Episodios

  • E18 "I Never Thought a 20-Week Abortion Ban Would Impact Me" with Megan Kling
    Jun 27 2025

    Never thought you would have an abortion? That's exactly what Wisconsin mom and maternal health advocate Megan Kling believed until she became pregnant with her third much wanted and planned child.

    Megan courageously shares her deeply personal story of terminating two pregnancies for medical reasons. She discusses the profound impact of abortion restrictions, the challenges of navigating medical insurance, and the importance of advocating for safer maternal healthcare. Megan's story highlights the complexities behind abortion legislation, its real-life effects on everyday moms, the inadequacy of exceptions for the life of the mother, and how, if you can become pregnant, abortion laws impact you. She also addresses the concept of "babies born alive from botched abortions," how she coped with losing two much wanted children, and why she had to leave her state to access evidence based health care. Along the way, she shares how she traveled to a larger hospital to VBAC her second child with unsupportive providers as well as her subsequent plans to VBAC a second time at her local rural, community hospital, and how the June 2024 presidential debate propelled her participation in a political ad. Tune in to hear her powerful narrative that sheds light on why empathetic and evidence-based healthcare is crucial for all women.

    00:00 Welcome to Episode 18!

    03:29 Seeking Guests: Level 1 Hospitals That Offer VBAC

    04:21 Meet Megan!

    05:44 Why Share Her Story

    07:07 If You Can Become Pregnant, Abortion Restrictions Can Impact You

    11:18 First Pregnancy and Cesarean

    13:14 No Mention of VBAC or Increased Risks After Cesarean

    14:11 Pregnant Again, But Rural Hospital Says, "No VBACs"

    17:32 VBAC Calculator Says 38%

    18:54 Free VBAC Resources

    19:48 "...I Guess We'll Let You Labor Anyway"

    23:00 Third Pregnancy, Returns to Rural Hospital for Second VBAC

    23:41 What Happens If I Decline a Cesarean?

    25:47 Patients Are Not Obligated To Follow Hospital Policy

    26:43 There Is Something Very Wrong

    29:35 The Diagnosis

    31:59 What Are The Abortion Laws In Wisconsin?

    35:39 "Born Alive From Botched Abortions"

    37:11 Pregnancy Is Too Complex To Legislate

    38:02 How She Coped With Her Son's Passing

    39:06 Ready To Try Again

    40:04 Pregnant With Plans to VBAC at Community Hospital

    43:06 And It Happens Again

    44:09 Can't Access The Medications She Needs Due to Fear Surrounding Abortion Laws

    47:09 "If I Had Not Experienced This, I Would've Never Known To Ask This Question"

    48:14 Her Fourth Child's Birth

    48:58 Umbilical Cord Abnormality

    51:30 Why Did She Need To Leave The State?

    52:32 How Abortion Bans Impact Health Care For All

    55:33 Want to Learn More About VBAC?

    56:53 Insurance May Not Cover Abortion Care (Even When Medically Indicated)

    59:54 The Healthcare Gap Planned Parenthood Fills

    01:01:29 Can You Get Pregnant? Abortion Laws Can Impact You.

    01:03:09 What Has All This Media Exposure Been Like?

    01:04:43 Agreeing To Be In A Political Ad

    01:06:15 Speaking Even When Your Voice Shakes

    01:09:15 Listen To The Voice Screaming Inside You

    01:12:37 How She Has Grown

    01:14:25 Advice For Women Pregnant With A Non-Viable Pregnancy

    01:15:18 What She Wishes She Knew At The Beginning

    01:16:45 The Ripple Effect Of Her Pregnancies

    01:17:50 How She Engages With Healthcare Now

    01:18:44 Jen's Experience With Misinformation & Pelvic Prolapse

    01:20:40 Abortion Bans Do Not Care About The Life Of The Mother

    01:23:32 Unintended Consequences & Abortion Bans

    01:24:33 Make Your Voice Heard

    01:25:12 Women's Health Is Inherently Political

    01:26:31 Our Summer Hiatus, See You In The Fall

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should...

