The VBAC I Had to Demand

My Birth Story: From Loss of Choice to Empowerment

The First Birth

My first pregnancy came after a period of trying. Partway through, I had to switch to a new doctor, and I chose an experienced family physician I trusted completely. I'd told her clearly that I wanted a vaginal birth, but I missed a few red flags at her clinic. She had me delivered at a corporate hospital, and I was pushed into an unnecessary cesarean without ever getting the chance to go into labor. I wasn't prepared for it, and it took me months to come to terms with feeling robbed of the chance to experience birth the way I'd hoped to.

Finding a Different Path

"Not all doctors wish for your best. They have a management to answer to."

I waited two years before my second pregnancy, wanting to try a VBAC. A friend pointed me to Dr. Marlen at Bloom's Clinic, a VBAC and natural birth specialist, and every consultation with her felt like a revelation — I hadn't known this level of care was even possible. Despite carrying real emotional baggage from the first birth, I continued to work towards my second delivery — my doctor, a physiotherapist/ doula kept a close watch on my nutrition, exercise, and biomarkers throughout.

Preparing for a VBAC

The clinic helped me combine medical care with natural preparation: perineal massage, chiropractic work, acupuncture, moxibustion, and homeopathy. Each visit helped increase confidence on my body, the support system, and the process itself. By 39 weeks, I was cleared for a water birth.

The Birth Itself

Two days before my due date, labor started naturally — my water broke at home at 2 a.m. By the time I reached the hospital, I was already well into dilation, and I delivered within seven hours. It was the most beautiful, empowering experience of my life: a big team in the room supporting me, an anesthesiologist on call for emergencies, and I felt completely safe. My husband was with me the whole time, and this time I could use the golden hour fully to start feeding — something the cesarean had taken from me before. It healed something in me that the first birth had left broken.