Episode

Episode 449 NICU Nurse Rachel's VBAC Story + Personal & Secondhand Trauma

Podcast
The VBAC Link
Published
Mar 25, 2026
Duration seconds
4348
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://thevbaclink.com/
Audio
https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/9209c349-0d27-4829-9a83-b66c1b58bf07/stream.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/the-vbac-link-743493/episodes/episode-449-nicu-nurse-rachel-s-vbac-story-personal-secondhand-trauma
Markdown
/podcast/the-vbac-link-743493/episode-449-nicu-nurse-rachel-s-vbac-story-personal-secondhand-trauma.md

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Summary

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 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands