REPLAY: EBB 253 – Preparing for a 38-week Labor Induction due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction with Leah Bergman, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate
Evidence Based Birth®
What happens when your carefully planned, low-intervention birth transforms into something entirely unexpected? In this replay episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker revisits her conversation with Leah Bergman, a graduate of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, and her birth story of navigating a surprise diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (sometimes called intrauterine growth restriction or IUGR) in late pregnancy. Together, they unpack the emotional rollercoaster of changing birth plans, wrestling with uncertainty, and making tough decisions around induction while still finding space for...
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EBB 397 - Words of Wisdom about Birth that Can Bring You a Sense of Calm and Peace
Evidence Based Birth®
Pregnancy and birth don't require perfection to be empowering. In this solo episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker shares share five life lessons she’s learned over 14 years as a nurse, mother, and founder of Evidence Based Birth. She offers grounding guidance for navigating pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood with more trust, self-compassion, and calm. This episode centers on the idea that you don’t have to know everything to have a positive birth experience. Instead, Dr. Dekker explores how building a supportive team, staying connected to your body, and focusing on what you can control can...
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EBB 396 - Inequities in VBAC Access with Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin, MD, PhD
Evidence Based Birth®
The evidence shows that vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe option for many families, but it’s still frequently inaccessible to them. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin discuss the systemic barriers that limit families’ opportunities to choose a VBAC. They explore how hospital policies, outdated guidelines, and clinical tools like the VBAC calculator have shaped who’s a “good candidate” and who is not. Dr. Rubashkin also shares insights from his research on inequities in maternity care, including how race-adjusted algorithms reinforce...
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Induction Bootcamp Coming Soon
Evidence Based Birth®
Learn more about EBB's upcoming Induction Bootcamp on Tuesday, April 28 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM EDT. To save your seat or access the replay, join the EBB Pro Membership for just $39 for your first 30 days: .
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EBB 395 - Postpartum Practices from African American Traditions with Shafia Monroe, Midwife and Author of Mothering the Mother
Evidence Based Birth®
Postpartum care wasn’t always rushed, clinical, or isolating. In many African-American communities, the weeks after birth were treated as sacred time where families and communities gathered to care for the mother so she could focus on caring for her baby. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with renowned midwife, cultural historian, and author Shafia Monroe about the traditions documented in her new book Mothering the Mother: African-American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes, and Healing. Mama Shafia shares how historically rooted postpartum practices—from the 42-day...
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REPLAY: EBB 357 - Making Decisions about Elective Induction of Labor with Dr. Ann Peralta & Kari Radoff, CNM, from Partner to Decide
Evidence Based Birth®
Every pregnant person deserves the information and support they need to make truly informed decisions about labor induction. In this encore episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Dr. Ann Peralta and Kari Radoff, CNM, the co-creators of Partner to Decide, a nonprofit improving decision-making in perinatal care. They discuss their free, multilingual decision aid that helps families understand their options around routine induction of labor and empowers them to advocate for their own values, preferences, and autonomy. Ann shares how her own birth experience, shaped by access to education and...
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EBB 394 - Team EBB's Stance on AI in our Workplace
Evidence Based Birth®
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people search for information, including how families learn about pregnancy and birth. As this technology grows, it raises important questions about accuracy, ethics, and the role of human expertise in healthcare information. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire share a behind-the-scenes look at how Evidence Based Birth® developed its own AI policies. They discuss concerns about misinformation, bias, privacy, and environmental impact, as well as the potential effects on critical thinking and human connection. ...
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EBB 393 - Evidence on Inducing at 41 Weeks or Later
Evidence Based Birth®
At the 41-week mark in pregnancy, conversations and decisions about induction can start to feel more urgent and complex. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire share why the 41st week has become such a focus in maternity care and what the evidence actually says about induction at this milestone. They discuss elective induction versus expectant management and key findings from major studies like the INDEX and SWEPIS trials. They also talk through potential benefits and risks, including changes in stillbirth risk, newborn outcomes, and maternal experiences. ...
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EBB 392 - Enduring a 54-Hour Long Induction for Preeclampsia with Paige Wener and Kevin Booth, Graduates of the EBB Childbirth Class
Evidence Based Birth®
EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Paige Wener and Kevin Booth hoped for a low-intervention water birth at their midwife-led birth center in rural Vermont. But at 38 weeks and 6 days, a routine prenatal visit led to a surprise diagnosis of preeclampsia and recommendation for induction. In this episode, Paige and Kevin share the story of their 54-hour induction, including misoprostol, a Cook catheter, Pitocin, and eventually an epidural after more than a day of labor, with Kevin supporting Paige with counterpressure, movement, and comfort measures along the way. Paige also shares about recovering...
