third C-sections Episode
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Keywords: pelvic floor physical therapy, cesarean, scar mobilization, vbac prep, vbac benefits, breech
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands481 CBA2C + Ways to Protect Your Birth Experience When VBAC Plans Change | Courtney
How do you cope if you don’t get your VBAC? Courtney D’Avella, a 2x CBAC mom, birth doula, and kids’ yoga teacher, shares some incredible wisdom today on how to find understanding and healing when the VBAC you …
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How do you cope if you don’t get your VBAC?
Courtney D’Avella, a 2x CBAC mom, birth doula, and kids’ yoga teacher, shares some incredible wisdom today on how to find understanding and healing when the VBAC you were hoping for doesn’t happen.
Courtney’s first birth began with an induction at 41 weeks, a HELLP syndrome diagnosis, magnesium sulfate, and an emergency cesarean under general anesthesia. For her second birth, Courtney switched to midwifery care and prepared for a VBAC. After another induction at 41 weeks, she ultimately had a CBAC after a posterior baby, no contractions, and exhaustion. Her third pregnancy brought another preeclampsia diagnosis at 38 weeks and another CBAC.
Courtney shares the empowering and healing moments, right along with the really sad ones. We talk about the value of hiring a doula without expecting a guaranteed outcome, communicating with your birth team, and preparing birth preferences that reflect what matters most to you. Courtney shares why every VBAC plan should include a cesarean plan, how identifying your why can help soften the sadness of not having the birth outcome you hope for, and what it looks like to hold grief and gratitude simultaneously.
Courtney’s Birth Preferences Workbook PDF
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Keywords: VBAC, CBAC, CBA2C, HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia, posterior, doula, birth trauma, birth healing, informed consent, family-centered cesarean
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands480 Unmedicated Complete Breech VBAC with PROM | Hayley
“I searched high and low trying to find stories like mine while I was pregnant with this baby, feeling like the odds were insanely stacked against me not only trying for a breech birth but also a VBAC.”Hayley's …
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“I searched high and low trying to find stories like mine while I was pregnant with this baby, feeling like the odds were insanely stacked against me not only trying for a breech birth but also a VBAC.”
Hayley's first baby was breech, and she tried everything to turn her, including an ECV. She even transferred care at 39 weeks hoping for a vaginal breech birth, but ultimately had a cesarean after her supportive provider left on a preplanned vacation at 40+3.
With her second pregnancy, Hayley planned for a VBAC from the start. At 34 weeks, she found out this babe was also breech. She immediately reconnected with her first provider who was fully supportive of her VBAC. Labor started with PROM, and she spent the day waiting for contractions to pick up. Once they did, her baby was born after just 4.5 hours of active labor, unmedicated and breech! Hayley shares how important skilled providers, informed choices, and unwavering support are when navigating a breech VBAC.
Yes, breech VBAC IS possible!
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands479 Lily's Miscarriage & Ectopic Pregnancy Stories | Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month
Trigger Warning: miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and pregnancy lossInstead of our usual birth after cesarean story, this week, we are continuing to honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month by hearing our …
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Trigger Warning: miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and pregnancy loss
Instead of our usual birth after cesarean story, this week, we are continuing to honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month by hearing our very own co-host, Lily Wyn, share her experiences with pregnancy loss. Lily’s first pregnancy ended in an early miscarriage, and her second was an ectopic pregnancy that resulted in losing her baby and one of her fallopian tubes. Her two stories of loss were deeply influential in her VBAC journey and have helped shape her into the Lily that we know and love today.
You are invited to attend this “TMI class with Lily,” where she shares the physical and emotional details of pregnancy loss that no one really talks about, but that she wished someone had told her. We believe so much in the power of sharing so others don’t feel alone. If you are currently going through pregnancy or infant loss, or if you are preparing for a birth after a loss, we see you and send all of our love.
Episode 379 Lily's 66-Hour Waterbirth VBAC
Episode 342 CNM Paige Boran + Lily's VBAC Prep
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands478 Sarah's VBAC After Breast Cancer & Arrest of Descent Cesarean + Breast Cancer Awareness Month
“This VBAC was so redemptive for me because I felt like it was the first time my body did the things that it was designed to do without the intervention of medicine or doctors. I feel like it healed so many …
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“This VBAC was so redemptive for me because I felt like it was the first time my body did the things that it was designed to do without the intervention of medicine or doctors. I feel like it healed so many wounds in my soul.”
Sarah was diagnosed with hormone-positive breast cancer at 29, which involved treatment, fertility preservation, and wondering if her body would ever be able to do anything right. After 3 years of hormone suppression, she was cleared to try and get pregnant naturally. Sarah’s birth ended in a cesarean due to arrest of descent, which left her doubting my body again. 3.5 years later, her second baby was born through a redemptive, powerful, primal, and healing unmedicated VBAC!
