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.

Rachel talks about some tough things she’s seen as a NICU nurse and how trauma can show up secondhand. She shares why it’s so important to process those experiences, and how she uses them to be a more compassionate caregiver.

We also talk about what it means to truly be informed during birth. It matters so much to be humanized in those moments, to be talked to and included in decisions as they’re happening instead of being told after the fact.

As she prepared for her VBAC, Rachel focused on evidence based care, setting clear boundaries, and building a supportive team around her. We talk about how physiological birth can still be supported in a hospital setting, practical prep like the role of Webster certified chiropractic care, and why partners need time and space to process birth too.

Rachel also shares what it was like to have the same doula for both her cesarean and her VBAC and how that support made a difference, not just during birth but in processing everything afterward. Her story is such a good reminder that healing is possible, support matters, and you deserve to feel seen, heard, and respected every step of the way.

Keywords: VBAC after traumatic C-section, NICU nurse VBAC story, informed consent

VBAC Certified Doula Finder

The VBAC Link Supportive Provider List

The Evidence on Dates

The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents

Online VBAC Doula Training

Submit Your VBAC/CBAC Story

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 sit down to talk about everything you can do before conception and during pregnancy to prepare for an empowering VBAC or repeat cesarean. Scar mobilization, acupuncture, therapy, Webster-certified chiropractic care, what books to read, how to find the right doula, choosing your birth location & team, finances, nutrition, processing trauma, positioning, and so much more.

Comment on this episode and let us know what you did to prepare that we missed!

ALL THE LINKS:

How to Find a Truly Supportive Provider

Signs It's Time to Switch Your Provider

Deciding Home vs Hospital Birth

Choosing VBAC or Repeat C-section

Episode 119 Pelvic Movement in Pregnancy and Birth With Gina Conley

Episode 160 Everything Left Unsaid

Episode 386 Dr. Stu Fischbein & Midwife Blyss Young

Our Favorite Books

VBAC Certified Doula Finder

The VBAC Link Supportive Provider List

The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents

Online VBAC Doula Training

Submit Your VBAC/CBAC Story

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 own birth stories from her unexpected c-section to her two induced VBACs and the differences in her breastfeeding experiences.

She also shares practical tools like prenatal hand expression, what to do if you’re separated from your baby after birth or how to navigate NICU time, and how the hormones of breastfeeding support bonding and milk production. We talk about the differences women often experience when breastfeeding after a cesarean versus a VBAC, and how preparation and support can make all the difference.

Angela also breaks down the differences between IBCLCs, lactation nurses, and CLCs, and what it takes to become an IBCLC, the highest level of lactation certification.

And if your first breastfeeding experience didn’t go the way you hoped, Angela shares ways to reset and set yourself up for a more supported journey this time around.

Most importantly, this episode sends love to every parent listening. However you birth your baby, your experience matters. One path isn’t superior to another. You’ve got options, you’ve got the TVL team cheering for you, and now, you’ve got Angela in your corner too!

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Motherhood Untamed Lactation with Angela Das, IBCLC, CLC, CNPE

VBAC Certified Doula Finder

The VBAC Link Supportive Provider List

The Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents

Online VBAC Doula Training

Submit Your VBAC/CBAC Story