The VBAC Link

Happy podcast Wednesday, Women of Strength! You do NOT want to miss today’s episode. Clair shares her beautiful journey to a VBA3C. After fully dilating and pushing for hours but ultimately ending in C-sections with her first three babies, Clair finally had the vaginal birth she so badly hoped for with her fourth! Clair shows just how powerful birth can be when a woman’s intuition is combined with...

We are following up on last week’s informative episode on gestational diabetes with a gestational diabetes VBAC story!  Samantha’s first labor ended in a traumatic Cesarean with her first baby, but she didn’t find out many details of what happened to her until she requested her operative report months later. Samantha found out that she had a lateral scar extension.  Despite this and other odds tha...

We have an incredibly special episode for you today with the one and only Lily Nichols! She is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the author of two books (soon to be three!)-- Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily is truly a pregnancy nutrition expert providing women with access to the most current evidence-based information regarding food.  Lily specializes in...

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… You do NOT have to be induced at 39 weeks to have a vaginal birth.  You CAN have an induced VBAC.  Your cervix DOESN’T have to dilate by 40 weeks. Home birth is just as SAFE as hospital birth, even for VBAC. Your pelvis is PERFECT.  You are capable of doing MORE than you even know. Tune in to today’s hot episode to hear Meagan and Julie dive deeper into th...

Amina’s story shows the true POWER of a supportive provider. Both of her birth stories had similar interventions (but given in very different ways) with very different provider reactions and a very different outcome! “That was the biggest change for me. It’s not like the second birth was just smooth. There were moments when there was blood. There were moments when her heart rate was in distress, b...

Grace: “'If you are COVID-positive as the mother, you are not allowed to do skin-to-skin, you are not allowed to breastfeed your baby, and you are only allowed to hold your baby two times a day for 15 minutes.'” Meagan: "That’s what they told you?" Grace: "That’s what they did. That was their policy." Today’s episode is a must-listen for everyone in the birthing community....

“I think that’s why there is so much discussion about this because it is not the numbers. It is the attitudes. It’s the opinions. It’s just trying to make sure that you have an aligned vision with your provider and with your hospital.”  One of the most important things you can do during pregnancy is to find a provider who loves and believes in VBAC. Dr. Fox is back today giving more tips on how to...

Crystal Nightingale from The Mama Coach joined us a few months ago and is back again today diving deeper into postpartum and breastfeeding than we’ve ever gone before! Did you know that new research is showing that cold compresses are more effective in helping clogged ducts than warm compresses or showers? Crystal shares her valuable insight gained as a registered nurse and IBCLC of over 10 years....

Meagan finishes out this year of podcasting by answering some of your most common questions! Topics range from the time between births, gentle induction methods, gestational diabetes, “just-in-case” epidurals, home birth, tips for having a successful VBAC, and how to cope if you don’t get your VBAC.  “Women of Strength, I just want to thank you so much for all of your continued support. We love yo...

“I feel that what I would like to add to this radical acceptance part two episode is that yes, it is so important to feel all of the feelings, not judge them, and give them space to exist so that you can work through them and move on, but it is also equally important for you to not live there.  You cannot live with those feelings 100% of the time, 24/7. You have to allow yourself space to get out...

Here at The VBAC Link, we want to empower you with better birth experiences AND better postpartum experiences. The Lactation Network does just that.  Caitlin McNeily is Vice President of Consultant Relations at The Lactation Network, working closely with thousands of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in all 50 states. Her background in medical device sales led to the creation of...

Sabrina’s first birth was a traumatic crash Cesarean. She and her baby were thankfully perfectly healthy, but Sabrina was left with no desire to have any more kids. She didn’t realize how much her birth experience played into those feelings until she became pregnant with her second.  Sabrina found The VBAC Link through another birth podcast and listened every day on her way to work starting at fou...

We have another follow-up story on the podcast this week! We love hearing from our previous guests and today, we get to follow up with our friend, Amy. Amy was on the podcast for episode 102 sharing her VBA2C story and now we get to hear her HBA2C story! Amy talks about her journey to embracing home birth with her fourth baby, how she found the right team, and how she worked through her fears. Whe...

