The VBAC Link

We are bringing back the VBAC dads!! In this rebroadcast, Julie and Meagan interview 5 VBAC dads who share their tips, fears, and highlights of the VBAC journey. Each dad answers these questions: - What do you wish you knew before VBAC and what are you glad you did know? - Did you have any fears for your partner and what helped you overcome them? - Did you have a doula and would you recommend one?...

After a peaceful, scheduled Cesarean for breech presentation, Erika knew she wanted a VBAC—even before becoming pregnant again.  When red flags appeared with her original provider, she switched to a supportive OB who stayed steady even when Erika had doubts.  Erika prepared deeply with The VBAC Link Podcast episodes, blogs, pelvic floor PT, chiropractic care, and a skilled doula. Her healing VBAC...

Felicia grew up with a profound trust in the power of VBAC— her mom was a midwife and had a beautiful home birth after four Cesareans! So when Felicia’s first birth ended in a Cesarean, there was no doubt in her mind that she would pursue a VBAC next time. She educated herself, built a strong support system, obsessed over all things VBAC, and went into her second pregnancy with clarity and confide...

Christy shares her whirlwind VBAC story after two vaginal births and a Cesarean. After testing GBS positive, Christy made the intentional decision to deliver at a hospital she deeply trusted, even though it was 1.5 hours from home. But when labor kicked in fast and hard, she barely made it in time. Her birth progressed so quickly that while she ultimately had the birth she hoped for, she still nee...

In today’s episode, Anne Marie shares her intuitive, unmedicated VBAC journey. From building a trusting relationship with her supportive OBGYN to finding peace with all possible birth outcomes, her story is a powerful reminder of the strength that comes from informed decision-making and listening to our bodies!. Anne Marie takes us through her experience of moving freely during labor, naturally fi...

Vanessa was born and raised in Brazil, a country with sky-high cesarean rates. Moving to the US inspired her to pursue her doula career, even before she became pregnant herself.  Vanessa’s own birth experiences were very different. Her first birth was a Cesarean after a birth center transfer. While it was medically necessary, it was very unexpected and traumatic. After a lot of processing and birt...

We are so excited to have Nicole Vandermeyen with Subtle Healing Health on the podcast today! Nicole shares how her history of childhood leukemia and awful first pregnancy and birth experience solidified her commitment to holistic health. Through subtle changes in nutrition and influence healing, her overall health improved drastically, and she now helps other women do the same!  As a holistic hea...

We are so happy to have Julie Sawaya back with us on The VBAC Link Podcast today!  Julie is the co-founder of Needed, a mama, and a lifelong nutrition nerd. As the most nutritionally aware of their friends, Julie and her co-founder Ryan were shocked to realize through nutrient testing that they were severely deficient in key nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy. They dug into the research and...

Like the literal hurricane she labored through, Nicole’s story is one of overcoming life’s storms, giving grace, and finding joy.  Nicole’s first birth was a C-section to best protect her daughter who had a low heart rate due to multiple congenital heart defects. But unfortunately after three precious years, her daughter passed.  Nicole worked hard to find healing from so much layered emotional an...

Lauren joins us today from New Jersey sharing her wild ride (literally!) to a VBAC!  Lauren’s first birth was a spontaneous labor ending in a crash Cesarean under general anesthesia at 39 weeks due to fetal distress. Though she was complete and tried pushing, baby was still high and showing that he needed to be born right away. She prepared diligently for a VBAC by listening to multiple VBAC Link...

”This VBAC has changed who I am as a woman.”  Proactive preparation matters in birth!! While we don’t want to obsess about it in an unhealthy way, prep work can make a huge difference in your birth experience.  Chelsea is an amazing example of how that prep pays off.  After a very long, exhausting 40+hr labor and Cesarean birth, Chelsea knew she needed a different experience the next time around. ...

Andrea joins us in the podcast today from Kansas City! She is a mom of two and a pediatric oncology nurse. Andrea shares how her experience as a nurse impacted both of her very different births.  After her traumatic Cesarean, Andrea knew how critically important it would be to find healing inside and out before giving birth again.  Andrea sought EMDR therapy from a therapist who specialized in bir...

