PODCAST · kids
The VBAC Link
by Lily Wyn & Paige Lloyd
Join us as we share VBAC birth stories to educate and inspire! We are a team of expert doulas trained in supporting VBAC, have had VBAC's of our own, and work extensively with VBAC women and their providers. We are here to provide detailed VBAC and Cesarean prevention stories and facts in a simple, consolidated format. When we were moms preparing to VBAC, it was stories and information like we will be sharing in this podcast that helped fine tune our intuition and build confidence in our birth preparation. We hope this does the same for you!The purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform- it is not to replace advice from any qualified medical professional.
Episodes
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473 T-incision Special Scar + 2VBACs | CNM & Founder of Lila Laborwear Caitlyn Schollmeier
Caitlyn is our ultimate IT girl. She’s a Certified Nurse Midwife, L&D nurse, doula, two-time VBAC mom of four, inventor of Lila Laborwear and the Lila TENS Unit, Air Force veteran, and was crowned the 2020 Mrs. United States while pregnant with her twins! Caitlyn’s motherhood journey began with...
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472 VBA2C + Leaving AMA During Labor | Darby
After a breech C-section in 2022 and an elective repeat in 2024, Darby switched providers to the “king of VBA2C doctors” at 34 weeks to go for a VBA2C. She hired the best VBAC doula in North Texas, did all the things to prepare and educate herself, but at 40 weeks learned her supportive doctor...
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471 Unmedicated VBAC After an ECV | Stephanie
Stephanie’s first two births were vaginal deliveries, her third was a peaceful, scheduled C-section after declining an ECV, and her fourth was an empowering VBAC with an ECV at 37 weeks. She is a doula, prenatal/postpartum fitness specialist, and the founder of Mission Rise and Mission…
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470 Unmedicated Hospital VBAC After Placenta Previa | Blair
We know her and love her from jingles on all the socials with her husband, Steven. She documented her VBAC prep journey on the internet, and now Blair aka @6.lair is here sharing ALL details with The VBAC Link! About Blair: She’s a 2x mom based in Michigan who had an unmedicated hospital VBAC in...
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469 Birthy Conversations We're Not Having + The Baby Chick® | Nina Spears
She’s the chick who helps moms and babies, the one and only Nina Spears, founder and CEO of The Baby Chick®, is hereeee! Nina is a certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, newborn care specialist, infant massage instructor, and perinatal nutrition expert who has...
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468 Home Birth Transfer Hospital VBAC + Cancer Diagnosis | Hannah
Hannah's first labor began at 40 weeks, the day after a membrane sweep. She opted for an epidural but due to fetal tachycardia, had an unplanned cesarean. It was a lonely and confusing postpartum not coping well with the emotional trauma of that birth. Hannah prepared for a VBAC and planned a…
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467 Two VBA4Cs in South Korea! | Ali Craft's 7 Births
One of Paige’s dearest friends and fellow doula in South Korea, Ali Craft, joins the pod today sharing her incredibly inspiring (and hilariously narrated!) seven birth stories, including four cesareans and three vaginal births. Ali was able to advocate for not only a VBA2C in Korea, where it is...
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466 LIVE VBAC Q&A | Paige & Lily + TVL Co-Founders Meagan & Julie
For the first time EVER, all four of The VBAC Link hosts are together in one episode! Founders and original pod hosts Julie Francom and Meagan Heaton join current hosts Lily Wyn and Paige Lloyd to answer your live VBAC questions. With more than 15 years of combined doula experience and hundreds…
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465 Nurse Practitioner’s Precipitous Birth Center VBAC | Alex
Today we sit down with Alex, a nurse practitioner and mama of two, who shares her journey from a scheduled breech cesarean to a fast, spontaneous VBAC at a birth center. After two unsuccessful ECV attempts, Alex planned for a cesarean with her first baby. Along the way, she also experienced the...
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464 LONG Pregnancies + LONG Labors | Lily & Paige
Today’s episode is a deep dive with just Paige and Lily all about LONG pregnancies and LONG labors. Are due dates expiration dates? Is it okay to go past 41 weeks with VBAC? How do you stay sane and steady when you are more than readyyyy for labor to start? And when it does and things take much,...
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463 L&D Nurse's VBAC + Velamentous Cord Inserstion | Casey
Casey is a L&D nurse who had both of her babies at the same hospital where she works. Her first birth was an unexpected C-section, but thankfully not traumatic.. Casey brings up how working as a nurse can sometimes make birth harder from seeing the tough stuff, but how that can also actually be...