National Breast Cancer Foundation
The VBAC Link Blog: Failure to Progress
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands477 VBAC After Infant Loss + Short Interval & 44-hr Labor + Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month | Rachel
“Our first daughter, Violet, was born at 30 weeks via C-section due to a variety of health complications. She died 12 days later in the NICU, and we love and miss her so much. We were not aware until after she …
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“Our first daughter, Violet, was born at 30 weeks via C-section due to a variety of health complications. She died 12 days later in the NICU, and we love and miss her so much. We were not aware until after she died that she had a fatal condition called triploidy, which was misdiagnosed as Dandy-Walker. 6.5 months later, through immense fear and grief, I became pregnant with our second daughter, Valerie, and I was lucky to find an amazing VBAC-friendly practice that believed in me despite the short interval between births. Valerie was born at 40+5 after 44.5 hours of labor, and her birth had my doula saying, ‘I’ve never seen this happen before!’
I hope my happy ending provides hope and inspiration to listeners, especially those who have experienced loss.”
Rachel’s story is packed with SO MUCH, including but not limited to infant loss, chromosomal abnormality, miracles, a 16.5-month interval between births, pregnancy after loss, hospital VBAC, long labor, doula support, and pivoting from unmedicated plans to an epidural and Pitocin as helpful tools.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is a tender time, and we feel passionately that listening to women tell their stories of loss helps us become kinder, softer, and stronger together. We honor Rachel, Valerie, and sweet Violet's memory today.
The VBAC Link Blog: What to Say After Miscarriage or Stillbirth
The VBAC Link Blog: Length Between Pregnancies
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands476 HBAC After PPROM + Circumvallate Placenta & Marginal Cord Insertion | Melle
Melle McPhee is a VBAC Link Certified Doula and mom of three girls. Her first birth was an 11-hour vaginal delivery at 39+6 with an epidural and episiotomy. After PPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes) …
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Melle McPhee is a VBAC Link Certified Doula and mom of three girls. Her first birth was an 11-hour vaginal delivery at 39+6 with an epidural and episiotomy. After PPROM (preterm premature rupture of membranes) at 36+5 with her second, Melle found out that her baby was footling breech and had an emergency cesarean. Melle struggled with feeling like her body had failed and feared another spontaneous preterm birth.
During her third pregnancy, Melle focused on supporting a full-term pregnancy, including daily collagen protein, exercise, and a nutrient-dense diet. At exactly 40 weeks, she went into spontaneous labor and had a 12-hour physiological home birth VBAC with a midwife. Her water didn’t break until five minutes before birth, and she had no tearing. Melle shares how she approached the recommendations surrounding VBAC, home birth, continuous monitoring, and cervical checks through informed consent and her own risk tolerance. Her biggest VBAC advice is to hire a doula and know that a previous spontaneous preterm birth does not mean your body is broken or that you can’t carry a future baby to term.
Keywords: VBAC, VBAC Doula, HBAC, home birth, PPROM, preterm birth, footling breech, breech prevention, midwife, circumvallate placenta, marginal cord insertion
The VBAC Link Blog: How to Find a VBAC-Supportive Provider
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands475 Induced VBAC at 41 Weeks + Vacuum Assist | Stephanie
“The deck was stacked against me: advanced maternal age, circumvallate placenta, marginal cord insertion, gestational diabetes, induced VBAC, delivery after 41 weeks, 4 hours of pushing, and vacuum assisted …
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“The deck was stacked against me: advanced maternal age, circumvallate placenta, marginal cord insertion, gestational diabetes, induced VBAC, delivery after 41 weeks, 4 hours of pushing, and vacuum assisted delivery.”
After 38 hours of labor, chorioamnionitis, and late decels, Stephanie’s rainbow baby boy was born by cesarean. His umbilical cord was only five inches long, her husband missed the birth after being forgotten outside the OR, and their son spent five days in the NICU.
For her VBAC, she tried all the things to go into labor naturally before being induced at 41+3 with low and slow Pitocin. With the support of a patient OB, doula, and her husband, she labored unmedicated and pushed for four hours before welcoming her daughter with the help of a vacuum. Even with a second-degree tear, postpartum hemorrhage, and a retained placenta, she says that her VBAC was much less traumatic than her cesarean.
The VBAC Link Blog: The Best VBAC Induction Methods
The VBAC Link Blog: Operative Vaginal Delivery
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands474 VBAC Waterbirth in Scotland | Mhairi
Joining us all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland is our friend, Mhairi. Her first birth in 2023 began with PROM (premature rupture of membranes) without regular contractions or cervical change. She was induced …
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Joining us all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland is our friend, Mhairi. Her first birth in 2023 began with PROM (premature rupture of membranes) without regular contractions or cervical change. She was induced, and after concerns came up for both Mhairi and her baby, the birth ended in an emergency cesarean.
For her second birth, Mhairi planned a waterbirth VBAC despite it being outside her hospital’s protocol. She spent her pregnancy researching her options and met several times with consultants and the head of the birth department. After going into spontaneous labor, she had one final meeting with a doctor while in active labor to discuss waterbirth. Mhairi went on to have her unmedicated VBAC waterbirth, and it was just the empowering experience she hoped it would be.
Keywords: VBAC, waterbirth VBAC, waterbirth, NHS, UK maternity care, emergency cesarean, induction, spontaneous labor, unmedicated birth, doula, midwifery care
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands473 T-incision Special Scar + 2VBACs | CNM & Founder of Lila Laborwear Caitlyn Schollmeier
Caitlyn is our ultimate IT girl. She’s a Certified Nurse Midwife, L&D nurse, doula, two-time VBAC mom of four, inventor of Lila Laborwear and the Lila TENS Unit, Air Force veteran, and was crowned the 2020 Mrs …
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Caitlyn is our ultimate IT girl. She’s a Certified Nurse Midwife, L&D nurse, doula, two-time VBAC mom of four, inventor of Lila Laborwear and the Lila TENS Unit, Air Force veteran, and was crowned the 2020 Mrs. United States while pregnant with her twins!
Caitlyn’s motherhood journey began with that surprise twin pregnancy, vasa previa, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) which led to a lengthy hospital stay and a cesarean birth with a T-incision.
During her second pregnancy, Caitlyn was strongly discouraged from going for a VBAC. But she knew the evidence, trusted her intuition, and went for it. Caitlyn’s labor was long and challenging, but ended in an empowering VBAC! She went on to have another VBAC with her third that was unexpectedly unmedicated, using her very own Lila TENS Unit as her only pain relief.
Caitlyn shares what she wishes she had known about vasa previa, including treatment options she learned about too late, and dives into pregnancy dating, induction, nipple stimulation, membrane sweeps, castor oil, labor coping, epidurals, unmedicated birth, and preparing for labor regardless of your pain-medication plan. She explains why medical interventions should be approached strategically rather than as all or nothing by asking yourself:
“Is this going to improve my chances of having the outcome that I want?”
When used thoughtfully and appropriately, sometimes interventions are just the thing that will get you there.
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands472 VBA2C + Leaving AMA During Labor | Darby
After a breech C-section in 2022 and an elective repeat in 2024, Darby switched providers to the “king of VBA2C doctors” at 34 weeks to go for a VBA2C. She hired the best VBAC doula in North Texas, did all the …
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After a breech C-section in 2022 and an elective repeat in 2024, Darby switched providers to the “king of VBA2C doctors” at 34 weeks to go for a VBA2C. She hired the best VBAC doula in North Texas, did all the things to prepare and educate herself, but at 40 weeks learned her supportive doctor would be out of town. At 40+5, she labored for nearly three days while facing anti-VBAC doctors, repeated pressure for a C-section, and “dead baby” fear-mongering. She ultimately left the hospital AMA, continued laboring close by with her husband and doula, then returned two days later.
Darby finally had a doctor from her supportive practice arrive during an overnight labor, and despite baby’s heart rate struggling with contractions, meconium, severe dehydration with ketones, four IVs due to rolling veins, an epidural, and 45 minutes of pushing resulting in a third-degree tear, she got her VBA2C and the perfect skin-to-skin moment she was dreaming of.
Darby’s message to you all is to know your rights, advocate for yourself, trust your intuition, and stay flexible.
About her resistance from doctors, she says, “It was the most intense and probably most medically traumatizing thing of my life, but the end was the most empowering thing ever.”
Women of Strength, the way you are treated in birth matters. Get educated, and don’t settle for any less than what you deserve!
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands471 Unmedicated VBAC After an ECV | Stephanie
Stephanie’s first two births were vaginal deliveries, her third was a peaceful, scheduled C-section after declining an ECV, and her fourth was an empowering VBAC with an ECV at 37 weeks. She is a doula …
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Stephanie’s first two births were vaginal deliveries, her third was a peaceful, scheduled C-section after declining an ECV, and her fourth was an empowering VBAC with an ECV at 37 weeks. She is a doula, prenatal/postpartum fitness specialist, and the founder of Mission Rise and Mission Motherhood.
We loved this piece of advice Stephanie sent us in her intake form:
“One thing I don’t think we talk about enough is that birth preparation should evolve with each pregnancy.
“For a first-time mom, that often means learning as much as you can so birth doesn’t simply happen to you—attending childbirth and breastfeeding classes, considering a doula, and preparing for postpartum (your bedside, having a meal train, etc.).
“For moms who’ve given birth before, preparation often means processing your previous birth before preparing for the next one.
“Every birth deserves to be treated as its own story, and each pregnancy offers a new opportunity to advocate for yourself, explore your options, and prepare with fresh eyes instead of assuming this birth will be just like the last.”
This episode was SO fun to record. We just basked in the beautiful way Stephanie talked about birth, advocacy, faith, and all of her practical tips. And another fun piece of her VBAC was that Stephanie and her sister were pregnant together and got to be each other’s doulas at their births, only 13 days apart!
