Right now, despite all the misinformation surrounding VBAC, about half of women and birthing people - including up to 75% of Black women - want a vaginal birth after cesarean.
But only 15% actually have a VBAC in the US. A whopping 85% end up with a repeat cesarean - most are young 20-somethings and BIPOC mothers. Many of these cesareans were unwanted and unnecessary surgeries.
Cesarean birth isn't just a small surgery. It raises the risks for complications for all future pregnancies - regardless of how those babies are born. Cesarean birth also increases the risks of life threatening complications decades after the surgery.
Many providers simply default to recommending repeat cesareans for everyone, regardless of the mother's clinical history or current health. So parents are too often denied the opportunity to truly choose: planned VBAC or planned elective repeat cesarean.
Moms pay the price with their mind, hearts, and bodies. They deserve better.
VBAC Facts® Professional Membership is the most comprehensive, respected, and trusted VBAC education program available to perinatal professionals and the only online source for our signature training "The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals."
By deepening your VBAC knowledge, you can become the person who confidently provides families with fact-based unbiased information.
You can create the circumstances for your clients and patients to make truly informed decisions and become the person who upholds informed decision making.
If you want to provide authentic support without fear and trepidation and be the person who holds space for parents to make the right decision for themselves, arm yourself with research-backed, science-proven VBAC knowledge.
Be the advocate mothers need while working effectively with other providers to create a more integrated health care system in your community.
All while earning continuing education hours in a dynamic program which incorporates social, cultural, and legal factors.
Join VBAC Facts® Professional Membership and get the science-backed information you need to be the ally mothers deserve.
We have the power to change the narrative about VBAC. To make evidence based, respectful health care, rooted at the intersection of research and informed decision making, available to all. To do the right thing by and for mothers.
In a time where the line between right and wrong seems more blurred than ever, and people are too scared to do the right thing because of the powers that be, we get to step forward and step up. We get to be honest about the facts so parents can make the right decision for themselves.
This is not about "birth preferences." This is about the lives, health, and well being of mothers and babies. This is about people receiving the health care they need and their voices being heard.
Mothers report that they know they are not getting all the information they need from their physician. They want the facts, they are not scared of the truth, but they don't always know where to go and who to trust.
You can be the person in your community who they can trust. Who others can rely on to do the right thing. We need you in this movement. It is all hands on deck. And we can help you round out your VBAC education so you can better serve your community.
Join me and let's create this world together!
Hi, I'm Jen Kamel
CEO and Founder of VBAC Facts®️
Since 2007, I have provided objective, accurate information about VBAC and repeat cesarean to parents, professionals, policymakers, and the court so all decisions can be informed, ethical, and just.
Now I've created a community so perinatal professionals can come together and help their clients better navigate the system. Whether you have been practicing for years, are still in school, or are a new physician, midwife, nurse, or doula, this is an evidence-based space where you can easily get up to speed and stay current on the VBAC evidence so you can give families the best information and support rooted in the medical evidence and ethics.
So why did I start VBAC Facts®?
My surprise cesarean changed my life
It all goes back to my first child's birth in 2004.
A cesarean wasn’t even on my radar (in fact, I intentionally skipped that chapter in my birth books). But at 35 weeks, my daughter was a single footling breech.
All of a sudden, I was on the road to a surgical birth. My cesarean was straightforward and my obstetrician was sympathetic and kind.
I felt like I was hit by a truck and handed a baby.
I've talked with enough other moms to know this happens a lot.
My postpartum was rough. My home was a tri-level with stairs to the bedroom. Walking up and down the stairs was painful. Going to the bathroom was painful. I woke up throughout the night in pain as I moved in my sleep.
Trying to find a breastfeeding position where my incision wouldn't be touched, was very difficult with little baby hands and feet happily kicking. I had developed a cold a couple days before I went into labor, so, on top of everything else, I was quickly grabbing pillows and applying counter pressure on my incision with every cough.
I was never so aware that practically every movement involved my abdomen. To manage the pain, I took Vicodin the first two weeks and struggled with horrible constipation, mental fuzziness, and dry mouth.
All of this interfered with my ability to bond with my sweet baby girl.
While I was thankful she was here and healthy, I remember wishing that I felt healthy too. It took me 9 long months to feel like me again.
It was a challenge - especially twenty years ago when no one wanted to hear someone "complain" - to navigate this tender space of gratefulness in the midst of deep grief and physical pain.
Fortunately, my OB told me before discharge that I would be an excellent candidate for VBAC.
If he hadn't planted this seed, I might have listened to friends and family who assured me that "next time I could just schedule a cesarean."
I wouldn't have known I had options.
The challenge was, there was nothing out there for parents who wanted a higher level of information.
I wanted to know what the evidence actually said. So I learned how to evaluate medical research and created it myself.
Through my research, planning, and the whiff of luck that is always at play in birth, I was able to have a transformative VBAC in 2007 and meet my sweet son.
To immediately hold him, breastfeed him, and be fully mentally present from the moment he was introduced into the world was absolutely priceless.
It was an entirely new experience of motherhood.
I came out of my VBAC with the realization that there was nothing in this world I couldn't do. I felt unstoppable.
