The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast

Dana’s Cesarean & HBAC Stories

In today's episode we meet Dana and she shares her three birth stories. During her first pregnancy, Dana was given a membrane sweep without her consent at 41 weeks and her water broke later in the evening. After immediately going into the hospital, Dana’s labor was augmented with pitocin, she got an epidural, and when she spiked a fever the OB on call suggested a cesarean. With her next pregnancy, Dana stayed with the same OB/midwife practice and had an unmedicated labor where she fully dilated and after trying many different pushing positions for 3 hours, had another cesarean. Dana then had a miscarriage and conceived again a couple of weeks afterwards. This time, Dana sought the care of a homebirth midwife when the hospital’s policies changed and her original OB left, and she gave birth to her 10lb 8oz baby girl in the comfort of her own home.

Join us as Dana shares her birth stories, how having cesareans and the recovery associated with them has affected how she does day-to-day tasks to this day, and how the lack of support in women’s postpartum care made her want to become a doula. We also discuss how validation from others can help us cope with our own trauma and feel confident in our choices, the importance of asking for what you need postpartum and not feeling guilty about needing help, how our intuition can really tell us if something is wrong, and how important it is to try not to look back and wish things had gone differently because then we wouldn’t have the knowledge we now do and be where we currently are.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Susan’s Nine Birth Stories - Part Two

In today's episode we continue our conversation with Susan as she shares the last five of her nine birth stories. Susan had her babies between the years of 1973-1989 and is now 71 years old. Her last five births all took place at home, with three of them being unassisted, and one of the babies weighing in at just under 13 pounds.

Join us as Susan shares her last five birth stories. We also discuss how routine prenatal testing had increased by the time of Susan's last pregnancy, how giving birth at home can increase your chances of having a VBAC, the value of support and being surrounded by other nursing mothers when nursing our own babies, the differences in women who grew up viewing birth as a normal, natural things when it becomes their time to give birth, and how Susan's experiences and knowledge from her childbearing years helped her support her children during birth (including catching one of her own grandbabies at home!).

Today’s episode is Part Two of a two part series, so if you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, check that out to hear Susan's first four birth stories.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Susan’s Nine Birth Stories - Part One

In today's episode we meet Susan who shares the first four of her nine birth stories. Susan had her babies between the years of 1973-1989 and is now 71 years old. Her first birth ended in a cesarean after her water broke, labor didn't immediately start, and the hospital's induction timeline ran out. After that birth, Susan was told that she could never have a baby vaginally, but she went on to have two hospital VBACs, one of which was to a 11 pound baby, and an HBAC with a 10 pound baby.

Join us as Susan shares her first four birth stories, how hospital policies and procedures have changed over the years, the interventions that she endured during her hospital births, and how she eventually decided to just give birth to her babies in the same place that they were conceived.

Today’s episode is Part One of a two part series, so tune in next week to hear Susan's next five HBAC stories.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Alicia’s Five Birth Stories

In today's episode we meet Alicia, who is a former RN, and she shares her five birth stories. During her first pregnancy, Alicia shares that she just went through the motions, saw an OB and had a 32 hour Pitocin induction that included many interventions. When she held her daughter after birth, she felt disconnected and immediately knew that this is not how birth was supposed to be. Almost 7 years later, Alicia had an unmedicated hospital birth with a midwife, but this time she immediately knew that any future children would be born at home. Alicia's third birth was a home birth with midwives, and it was then that she started feeling the urge to share her newfound passion for all things birth-related with other women. Alicia then went on to plan another home birth for her fourth birth, but when she and her midwife realized that the baby was transverse during labor, Alicia transferred to the hospital and had a c-section. For Alicia's last birth, she knew that home birth was the only option for her and she gave birth to her 10lb 14oz HBAC baby while standing in her shower.

Join us as Alicia shares her birth stories, how each one of them gave her a different perspective on birth that continues to grow, and the general lack of truthful and honest information in the birthing world. We also discuss the importance of working through and addressing your fears surrounding birth, standing your ground and being the authority in your care, how a mom's body and alignment can affect baby's positioning during pregnancy, labor and birth, how hospital timelines, parameters and hierarchies can influence your birthing space, and the importance of rest in the postpartum period for both physical recovery and bonding with your baby.

Find Alicia on Instagram, here.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Brittany’s Cesarean & HBA3C Stories

In today's episode we meet Brittany. After Brittany's first pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage and she experienced poor care from the hospital, she knew that she wanted something different during her future pregnancies. Brittany chose to receive care from midwives at a birth center during her next pregnancy, but they dropped her from their care when she went past 42 weeks. Brittany was then left without a care provider and eventually had a cesarean at 43 weeks after some intense coercion and manipulation on the part of the hospital. Brittany went on to plan an HBAC with her next baby, transferred to the hospital during labor and advocated for herself to have another cesarean due to the events occurring during labor. Brittany's third birth was a planned hospital VBA2C that was full of more manipulation, coercion and truly unethical behavior on the part of the hospital, and ended in another cesarean. For her last birth, Brittany knew that she could not endure more trauma from the hospital, so she went on to plan an HBA3C and had her baby in the comfort of her living room.

Join us as Brittany shares her birth stories, how she managed her feelings of abandonment after her first birth, and the importance of advocating for yourself and being in control of the decisions surrounding your labor and birth. We also discuss navigating birth trauma, manipulation and coercion, the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with your spouse after having a baby, and how even with what seems like all of the odds stacked against you, you can birth your baby in the way that you desire.