Natural Hospital Birth, The Best of Both Worlds
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands470 Unmedicated Hospital VBAC After Placenta Previa | Blair
We know her and love her from jingles on all the socials with her husband, Steven. She documented her VBAC prep journey on the internet, and now Blair aka @6.lair is here sharing ALL details with The VBAC Link! …
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We know her and love her from jingles on all the socials with her husband, Steven. She documented her VBAC prep journey on the internet, and now Blair aka @6.lair is here sharing ALL details with The VBAC Link!
About Blair: She’s a 2x mom based in Michigan who had an unmedicated hospital VBAC in May 2026. As a pediatric ICU nurse herself, she’s a huge advocate for patient centered care, non-pharmacological pain interventions, and informed consent. Her first birth was a scheduled C-section due to placenta previa. Her VBAC was just under 24 hours with AROM, lots of movement, using the shower during contractions, pushing for 1hr and 40 min, the fetal ejection reflex, and no tearing.
You will walk away from her stories with such a deep understanding of the step-by-step process of unmedicated birth. From trying to induce spontaneous labor all the way to the nitty gritty of what recovery from a vaginal delivery feels like, Blair is a girl’s girl who REALLY wants you to know what to expect. It was hard, transition was scary, pushing wasn’t what she thought it would be, AND it was the most empowering thing she’s ever done.
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands469 Birthy Conversations We're Not Having + The Baby Chick® | Nina Spears
She’s the chick who helps moms and babies, the one and only Nina Spears, founder and CEO of The Baby Chick®, is hereeee! Nina is a certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator …
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She’s the chick who helps moms and babies, the one and only Nina Spears, founder and CEO of The Baby Chick®, is hereeee! Nina is a certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, newborn care specialist, infant massage instructor, and perinatal nutrition expert who has worked with more than 800 families in person, thousands virtually, and has supported over 350 births over the past 15 years.
She’s also the host of Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast and the author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, which just published June 2026. She says it’s, “essentially what I’ve been wanting my clients to have for the last 15 years”.
And what does it mean to have a positive pregnancy?
Nina says it’s all about feeling informed, supported, and empowered.
But, it’s also having conversations about the realities of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum that just aren’t happening…until this episode.
What we aren’t talking about enough that we take a deep dive into today:
- The invisible load of motherhood that starts DURING pregnancy
- Not just holding the baby, but also holding the mama
- Patrescence and the hormone shift of dads
- What actually helps women feel prepared and supported for a baby
- Why peace on earth begins with birth
- Villages are never free
- Deciding to VBAC and honing in on what YOU really want
- The pressures that VBAC moms carry
- Debunking the superiority of birth
Nina is an absolute joy! We promise this episode is SUCH a good one.
The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy: How to Prepare Your Mind, Body, and Partner
The Baby Chick on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands468 Home Birth Transfer Hospital VBAC + Cancer Diagnosis | Hannah
Hannah's first labor began at 40 weeks, the day after a membrane sweep. She opted for an epidural but due to fetal tachycardia, had an unplanned cesarean. It was a lonely and confusing postpartum not coping …
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Hannah's first labor began at 40 weeks, the day after a membrane sweep. She opted for an epidural but due to fetal tachycardia, had an unplanned cesarean. It was a lonely and confusing postpartum not coping well with the emotional trauma of that birth.
Hannah prepared for a VBAC and planned a home birth with a midwife hoping for a different experience. She felt peaceful about transferring to the hospital when labor stalled at 9cm. She talks about what made that transfer feel empowering, including the sweetest affirmations from her cute husband.
She also shares about her baby girl’s diagnosis with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) at just 7 weeks old and how walking through a rare childhood illness (quite literally 1 in a million!) changed her perspective on birth, motherhood, and life's hardest seasons.
Hannah was a TVL podcast listener herself long before she had her own VBAC. We hope you can find the same inspiration and love that Lily, Paige, and Hannah did when prepping for their own births!
To Lily, she said, “The way that you and Paige honor women’s birth stories is just so beautiful. It’s such a powerful service you provide. It was so inspirational and hopeful, and I still listen every week.”
Our birth stories are meant to be held and shared communally. And this is why we are here.
Keywords: VBAC, planned HBAC, hospital transfer, cesarean birth, tachycardia, membrane sweep, epidural, PPA, birth trauma, husband, birth advocacy, Histiocytosis, infant cancer
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands467 Two VBA4Cs in South Korea! | Ali Craft's 7 Births
One of Paige’s dearest friends and fellow doula in South Korea, Ali Craft, joins the pod today sharing her incredibly inspiring (and hilariously narrated!) seven birth stories, including four cesareans and …
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One of Paige’s dearest friends and fellow doula in South Korea, Ali Craft, joins the pod today sharing her incredibly inspiring (and hilariously narrated!) seven birth stories, including four cesareans and three vaginal births. Ali was able to advocate for not only a VBA2C in Korea, where it is extremely uncommon for hospitals to offer VBAC support, but she also had TWO VBA4Cs.
Ali’s stories remind us that every.birth.is.different. From long labors to short ones, planned cesareans to unplanned CBACs, induction, epidural, spontaneous labor, and so much more in between, we know you will take away so much inspiration from her stories.