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462 Induced VBAC with Dilapan Rods & 10lb Baby | Willa
Willa joins the pod from San Francisco, CA to share her journey from a 41+5 spontaneous 30-hour labor with OP positioning and a cesarean with her 9lb, 6oz first baby to a VBAC with her 10lb, 3oz second baby. She talks about switching providers, using Dilapan rods for cervical ripening, being...
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461 VBA2C After HELLP Syndrome + Scar Extension | Yazmine
After an emergency cesarean at 29 weeks due to HELLP syndrome with an ICU stay for herself and a 2-month NICU stay for her baby, Yazmine was told she would never have a vaginal birth. She was also given mixed information about the type of uterine scar that she had. But with lots of diet changes…
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460 Type 1 Diabetes VBAC + Shoulder Dystocia | Alexis
Alexis is a Type 1 diabetic mom of three boys from Nevada. Her first birth was a 37-week induction due to her diabetes that ended in a vaginal delivery. For her second birth, Alexis was told she needed a cesarean because her baby was expected to be "massive," but after birth, he was perfectly...
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Episode 459 Allison's (PT, DPT) Induced VBAC + Epidural + Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Allison Parker is a pelvic floor physical therapist and mom of two from South Carolina, joining us today to share her journey to an induced VBAC after a cesarean for breech presentation. She talks about navigating a failed ECV, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum preeclampsia, and her tough second...
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Episode 458 Celia’s Hospital Water Birth VBAC After Traumatic Vaginal Births & Peaceful Cesarean + Prenatal Depression
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...
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Episode 457 Birth Trauma Therapist Ashley Ward, LPCC + Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month
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...
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Episode 456 L&D Nurse Jen Hamilton + VBAC Vibes
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...
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Episode 455 Tatiana Returns + HBA2C aka HOTEL Birth After Two Cesareans
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...
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Episode 454 Certified Nurse Midwife Paige Boran + All About Fetal Monitoring
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...
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Episode 453 Catherine's HBAC, CBAC, & Surprise Breech VBA2C in the OR
We’re so excited to bring you another episode in our Cesarean Awareness Month series! This one was highly requested in our VBAC Link Facebook Community and we can’t wait for you to hear Catherine’s stories. Today’s topic is all about BREECH, one of the most common reasons for cesareans.…
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Episode 452 MAC Pioneer Dr. Koen Deurloo + Maternal Assisted Cesareans
As we continue our Cesarean Awareness Month series, CBAC and RCS moms, this one's for you. If your future birth looks like a subsequent cesarean, we want to make that cesarean the best, most peaceful, and empowering experience it can be. Better birth after cesarean means better options, and…
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Episode 451 Erin’s Twin VBAC + Cholestasis
Is it possible to have a VBAC with multiples? YES. In honor of Cesarean Awareness Month, Erin, a registered dietitian and mom of four (under 5!), shares her journey through cesarean, VBAC, miscarriage, and a twin VBAC. She opens up about navigating postpartum anxiety, benefiting from medication,...
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Episode 450 Midwife Katie's Birth Center VBAC + Shoulder Dystocia HBAC & BIG Baby + Cesarean Awareness Month
April is Cesarean Awareness Month and Women of Strength, we are aware of YOU. All month long, we are bringing you VBAC stories & discussions featuring these most common reasons for cesareans: • Big babies • Failure to progress • Twins • Breech • Fetal heart tones And for our CBAC and RCS mamas,...
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Episode 449 NICU Nurse Rachel's VBAC Story + Personal & Secondhand Trauma
Rachel, a VBAC mom, NICU nurse, researcher, and soon to be women’s health NP, shares her healing VBAC journey with us today. Her first birth started as an induction and quickly turned into an urgent cesarean. She experienced a failed spinal, aggression from providers, and general anesthesia.…
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Episode 448 Lily & Paige's Ultimate VBAC Prep Guide + "All The Things"
If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ve probably heard women say they did all the things to get their VBAC. But what actually are “all the things”? This episode covers it! As moms prepping for their own VBACs and now doulas helping others do the same, Paige (coming hot off a birth!) and Lily…
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Episode 447 IBCLC Angela Das' Induced 2VBACs + Reclaiming Your Breastfeeding Journey
Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean it always comes naturally. In this episode, we chat with Lily’s personal boob fairy🧚🏼 Angela Das (IBCLC, CLC, CNPE and two-time VBAC mom!) about how preparing BEFORE birth can make a big difference in your feeding journey. Angela first shares her...
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Episode 446 Ashley's Pain-Free Unmedicated VBAC + CBAC With Placenta Accreta
Ashley Adynah is a wife, mom of four boys (one bonus son and three birth stories of her own), and the creator behind The Parenting Strategy. She went into her first birth aware of the gap in Black maternity care, spoke up, and was assured by her team that she would be well taken care of. But...
