VBACs are often dreaded in the medical system. Birth Centers are open to supporting them. 

This story is about a successful VBAC in a birth center, yes, but its not just that. It is about a woman trying to find her way back to herself, back to her Birth wisdom and her empowered self. 

It is also about how she feels she was treated during the experience. There is another very strong yet subtle emotional conflict that is happening and that is about a quest to have 'A Kind of Birth' because that seems to be the 'Only Right Way' and various realisations around it. The reflection is a beautiful journey a woman goes through and Birth's primary purpose is Evolution, a physical and emotional as well as spiritual growth that many women live through their individual experiences.

We discuss

• What 'Surrender' means during Birth?
• Why Birth becomes a transformative experience?
• The experience of Labor and the Mind Body Connection
• Having a Doula as a First Time Mother
• The kind of Birth Classes that helped the mother 

By the End of this Episode, you would have your own understanding of the emotional roller coaster ride that this journey was for her . It will help give you a direction on how you would like to approach your birth , Listen to your individual needs and desires .

Births beyond everything needs Fluidity. Birth is Fluid just like Life, there is no Right Way to go about it, Your Way should be Your Right as it speaks to you :)

Last one week to apply

Here is the link for the Free Childbirth Guide to support you on your journey.

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

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Once a Cesarean , always a Cesarean - you must have also heard this common notion. 

Fortunately, this is far from truth. 

Yet , So many women feel cornered and helpless when they become pregnant again, like the decision has already been made for them. In this episode, we’re getting real about that phrase and why it’s not the whole story.

We get into the  actual evidence and physiology behind uterine rupture — what it is, how likely it is (with facts, not fear), and why it’s also something that can happen to first-time moms. We’ll also share the real advantages of choosing a VBAC over a repeat C-section, and why VBAC is worth considering — even when the system in India is yet reluctant to support it

And if you're feeling confused, overwhelmed, or unsure what to believe — we’ve got you. We’ll walk you through what actually makes sense and share our best advice for giving VBAC your best shot.

Plus, we’re giving away a Free Childbirth Guide to support you on your journey — because informed choices start with empowered information.

 Tune in now, share with a friend, and remember — this is your body, your baby, and your birth. You do have a voice and a Choice!

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

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A Listener reached out sharing her regret over taking Progestrone the first time around, reason Age 35+

Women are given progestrone in Pregnancy routinely for the following reasons:

• Bleeding in Current Pregnancy
• History of Miscarriage 
• Age - 35+ 

In this episode, we discuss

• Are all these reasons legitimate to use progestrone - a steroid hormone preventively in Pregnancy?
• Are there any side effects you should know of?
• Step by Step sample of my  guidance to my parents when they come with a issue.
• What can you do when you have a similar situation.

This episode does not offer individual solutions, it gives a direction of approach and brings informed consent at the forefront of these conversations.

General Consultation Link

Free Breastfeeding Guide Link

Research Papers Link: 

https://europepmc.org/article/med/14583982

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13643-016-0294-5

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006175/abstract

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yamini-Pokale/publication/290474768_Cytogenetic_Studies_of_Recurrent_Miscarriage-_A_Review/links/56d32f6208ae4d8d64a77631/Cytogenetic-Studies-of-Recurrent-Miscarriage-A-Review.pdf

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

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The Embedded Gift of Pain Relief is the name I have given to the very foundation you need first in your laboring journey, without which no pain relief technique works efficiently.

And this has come from experience. When I started out as a childbirth educator, the techniques I taught fell flat for some women because this very foundation was missing. Soon after, I started my training as a traditional birthkeeper/midwife and supported women birthing outside the system. This taught me what was missing.

The very foundation to access The Embedded Gift of Pain Relief was missing.

In today's episode, we talk about this method and the 3-step method to enhance your chances of opening the lock to this embedded gift which every woman is gifted with. It does not reside outside you.

Once you are done imbibing these three conscious methods into your life, it's time to then move on to the next steps — the pain relief techniques integrated with this embedded gift — and we talk about it in our Free Guide to Childbirth. 

You can join the waitlist, and this guide will help you move towards the next steps.

Tune in now!

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

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Painless delivery’ sounds reassuring, but it’s often misleading. The truth is what’s sold as painless birth is often false advertising. Parents are rarely told about the downsides, or how numbing all sensation can actually interfere with birth.

In this episode, we talk about 

• Why no epidural takes away all pain, 
• The downsides you’re rarely told about, and 
• Why pain in childbirth has a purpose. 
• How numbing everything can sometimes work against you,
• How asking the right questions can help you make informed choices. 

Start by asking questions, reading up, and signing up for my Newsletter, The Birth Wrap for honest information on epidurals. And if you’re ready to dive deeper, my Childbirth classes will help you understand pain in birth, its profound significance, and the natural ways to work with it.

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

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What’s really driving birth practices in India today? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the Indian medical system—where convenience often takes priority over physiology, and where C-sections are rising not always because of necessity, but because they fit better into hospital schedules. We also explore how the ancient wisdom of our traditional dais—the original birth workers—is being ignored in the new midwifery models, and what that says about who gets to define "modern" care.

This is a conversation about over-medicalisation, missing voices, and the uncomfortable truths behind what we call “safe” birth today. If you're a parent-to-be, birthworker, or just someone who wants to understand the deeper layers of our system, this episode is for you.

