The VBAC Link: Making Birth Better after Cesarean with Meagan Heaton
Show Notes:
[1:12] Our reviewer of the week, ygbsbjx, says: “I’m in my third trimester and was very determined to not study up too much about giving birth just to preserve the mystery and romance and natural process of it. Then I stumbled upon this podcast, and now I can’t help but listen to every episode and am taking the online birth course. I can’t believe all of the information I have learned and now I have SOOOOO many questions for my next prenatal appointment. I also feel empowered that although I won’t be having a home birth (due to my husband's concerns), I know enough now to advocate for myself in the hospital to have the best birth I can try to have! I had no idea how many options, choices and decisions there are to be made that no one even talks to you about! Thank you!
Here’s my advice for the not having a home birth statement really quick! 1.) Have your husband listen to the podcast! 2.) Schedule an appointment with a midwife for the birth center setting. π
I can’t wait for all of you to hear this week’s episode. Not only because the topic is dear to my heart, but also so is the wonderful woman I get to interview. π₯° I have the pleasure of interviewing Meagan Heaton from VBAC Link. I will let her introduce herself in just a moment, but Meagan and I actually took the same doula training years ago, and I got to see the process of her VBAC in action, meeting her before she even had a chance to have a VBAC.
[3:52] Meagan introduces herself. She talks about how nervous she was about learning all about birth since she had never experienced birth at the time. She became a doula. She shares her personal birth experiences and how it influenced her to start The VBAC Link. π€°πΌ
[5:40] She also has a podcast named The VBAC Link. There is also an education course for mamas to navigate and advocate for a VBAC birth. Her goal is to let people know their options. π§
[8:23] I ask Meagan to share about her incredible VBAC birth and her birth experiences. Her first Cesarean was undesired and unplanned. She needed a birth course, like the My Essential Birth Course, to educate her. π With her second birth, she felt like she should switch providers, but she didn’t. At 38 weeks, her water broke, and she was pressured to have another Cesarean. Her third birth was different because she had become a doula. Although she had a 42-hour labor, she had a successful VBAC! ππΌ
[13:12] Meagan and I both agree that you should never feel pressured to make a choice one way or another on how you give birth. We just want you to know your options! There are risks involved for all the options, but you get to choose! π€
[14:50] What are the benefits of VBAC versus Cesarean? The biggest concern is uterine rupture. The percentage of it happening are 0.2% after one Cesarean. You can also have a uterine rupture without having had a Cesarean before or even during a Cesarean! π§
[18:16] A lot of mothers are told they have an incredibly high chance of having uterine rupture without any evidence to back up what their providers have told them. Cesarean births come with the risks of major blood loss, hysterectomy, nicking the bladder, etc. π©Έ
[20:09] Meagan encourages anyone who is considering having a VBAC to break it down and figure out what risks you’re okay with. π
[20:47] Meagan explains how providers decide whether or not a mother is a good “candidate” for a VBAC. There are a few things that providers try to use to “disqualify” you from having a VBAC (past experiences, failure to progress, failure to descend, big babies, etc.) π©Ί
[24:03] Providers will look at your history (why you had a Cesarean), your overall health (BMI, gestational diabetes, etc.), prior vaginal birth, made it to 10 cm during previous birth, past Cesarean due to breech baby, etc. π
[25:54] The provider will also look at the health of the baby. Just because a provider says you’re not a good candidate, it does not mean you can’t have a VBAC. πΆπ»
[28:09] No one knows you like you know you! Tune into your intuition! π
[28:49] The thing that upsets me about the VBAC Calculator, is that it’s not evidence-based. If your provider is using it, that’s a red flag, in my opinion! (I hate it with a passion!) π‘
[30:33] One of the reasons for “disqualification” is getting pregnant 6 months after baby versus 18 months after baby. This is one of the most common questions that Meagan gets at The VBAC Link. There are a lot of contradictory studies regarding this topic. π€·π»βοΈ
[34:04] Nutrition after baby is huge! Give your body the aid and tools it needs to properly heal. π₯
[35:27] What is the difference between having a VBAC in the hospital versus birth center? It is extremely important to interview your provider beforehand. You need to find a provider who trusts birth. π©π»βοΈ
[40:25] Meagan struggles with the fight that women have to go through just to find someone who supports the birth they want! π Even if you have a supportive provider, you need to figure out what the hospital policies are too!
[45:25] Where can moms find more information on VBAC’s?
[48:19] Meagan gives us cheat sheet of questions to ask your provider if you’re considering having a VBAC! π₯³ She also gives us a cheat sheet for red flags to look out for! You can click the link here to download it.
To Leave a Review βοΈ
- Open Apple Podcasts
- Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
- Select “Ratings and Reviews”
- Click the stars!
- Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved!
ALL the best,
Links Mentioned:
