Australian VBAC Stories

In today's episode, we welcome Rose, whose journey through birth and motherhood has taken her from an unexpected caesarean and traumatic separation from her first baby to a deeply empowering homebirth after caesarean.

This conversation actually began as an interview for The Motherwhelm podcast, where Rose and Bronwyn sat down to talk about her broader experience of motherhood. But as our conversation unfolded and I heard her birth s...

In today's episode, we welcome Ange who, as a homebirth midwife, had dreamed of birthing at home since she was a 21-year-old midwifery student. Ten years later, that dream was finally within reach, until she experienced unexpected transfer and emergency caesarean for fetal distress.

In this deeply moving episode, Ange shares how her first birth challenged not only her expectations but also her identity as a midwife. Although she kne...

In this episode, we hear from Emma, whose first birth began unexpectedly when her waters broke at just 35 weeks. Living with a rare uterine anomaly (uterus didelphys), a breech baby, and gestational diabetes, she found herself navigating a rapidly unfolding labour alongside a healthcare team that left her feeling unheard at one of the most vulnerable moments of her life.

Despite repeatedly asking questions and trying to understand h...

In this episode we hear from Maddi who shares her incredible journey through three very different births and the lessons she learned along the way.

After a positive first birth in hospital where Maddi used hypnobirthing and had a vaginal birth, she planned a homebirth with a privately practising midwife for her second. Her pregnancy took an unexpected turn when Maddi was diagnosed with placenta previa leading to a caesarean birth, t...

In this episode of Australian VBAC Stories, we are joined by Rena, a mother of two from East Gippsland, Victoria.

After a traumatic induction, emergency caesarean birth, severe postpartum infection, and postnatal depression with her first daughter, Rena knew she wanted a different experience for her next birth.

In this episode, she shares her journey towards a planned VBAC, including years of research, choosing continuity of care wit...

In this episode, we hear from Mikaela - a wife, mother to three girls, Christian birth doula and childbirth educator in QLD - as shares the story of her three very different births: from a traumatic emergency caesarean at 32 weeks after developing HELLP syndrome, preeclampsia and cholestasis, through to two hard-won VBACs in the years that followed.

She speaks candidly about birth trauma, PTSD, NICU and special care experiences, nav...

In this episode, Fiona shares the story of her first birth, a pregnancy that quickly shifted from low-risk to highly medicalised following the discovery of her son’s omphalocele. What began as a planned physiological birth became a scheduled caesarean at 39 weeks, followed by a NICU stay, complications following mistakes from medical staff, delayed surgery, and a challenging introduction to motherhood.

Fiona speaks candidly ab...

In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her journey from a breech caesarean to a VBAC that, on paper, had almost everything people fear: induction, fetal distress, instrumental birth, retained placenta, postpartum haemorrhage...

And yet, her story is not one of fear or trauma.

Taylor speaks about what it felt like to be informed, make decisions in real time, and hold her ground when it mattered. But also when to shift when it fel...

In this special episode of Australian VBAC Stories, co-host Katelyn, doula and VBAC educator, openly shares the story of her three daughters’ births, and the many ways they’ve shaped who she is today.

Her first pregnancy was incredibly challenging. She found herself in a private care model that didn’t feel aligned, facing repeated pressure around sweeps and induction. Her labour became intense and overwhelming, wit...

In this episode, we’re sharing something a little different in honour of Caesarean Awareness Month.

Zoe joins us to reflect on the birth of her first baby: a journey that began with a deeply intentional plan for a homebirth and unfolded into a caesarean after a long, steady labour at home. This isn’t a VBAC story (yet), but a story from the in-between... the space where many women find themselves after a caesarean, holdi...

Australian VBAC Stories are back! And we've got a cracker of a VBAC story for you... In celebration of Multiple Birth Awareness Week, Katelyn speaks with Brooke who shares her amazing TWIN VBAC story!

Brooke’s first birth ended in an emergency caesarean after a breech diagnosis and a series of interventions that ultimately left her feeling disempowered and separated from her baby in those early hours. Despite having strong bir...

In this episode, we speak with Josi, who shares her experiences across four pregnancies from a breech caesarean, to an unexpected twin pregnancy complicated by HELLP syndrome, to finally planning and achieving a VBA2C.

Josi walks us through her first birth after moving from Germany, navigating an unfamiliar maternity system, an unsuccessful and painful ECV, and an overall positive planned caesarean, somewhat initially complicated by...

In this episode, we speak with Courtney about how she reclaimed/found her power with her powerful VBAC after a previously traumatic, preterm birth experience.

Courtney shares openly about the emotional aftermath of her first birth, which involved a preterm labour and eventually a caesarean, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. Determined to approach her next pregnancy differently, she immersed herself in learning, sough...

In this episode, we speak with Tori about how a broken leg at 32 weeks changed the course of her first birth, and shaped the way she approached her VBAC.

Tori had hoped for a straightforward first birth, but a series of cascading events starting with breaking her leg and ending with a premature, face presenting baby at full dilation saw to it that she had anything but. After a traumatic caesarean and being labelled 'not suitable for...

In this episode of Australian VBAC Stories, we meet Ashleigh Rajan, a registered nurse, mother of four, and passionate advocate for informed birth choices. Ashleigh’s path to VBAC was shaped by four very different birth experiences – from her first birth as a young mother navigating the unknown, to her second birth via an elective caesarean, and finally to her empowering VBACs with her third and fourth children.Ashleigh...

In this inspiring episode of Australian VBAC Stories we chat with Imogen, a mum of two, currently expecting her third baby, who shares the journey of her beautifully redemptive VBAC birth. After a difficult first birth that started with an induction at 41+6, Imogen found herself overwhelmed by an intense labour. Despite planning for a natural, hospital birth with the support of a private midwife, she was unprepared for how quickly ...

In this powerful episode we hear from Jessica Tabb, a mum of two boys from the Hawkesbury, who shares a deeply reflective and empowering journey to her vaginal birth after caesarean. Jessica’s story is one of navigating uncertainty, learning to trust her body, and overcoming the emotional residue of a first birth that didn’t go to plan.

Jessica’s first birth started with her waters breaking, resulted in an augmenta...

In this episode we hear from Kira, a thoughtful and articulate mum who shares her powerful VBAC journey after a previous caesarean. Kira’s story is a beautiful reminder that an empowering vaginal birth after caesarean is possible, even when it involves induction and an epidural.

She speaks candidly about her first birth which resulted in a caesarean and left her feeling disempowered and unheard. Determined to approach her seco...

In this episode, Georgia speaks with Emily, who shares her two contrasting birth stories with honesty, insight, and strength. Emily’s first birth, a planned hospital birth during COVID, took an unexpected turn following a gestational diabetes diagnosis, loss of continuity of care (MGP) in the last weeks of pregnancy, and a challenging, prodromal labour with posterior baby that ended in a caesarean section. She candidly reflec...