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    1 h y 27 m
  • E17 An Attorney's Fight to Challenge Rights Violations & Illegal Maternal Care Practices with Hermine Hayes-Klein
    Jun 13 2025

    Confusion and fear over lawsuits drives health care in the US and even more so within obstetrics and midwifery. In the midst of defensive medicine as default, many clinicians miss the one decision that provides ultimate litigation protection.

    Hermine Hayes-Klein is single handedly changing the landscape relative to litigation within maternal health care. An informed consent expert and international civil and human rights attorney, she specializes in the abuse of women and birthing people by the maternal health system.

    We will discuss:

    • the cognitive disconnect among healthcare providers regarding informed consent during pregnancy and childbirth
    • legal cases that illustrate widespread rights violations
    • her recent $1.73 million jury verdict
    • the legal and ethical mandates that protect pregnant women's rights
    • the role of lawyers in enforcing these rights
    • conventional wisdom like "you'll never be sued for a cesarean" and "liability concerns makes us do it"
    • how doctors will be held accountable for not respecting patient rights
    • why "birth can't be planned" is insulting
    • how juries recognize trauma as an injury that matters
    • why clinicians should support women's choices even if it scares them

    Additionally, Jen talks about her upcoming VBAC training for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and answers a reader's question about prior uterine dehiscence and future uterine rupture risk.

    00:00 Welcome To Episode 17!

    02:07 Next VBAC Facts® Training

    03:58 Reader Question: Prior Uterine Dehiscence

    11:23 Telemedicine VBAC Consults

    12:44 Introducing Hermine Hayes-Klein

    14:06 The Violation of Informed Consent

    17:34 "You'll Never Be Sued For Doing a Cesarean" And Other Myths

    18:57 Perverse Liability Incentives

    20:12 VBAC Resources

    21:06 Doctors Will Be Held Accountable For Not Respecting Client's Rights

    21:42 Rinat Dray's Forced Cesarean

    25:33 $1.73 Million Dollar Judgement

    26:39 Cognitive Disconnect in Maternity Care

    31:18 "Birth Can't Be Planned" Is Insulting

    32:11 Sample Birth Plan Language

    32:31 Hooked Up & Induced, No Medical Reason

    33:15 Running, Sobbing, Sleepwalking

    33:44 Diagnosed with "Adjustment Disorder" Instead of PTSD

    34:07 "The Kind of Abuse That Happens To Women Every Day"

    35:00 "The Baby's Healthy, Why Are We Even Here?"

    35:49 Babies Need Their Mothers To Be Healthy

    36:11 Juries Recognize Trauma As An Injury That Matters

    36:50 Hold Doctors Accountable For Doing What The Law Requires

    36:59 Next Case Challenges, "You Are Not Allowed"

    39:12 "The Very Real Risks of Cesarean Are Dumped Onto The Birthing Patient"

    39:46 Birth Trauma Not About Mode of Delivery

    40:22 Who is Liable for Complications?

    41:17 "Liability Makes Us Do It" Is A Lie

    41:42 VBAC Facts Courses

    45:06 Should We "Go Slow?" Are We "There Yet?"

    46:26 The Law of Informed Consent Means...

    46:56 "Keep Telling Them That They Have To Strap Down For The Belt"

    48:26 What Violating Informed Consent Looks Like

    49:46 Bodily Autonomy "Goes Both Ways?"