“Feel it to heal it.”  Ali Levine is back with us today sharing her HBAC story! Ali was first with us on Episode 166 where she shared the details of her transformational VBAC. Ali and Meagan reflect on the growth they both have experienced since they last chatted. Ali is now a certified breathwork practitioner and intuitive stylist. She talks about how through regulating the breath, we can better...

Petra joins us today from Modesto, California sharing her unmedicated, hospital VBA3C story! Petra learned and grew from each of her three C-section births which paved the way for her to manifest the birth of her dreams with her fourth.  Though she had very little support around her, Petra stayed steady. She continued to prepare her heart, mind, and body for the physiological birth she knew she co...

“It’s very fitting that this is going to come out just before Thanksgiving because I feel very, very fortunate.” Becky’s two babies were both posterior and asynclitic. They weighed exactly the same at birth, but their deliveries were very different. Becky shares her sweet experience going from skepticism around home birth to fully embracing all that it has to offer.  Her first birth included resid...

Dr. Nathan Fox is a practicing OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine provider in New York City. Two of his children were also VBAC babies! He joins Meagan on the podcast today where they discuss topics in depth to help listeners make more informed decisions about their VBACs.  Topics today include where to find evidence-based information, how to interpret it, the risks of uterine rupture, VBAC and CO...

Crystal Nightingale is The Mama Coach. Her mission is “to guide families through every stage of their parenting journey by providing evidence-informed education infused with nonjudgmental support, compassion, and empathy.” Crystal chats with Meagan today about some of the many resources available to women who are in the postpartum stages of motherhood.  While we spend a lot of time preparing for o...

The chances of having vasa previa in a spontaneous pregnancy is about 1 in 2500. Our friend, Jessica, shares her experience with vasa previa during her first pregnancy which led to a scheduled Cesarean. While Jessica’s Cesarean experience was difficult and traumatic, she knows it is what her intuition was telling her to do. Meagan gives important advice about listening to that intuition with every...

Meagan and Julie went Live in The VBAC Link Community Facebook Group answering your questions. They recorded the conversation to share with you on the podcast today.  Topics include:  Risks of VBAC, Repeat Cesarean, and CBAC Cook versus Foley Catheters Cervical lips Membrane sweeps VBA2C and VBAMC CPD Thank you for sending in your questions! An educated birth is an empowered one. You’ve got this,...

Meagan is joined today by our friend, Hannah, who has been through so much during her motherhood journey. Hannah’s experiences include a blissful first birth at a birth center, multiple twin pregnancies, miscarriages, a difficult C-section, infant loss, and a redemptive VBAC.  Hannah shares her unexpectedly traumatic experiences with pregnancy, birth, and grief while living in Argentina. Yet even...

“There was no fear. There was nothing traumatic about it. It was just healing and it was so empowering to know that my body could do that. It was an out-of-this-world experience.” Windsar has had three pregnancies and four wildly different deliveries. Her first birth was a medicated, vaginal delivery in a hospital. About 18 months later, Windsar became pregnant with identical twins. Shortly after...

Anneke is a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist from Oregon who is a long-time VBAC Link Podcast listener. During her first pregnancy, she would listen to 5+ hours of episodes commuting back and forth from work! Anneke was more than committed to having a vaginal birth with each of her pregnancies, but what she has learned from her births about advocacy, trust, and defining success are beautiful lesson...

After 24 hours of laboring with broken waters, dilating to 10 centimeters, and pushing, Wendy’s first baby was still not descending. She was exhausted and consented to a C-section. When her baby came out at 11 pounds, 3 ounces, the entire medical team told Wendy that her baby would have never come out vaginally due to his size.  Wendy’s second baby was ALSO 11 pounds, 3 ounces, and was indeed born...

“We are pieces of an important puzzle and there are a lot of pieces. Working together, we can effect a lot of change.” Joining Meagan on the podcast today is Dr. Elliot Berlin, a renowned prenatal chiropractor based out of Los Angeles who is making a huge impact on the birth community. Dr. Berlin is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in holistic birth preparation and advocacy. He is a birth d...