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 with a private midwife, navigating hospital policies, and learning how to advocate for herself when faced with resistance during labour.

Rena's story is one of resilience, determination, and discovering the power of her own voice. Her VBAC wasn't just a different birth experience, it was a transformative experience that left her feeling stronger, more confident, and deeply trusting of herself.

Rena lives in East Gippsland with her husband Kyle and their daughters, Vana and Freya, where they are building an off-grid home and creating a simple, grounded life together.

A special thank you from Rena to her midwife Megan from The Village Way Gippsland, whose calm presence, knowledge, and trust in birth helped her feel truly seen, heard, and supported throughout her journey. And to her husband Kyle, whose unwavering support and belief in her never faltered.

Rena hopes that by sharing her story, other women planning a VBAC feel empowered to trust themselves, ask questions, and advocate for the birth experience they deserve.

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 about navigating intensive surveillance, advocating within a tertiary hospital system, and the impact of early separation from her baby. She reflects on postpartum anxiety, the work it took to establish breastfeeding after a complex start, and the gradual rebuilding of trust in her own instincts as a mother.

As she began considering another baby, Fiona found herself questioning not only specific interventions, but the structure of maternity care itself. In her second pregnancy, she chose a very different path. She declined routine scans and clinical antenatal care, enjoying a wild pregnancy, ultimately stepping well outside conventional systems of care.

This is a story about autonomy and reclaiming power, the story of a woman making deeply considered decisions for herself and her family. Fiona’s journey speaks to the central theme that runs through all of our conversations here: that informed choice is critical.

We invite you to listen with curiosity as Fiona shares what led her to make the decisions she did, and how those experiences shaped her understanding of birth, risk, and trust in her own body.

Fiona would love to express immense gratitude for her doula, Sam @samanthagunndoula during her first pregnancy and postpartum and the incredible support she received from Kellee @earthaunty during her wild pregnancy and free birth.

Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love to rate or review, and tell your friends!

If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:

PANDA https://panda.org.au/

Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/

COPE Australia https://www.cope.org.au/

If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:

Maternity Choices Australia https://www.maternitychoices.org/

Maternity Consumer Network https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/

Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.

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 felt necessary.

There’s a thread running through this conversation that so many women need to hear:

It wasn’t the absence of intervention that made this birth feel positive. It was the presence of choice.

We also talk about:

– navigating pregnancy after loss and the weight that brings

– the deep dive so many women go on when planning a VBAC

– advocating for yourself in a system that doesn’t always expect it

– how “risk” isn’t one-size-fits-all

– and why knowing your options changes everything

This is one of those brilliant stories that challenges the idea that a “good birth” has to look a certain way.

Because sometimes, everything can go “wrong”, and still be empowering. When women's choices are respected and decisions are made by them and not for them, it can still be incredible.

Taylor shares:

"I have experienced two very different births that I look at positively, despite some complications.

I planned for my VBAC for many years and although I was equipped with as much knowledge as possible, my baby had other ideas. A great reminder that we can only control so much when it comes to birth.

I love all things pregnancy and birth and enjoy sharing birth stories with other women.

I hope to empower other women with my story so that ‘intervention’ doesn’t always needs to be looked upon as negative or related to trauma.

The power of informed consent cannot be understated. "

🎧 Listen now via the link in bio or wherever you get your podcasts

Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love to rate or review, and tell your friends!

If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:

PANDA https://panda.org.au/

Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/

COPE Australia https://www.cope.org.au/

If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:

Maternity Choices Australia https://www.maternitychoices.org/

Maternity Consumer Network https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/

Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.