“I love supporting moms now because in labor when they’re dying, I can say, I KNOW. When it’s taking forever, I KNOW. When they end up with the C-section they didn’t really want, I know.”
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands466 LIVE VBAC Q&A | Paige & Lily + TVL Co-Founders Meagan & Julie
For the first time EVER, all four of The VBAC Link hosts are together in one episode! Founders and original pod hosts Julie Francom and Meagan Heaton join current hosts Lily Wyn and Paige Lloyd to answer your …
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For the first time EVER, all four of The VBAC Link hosts are together in one episode! Founders and original pod hosts Julie Francom and Meagan Heaton join current hosts Lily Wyn and Paige Lloyd to answer your live VBAC questions. With more than 15 years of combined doula experience and hundreds of births attended, this episode is jam-packed with wisdom, evidence-based birthy tips, and so much love for our listeners who have been with us all of these years.
Topics include:
- How to decide between a VBAC and repeat cesarean
- Preventing PROM and chorioamnionitis
- 39-week induction recommendation early in pregnancy
- Engaging baby's head before labor
- How to trust your intuition
- Coping with fear
- Tips on practical birth prep
The Birth Narrative Doula Services
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands465 Nurse Practitioner’s Precipitous Birth Center VBAC | Alex
Today we sit down with Alex, a nurse practitioner and mama of two, who shares her journey from a scheduled breech cesarean to a fast, spontaneous VBAC at a birth center. After two unsuccessful ECV attempts …
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Today we sit down with Alex, a nurse practitioner and mama of two, who shares her journey from a scheduled breech cesarean to a fast, spontaneous VBAC at a birth center. After two unsuccessful ECV attempts, Alex planned for a cesarean with her first baby. Along the way, she also experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage before welcoming her daughter. Alex opens up about navigating conflicting medical opinions (including being told by an MFM that her baby would die– not okay!!) and how her and her medical doctor husband’s views on out-of-hospital birth evolved over time.
Alex also shares why practicing for labor could only take her so far before surrender became the greatest lesson, the importance of surrounding yourself with more than just a supportive provider, and how having an encouraging birth team made all the difference. Alex especially talks about how her VBAC-certified doula was an invaluable part of that team.
We also discuss some of the evidence behind using ultrasounds to measure scar thickness as a predictor of a VBAC outcome or uterine rupture, and why ACOG does NOT recommend it.
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands464 LONG Pregnancies + LONG Labors | Lily & Paige
Today’s episode is a deep dive with just Paige and Lily all about LONG pregnancies and LONG labors. Are due dates expiration dates? Is it okay to go past 41 weeks with VBAC? How do you stay sane and steady when …
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Today’s episode is a deep dive with just Paige and Lily all about LONG pregnancies and LONG labors. Are due dates expiration dates? Is it okay to go past 41 weeks with VBAC? How do you stay sane and steady when you are more than readyyyy for labor to start?
And when it does and things take much, much longer than you hoped, (you’re in good company because Lily knows all about this with her 66-hour VBAC) we’ve got you. How do you overcome a labor stall? How to reset on the morning of another full day of labor? When is it time to reassess?
Lily and Paige share a peek into their doula brains with lots of tips, research, and stories as two gals who love birth and want you to know that you are stronger than you ever thought. 🙌
2013 PubMed Study - Length of Pregnancies
2001 PubMed Article - Estimating the Normal Duration of Human Pregnancies
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands463 L&D Nurse's VBAC + Velamentous Cord Inserstion | Casey
Casey is a L&D nurse who had both of her babies at the same hospital where she works. Her first birth was an unexpected C-section, but thankfully not traumatic.. Casey brings up how working as a nurse can …
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Casey is a L&D nurse who had both of her babies at the same hospital where she works. Her first birth was an unexpected C-section, but thankfully not traumatic.. Casey brings up how working as a nurse can sometimes make birth harder from seeing the tough stuff, but how that can also actually be really helpful when things don’t go to plan too.
Casey knew she wanted a VBAC, but she didn’t expect anger to show up the way it did during her pregnancy. She fielded a lot of insensitive comments at work but was able to tune out the noise and tune in to her spirituality and faith to keep her grounded.
She was supposed to work L&D the night her baby was born! But instead of helping other moms welcome their babies, her nurse friends were there cheering for her. Casey’s surprise gender VBAC was sweet, sacred, and empowering!
We know you'll love Casey's beautiful personality as much as we do.
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands462 Induced VBAC with Dilapan Rods & 10lb Baby | Willa
Willa joins the pod from San Francisco, CA to share her journey from a 41+5 spontaneous 30-hour labor with OP positioning and a cesarean with her 9lb, 6oz first baby to a VBAC with her 10lb, 3oz second baby …
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Willa joins the pod from San Francisco, CA to share her journey from a 41+5 spontaneous 30-hour labor with OP positioning and a cesarean with her 9lb, 6oz first baby to a VBAC with her 10lb, 3oz second baby. She talks about switching providers, using Dilapan rods for cervical ripening, being induced at 41 weeks, and navigating another OP baby.