    51:15 Let's Be Clear About Maternal Death

    52:33 News Articles When Women Die During Childbirth, Often, It's Cesarean

    53:30 We Are Pro Evidence Based Care and Informed Consent

    55:21 OBGYNs Should Support Patient Decisions, Even If It Scares Them

    57:01 When An OB Realized Her Informed Consent Process Was Coercive

    58:24 OB's Testimony Regarding Informed Consent

    01:00:32 Women and Birthing People Are The Captain Of The Ship

    01:01:13 Rights Exist Even In Rural Hospitals

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to

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    1 h y 3 m
  • E16 "Hospitals Cannot Legally Enforce VBAC Bans" and Other Juicy Advocacy Tidbits with Barbara Stratton plus Next VBAC Facts® Training, Reader Stories, & TikTok Traps
    May 30 2025

    Want to change hospital policy, VBAC ban, placenta policy, or otherwise? Barbara Stratton is your gal.

    In this interview, Barbara reflects back on over 20 years of activism and shares her biggest tips to changing hospital policy as well as what first time parents wish they knew.

    She shares insights on speaking to the media, planning a rally, searching for the perfect VBAC plaintiff as well as the secret to activism.

    The discussion also includes:

    • how Medicare/Medicaid said hospitals cannot enforce VBAC bans,
    • caution for hospital based childbirth classes
    • as well as birth centers inside hospitals, and
    • why she created her Birth Words Poetry Magnet Set!

    Plus Jen shares:

    • her upcoming speaking engagement with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,
    • reader Katelyn's experience with the VBAC calculator, and
    • observations from VBAC Facts'® first month on TikTok including
    • why mothers shouldn't always "listen to your doctor" and
    • the privilege embedded in the statement "find another provider/hospital who is supportive of VBAC."

    All this and more in episode 16 of The VBAC Facts® Podcast!

    01:55 Upcoming Events & News

    03:53 Reader Katelyn's Experience with the VBAC Calculator

    07:16 TikTok: "Listen to Your Doctor!"

    16:01 Anonymous, Disrespectful, and Full of Disdain

    18:21 Showing Up on Social Media

    19:47 Concerns About Litigation

    27:21 The Bait & Switch

    31:31 Why "Find Another Hospital" Is So Hard

    34:39 Meet Barbara Stratton

    35:20 Birth Words Poetry Magnet Set

    37:04 Her Cesarean Poem

    40:24 Her Journey to Birth Activism

    45:33 Finding Post-Cesarean Support

    46:57 Learns About VBAC Bans

    48:02 Planning Her First VBAC Ban Rally

    55:07 Fighting the VBAC Ban

    55:58 First VBAC Ban Reversed!

    56:20 Woman Wants VBA2C, Declines Third Cesarean

    57:52 Maryland Attorney General: "Generally it is not legal to section a woman against her consent"

    59:34 Resources for Fighting VBAC Bans

    01:00:43 Goal: To Reverse All VBAC Bans

    01:04:17 Hospitals Cannot Enforce VBAC Bans

    01:09:28 The Secret to Activism

    01:15:50 Work with Barbara 1:1

    01:16:49 Speaking Even When Your Voice Shakes at the NIH VBAC Conference

    01:19:02 Changing Hospital Placenta Policy

    01:21:16 Examples of In-Hospital Advocacy

    01:22:44 Biggest Issue in Birth Activism: The Elusive First Time Mother

    01:24:58 Mothers: "I Wish I Had Known..."

    01:32:28 Most Successful VBAC Ban Reversal Strategies

    01:35:00 A Forced Cesarean

    01:44:47 The Idea of Fault

    01:47:21 VBAC Planning Tips

    01:52:00 Hospital Based Childbirth Classes

    01:55:14 Searching for the Perfect VBAC Plaintiff

    01:56:11 Denied VBAC a Week Before She Was Due

    01:56:44 Physician Preference Drives VBAC Ban Reversal

    02:00:31 Advice for Birth Professionals

    02:04:39 Key Differences in Birth Centers

    02:07:19 Advice for Parents

    02:09:14 Mutual Appreciation ❤️

    02:12:29 VBAC Bait & Switch

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

    • The Truth About VBAC™ for Families | VBAC Facts® Course for Parents
    • Schedule a consulting call with Barbara Stratton
    • Only two hospitals in state ban VBAC, Nov 27, 2005 | Archives | fredericknewspost.com
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    2 h y 15 m
  • E15 A Psychologist's Journey Navigating a Hospital VBAC Ban with Dr. Denise Jaimes-Villanueva PsyD
    May 16 2025

    What do you do when you are pregnant after a cesarean and the only hospital in your community has a VBAC ban? Come hear the story of Dr. Denise Jaimes-Villanueva PsyD of Santa Barbara, California as she shares everything she endured to avoid compulsory surgery.

