The VBAC Link

Celia is a mom of four, an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and a passionate advocate for evidence-based communication in birth. In this episode, she shares her four very different birth experiences: a 36-hour induction ending in a forceps delivery and severe tear, another induction that turned precipitous, a breech Cesarean that felt calm and healing, and ultimately a hospital water birth VBAC at a hospital that DIDN’T allow water births! Celia opens up about prenatal depression, birth trauma, knowing your worth, switching providers, and the reality that both cesareans and vaginal births can be traumatic, and both can also be healing.
Celia also sheds light on the power dynamics with navigating military maternity care as an enlisted service member treated by officers within the system. She talks about healing from an abusive relationship, how she opened her heart to love and trust again, and the unique challenges that come with a blended family. We encourage all Women of Strength to give grace to the younger versions of yourself just as Celia so beautifully exemplifies!

Keywords: VBAC, hospital water birth, birth trauma, military maternity care, MTF, active duty VBAC, switching providers, forceps delivery, breech cesarean, advocacy, prenatal depression, precipitous labor, healing, hospital policies

Postpartum Support International Provider Directory
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Online VBAC Doula Training

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

May is Maternal Health Awareness Month, and at The VBAC Link, we deeply believe that maternal health is so much more than physical well being. We recognize the complexity of every birth experience, and for those struggling, we send our love, solidarity, and support.
In this HIGHLY anticipated episode, Lily and Paige sit down with birth trauma therapist Ashley Ward, LPCC about what trauma is, the many different ways it can present itself, and where to find healing. They talk about the culture of “ranking” birth stories and normalize the experience of feeling icky about a birth story, even if everything seemed perfect on paper. 
Ashley also shares her personal experiences with birth trauma in her most traumatic birth that appeared to be picture-perfect at a birth center. Her perspective gives both clinical insight and validation for experiences that are often minimized or misunderstood.
Ashley believes that sharing birth stories matters, and they deserve a witness. In a world where shame can become the loudest voice in the room and birth conversations can split into divisive binaries, she aims to bring nuance, compassion, and dignity-informed care into the perinatal space. Birth does not happen in a vacuum, and Ashley beautifully reminds us that every birth is part of a larger story, one that existed before labor began and continues long after delivery.
Topics include:
What a panic attack can feel like
The definition of trauma
Birth trauma vs. medical trauma
Ranking birth stories as “better” or “worse”
Feeling unsettled by your birth story
Radical acceptance
Grieving things you may never experience
Body acceptance
Postpartum mental health
Birth story processing
Shame 
Finding joy 
Signs that you need professional help

Keywords: birth trauma, healing, postpartum, VBAC, CBAC, birth after cesarean, cesarean, C-section, mental health, postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, panic attacks, radical acceptance, birth story processing, motherhood, trauma-informed care, postpartum therapist, birth center, induction, maternal mental health, perinatal therapy

Postpartum Support International Provider Directory
Ashley Ward Therapy
Needed Website: Code VBAC for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Online VBAC Doula Training

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

We are honored to have THE Jen Hamilton join us on the pod today! Jen Hamilton is a labor and delivery nurse, viral TikTok creator with over 6 million followers, and author of Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth (May 2026), a warm, clinically grounded guide to navigating childbirth with confidence and calm. She is the founder of Hot Mess Express, a nonprofit offering judgment-free house cleaning and organizing for women in need, and a passionate advocate for dismantling systemic racism and misogyny in obstetrical and gynecological care. 
A 2026 President's Award recipient from the American Nurses Association and a frequent presence in outlets including CNN, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post, Jen has become one of the most recognizable voices in modern nursing through her signature blend of clinical expertise, frank humor, and deep empathy. She is funny, kind, generous, gracious, and quickly becoming a household name!

In today’s episode, Jen sits down with Lily and Paige to chat all about creating the best vibes for your birth. They do a deep dive into VBAC, and ask questions that came directly from you all. This is an episode you DO NOT want to miss.

Today’s topics include: 
Using interventions as tools
Why a provider may be the factor if someone will have a VBAC or not
Dirty secret of OB
How Jen feels about doulas
How to ask for a new nurse
Debriefing your birth 
Preparing for a different birth experience
Expectations around coping techniques
Giving yourself grace
Baton race of coping analogy
Funny and memorable stories in L&D
Unique VBAC circumstances
Failure to progress
How she would improve cesareans and humanize the experience

Keywords: Jen Hamilton, labor and delivery, L&D nurse, OBGYN, cesarean, vbac, birth after cesarean, cbac, doula, birth vibes, epidural, failure to progress, tolac, vbac consent, hospital vbac
Email [email protected] for Jen's free Closure Vibes Debrief Questionnaire.
Birth Vibes: Stories and Strategies for an Empowered Birth
Jen's Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack, Website
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Online VBAC Doula Training

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Tatiana is back with her second VBA2C story!! She first joined us on Episode 107 in 2020 where she dove into all the details around her first two C-sections and her first VBA2C. It was a planned HBAC turned hospital delivery with a supportive OB, but her heart still craved the home birth experience. In this episode, she returns with a full-circle update on the birth of her fourth sweet boy. 
Her fourth birth was the HBA2C she was hoping for, aka a hotel birth after two cesareans with a midwife she deeply trusted. If you’re scratching your head wondering about these logistics, don’t worry! Tatiana shares it ALL. 
We dive into a critical conversation around access. Many providers and hospitals still restrict VBA2C, and it is especially difficult to find support for an out-of-hospital VBA2C. Tatiana shares why expanding midwifery care matters, how pelvic floor therapy during pregnancy can support better outcomes, and why finding a provider you trust (no matter the distance) can make all the difference.
Keywords: VBAC, VBA2C, HBA2C, hotel birth, out-of-hospital birth, cesarean, prior vaginal birth, VBAC after two cesareans, birth access, midwifery care, pelvic floor therapy, provider support, informed consent

Episode 107 Tatiana’s VBA2C 
NYT Article on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
The VBAC Link Blog: The 5 Most Common Reasons for C-section
The VBAC Link Blog: How to Navigate VBAC Hospital Policies
Needed Website: Code VBAC for 20% Off
The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents
Online VBAC Doula Training

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

We are closing out our Cesarean Awareness Month series on the most common reasons for C-sections with a deep dive into all things fetal monitoring! CNM Paige Boran, who attended Lily’s VBAC and who we deeply love and trust, answers every question you can imagine. This is definitely an episode you will want to save and listen back to often!

Midwife Paige talks about:
The history of continuous fetal monitoring
The differences between continuous, internal, and internal monitoring
Bradycardia and tachycardia readings
CFM and VBAC
When she recommends having CFM
How to advocate informed consent and declination
Early, variable, and late decelerations
Head compression and cord compression
When fetal heart tracings become concerning & what empowered conversations look like
Ways to help resolve decels
Placental insufficiency
All signs of uterine rupture
How to make the decision of going for a C-section or continuing to labor 
Evidence on continuous fetal monitoring

And more!! We are so grateful for providers like Midwife Paige who we have seen in action and are willing to take the time to help educate our community. For those who question if they made the right call to have a cesarean or continue to labor due to fetal heart readings, we send you love. It is so tough!

Fetal heart tones are so nuanced. We hope that with this episode, you feel empowered with more knowledge to find a team that gives you the support and individualized care you deserve. 

Evidence Based Birth®: Evidence on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
NYT Article on Continuous Fetal Monitoring
The VBAC Link Blog: The 5 Most Common Reasons for C-section
The VBAC Link Blog: How to Navigate VBAC Hospital Policies
Needed Website: Code TVL for 20% Off

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands