#445: Women Are Not a Formula: Debunking VBAC Myths with Sarah Stead
Birthing Instincts
Dr. Stuart Fischbein + Midwife Blyss Young
4.8 • 692 Ratings
🗓️ 24 December 2025
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dr. Stu hosts a special edition podcast featuring Sarah Stead, a registered massage therapist specializing in C-section recovery. Together they dive into various topics surrounding Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). They discuss the importance of informed consent, the flaws in using VBAC calculators, and societal and systemic issues affecting VBAC rates.
About Sarah Stead
Sarah Stead is a registered massage therapist based in Ontario, Canada, with over 12 years of experience and a five-year specialization in C-section recovery. After experiencing burnout in full-time practice, she transitioned her work to focus on microcurrent scar therapy, where she discovered a deep passion for supporting C-section healing.
Her interest in this work began while supporting her sister through C-section recovery and later witnessing her sister’s VBAC, which sparked a broader fascination with birth, healing, and informed choice. Though she doesn’t have children herself, she proudly calls herself a “birth nerd,” attending every Reclaiming Birth Conference to date and recently presenting her work there.
She is passionate about education, empowering clients with tools and information often missing from mainstream conversations, and supporting more informed, holistic birth and recovery experiences.
Website: thescarconnection.com
E-book: C-Section Recovery Guide
Instagram: @gingey91
Mentioned in this Episode
Dolphin Neurostim Provider Locator
Billie Harrigan Episode 405: "Call The Neighbour" Birthing Wisdom From Traditional Birth Companion, Billie Harrigan
Discussed in This Episode
Discovering Microcurrent Point Stimulation
Understanding the Impact of Scar Tissue
The History and Evolution of Cesarean Sections
The Importance of Informed Consent
Evaluating Risks and Benefits of VBAC vs. Repeat C-Section
Short-Term and Long-Term Consequences of C-Sections
The Importance of Provider Competence and Confidence
Hospital Policies and VBAC Support
The Role of Partners in VBAC Success
VBAC Calculator and Its Limitations
Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care
This show is supported by
- WeNatal | Go to WeNatal.com/Birthinginstincts for a free magnesium with any subscription order, or wenatal.com/birthinginstinctswnp for the new Protein + offer.
- Wholesome Organics Beauty Company | Go to wholesomeOBC.com and use the code INSTINCTS for 20% off your order.
- Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
- Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off
Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss
- Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
- Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@birthingblyss
- Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
- Email: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Burling Instincts Podcast. |
| 0:05.0 | I'm Dr. Stewart Fishbein, community-based practicing obstetrician and long-time advocate for birth choices. |
| 0:10.0 | And I'm Bliss Young, a licensed midwife. |
| 0:13.0 | Join us in our conversational style podcast where we talk about everything birth. |
| 0:17.0 | Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we're happy that you're here. So here we go. |
| 0:23.1 | Hey, everybody. |
| 0:23.9 | It's Dr. Stu. |
| 0:25.0 | I'm going to have a special edition podcast today. |
| 0:28.5 | No real introduction. |
| 0:31.1 | Bliss wasn't available. |
| 0:32.3 | And I just was going to interview somebody I met at the reclaiming birth conference in London, Ontario in September. |
| 0:40.4 | Her name is Sarah Stead. |
| 0:42.2 | And rather than spend a lot of time with that, I'm just going to bring her on. |
| 0:45.8 | And we're going to talk about a lot of things in this podcast. |
| 0:49.4 | The main topic was V-back, but we go off on different topics as I am prone to do, and Sarah is a good |
| 0:57.6 | talker as well. So I hope you enjoy this special edition of the Burthing Instincts podcast. |
| 1:02.8 | Hi, everybody. It's Dr. Stu, and I'm here with my guest, Sarah Stead. Sarah and I met in |
| 1:09.7 | London, Ontario, Canada at the Reclaiming Birth Conference 2025. |
| 1:13.6 | Sarah was one of the speakers. |
| 1:16.6 | She was actually there the year before as well. |
| 1:18.6 | And she spoke on V-back, and she spoke so eloquently on V-back that I thought it would make really good. You know, we, we, everybody talks about V-BAC, |
| 1:29.5 | everybody seems to know about V-BAC, |
... |
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