    From the challenges around finding a provider in a community where the influence of the hostile VBAC climate permeated to the financial and emotional factors that influenced her decisions, she discusses the journey of processing the grief of her births, what she would do differently, and the lessons she learned along the way.

    Her story illustrates why the refrain, "just find a supportive provider or hospital" is often trite and why every hospital with a L&D unit in the US should support and offer VBAC, as the American College of OB/GYNs has explicitly stated since 2017.

    • 00:42 Welcome Denise!
    • 02:03 Her First Birth
    • 14:21 Navigating VBAC Bans
    • 24:12 Hiring Midwives to Labor at Home
    • 34:58 The Toll of Hostile Climate VBAC Planning
    • 36:46 Lessons She Learned
    • 50:18 Processing the Impact of Those Births
    • 54:40 Trusting Providers is Still Hard
    • 57:45 Her Message for Parents
    • 59:54 Her Message to Clinicians
    • 01:01:28 Her Message to Policymakers

    If you have a question about a prior episode, a topic you'd like me to feature, a guest you'd like me to interview (including yourself!), or a "VBAC win" (birth stories, policy changes, advocacy/legal victories) you'd like to share, go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast.

    • The Truth About VBAC™ for Families | VBAC Facts® Course for Parents
    • E3: "The Rules About VBAC" Part 1: A Deep Dive into US VBAC Guidelines with Jen Kamel - The VBAC Facts® Podcast - Apple Podcasts
    • E5: Autonomy, Authority, Coercion & Consent: Who Decides in Maternity Care? - The VBAC Facts® Podcast - Apple Podcasts
    • E4: “The Rules About VBAC” Part 2: A Deep Dive into US VBAC Guidelines with Jen Kamel - The VBAC Facts® Podcast - Apple Podcasts
    • "No one can force you to have a cesarean" is false | VBAC Facts®
    • Calling women who plan home VBACs "stupid" misses the point | VBAC Facts®
    • How to File a Complaint for Obstetric Violence or Mistreatment in Birth - Birth Monopoly
    • Sign up for your copy of the VBAC Planning Checklist! | VBAC Facts®
    • Consulting for Parents, Professionals, Legal & Policy Teams │ VBAC Facts®
    • Professional Speaking with Jen Kamel │ VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Top Three VBAC Myths! | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Uterine Rupture Report! | VBAC Facts®
    • VBAC Facts® Professional Membership | VBAC Facts® Continuing Education
    • Too Bad We Can't Just "Ban" Accreta-The Downstream Consequences of VBAC Bans - VBAC Facts® Article
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    1 h y 5 m
  • E14 An OB Scientist's Caution on the VBAC Calculator and Informed Consent with Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin MD PhD
    May 2 2025

    Ever use the VBAC calculator? Then you will want to listen to physician scientist and VBAC calculator researcher Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin, MD, PhD, an Associate Professor at UC San Francisco, as he reviews the historical and cultural implications of the VBAC calculator, a tool used to predict vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) odds.

    The conversation uncovers how the calculator has propagated racist assumptions that Black and Hispanic bodies are less capable of vaginal birth, the consequences of those assumptions on maternal care, and the problematic "60% threshold."

    They explore how to shift the conversation from risk-based to goal-oriented, how problems remain even after race and ethnicity were removed from the tool, recent research out of Sweden, and the fundamental ethical issues at the root of the calculator.

    The episode also addresses the concept of "controlling risk in advance," ethical implications of using surgery as a default solution, why some midwives don't use the calculator, and provides insights into future research and practices aimed at increasing equitable access to VBAC.

