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In a recent episode of Healthful Woman, Dr. Nathan Fox interviews Meagan Heaton, co-founder and host of The VBAC Link, a podcast dedicated to providing information and support for women considering Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Meagan, a mother and doula who has experienced both cesarean and VBAC births, brings her experiences and story to the Healthful Woman podcast.

Meagan’s Story

During Meagan’s first birth, she stayed up to date and was educated through apps and online information. Trusting her doctors during labor led her to a c-section. Meagan states, “12 hours into my labor, I was told that I probably couldn’t do it, and my baby wouldn’t come out, and I had my beautiful baby girl via cesarean.” At this time, her water had been broken for 12 hours, she didn’t have an infection, the baby was doing great, and she had dilated to a three. In the reports, the doctors stated failure to progress and diagnosed her with a CPD on my op reports. At the time they didn’t say that her pelvis was too small; they just put it in her OP reports. Meagan states, “And it wasn’t necessarily traumatic by any means; it was just not what I desired, and it was very different, right? Not what I expected birth to look like. Again, I didn’t have much education, so I don’t know what I expected; it just wasn’t that.”

Meagan’s Motivation

After her first unexpected c-section, she was motivated to look at other labor options when she and her partner were trying for their second child. During her second pregnancy, she became curious about finding another doctor and ended up going into labor at 38 weeks and four days. After 10 hours of slowly laboring, Meagan was one centimeter and started begging for Pitocin. The provider said, “No, you can’t. It’s a contraindication; we can’t do Pitocin with a VBAC.” They then told Meagan it was time to prep for a c-section. After an hour, Meagan agreed to another c-section and gave birth. While still in the hospital, Meagan began researching how to become a doula and signed up before their hospital release.

Meagan’s Successful VBAC

After recognizing her vital goal to have a VBAC, Meagan reviewed her OP reports and began discussing her goal with different doctors to see who aligned with her dream of VBAC. After finding the right OB/GYN and hospital, Meagan enjoyed her third pregnancy. “My water broke, just like my last two, early on, annoying, but we did it. We did it. I had a beautiful VBAC, and I really didn’t have any complications or tearing, and so it worked out in, like, the best way possible.” This shows the importance of preparing for different forms of labor, setting goals, and finding the right doctor that supports similar goals.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about VBAC, listen to The VBAC Link and the entire episode with Meagan on the Healthful Woman podcast. For more information on VBAC, contact Carnegie Imaging for Women today.

Carnegie Imaging for Women blogs are intended for educational purposes only and do not replace certified professional care. Medical conditions vary and change frequently. Please ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding your condition to receive a proper diagnosis or risk analysis. Thank you!