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Episode 445 Liz's Waterbirth VBA2C After Two General Anesthesia C-Sections + Hope After Trauma
Liz's first birth was an induction that ended in a cesarean. When she said, “I can feel that,” referring to pressure, her doctor put her under general anesthesia without consent. With her second, Liz planned for a VBAC. The midwife broke her water without consent. She labored to 9.5 centimeters…
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Episode 444 TVL Doula Allison's HBAC After Placenta Accreta
Allison Champ is a mama of three and a VBAC Link Certified VBAC Doula serving families in the Dayton, Ohio area. Her first birth was an induced, epidural vaginal delivery with a premature manual removal of the placenta, which required a uterine scraping procedure. Allison, Lily & Paige chat about...
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Episode 443 Brianna's Birth Center VBAC + Switching Providers in the Third Trimester
“Women should feel excited about giving birth and every woman should feel confident in giving birth.” Brianna’s first birth didn’t feel this way. She transferred to the hospital from a birth center at 42 weeks for a Foley induction. And before labor even started, she was already mentally…
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Episode 442 Magdalena’s 2VBAM (Vaginal Births After Myomectomy) in South Africa + Navigating Infertility
Our first VBAM (vaginal birth after myomectomy) was Episode 189 with Mabel back in 2022 and we are SO excited to finally be bringing you another! Maria Magdalena “Mags” Campbell joins us from Cape Town, South Africa to share her inspiring story through loss, fertility challenges, and ultimately…
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Episode 441 Dr. Hazel Keedle, PhD Returns + The Clinician's Guide to Better Birth After Caesarean
We’re thrilled to welcome back Dr. Hazel Keedle from Sydney, Australia! Dr. Keedle is a researcher, midwife, Director of Midwifery Academic Programs and Senior Lecturer at Western Sydney University back to discuss her book, A Clinician’s Guide to Birth After Cesarean, released in August 2025. In...
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Episode 440 Irene's Unmedicated VBA2C + Placenta Previa
After an induction at 41+3 weeks turned emergency cesarean with her first and a second cesarean at 42 weeks due to failure to progress, Irene had an unmedicated VBA2C with full placenta previa pregnancy that resolved at 30 weeks! Irene started her VBA2C pregnancy journey at a new practice that…
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Episode 439 TVL Team Member Ashley Marg's 2VBA2C Stories
“You only have to make one good decision at a time.” We are so excited to welcome our very own TVL team member, Ashley Marg, back on the podcast today! Ashley is our Maternal Health & Communication Strategist and you will find her beautifully writing VBAC content on our blog and in your email...
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Episode 438 Get to Know Your New Hosts: 20 Questions with Lily & Paige
We’re bringing you a bonus episode this week!! Your new hosts Lily and Paige sit down and turn the tables on each other with a fun game of 20 Questions. They share everything from their personal backgrounds to their favorite things, silly stories, and opening up about what led them to The VBAC…
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Episode 437 THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!
We’ve been keeping this secret for months and are so excited that we get to finally share!! Join us in this tender and bittersweet episode as we honor Meagan for the legacy she has created through her work hosting this podcast. Meagan has changed SO many lives, and our TVL team is so happy she’s...
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Episode 436 Amanda’s Scheduled Repeat Cesarean Turned VBAC
For this last episode of 2025, we wanted to emphasize just how unique all VBAC journeys really are, and Amanda’s story does just that! Women of Strength, VBACs are possible in sooo many different scenarios, even the ones that weren’t planned or prepped for. Amanda thought she was having a planned...
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Episode 435 Surrendering to Birth: A Guided Meditation with Meagan Heaton
This Christmas Eve episode is something a little different and very special! For over 400 episodes, you’ve heard our founder, Meagan Heaton, encourage, educate, and validate women through all types of birth stories. Now, she’s slowing down and speaking that encouragement directly to YOU. This...
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Episode 434 Kela's Redemptive HBA2C with a 9.5lb Baby + Cervical Scar Massage During Labor
Kela is an inspiring mama who joins us today sharing her HBA2C story! All three of Kela’s pregnancies were planned home births, yet her first two ended in cesarean after long labors labeled “failure to progress”, concerns of chorio, tachycardia, and fever. Though the odds were stacked against…
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Episode 433 Anna from Sacred Birth International: Daring to Birth Differently
“Peace on earth begins with birth.” In this powerful episode, Meagan sits down with Anna Lundqvist, founder of Sacred Birth International. Anna is a seasoned midwife from Sweden whose work has evolved into educating birthing families, doulas, and birth professionals on how to protect birth as a...