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EBB 391 - Electronic Fetal Monitoring Advocacy Tips with Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, OB/GYN and Author of The Birth Book
Evidence Based Birth®
Electronic fetal monitoring is one of the most common interventions in hospital birth, but it's also one of the least understood. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Lincoln about what continuous electronic fetal monitoring actually does, what the research says, and why it became such a routine part of labor care in the first place. With recent media attention shining a spotlight on this technology, they break down the history, the evidence, and the real-world pressures that shape how it’s used today. Learn why continuous monitoring can increase...
info_outlineIn this episode, I am excited to share the evidence on vaginal birth after Cesarean, or VBAC. We have received many requests at Evidence Based Birth to cover this topic, so I want to share with you the information on VBAC that I present in a class we teach in the EBB Higher Ed program.
In this podcast, I define some common terms related to VBAC and talk about the history of the procedure. By the end, you will have the facts on the prevalence and risk factors for uterine rupture, and you’ll understand some of the maternal, fetal, and newborn risks of VBAC, elective repeat Cesarean, and Cesarean birth after Cesarean.
For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.
RESOURCES:
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/ Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (2018). Placenta accreta spectrum. Obstetric Care Consensus No. 7. Obstet Gynecol, 132, e259-275. Click here. Free full text!
- Bujold, E., Goyet, M., Marcoux, S., et al. (2010). The role of uterine closure in the risk of uterine rupture. Obstet Gynecol, 116(1), 43-50.
- Carlton Fagerberg, M. and Källén, K. (2019). Third trimester prediction of successful vaginal birth after one cesarean delivery - a Swedish model. Acts Obstet Gynecol Scand. (Epub ahead of print.] Click here.
- Grobman, W. A., Lai, Y., Landon, M. B., et al. (2007). Development of a nomogram for prediction of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. Obstet Gynecol, 109, 806. Click here.
- VBAC calculator for use at first prenatal visit: https://mfmunetwork.bsc.gwu.edu/PublicBSC/MFMU/VGBirthCalc/vagbirth.html\
- Guise, J.-M., Eden, K., Emeis, C., et al. (2010). Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: New Insights. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No.191. (Prepared by the Oregon Health & Science University Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10057-I). AHRQ Publication No. 10-E003. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Click here. Free full text!
- Landon, M. B., Hauth, J. C., Leveno, K. J. et al. (2004). Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes Associated with a Trial of Labor after Prior Cesarean Delivery. N Engl J Med, 351, 258-2589. Click here. Free full text!
- Landon, M. B., Grobman, W. A. and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal–Fetal Medicine Units Network (2016). What We Have Learned About Trial of Labor After Cesarean Delivery from the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Cesarean Registry. Seminars in perinatology, 40(5), 281–286. Click here. Free full text!
- Metz, T. D., Stoddard, G. J., Henry, E., et al. (2013). Simple, validated vaginal birth after cesarean delivery prediction model for use at the time of admission. Obstet Gynecol, 122, 571. Click here. Free full text!
- VBAC calculator for use at time of admission for birth: https://mfmunetwork.bsc.gwu.edu/PublicBSC/MFMU/VGBirthCalc/vagbrth2.html
- Sandall, J., Tribe, R. M., Avery, L., et al. (2018). Short-term and long-term effects of caesarean section on the health of women and children. Lancet, 392(10155), 1349-1357. Click here.
- Silver, R. M., Landon, M. B., Rouse, D. J., et al. (2006). Maternal morbidity associated with multiple repeat cesarean deliveries. Obstet Gynecol, 107(6), 1226-1232. Click here.
- Smith, G. C. S., Pell, J. P., Cameron, A. D., et al. (2002). Risk of Perinatal Death Associated With Labor After Previous Cesarean Delivery in Uncomplicated Term Pregnancies. JAMA, 287(20), 2684–2690. Click here. Free full text!
- Vlemminx, M. W., de Lau, H. and Oei, S. G. (2017). Tocogram characteristics of uterine rupture: a systematic review. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 295(1), 17–26. Click here. Free full text!
- Access the International Cesarean Awareness Network’s "Terminology: What is a CBAC?” here.
- Visit VBAC Facts here.
- Visit ICAN here.
- See the Association of Ontario Midwives Clinical Guidelines Statement on Vaginal Birth After Previous Low-Segment Cesarean Section here.
- Get the Association of Ontario Midwives handout, Thinking About VBAC: What’s Right for Me, here.
- Get information on VBAC from Power to Push here (http://www.powertopush.ca/birth-options/types-of-birth/vaginal-birth-after-cesarean/).
- Click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-skin-to-skin-care-after-a-cesarean/) for the Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article, The Evidence on: Skin to Skin Care After Cesarean.