Episode 278 Rebecca's CBAC + What To Do With a Swollen Cervix

We love hearing stories of how our Women of Strength navigate birth in an empowered way, no matter the outcome. Rebecca’s story shows how she carefully selected the most supportive homebirth midwife, created a safe birth space in her home, labored hard and beautifully with her husband, took time to process information, assessed her situation, and consented to her second Cesarean when the time felt right to her.  Meagan also talks about the different types of positioning and some signs that your baby might be in a less-than-ideal position. Rebecca and Meagan discuss tips and tricks to help prevent a swollen cervix and what options you have if that happens to you! Additional Links Needed Website How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for Parents Full Transcript under Episode Details  Timestamp Topics 01:54 Review of the Week 04:31 Rebecca’s first pregnancy 07:25 Consenting to an unexpected C-section for breech presentation 8:53 Fertility Fridays 11:02 Sparked interest in VBAC and getting pregnant again 13:53 Planning for a HBAC 18:00 Tachycardia and GBS positive 21:27 Early labor 24:18 Calling the team 30:10 Laboring through the night 39:02 Making the decision to transfer 44:53 Consenting to a C-section 46:43 Tips for when things don’t go as planned 50:43 Signs of wonky positioning 53:31 What to do 57:00 Why you shouldn’t skip the repeat Cesarean stories Meagan: Hello, hello. It is Meagan with another amazing story on The VBAC Link podcast. Thank you so much for listening to us, you guys. I love this community. I know I talk about it. I know it’s weird that I don’t even know you, but I love you. I love you so much and I’m so glad that you are here with us today.  We have our guest today from, let’s see, Virginia. I think it’s Virginia. That’s what my mind is saying.  Rebecca: Yep.  Meagan: This is Rebecca, so welcome, Rebecca.  Rebecca: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I’m really excited.  Meagan: Absolutely. Me too. Her story, you guys, today is a repeat Cesarean story so if you didn’t know on The VBAC Link, we do share repeat Cesarean stories because they are important to share as well. I’m excited for you to share more about your story and we’re going to talk a little bit about swelling of the cervix at the end of this episode because this is something that we see and is a little bit of a part of your story.  01:54 Review of the Week Before we dive into the story and all of the things, we of course want to share a Review of the Week. This review is from shotsie3 and it says, “Amazing is not a strong enough word.” That is really awesome. I love that.  It says, “I cannot say enough good things about The VBAC Link. Listening to this podcast not only saved my mental health but gave me the knowledge and confidence to take control of my second pregnancy. After my home birth turned into a hospital transfer and Cesarean with my first child, I felt broken. When I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant just 7 months postpartum, I felt scared and lost. I was afraid of failing again and doubted my body’s ability to birth naturally, but I knew I absolutely could not have another Cesarean so I started obsessively researching VBAC. That’s when I found The VBAC Link. I’ve been binging episodes ever since. Listening to these stories has been incredible. Each episode is like giving a shot of confidence into the arm.”  Oh, I love that. A shot of confidence into the arm. We’re giving you guys a little vaccine of confidence.  It says, “Both my midwives and doulas have commented on how far my mental prep has come and I know it’s all thanks to The VBAC Link. Julie and Meagan have given me lots of tools and resources to control my birth.”  I love that. Control your birth.  “I am now looking forward to welcoming my second child via HBAC in just five short weeks. I want to shout it from the rooftop, ‘EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO THE VBAC LINK!’” This review was a li