Willa shares the lessons she learned about preparing emotionally for birth, the nuances of birth language, trusting that each birth can be different, and surrounding yourself with people who will be your biggest VBAC champions. And stay until the end to hear the most beautiful poem about her VBAC journey!
EBB Birth: Pros and Cons of Foley and Dilapan-S® for Induction
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands461 VBA2C After HELLP Syndrome + Scar Extension | Yazmine
After an emergency cesarean at 29 weeks due to HELLP syndrome with an ICU stay for herself and a 2-month NICU stay for her baby, Yazmine was told she would never have a vaginal birth. She was also given mixed …
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After an emergency cesarean at 29 weeks due to HELLP syndrome with an ICU stay for herself and a 2-month NICU stay for her baby, Yazmine was told she would never have a vaginal birth. She was also given mixed information about the type of uterine scar that she had. But with lots of diet changes and medication, Yazmine didn’t have preeclampsia or HELLP the second time around. She chose a repeat cesarean following her doctor’s strong recommendation.
During her third pregnancy, Yazmine educated herself on VBA2C, found a supportive provider through another TVL mama on the podcast, and continued with the same lifestyle changes as before. She had PROM at 38+6, labored for 40 hours with a Foley bulb, Pitocin, and got an epidural before having her beautiful VBA2C at 39+1. Yazmine had no tearing and the amazing recovery she was hoping for!
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands460 Type 1 Diabetes VBAC + Shoulder Dystocia | Alexis
Alexis is a Type 1 diabetic mom of three boys from Nevada. Her first birth was a 37-week induction due to her diabetes that ended in a vaginal delivery. For her second birth, Alexis was told she needed a …
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Alexis is a Type 1 diabetic mom of three boys from Nevada. Her first birth was a 37-week induction due to her diabetes that ended in a vaginal delivery. For her second birth, Alexis was told she needed a cesarean because her baby was expected to be "massive," but after birth, he was perfectly average-sized. In the OR, her providers admitted their prediction was wrong, and Alexis was devastated. Alexis was determined more than ever to educate herself and advocate hard for her next birth.
During her third pregnancy, Alexis navigated polyhydramnios, multiple provider changes, and concerns about possible fetal heart abnormalities that ultimately turned out to be no issue after birth. But even with these challenges, still advocated and achieved her unmedicated VBAC. Her labor ended with a shoulder dystocia with her baby having a broken arm, but with a smooth recovery. Alexis shares how TVL, research, informed decision-making, educating her support team, and using the B.R.A.I.N. acronym helped her throughout her pregnancy and birth journey.
Note from Alexis: “There was never a real explanation as to why they suspected he had ARSA, the increased velocity, or the small hole in utero. And as a tip for anyone in labor, honey is considered a clear liquid, and the cheap honey bears at Walmart are great during labor! I took swigs off of it during labor for energy and to keep my blood sugar up. The midwife came to check on me at one point mid-swig and said that was the first time she had seen that in her 25 years. I couldn’t find honey sticks locally for a reasonable price, but I could find local honey bears.”
Keywords: VBAC, Type 1 diabetes, juvenile diabetes, induction, 37-week induction, scheduled cesarean, suspected macrosomia, big baby, polyhydramnios, unmedicated VBAC, shoulder dystocia, broken humerus, birth injury, fetal heart concerns, ARSA, informed consent, B.R.A.I.N., VBAC prep
Natural Birth for Type 1 Diabetics Facebook Group
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands459 Induced VBAC with Epidural + Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy | Allison's (PT, DPT)
Allison Parker is a pelvic floor physical therapist and mom of two from South Carolina, joining us today to share her journey to an induced VBAC after a cesarean for breech presentation. She talks about …
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Allison Parker is a pelvic floor physical therapist and mom of two from South Carolina, joining us today to share her journey to an induced VBAC after a cesarean for breech presentation. She talks about navigating a failed ECV, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum preeclampsia, and her tough second pregnancy which ultimately led to an induction at 37 weeks due to preeclampsia. Allison tells us what helped her feel prepared, including finding a supportive provider, hiring a doula, hearing other women’s stories on The VBAC Link (!), and learning to pivot when things had to change.
As both a VBAC mom and pelvic floor PT, Allison also shares practical advice for preparing for birth and recovering postpartum. We discuss perineal massage, C-section scar massage, open glottis pushing vs. when to use closed glottis pushing, pelvic floor recovery, healing after a 3rd degree tear, and why the mental and emotional preparation are just as important as the physical.