    02:11 His Training and Background

    09:25 How He Decided to Study the VBAC Calculator

    11:25 Is VBAC a Political Issue?

    13:38 New Limitations on Research Grants

    16:48 The Many VBAC Calculators

    20:37 How to Define Uterine Rupture

    21:45 Race as a Risk Factor

    23:28 The Power of Lived Experience in Research

    25:55 It's Not Race, It's Racism

    27:56 How Race & Racism Were Built Into the Calculator

    29:28 Race & Ethnicity Removed from the VBAC Calculator

    32:13 A New Form of Scientific Racism

    33:03 Removing Race, Problems Remain

    35:34 Response to VBAC Calculator Critique

    38:34 Reader Q: Validate Prior FTP Cesarean

    42:27 Swedish Study: 10cm FTP Diagnosis & Future VBAC Odds

    43:36 Script for Using the Calculator

    44:44 Reader Q: Psychosocial Elements of FTP

    47:07 Science Beyond VBAC Calculator Comes From Oncology!

    47:59 Calculator Contributes to Informed Consent?

    51:04 Where to Start: VBAC Calculator & Informed Consent

    54:01 Controlling Risk in Advance

    01:01:02 The Fundamental Ethical Issue

    01:03:16 The 60% Threshold

    01:08:02 The "Necessity" of The 40/41-Week Scheduled Cesarean

    01:10:28 Goal Oriented Conversations

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

    • Contribute to the VBAC Facts® BIPOC Scholarship Fund | VBAC Facts®
    • Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Calculator (MFMU)
    • Episode 6 Decoding the VBAC Calculator: Science, Bias, and Decision Making | The VBAC Facts® Podcast - Apple Podcasts
    • Study finds that VBAC calculators underpredict VBAC odds. They are also racially biased. | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the VBAC Planning Checklist! | VBAC Facts®
    • Consulting for Parents, Professionals, Legal & Policy Teams │ VBAC Facts®
    • Professional Speaking with Jen Kamel │ VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Top Three VBAC Myths! | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Uterine Rupture Report! |...
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    1 h y 15 m
  • E13 Why This OB/GYN Passionately Supports VBAC Access (And You Should Too) with Dr. Chris Stroud
    Apr 18 2025

    Heard no one supports VBAC? Simply not true. Join Dr. Chris Stroud OB/GYN of Fort Wayne, Indiana has he considers his 30 year career and shares why offering VBAC is so important to him, including his reasoning for supporting community midwives who attend home and birth center VBAC.

    We discuss the concept of "acceptable complications," which may provide some insight as to why many OBs in the United States recommend repeat cesareans for everyone regardless of their medical history, their current clinical scenario, or VBAC candidacy.

    He also shares his vulnerable and authentic reflections on being sued after a uterine rupture related fetal demise and why he continues to attend VBACs. Key topics covered include his practice's secret sauce, how working with community midwives has made him a better obstetrician, what he calls the four pillars of VBAC success, and a special message for physicians who don't attend VBAC and hospital administrators who maintain VBAC bans.

    00:00 Upcoming VBAC Facts® Events

    01:35 Join Our Email List to Learn More About VBAC

    02:16 How To Book Jen to Speak at Your Next Event

    03:01 What We Will Talk About Today

    08:24 When VBACs Were Required

    13:21 His VBAC Philosophy

    14:39 Why His Believes Offering VBAC is Important

    16:28 How He Counsels Patients on VBAC vs Repeat Cesarean

    19:19 The Concept of "Acceptable Complications"

    24:06 Avoiding VBAC Bait & Switch

    26:46 Does He Worry About VBAC Safety?

    28:27 When He Induces Planned VBACs

    30:06 What "Immediately Available" Means to Him

    31:16 Why Aren't All Hospitals Attending VBAC?

    33:53 On Not Giving Up

    35:48 Voting with Your Feet

    36:55 Administrative, Hospital, & Legal Challenges

    40:23 Don't Leave Those with Primary Cesareans in the Dust

    42:32 Questions for Non-VBAC Providers

    45:42 It's the Lawsuit

    47:37 His Practice's Secret Sauce

    50:47 On Collaborating with Community Midwives

    52:54 What He Has Learned From Community Midwives

    56:00 Longest Second Stage

    57:34 On Being Sued After a Uterine Rupture

    59:50 Processing Trauma After a Uterine Rupture & Fetal Demise

    01:03:43 On Advocating for His Patients

    01:05:47 Advice: Reversing VBAC Bans

    01:07:26 Four Pillars of VBAC Success

    01:10:16 Parents: Most Important Thing for Them to Consider

    01:11:11 A Message for Physicians Who Don't Attend VBAC

    01:12:26 Message to Hospital Administrators with VBAC Bans

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

    Music produced by (Analogue)/(prod. Analogue).

    Instagram: @prod.analogue

    Email Dr. Chris Stroud: drstroud@myfmcc.com

    • The Truth About VBAC™ for Families | VBAC Facts® Course for Parents
    • Home - International Cesarean Awareness Network - Learn more about ICAN's April 21, 2025 Q&A with Jen Kamel
    • WARM | Washington Alliance for Responsible Midwifery | Birth is the most fundamental human rights issue. Safe and successful childbirth options are the strong foundation upon which every healthy society grows. - Register for the April 24 - 26, 2025 WARM Conference in Wenatchee, Washington and attend Jen's 3 hour training, "The VBAC Imperative: How to Improve VBAC Access and Outcomes While Decreasing Litigation Risk"
    • Learn more about VBAC telemedicine with Dr Chris Stroud: Fertility & Midwifery Care Center - Fertility & Midwifery Birth...
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    1 h y 16 m
  • E12 Jen Kamel's interview on All Things Women's Health with Dr. Chris Stroud
    Apr 4 2025

    Why does VBAC access matter and how does the concept of "acceptable risk" influence how some physicians view cesarean versus VBAC complications?

    Learn that and more when VBAC Facts® Founder Jen Kamel is interviewed on "All Things Women's Health" with Dr. Chris Stroud.

    She will share the impact of her births on her life, what it was like to experience a contraction for the first time, why it is so important for people to have access to VBAC after one cesarean, and her favorite VBAC myth.

    They also discuss recovery from a cesarean versus a vaginal birth, how shifts in physician employment can impact VBAC access, as well as what makes a cesarean hysterectomy different than a hysterectomy in the absence of pregnancy.

    Plus, Jen responds to some reader comments on episode 11 where we discussed a community's 10 year fight against a VBAC ban. This episode provides valuable insights for parents, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in women's health and birthing options.

    • 01:26 Reader Comments: Episode 11
    • 11:07 Dr. Chris Stroud introduces Jen
    • 13:38 Jen's Story
    • 17:17 Baby is Transverse, What Now?
    • 24:12 The Time Before Social Media
    • 25:15 VBAC vs. Cesarean Postpartum
    • 26:50 Abdominal Hysterectomy vs. C-Section
    • 28:37 Why Jen Founded VBAC Facts®
    • 31:40 "Acceptable Risk"
    • 36:56 Getting into Medical Research
    • 43:43 Misquoting Research
    • 47:03 One Prior Cesarean is Not High Risk
    • 47:46 Why Does Birth Experience Matter?
    • 53:08 Transformation Through Birth
    • 54:36 Where is VBAC Headed?
    • 56:40 Shift of Physician Employment
    • 01:02:48 What is a C-Section Hysterectomy?
    • 01:05:34 Pregnant After One Cesarean? This is Your Best Shot
    • 01:10:16 Favorite VBAC Myth
    • 01:12:22 Advice for Parents, Nurses, and Providers

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

    Music produced by (Analogue)/(prod. Analogue).

