#359 | When VBAC Comes with Medical Assault: Abby's Birth Story

#359 | When VBAC Comes with Medical Assault: Abby's Birth Story

From Down to Birth by Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig

March 18, 2026 · 49 min · Season 7 · Episode 359

About this episode

Abby shares her VBAC birth story and the challenges she faced with provider behavior during labor and delivery.

In this episode, Abby shares her VBAC birth story following an emergency cesarean. Determined to experience a vaginal birth, she prepared carefully while navigating limited provider options in Alabama. What unfolded during labor and delivery underscores how provider behavior, rather than maternal physiology, often determines birth outcomes. Abby describes how a manual vaginal extraction caused a nearly catastrophic fourth-degree tear, requiring three subsequent surgeries in the months that fo...

People in this episode

Guest: Abby

Topics covered

  • VBAC
  • birth story
  • emergency cesarean
  • provider behavior
  • maternal health

Keywords

  • vaginal birth
  • birth outcomes
  • fourth-degree tear
  • surgery

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Alabama

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