The VBAC Link

By Meagan Heaton

What's The VBAC Link about?

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!

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The VBAC Link episodes:

05.15.2024
Episode 300 with Meagan & Julie + Where We Started & Where We Are Now
We can hardly believe that we have recorded 300 episodes! Meagan brings Julie on the podcast today to take a look back at how The VBAC Link Podcast started, the growth they have both experienced along the way and where...
05.13.2024
Episode 299 Katie's Healing VBAC + Home Birth Transfer
Katie joins us today to tell us about her two birth experiences in Germany. Although she strongly advocated for herself during her first birth, Katie was extremely mistreated. Her labor and horrible C-section experience left her with intense PTSD straining...
05.08.2024
Episode 298 Jenny's VBAC After Baby Was Breech + Intense Travel
Jenny’s story is one of pure gratitude and joy. She is so grateful to be a mother, for the miracle of her pregnancies, for a breech baby who flipped late in her second pregnancy, for the chance to experience labor,...
05.06.2024
Episode 297 Macy's Amazing HBA2C + What Does the Evidence Show for VBA2C?
Macy’s first birth was a scheduled C-section due to breech presentation that required follow-up exploratory surgery due to an unknown cause of internal bleeding. Unfortunately, her surgeon had accidentally nicked an ab muscle. Macy’s recovery was very difficult. With...
05.01.2024
Episode 296 Brooke's VBAC with a Subchorionic Hematoma
“Control what you can control.” Brooke’s birth experiences have not been without challenges. She first had an extremely difficult miscarriage during COVID followed by intense bleeding due to massive subchorionic hemorrhages during her other two pregnancies. Her first delivery...
04.29.2024
Episode 295 Dr. Kendra's Empowering HBAC + Tips From a VBAC Doula
Today’s episode has a wealth of information you won’t want to miss! Dr. Kendra Ohora is a Licensed Clinical Marriage & Family Therapist and also a VBAC mom. From being told she would never have children to currently expecting her...
04.24.2024
Episode 294 Hannah's Induced VBAC due to Preeclampsia + More on the Pelvic Floor with Co-host Rebecca
Meagan has a new co-host today! Rebecca, a pelvic floor physical therapist and a VBAC Link doula located in Georgia joins Meagan while our friend Hannah from North Carolina shares her birth stories. This episode stresses again the true...
04.22.2024
Episode 293 Heidi's VBAC + Gestational Diabetes, GBS & Advanced Maternal Age
It can be difficult to find VBAC support with gestational diabetes and most who are supportive of VBAC highly recommend a 39-week induction. Heidi’s first pregnancy/birth included gestational diabetes with daily insulin injections, a 39-week induction, Penicillin during labor for...
04.17.2024
Episode 292 Jayne’s Business Birth Story + Becoming a Sleep Consultant
Today we welcome Jayne Havens, the founder of the Snooze Fest sleep training course and The Center for Pediatric Sleep Management™ sleep consultant certification program. Just like how Meagan’s birth experiences led her to become a doula and VBAC advocate,...
04.15.2024
Episode 291 Meg & Julie + What is Cesarean Awareness Month?
“If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any!” April is Cesarean Awareness Month and we hope this month is one of information, empowerment, and love from us here at The VBAC Link to you. Referring to the...
04.10.2024
Episode 290 Hayley's Unmedicated VBAC + Epidural and Prolapse Talk
Hayley joins the show today sharing her breech Cesarean and unmedicated hospital VBAC stories. Meagan and Hayley dive deep into the pros and cons of getting an epidural and why providers tell women so many different things when it comes...
04.08.2024
Episode 289 Karen's VBAC After Navigating an Unsupportive Provider
Though Karen did research and took birthing classes before her first baby, she didn’t realize how much advocating for herself could change the course of her birth. She wanted to be the “good” patient and told herself she could do...
04.03.2024
Episode 288 Jennifer's HBA3C + Getting Pregnant After Tubal Ligation
Jennifer joins us today sharing her HBA3C story! Each birth was a stepping stone that gave her more education and wisdom which ultimately led to her home birth after three Cesareans. Jennifer’s first Cesarean was due to meconium in the...
04.01.2024
Episode 287 Suzzie's HBAC + A Note From a Childbirth Educator
"She was in my arms while she took her first breath and she was just so calm and beautiful. It feels like time just stops at that moment. It was so, so special to me." From turning down the...
03.27.2024
Episode 286 Alexis' Peaceful CBAC
Cesareans can be peaceful, beautiful, and so healing. Though Alexis didn’t have the VBAC she planned for, she still had the euphoric birth she dreamed of. Alexis unexpectedly experienced PPROM and preeclampsia at 36 weeks with her first baby....
03.25.2024
Episode 285 Selah's 48-hour VBA2C + Changing Providers in Late Pregnancy
During her first pregnancy, Selah’s doctor predicted that her baby would be over 10 pounds. She insisted that it was not safe to deliver vaginally. Selah went right into her first Cesarean. She didn’t even have the chance to try....
03.20.2024
Episode 284 Kara's VBA2C With Unexpected Twists
Kara joins us today from the Los Angeles area sharing her VBA2C story! Kara’s first birth was a scary and chaotic emergency Cesarean. Though her second planned Cesarean went smoothly, Kara did not love how her birth felt like such...
03.18.2024
Episode 283 Danielle From Sakara Life's HBAC + Fill Your Soul With Inspiration