    Instagram: @prod.analogue

    • E7 40+ VBAC Myths Busted! Plus Hospital VBA2C After Uterine Defect - The VBAC Facts® Podcast - Apple Podcasts
    • "Three times the risk?:" What the large Canadian VBAC study really says | VBAC Facts®
    • 13 persistent myths about vaginal birth after cesarean | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the VBAC Planning Checklist! | VBAC Facts®
    • Consulting for Parents, Professionals, Legal & Policy Teams │ VBAC Facts®
    • Professional Speaking with Jen Kamel │ VBAC Facts®
    • International Cesarean Awareness Network
    • Sign up for your copy of the Top Three VBAC Myths! | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Uterine Rupture Report! | VBAC Facts®
    • The Truth About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean™ for Families | VBAC Facts® Educational Course for Parents
    • VBAC Facts® Professional Membership | VBAC Facts® Continuing Education
    • Vaginal birth after two cesareans (VBA2C): An overview of the evidence...
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    1 h y 16 m
  • E11 A Community’s 10 Year Fight Against a Hospital VBAC Ban with Anastasia Stone
    Mar 21 2025

    What do you do when your local hospital bans vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and leads people to believe that their only option there is a repeat cesarean? What about when they start to withhold pain relief to anyone who "insists" on laboring after a cesarean? When this happened in Santa Barbara, California, local activists and mothers took action. Come learn what is possible when you know the facts, know your rights, don't comply and be persistent. It's a lesson from a small beachy town that can be applied to so many other social issues. Sit down with VBAC Facts® Founder Jen Kamel and birth activist Anastasia Stone as Anastasia shares her community's 10 year journey to reverse a VBAC ban and ensure everyone had access to respectful, evidence based care. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

    • 01:56 How She Got Involved with Birth Work
    • 02:50 Creating Relationships, Building Bridges
    • 06:56 "Everyone Gets an Epidural." Why?
    • 11:03 The Hospital Banned VBAC Because...
    • 11:58 Educate the Community
    • 18:02 Refusing a Cesarean at a VBAC Ban Hospital
    • 19:31 Pushback: Denying People Epidurals
    • 27:30 Most Effective Strategies
    • 31:53 Free Resources
    • 32:47 Biggest Challenges
    • 36:35 When the VBAC Ban was Reversed
    • 38:25 What Every Provider Should Do
    • 40:33 The Worst Place to Labor
    • 41:23 "Just Find Another Provider?"
    • 43:28 Research on Provider Preference
    • 45:25 "But My Doctor Won't Let Me"
    • 47:50 "Wow, Something's Got to Change"
    • 50:49 What She Wishes She Knew at the Beginning
    • 52:16 Our Kids Are Watching Us
    • 53:53 Know Your Sphere of Influence
    • 56:17 Advice for Reversing VBAC Bans
    • 57:58 What Birth Professionals Should Know About Reversing VBAC Bans

    Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

    Music produced by (Analogue)/(prod. Analogue).

    Instagram: @prod.analogue

    • The Truth About VBAC™ for Families | VBAC Facts® Course for Parents
    • Sign up for your copy of the VBAC Planning Checklist! | VBAC Facts®
    • Consulting for Parents, Professionals, Legal & Policy Teams │ VBAC Facts®
    • Professional Speaking with Jen Kamel │ VBAC Facts®
    • Metz (2013). How do good candidates for trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) who undergo elective repeat cesarean differ from those who choose TOLAC? American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology - PubMed
    • Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Reverses Stance on VBACs, July 14, 2022 - The Santa Barbara Independent
    • Protest Over Cottage Hospital's VBAC Ban, March 19, 2017 - The Santa Barbara Independent
    • International Cesarean Awareness Network
    • Sign up for your copy of the Top Three VBAC Myths! | VBAC Facts®
    • Sign up for your copy of the Uterine Rupture Report! | VBAC Facts®
    • VBAC Facts® Professional Membership | VBAC...
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    1 h