Keywords: VBAC, induced VBAC, breech, ECV, preeclampsia, postpartum preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, pelvic floor physical therapy, 3rd degree tear, pelvic floor recovery, vaginal recovery, C-section recovery, scar massage, perineal massage, epidural VBAC, supportive provider, doula
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands458 Hospital Water Birth VBAC After Traumatic Vaginal Births & Peaceful Cesarean + Prenatal Depression | Celia
Celia is a mom of four, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and a passionate advocate for evidence-based communication in birth. In this episode, she shares her four very different birth experiences: a 36-hour …
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Celia is a mom of four, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and a passionate advocate for evidence-based communication in birth. In this episode, she shares her four very different birth experiences: a 36-hour induction ending in a forceps delivery and severe tear, another induction that turned precipitous, a breech Cesarean that felt calm and healing, and ultimately a hospital water birth VBAC at a hospital that DIDN’T allow water births! Celia opens up about prenatal depression, birth trauma, knowing your worth, switching providers, and the reality that both cesareans and vaginal births can be traumatic, and both can also be healing.
Celia also sheds light on the power dynamics with navigating military maternity care as an enlisted service member treated by officers within the system. She talks about healing from an abusive relationship, how she opened her heart to love and trust again, and the unique challenges that come with a blended family. We encourage all Women of Strength to give grace to the younger versions of yourself just as Celia so beautifully exemplifies!
Keywords: VBAC, hospital water birth, birth trauma, military maternity care, MTF, active duty VBAC, switching providers, forceps delivery, breech cesarean, advocacy, prenatal depression, precipitous labor, healing, hospital policies
Postpartum Support International Provider Directory
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsEpisode 457 Birth Trauma Therapist Ashley Ward, LPCC + Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Maternal Health Awareness Month, and at The VBAC Link, we deeply believe that maternal health is so much more than physical well being. We recognize the complexity of every birth experience, and for …
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May is Maternal Health Awareness Month, and at The VBAC Link, we deeply believe that maternal health is so much more than physical well being. We recognize the complexity of every birth experience, and for those struggling, we send our love, solidarity, and support.
In this HIGHLY anticipated episode, Lily and Paige sit down with birth trauma therapist Ashley Ward, LPCC about what trauma is, the many different ways it can present itself, and where to find healing. They talk about the culture of “ranking” birth stories and normalize the experience of feeling icky about a birth story, even if everything seemed perfect on paper.
Ashley also shares her personal experiences with birth trauma in her most traumatic birth that appeared to be picture-perfect at a birth center. Her perspective gives both clinical insight and validation for experiences that are often minimized or misunderstood.
Ashley believes that sharing birth stories matters, and they deserve a witness. In a world where shame can become the loudest voice in the room and birth conversations can split into divisive binaries, she aims to bring nuance, compassion, and dignity-informed care into the perinatal space. Birth does not happen in a vacuum, and Ashley beautifully reminds us that every birth is part of a larger story, one that existed before labor began and continues long after delivery.
Topics include:
- What a panic attack can feel like
- The definition of trauma
- Birth trauma vs. medical trauma
- Ranking birth stories as “better” or “worse”
- Feeling unsettled by your birth story
- Radical acceptance
- Grieving things you may never experience
- Body acceptance
- Postpartum mental health
- Birth story processing
- Shame
- Finding joy
- Signs that you need professional help
Keywords: birth trauma, healing, postpartum, VBAC, CBAC, birth after cesarean, cesarean, C-section, mental health, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, panic attacks, radical acceptance, birth story processing, motherhood, trauma-informed care, postpartum therapist, birth center, induction, maternal mental health, perinatal therapy
Postpartum Support International Provider Directory
Needed Website: Code VBAC for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsEpisode 456 L&D Nurse Jen Hamilton + VBAC Vibes
We are honored to have THE Jen Hamilton join us on the pod today! Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse, viral TikTok creator with over 6 million followers, and author of Birth Vibes: Stories and …
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We are honored to have THE Jen Hamilton join us on the pod today! Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse, viral TikTok creator with over 6 million followers, and author of Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth (May 2026), a warm, clinically grounded guide to navigating childbirth with confidence and calm. She is the founder of Hot Mess Express, a nonprofit offering judgment-free house cleaning and organizing for women in need, and a passionate advocate for dismantling systemic racism and misogyny in obstetrical and gynecological care.
A 2026 President's Award recipient from the American Nurses Association and a frequent presence in outlets including CNN, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post, Jen has become one of the most recognizable voices in modern nursing through her signature blend of clinical expertise, frank humor, and deep empathy. She is funny, kind, generous, gracious, and quickly becoming a household name!
In today’s episode, Jen sits down with Lily and Paige to chat all about creating the best vibes for your birth. They do a deep dive into VBAC, and ask questions that came directly from you all. This is an episode you DO NOT want to miss.
Today’s topics include:
- Using interventions as tools
- Why a provider may be the factor if someone will have a VBAC or not
- Dirty secret of OB
- How Jen feels about doulas
- How to ask for a new nurse
- Debriefing your birth
- Preparing for a different birth experience
- Expectations around coping techniques
- Giving yourself grace
- Baton race of coping analogy
- Funny and memorable stories in L&D
- Unique VBAC circumstances
- Failure to progress
- How she would improve cesareans and humanize the experience
Keywords: Jen Hamilton, labor and delivery, L&D nurse, OBGYN, cesarean, vbac, birth after cesarean, cbac, doula, birth vibes, epidural, failure to progress, tolac, vbac consent, hospital vbac
Email [email protected] for Jen's free Closure Vibes Debrief Questionnaire.
Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth
Jen's Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack, Website
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsEpisode 455 Tatiana Returns + HBA2C aka HOTEL Birth After Two Cesareans
Tatiana is back with her second VBA2C story!! She first joined us on Episode 107 in 2020 where she dove into all the details around her first two C-sections and her first VBA2C. It was a planned HBAC turned …
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Tatiana is back with her second VBA2C story!! She first joined us on Episode 107 in 2020 where she dove into all the details around her first two C-sections and her first VBA2C. It was a planned HBAC turned hospital delivery with a supportive OB, but her heart still craved the home birth experience. In this episode, she returns with a full-circle update on the birth of her fourth sweet boy.
Her fourth birth was the HBA2C she was hoping for, aka a hotel birth after two cesareans with a midwife she deeply trusted. If you’re scratching your head wondering about these logistics, don’t worry! Tatiana shares it ALL.
We dive into a critical conversation around access. Many providers and hospitals still restrict VBA2C, and it is especially difficult to find support for an out-of-hospital VBA2C. Tatiana shares why expanding midwifery care matters, how pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy can support better outcomes, and why finding a provider you trust (no matter the distance) can make all the difference.
Keywords: VBAC, VBA2C, HBA2C, hotel birth, out-of-hospital birth, cesarean, prior vaginal birth, VBAC after two cesareans, birth access, midwifery care, pelvic floor therapy, provider support, informed consent
NYT Article on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
The VBAC Link Blog: The 5 Most Common Reasons for C-section
The VBAC Link Blog: How to Navigate VBAC Hospital Policies
Needed Website: Code VBAC for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsEpisode 454 Certified Nurse Midwife Paige Boran + All About Fetal Monitoring
We are closing out our Cesarean Awareness Month series on the most common reasons for C-sections with a deep dive into all things fetal monitoring! CNM Paige Boran, who attended Lily’s VBAC and who we deeply …
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We are closing out our Cesarean Awareness Month series on the most common reasons for C-sections with a deep dive into all things fetal monitoring! CNM Paige Boran, who attended Lily’s VBAC and who we deeply love and trust, answers every question you can imagine. This is definitely an episode you will want to save and listen back to often!
Midwife Paige talks about:
- The history of continuous fetal monitoring
- The differences between continuous, internal, and internal monitoring
- Bradycardia and tachycardia readings
- CFM and VBAC
- When she recommends having CFM
- How to advocate informed consent and declination
- Early, variable, and late decelerations
- Head compression and cord compression
- When fetal heart tracings become concerning & what empowered conversations look like
- Ways to help resolve decels
- Placental insufficiency
- All signs of uterine rupture
- How to make the decision of going for a C-section or continuing to labor
- Evidence on continuous fetal monitoring
And more!! We are so grateful for providers like Midwife Paige who we have seen in action and are willing to take the time to help educate our community. For those who question if they made the right call to have a cesarean or continue to labor due to fetal heart readings, we send you love. It is so tough!
Fetal heart tones are so nuanced. We hope that with this episode, you feel empowered with more knowledge to find a team that gives you the support and individualized care you deserve.
Evidence Based Birth®: Evidence on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
NYT Article on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
The VBAC Link Blog: The 5 Most Common Reasons for C-section
The VBAC Link Blog: How to Navigate VBAC Hospital Policies
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsEpisode 453 Catherine's HBAC, CBAC, & Surprise Breech VBA2C in the OR
We’re so excited to bring you another episode in our Cesarean Awareness Month series! This one was highly requested in our VBAC Link Facebook Community and we can’t wait for you to hear Catherine’s stories …
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We’re so excited to bring you another episode in our Cesarean Awareness Month series! This one was highly requested in our VBAC Link Facebook Community and we can’t wait for you to hear Catherine’s stories. Today’s topic is all about BREECH, one of the most common reasons for cesareans.
Catherine, a mom of four with a bicornuate uterus, shares her four births: a scheduled breech cesarean, a precipitous head-down HBAC, a breech CBAC, and a planned breech HBA2C that ended in a hospital transfer for a CBA2C but with a surprise breech VBA2C on the OR table!
Catherine opens up about how communication can shape a birth experience just as much as the outcome, and how even intended healing experiences can have traumatic pieces to them. She shares her passion for informed breech birth, patient advocacy, consent, midwifery care, and navigating both in-hospital and out-of-hospitalbirth settings, along with the importance of emotional processing and support.
Her message is a strong reminder not to settle, Women of Strength! When you understand your options, trust your body, and advocate for the care you deserve, you can move through birth feeling informed and empowered, even when things don’t go as planned.
The VBAC Link Blog: The 5 Most Common Reasons for C-section
The VBAC Link Blog: ECV and VBAC
Needed Website: Code VBAC for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Aquí están los 40 episodios más recientes de 165. Los anteriores están en el feed del podcast.
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