Trish Ware is the Labor Nurse Mama! As a high-risk labor and delivery nurse for 16 years and mom of 7, she has helped deliver thousands of babies and seen it all.  Trish founded The Birth Experience to help empower women through birth education. Her true passion lies in teaching families how to make informed choices.  You will NOT want to miss this bold episode. Trish and Meagan do not hold back a...

We are celebrating a HUGE milestone over here:  400 episodes of The VBAC Link Podcast!  Beginning as a phonecall in Target from Julie Francom to Meagan Heaton in 2018, The VBAC Link Podcast now has over 1.3 million episode downloads, guests from all over the world, a management and production team, parent and doula education courses, a thriving social media platform, and a legacy of stories from Y...

Katelyn is a mother of three beautiful daughters with three entirely different birth stories. Her first birth was a Cesarean after three forceps attempts, her second was a scheduled repeat Cesarean, and her third was a long, tough labor ending in a successful VBA2C!  Katelyn talks about making sacrifices to switch providers, spirituality, prodromal labor, nuchal hands, and how to navigate a home b...

“The wound can become a gift.” After a traumatic and long birth that ended in a C-section, Ramieka did extensive research on providers in the central California area to find the most supportive option, and was willing to travel for that support. She utilized pelvic floor therapy, chiropractic, and a VBAC Link Certified doula to achieve a redemptive, unmedicated VBAC. Julie and Rameika talk about w...

Dr. Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT, is an internationally-renowned physical therapist who specializes in helping people overcome chronic pain and maximize physical performance. As the founder of the new platform and app, “Jen. Health,” she brings a unique, whole body approach to strength, mobility and pain-free living. Dr. Jen is the co-host with her husband, who is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy, to a p...

Darby Swan is a faith-based birth doula and the owner of Boundless Grace Birth Services in Central Kentucky. With a passion for supporting expectant families, she provides evidence-based information and nurturing care throughout the pregnancy and birth journey. As the host of the podcast "Birth By Design," Darby shares valuable insights and experiences, inspiring parents to embrace their u...

From a very unexpected pregnancy to navigating a challenging first birth experience, Shannon joins us today to share the steps she took to achieve a successful VBAC.  Shannon describes pregnancy with Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome and insufficient glandular tissue (IGT). She was able to seek support and get the proper progesterone supplementation with her second pregnancy to help with her breastfeeding go...

In this episode, Meagan welcomes Zoei back to share her inspiring VBAC story with twins! Zoei’s first birth was a Cesarean followed by a VBAC with a singleton pregnancy. Her first two birth experiences gave her the confidence to advocate for her VBAC with twins. Her four babies were all born within four years.  Zoei talks about how she was able to carry her twins longer than most, the added anxiet...

We are celebrating the week of TWINS by revisiting Jill’s beautiful twin VBAC story from 2019. This episode is packed with valuable statistics about VBAC and twin pregnancies. Jill’s first birth was a C-section due to failure to progress. Her second was a hospital VBAC at 39+5 over the course of 4 days with a very patient and supportive provider.  When she found out she was pregnant with twins, Ji...

In this episode, Julie welcomes Sophia from Mexico City, who shares her mental, physical, and spiritual journey towards achieving her VBAC. Sophia discusses the challenges she faced in navigating the healthcare system in Mexico, and what she did to find a truly VBAC-supportive provider.  While preparing for her VBAC, Sophia had a hard time finding well-documented VBAC stories from Mexico, so she h...

Molly joined us for Episode 84 talking about her unexpected breech Cesarean and first VBAC story. Today, she returns sharing her second VBAC story! Molly shares her powerful journey through loss, IVF, selecting her powerhouse birth team, preparing for different outcomes, post-dates, a multiple-day induction, a beautiful delivery (where her husband caught their sweet baby!), and navigating a placen...

Johanna is a girl mama joining us today from Canada. She had an unplanned C-section with her first, an HBAC with her second, and was pregnant with her third at the time of recording!  Johanna reflects on her experiences with both supportive and unsupportive care during her pregnancies. Meagan and Johanna dive into your options surrounding PROM,  the significance of intuition in decision-making, th...

In this special episode, Kristin, host of Ask the Doulas podcast and founder of Gold Coast Doulas, gives tips on building your supportive birth team. Kristin and Meagan talk specifics on HOW to switch providers if you’re feeling the push to do so. Once we have our dream team, we’re good and don’t have to do any more work, right? Nope! We keep educating and preparing ourselves. That’s the way to tr...