About the Guest: Dr. Uplabdh Gopal is a medical doctor and health policy researcher at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). His work spans healthcare systems, medical technologies, and regulatory reform, with a focus on innovation and equity. He has contributed to national and global dialogues on Universal Health Coverage, health resilience, and digital health.

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

Use my link : https://zen.ai/vxmuJUgYKKGTF3JuTuFQ0g to sign up and record flawless remote podcast , USE my code : BIRTHAGNI

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Ultrasounds have become a routine part of modern pregnancy care — but how much do we really know about their origins, benefits, risks, and accuracy? We’ve all been told that ultrasounds are just a normal part of pregnancy — a way to “see the baby” and make sure everything’s okay. But have you ever wondered where this practice actually came from, what it’s truly meant for, and whether it’s always as harmless as it seems?

This episode is for every parent who wants to understand what’s being done and why — and for birth workers who want to support families with facts, not just protocols.

It’s not anti-ultrasound. It’s about asking better questions — because you deserve to know more than just “it’s routine.”

Backed by science yet rarely discussed with expecting parents, this conversation dives into:

• Where and why ultrasounds began in maternity care
• How did they become routine?
• The concerns around repeated scans
• How accurate are growth scans and due date predictions, really?
• How can you as a parent/mother/couple approach ultrasounds?

Tune in now!

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

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• ...

Shilpi was guided into a home birth through various channels — one of them being how the medical system was too keen to label hers as a geriatric pregnancy and potentially schedule her into a surgery.

Often, women over 35 are labelled as geriatric — meaning care for old people in the medical system. This brackets them into care meant for the elderly, including the approach of looking at everything through a high-risk lens. This often complicates pregnancy more than it is complicated in itself.

Shilpi's raw story takes us through her thoughts, preparation, as well as doubts and questions leading up to the birth. Her partner's support and preparation in birth, and more.

This is also a story of learning to take self-responsibility in birth — no matter where you birth — in a hospital, a birth center, or at home. Nobody but you decides how you want to be taken care of and when you wish the care to change. It is a very personal space, and there is a big role of intuition in life and birth itself.

Tune in to the story now.

About the Guest:

Part of my childhood was spent in the gorgeous valley of Dehradun, and then by the sea in Mumbai. I grew up in Mumbai and started my career there as a copywriter, but soon realised that documenting life visually attracted me the most. I learnt the art of visual narratives by assisting some internationally renowned American and European photojournalists based in Mumbai. It was while working as an editorial photographer with lifestyle magazines and newspapers that I felt a strong urge to explore the world of wedding photography. And it has been mesmerizing!

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

Use my link : https://zen.ai/vxmuJUgYKKGTF3JuTuFQ0g to sign up and record flawless remote podcast , USE my code : BIRTHAGNI

Support the show:

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• If you like what you hear, leave us
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• ...

In this episode, we discuss one of the most commonly used—and misused—reasons for cesarean in India: Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD), or the claim that a woman’s pelvis is “too small” for her baby’s head.

We dig into:

• What CPD actually is (and what it isn’t)
• Why true CPD is extremely rare—yet so frequently cited
• How fetal position, mobility in labor, and hospital timelines all impact diagnosis
• The danger of using estimated baby weight or maternal size to justify early surgery
• What women can ask or do if told they have CPD

Episodes to listen to explore further

EP88: Big Baby - A curse or Boon

EP83: Induction an epidemic?

EP101: Lavanya's Unnecessary Cesarean and the experience of Induction

EP106: Nikita's experience of Labor Pain with or without Induction

EP128: Decoding Meconium- the good and the bad?

With CPD being used to silence or rush thousands of birthing women every year, it’s time we take a closer look at the science—and the stories.

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

Use my link : https://zen.ai/vxmuJUgYKKGTF3JuTuFQ0g to sign up and record flawless remote podcast , USE my code : BIRTHAGNI

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• ...

It’s all too common—women being rushed into surgery at the very sight or even assumption of meconium in conventional hospital settings. Add to that the pressure many women face to deliver before 40 weeks, based on general risks that may not even apply to them personally.

In today’s episode, we’re sitting down with Dr. Vijaya Krishnan, Certified Professional Midwife and founder of Sanctum Natural Birth Center, a pioneering autonomous midwifery-led birth center in India. With over 18 years of experience, Dr. Vijaya brings insight into what truly matters when it comes to safe, individualized care.

We unpack:

1. What meconium really means—when it’s normal, and when it’s not.
2. How meconium is approached at different stages of labor.
3. Can meconium be detected on an ultrasound?
4. Is artificially breaking the water helpful to check for or speed things up?
5. Why shared responsibility between provider and parents changes everything.
6. How preparation, education, and continuity of care impact outcomes.

Book Recommendations by Dr Vijaya:

• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery – by Ina May Gaskin
• Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage – by Dr. Rachel Reed ( My addition)

Connect with Dr. Vijaya:
📸 Instagram – @sanctumbirthcenter
🌐 Website – healthy-mother.com

Support the show

Sign up for Childbirth Preparation Programs! visit https://birthagni.com/services#childbirth-preparation-programs

https://birthagni.com/copy-of-services#breastfeeding-preparation-program

This episode is supported and made possible by podcast recording and hosting tool Zencastr, it is impeccably made!

Use my link : https://zen.ai/vxmuJUgYKKGTF3JuTuFQ0g to sign up and record flawless remote podcast , USE my code : BIRTHAGNI

Support the show:

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• If you like what you hear, leave us
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• ...