In today's episode, Brittany mentions a website that she created called Smart Birth (www.smartbirth.org). It is dedicated to helping women understand safety and risk in childbirth and how to keep it in a proper perspective. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Amanda‘s Cesarean & HBAC Stories - Part Two

In today's episode we continue our conversation with Amanda, who is a mother of four and an advocate for pregnant and birthing women. After having an HBAC for her second birth, Amanda knew that was exactly what she wanted again for her third and fourth births. After all of her experiences, Amanda knew that she had to share everything she had learned, which led her to create her own Facebook group and begin coaching women.

Join us as Amanda shares her second and third HBAC stories, which both ended up being unintentionally unassisted. We also discuss how Amanda’s labors were impacted by her belief in her body’s abilities, how her children were impacted by being present for each of her home births, the territorial nature of hospital staff when women have a doula or extra birth support and how that negatively impacts the woman in labor, problems with early inductions and due date calculations, the way that information is presented to instill fear in women during pregnancy, how hospital staff are trained to speak to their patients, and how important it is to go into appointments with the intention of taking your power back.

Today’s episode is Part Two of a two part series, so if you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, check that out to hear Amanda’s cesarean and first HBAC stories. If you want to get in contact with Amanda, she can be found in her group on Facebook (click here) and at www.findingamanda.com.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Amanda‘s Cearean & HBAC Stories - Part One

In today's episode we meet Amanda, who is a mother of four and an advocate for pregnant and birthing women. Amanda wanted a natural birth with her first child, but was pressured into an unnecessary cesarean by her provider. Knowing that she didn’t want to experience that type of coercion and manipulation again, Amanda advocated for herself and switched providers multiple times leading up to her next birth, which was an HBAC. 

Join us as Amanda shares her birth stories, how she dealt with the constant negativity and harassment to have a cesarean with her first child, how the system failed her, and how she sought out to learn everything that she could about pregnancy and birth. We also discuss how deeply our past traumas can impact us, the many problems within the modern medical system and how so much of it is set up for provider convenience, and that giving birth in a hospital setting is a new trend, whereas home birth is the way that women have been giving birth to their babies for all of eternity.

Today’s episode is Part One of a two part series, so tune in next week to hear Amanda’s other two HBAC stories. If you want to get in contact with Amanda, she can be found in her group on Facebook (click here) and at www.findingamanda.com.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Christina‘s Cesarean & HBAC Stories

In today's episode we meet Christina, who is a mother of two. Christina planned a home birth during her first pregnancy, but when labor lasted 6 days, she made the decision to transfer to the hospital. After requesting an epidural in hopes of getting some much needed rest, Christina went on to labor for 12 more hours and then had a cesarean. Christina knew that she did not want to have another cesarean or hospital birth, and once again made the decision to have a home birth when she became pregnant with her second child.

Join us as Christina shares her birth stories, how she processed through the trauma from her first birth when her second pregnancy and labor appeared like it may follow suit, and how different each pregnancy, labor and birth can be, regardless of similar circumstances. We also discuss how your posture during pregnancy can affect baby's position, tongue and lip ties, how "doing all the things" to prepare for birth can leave you feeling mentally exhausted, and a few different ways that you can support your body both before and after birth.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Adva‘s Cesarean & HBAC Stories

In today's episode we meet Adva, who is a mother of two. Adva had a cesarean with her first child after he turned breech during labor, and the birth center that she had planned to give birth at transferred her care to the hospital. During Adva’s second pregnancy, she sought out care from the same midwifery group but was told that she could not have a VBAC at the birth center. Adva then planned to give birth at a hospital in case there was an emergency that occurred during labor, but decided to switch her care to a home birth midwife at 37 weeks and had a 3.5 hour labor from start to finish!

Join us as Adva shares her birth stories, the importance of your mindset during birth, and how to take control of your birth and not looking to others to “save” you. We also discuss pelvic floor physical therapy, chiropractic care, and how much education is lacking in the general population when it comes to home birth, especially home birth after a cesarean.

Today's episode also contains a special announcement! Choosing HBAC: The Ultimate Home Birth After Cesarean Prep Course will be open for enrollment in early 2022. This course will be a compilation of all the information, statistics, answers to all of the frequently asked questions, and everything that I have learned throughout the years, in my own research and experiences, and in the hours upon hours upon hours of talking with other women who are planning for or have already had their HBACs. It will provide information and choices for those who want a home birth after having had a cesarean, and it will be the first of its kind. It will contain 10 modules that you can move through at your own pace, downloadable PDFs, exercises for you and your partner to work through, and references to other helpful materials, and more! For more information, or to be added to the waitlist, send us a message on Instagram or Facebook, or e-mail us at hbacpodcast@gmail.com.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.

Katie‘s Cesarean & HBAC Stories

In today's episode we meet Katie, who is a mother of two. Katie had a cesarean with her first child after her waters ruptured prematurely, and she shares how during that labor she lost track of trusting her body. Katie immediately knew that she wanted something different for her next pregnancy and birth, and she sought out a home birth midwife. With her second pregnancy, Katie's waters once again ruptured prematurely, and she knew that there was a lesson to be learned. Katie goes on to share her HBAC story that includes a breech baby, a prolapsed bladder, and a broken tailbone.

Join us as Katie shares her birth stories, how she processed through and faced her fears during both of her births, how not having the healing HBAC that everyone talks about has shaped her perspective, and how she has used her birth experiences to push herself and to help other women. We also discuss how the culture we live in programs us to fear labor and birth, the various "rabbit holes" you uncover when you begin to question the common narrative surrounding pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, and how important it is to change that narrative and the way we talk about pregnancy, labor, birth and motherhood.

Be sure to subscribe to The Home Birth After Cesarean Podcast on your favorite podcast app to be notified when new episodes are available, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-date information.

Want to share your Home Birth After Cesarean (HBAC) story? Send us an e-mail at hbacpodcast@gmail.com to get in touch.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace advice from qualified medical professionals.