Danielle Duboise, the co-founder of Sakara Life, has changed millions of lives through her advocacy for wellness and nourishment both of the body and the soul. Danielle is also an HBAC mama and shares with us the valuable lessons she...
03.13.2024
Episode 282 What You Need to Know About Assessing Risk
Hearing about risk is hard. Interpreting risk is even harder, but deciding which risks are comfortable for you is an essential part of birth! Meagan and Julie discuss how to tell the difference between relative and absolute risk, and...
03.11.2024
Episode 281 Emily Shares Her Preeclampsia Story + How to Shift Gears
“Your diagnosis of preeclampsia is not forever. It will pass. You will get through it. You can do it.” Meagan invites her dear friend and doula client, Emily, on the podcast today to share her two very different birth...
03.06.2024
Episode 280 Arianna's VBA2C + Far Travel, PPROM, Short Interval & Gestational Diabetes
“Birth is birth and we just want our babies here safe, but I also think that we all deserve to be empowered to have the birth that feels right.” One night, a few months after her second C-section, Arianna...
03.04.2024
Episode 279 What are the chances if…?
We know that unique circumstances in pregnancy can make a VBAC feel farther out of reach. Do your chances of having a VBAC go down if you had preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy or your current one? What if you...
02.28.2024
Episode 278 Rebecca's CBAC + What To Do With a Swollen Cervix
We love hearing stories of how our Women of Strength navigate birth in an empowered way, no matter the outcome. Rebecca’s story shows how she carefully selected the most supportive homebirth midwife, created a safe birth space in her home,...
02.21.2024
Episode 277 Clair's VBA3C + PPROM + Close Pregnancy Duration
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...
02.14.2024
Episode 276 Samantha's VBAC with a Special Scar & Gestational Diabetes
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...
02.07.2024
Episode 275 Lily Nichols + All About Gestational Diabetes
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...
01.31.2024
Episode 274 "I Don't Know Who Needs to Hear This, But..."
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...
01.24.2024
Episode 273 Amina's Incredible VBAC + Dialing in & Following Your Heart
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...
01.17.2024
Episode 272 Grace's Traumatic Cesarean & Beautiful VBAC + Warning Signs for ALL Birthing Moms
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:...
01.10.2024
Episode 271 Dr. Nathan Fox Returns Sharing Evidence on Uterine Rupture, Induction, Cervical Exams & More
“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...
01.03.2024
Episode 270 Crystal Nightingale Returns + Postpartum & Lactation Tips
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...
01.03.2024
Episode 269 The Most Common Questions of 2023
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...
12.20.2023
Episode 268 Radical Acceptance Part Two
“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...
12.18.2023
Episode 267 Caitlin & Chrisie from The Lactation Network + All About Breastfeeding
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...
12.15.2023
Episode 266 Sabrina's VBAC + Operative Vaginal Delivery
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...
12.13.2023
Episode 265 Amy's HBA2C + Cervical Exams
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...
12.06.2023
Episode 264 Ali Levine’s HBAC + The Practice of Breathwork
“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...
11.29.2023
Episode 263 Petra's VBA3C + Reclaiming the Power You Already Possess
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. ...
11.22.2023
Episode 262 Becky's HBAC + Changing Providers Late-term + Asynclitic/Posterior Positioning
“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...
11.15.2023
Episode 261 Dr. Nathan Fox + Scar Thickness, Uterine Rupture, Due Dates & More
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...
11.09.2023
TVL BONUS EPISODE: Postpartum with Crystal Nightingale
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...
11.08.2023
Episode 260 Jessica's Precipitous HBAC After Vasa Previa
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...
11.01.2023
Episode 259 LIVE: Meg and Julie Answer Your Questions in The VBAC Link Community
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 CBACCook versus Foley CathetersCervical lipsMembrane sweepsVBA2C...
10.25.2023
Episode 258 Hannah's VBAC + Giving Birth in Different Locations
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...
10.18.2023
Episode 257 Windsar's Birth Center VBAC After Twin B’s Cesarean Birth
“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...
10.12.2023
Episode 256 Anneke's Cesareans + Advocating, Trusting, & Finding Success
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...
10.11.2023
Episode 256 Anneke's Cesareans + Advocating, Trusting & Finding Success
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...
10.04.2023
Episode 255 Wendy's VBAC with an 11-pound Baby
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...
09.27.2023
Episode 254 Q&A With Prenatal-Focused Chiropractor Dr. Elliot Berlin
“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...
09.20.2023
Episode 253 Sarah's VBAC with a Family Doctor
Today on the podcast, Sarah joins us from Minnesota. Sarah got COVID-19 very early on in her first pregnancy during the height of the pandemic. The protocol at her practice was to recommend a precautionary 39-week induction. Sarah trusted her...