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Episode 432 Air Force Officer Sarah's VBA2C During an OCONUS PCS + Nitrous Oxide
Women of Strength, you won’t want to miss this one!! In today’s episode of The VBAC Link Podcast, we welcome Sarah, a mom of three boys, an active duty Air Force officer (AND a spouse to one as well!) about her incredible VBA2C during an overseas PCS move from South Korea to Florida. Sarah’s…
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Episode 431 Catie's VBAC with Hyperemesis Gravidarum + Cholestasis
Catie, a pediatric physical therapist from Northern Kentucky, joins Meagan on the podcast today sharing her three birth stories– a vaginal delivery, c-section, and VBAC! Catie struggled with hyperemesis gravidarum (among other complications) during all three pregnancies but wasn’t officially…
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Episode 429 Lily Nichols, RDN Returns + Nutrition Before, During & After Pregnancy
We are so excited to welcome back our favorite registered dietician and bestselling author, Lily Nichols! Lily is here to chat with us about her third book, Real Food for Fertility. She explains how while the title focuses on fertility, this book goes far beyond that, diving into how nutrition...
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Episode 428 Kari's Induced VBAC with Preeclampsia after Her First Induction Didn't Go to Plan + Info on Preeclampsia
Kari joins us today from Huntsville, Alabama sharing her story of two induced but very different births. Her first was an unplanned Cesarean after a 39-week induction and the second was a medically induced VBAC due to preeclampsia. With her second baby, Kari saw a new provider who was VBAC...
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Episode 427 Abbie's VBAC After Loss + Advanced Maternal Age
“I want to be the light I wish I’d had in my darkest moments.” As we close out Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we are sharing Abbie’s two birth stories and honoring the memory of her firstborn, Rowan. Rowan was born prematurely via emergency Cesarean at 29 weeks during the height of...
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Episode 426 Rachel's Three VBAC Stories + VBAC With Gastroschisis
We are so excited to welcome back our friend, Rachel! She shared her first precipitous VBAC story all the way back in Episode 56. This time, she joins us again to talk about her next two VBACs— one of which included an unexpected diagnosis of gastroschisis and the other surprisingly beginning…
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Episode 425 Kelie’s VBA4C + VBAMC Facts (REBROADCASTED)
Today we’re revisiting one of our earliest episodes — Episode 13 Kelie’s VBA4C in Utah! Our audio quality has come a long way since those early days 😅, but Kelie’s story is still one of our most inspiring. “Kelie’s VBA4C section story is one of many awe-inspiring moments! She truly has been...
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Episode 424 Chloe's 65-hour VBA2C in Canada to a 9-lb Baby After a CPD Diagnosis + Placenta Previa
About her VBA2C, Chloe says, “I’ve been dreaming of my VBAC for 8 years. When my HBAC turned into a scheduled CBAC, I wasn’t even sure I’d get the option to have a VBA2C. It took a lot of planning & hard work & I knew as a first time labouring mom that it would be a longer labor but I completely...
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Episode 423 Brianna's Redemptive Maternal Assisted Cesarean (MAC) + Making Big Changes in a Small Town
Women of Strength, we are making waves. We are so excited to be sharing our second Maternal Assisted Cesarean story on the podcast today! There are so many beautiful details within Brianna’s entire episode that you will not want to miss. In the small town of Crosby, Minnesota with a population of...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Join us as we share VBAC birth stories to educate and inspire! We are a team of expert doulas trained in supporting VBAC, have had VBAC's of our own, and work extensively with VBAC women and their providers. We are here to provide detailed VBAC and Cesarean prevention stories and facts in a simple, consolidated format. When we were moms preparing to VBAC, it was stories and information like we will be sharing in this podcast that helped fine tune our intuition and build confidence in our birth preparation. We hope this does the same for you!The purpose of this podcast is to educate and inform- it is not to replace advice from any qualified medical professional.
HOSTED BY
Lily Wyn & Paige Lloyd
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The VBAC Link have?
The VBAC Link currently has 483 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The VBAC Link about?
Join us as we share VBAC birth stories to educate and inspire! We are a team of expert doulas trained in supporting VBAC, have had VBAC's of our own, and work extensively with VBAC women and their providers. We are here to provide detailed VBAC and Cesarean prevention stories and facts in a simple,...
How often does The VBAC Link release new episodes?
The VBAC Link publishes regularly with 483 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The VBAC Link?
You can listen to The VBAC Link on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The VBAC Link?
The VBAC Link is created and hosted by Lily Wyn & Paige Lloyd.
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