In the latest episode of The VBAC Facts® Podcast, Dr. Chris Stroud OB/GYN of Fort Wayne, Indiana considers his 30 year career and shares why offering VBAC is so important to him, including his reasoning for supporting community midwives who attend home and birth center VBAC. We discuss the concept of “acceptable complications,” which may provide some insight as to why many OBs in the United States recommend repeat cesareans for everyone regardless of their medical history, their current clinical scenario, or VBAC candidacy. He also shares his vulnerable and authentic reflections on being sued after a uterine rupture related fetal demise and why he continues to attend VBACs. Key topics covered include his practice’s secret sauce, how working with community midwives has made him a better obstetrician, what he calls the four pillars of VBAC success, and a special message for physicians who don’t attend VBAC and hospital administrators who maintain VBAC bans.

00:00 Upcoming VBAC Facts® Events

01:35 Join Our Email List to Learn More About VBAC

02:16 How To Book Jen to Speak at Your Next Event

03:01 What We Will Talk About Today

08:24 When VBACs Were Required

13:21 His VBAC Philosophy

14:39 Why His Believes Offering VBAC is Important

16:28 How He Counsels Patients on VBAC vs Repeat Cesarean

19:19 The Concept of “Acceptable Complications”

24:06 Avoiding VBAC Bait & Switch

26:46 Does He Worry About VBAC Safety?

28:27 When He Induces Planned VBACs

30:06 What “Immediately Available” Means to Him

31:16 Why Aren’t All Hospitals Attending VBAC?

33:53 On Not Giving Up

35:48 Voting with Your Feet

36:55 Administrative, Hospital, & Legal Challenges

40:23 Don’t Leave Those with Primary Cesareans in the Dust

42:32 Questions for Non-VBAC Providers

45:42 It’s the Lawsuit

47:37 His Practice’s Secret Sauce

50:47 On Collaborating with Community Midwives

52:54 What He Has Learned From Community Midwives

56:00 Longest Second Stage

57:34 On Being Sued After a Uterine Rupture

59:50 Processing Trauma After a Uterine Rupture & Fetal Demise

01:03:43 On Advocating for His Patients

01:05:47 Advice: Reversing VBAC Bans

01:07:26 Four Pillars of VBAC Success

01:10:16 Parents: Most Important Thing for Them to Consider

01:11:11 A Message for Physicians Who Don’t Attend VBAC

01:12:26 Message to Hospital Administrators with VBAC Bans

Have a comment or question for the podcast? Want to suggest a guest we should interview or a topic we should discuss? Go to https://vbacfacts.com/podcast to give us your feedback!

Music produced by (Analogue)/(prod. Analogue).

Instagram: @prod.analogue

Email Dr. Chris Stroud: [email protected]

• Home – International Cesarean Awareness Network – Learn more about ICAN’s April 21, 2025 Q&A with Jen Kamel
• WARM | Washington Alliance for Responsible Midwifery | Birth is the most fundamental human rights issue. Safe and successful childbirth options are the strong foundation upon which every healthy society grows. – Register for the April 24 – 26, 2025 WARM Conference in Wenatchee, Washington and attend Jen’s 3 hour training, “The VBAC Imperative: How to Improve VBAC Access and Outcomes While Decreasing Litigation Risk”
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