What's The VBAC Link about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The VBAC Link episodes:

Episode 300 with Meagan & Julie + Where We Started & Where We Are Now

Episode 299 Katie's Healing VBAC + Home Birth Transfer

Episode 298 Jenny's VBAC After Baby Was Breech + Intense Travel

Episode 297 Macy's Amazing HBA2C + What Does the Evidence Show for VBA2C?

Episode 296 Brooke's VBAC with a Subchorionic Hematoma

Episode 295 Dr. Kendra's Empowering HBAC + Tips From a VBAC Doula

Episode 294 Hannah's Induced VBAC due to Preeclampsia + More on the Pelvic Floor with Co-host Rebecca

Episode 293 Heidi's VBAC + Gestational Diabetes, GBS & Advanced Maternal Age

Episode 292 Jayne’s Business Birth Story + Becoming a Sleep Consultant

Episode 291 Meg & Julie + What is Cesarean Awareness Month?

Episode 290 Hayley's Unmedicated VBAC + Epidural and Prolapse Talk

Episode 289 Karen's VBAC After Navigating an Unsupportive Provider

Episode 288 Jennifer's HBA3C + Getting Pregnant After Tubal Ligation

Episode 287 Suzzie's HBAC + A Note From a Childbirth Educator

Episode 286 Alexis' Peaceful CBAC

Episode 285 Selah's 48-hour VBA2C + Changing Providers in Late Pregnancy

Episode 284 Kara's VBA2C With Unexpected Twists

Episode 283 Danielle From Sakara Life's HBAC + Fill Your Soul With Inspiration

Episode 282 What You Need to Know About Assessing Risk

Episode 281 Emily Shares Her Preeclampsia Story + How to Shift Gears

Episode 280 Arianna's VBA2C + Far Travel, PPROM, Short Interval & Gestational Diabetes

Episode 279 What are the chances if…?

Episode 278 Rebecca's CBAC + What To Do With a Swollen Cervix

Episode 277 Clair's VBA3C + PPROM + Close Pregnancy Duration

Episode 276 Samantha's VBAC with a Special Scar & Gestational Diabetes

Episode 275 Lily Nichols + All About Gestational Diabetes

Episode 274 "I Don't Know Who Needs to Hear This, But..."

Episode 273 Amina's Incredible VBAC + Dialing in & Following Your Heart

Episode 272 Grace's Traumatic Cesarean & Beautiful VBAC + Warning Signs for ALL Birthing Moms

Episode 271 Dr. Nathan Fox Returns Sharing Evidence on Uterine Rupture, Induction, Cervical Exams & More

Episode 270 Crystal Nightingale Returns + Postpartum & Lactation Tips

Episode 269 The Most Common Questions of 2023

Episode 268 Radical Acceptance Part Two

Episode 267 Caitlin & Chrisie from The Lactation Network + All About Breastfeeding

Episode 266 Sabrina's VBAC + Operative Vaginal Delivery

Episode 265 Amy's HBA2C + Cervical Exams

Episode 264 Ali Levine’s HBAC + The Practice of Breathwork

Episode 263 Petra's VBA3C + Reclaiming the Power You Already Possess

Episode 262 Becky's HBAC + Changing Providers Late-term + Asynclitic/Posterior Positioning

Episode 261 Dr. Nathan Fox + Scar Thickness, Uterine Rupture, Due Dates & More

TVL BONUS EPISODE: Postpartum with Crystal Nightingale

Episode 260 Jessica's Precipitous HBAC After Vasa Previa

Episode 259 LIVE: Meg and Julie Answer Your Questions in The VBAC Link Community

Episode 258 Hannah's VBAC + Giving Birth in Different Locations

Episode 257 Windsar's Birth Center VBAC After Twin B’s Cesarean Birth

Episode 256 Anneke's Cesareans + Advocating, Trusting, & Finding Success

Episode 256 Anneke's Cesareans + Advocating, Trusting & Finding Success

Episode 255 Wendy's VBAC with an 11-pound Baby

Episode 254 Q&A With Prenatal-Focused Chiropractor Dr. Elliot Berlin

Episode 253 Sarah's VBAC with a Family Doctor