A VBAC educator and fierce advocate is born
The contrast between my cesarean and my VBAC... the injustice of so many mothers and birthing people who are denied this option... the lies, misinformation, and manipulations... the number of unnecessary accretas, hysterectomies, hemorrhages, and other serious preventable complications - including maternal deaths - from "routine" repeat cesareans... it lit a fire in me.
I created "The Truth About VBAC™" and started traveling the United States speaking to parents and training professionals.
When I spoke in Coral Springs, Florida, an OB who attended - who had been practicing for over 30 years - said that it was the best presentation on VBAC he had ever seen.
It was that moment, that I knew I was onto something really powerful and I needed to share it with as many people as possible. I saw a need for a comprehensive training program for professionals that not only discussed the larger VBAC questions professionals had, but dove deep into specific topics so they could confidently share the facts with birthing families.
In addition to running this membership, I present grand rounds at hospitals and train perinatal professionals - including physicians and midwives - on the VBAC evidence around the globe.
I testify in front of legislative and regulatory bodies educating those who make laws and rules about VBAC as well as consult with attorneys and educate the court on the VBAC evidence, medical ethics, and bodily autonomy.
Through the years of this work, I've cultivated an encyclopedic and intimate knowledge of not only the VBAC evidence...
... but how fear, politics, bias, paternalism, litigation, money, and convenience often supersede what women want... all while they are subtlety coerced into repeat cesareans under the guise of safety.
Every single pregnant person deserves better than that. Everyone deserves access to respectful, evidence based care. Everyone deserves the truth. Everyone deserves the opportunity to make their own medical decisions. Everyone deserves to be heard.
You can be that person in your community by becoming the newest member in VBAC Facts® Professional Membership.
We have the power to change the narrative... VBAC Facts® shows you how.
Let's dream together...
Imagine if you were so knowledgeable about VBAC that you were able to prevent unwanted and unnecessary surgeries.
With VBAC Facts® Professional Membership you’ll be able to…
All of this is possible inside VBAC Facts® professional membership.
What others say about our VBAC education
Answer Virtually Any Question
I am now able to offer evidence-based answers to virtually every question I get about VBAC and my ability to easily and effectively offer VBAC support and counsel to my clients has significantly improved.
- Taylor Davis
Doula, Childbirth Educator, Doula Trainer
Equipped Me with Factual Information
I am currently working at a pregnancy resource center and a lot of the women who come to us have had a primary cesarean. 'The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals' has equipped me with factual information that I can now provide to my clients. Thank you!!!
- Chantell Quiroz
Nursing Student, Doula
Improve How You Communicate
I have always been a VBAC supporter and generally knew the risks/benefits of VBAC vs. ERCS, but seeing the percentages spelled out from all the data made a big impact on how I address information with my clients and community.
- Sara Sanchez
Certified Professional Midwife
Your Membership Includes...
Continuing Education Trainings
Reading all the research on a given topic can be overwhelming.
Between compiling the research, qualifying each piece, and then tying it all together… It is immensely time consuming.
Our continuing education trainings enable you to easily get up to speed on the evidence.
Plus, all of our trainings are approved for nursing contact hours through the California Board of Registered Nursing.
These nursing contact hours are accepted by all nursing boards in the United States as well as many doula, childbirth education, and midwifery organizations in addition to the midwifery Bridge Certificate and other licensing bodies that accept nursing CEs.
Right now, we offer over 26 nursing contact hours for the following trainings, all of which include videos, subtitles, and transcripts to accommodate for various learning modalities:
(my signature course that I have presented in-person and online around the world since 2013)
My Favorite Membership
Of all the professional memberships I've had over the years, I enjoyed the VBAC Facts® one the most. You made it very personal, easily accessible, easy to understand, and very interesting. Jen - thank you for all your work. You are helping to make maternity care better!
- Jamie Rose Carroll
Certified Nurse-Midwife
Inform My Clients About Their Choices
I had no knowledge, except horror stories, associated with VBACs. Now that I have attended 'The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals,' I am able to inform my clients about their choices so that they can make the right decisions for them and their families. Thank you Jen for being an advocate for change!
- Bernadette Carrillo
Massage Therapist, Birth & Postpartum Doula
Provide the Best Informed Consent
I provide monitrice care and many of my clients are planning VBACs. I wanted to become more educated on statistic and outcomes so I could educate my clients and provide them with the best informed consent of their options. Plus, I wanted to labor with my clients as safely as possible. After attending 'The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals,' I am leaving with all that information.
- April Oglesby
Registered Nurse
Handouts for Birthing Parents
One of the challenges perinatal professionals face is patient education.
Misinformation causes unnecessary fear and stands in the way of informed decision making.
Our handouts enable you to quickly and easily get the essential facts into the hands of your clients so you can save your appointments with them for deeper discussion rather than repeating the same basic information.
These beautiful, fully referenced handouts cover the most important facts for your clients to know in easy to understand, accessible language.
We currently offer the following handouts in English and Spanish, many of which correspond with available continuing education trainings:
Understand Cesarean Risks
Professional membership gives me confidence in supporting my personal clients through vaginal deliveries. But more importantly, I understand so much more about the risks of any kind of birth following a c-section. There’s also the ability to share this resource with every doula I have the privilege of working alongside towards birth justice.
- Kairis Chiaji
National Doula Trainer, Birthing Project USA
Research Updates
New research is consistently published on VBAC and repeat cesarean.
How can you stay on top of it all?
Our research updates cull the medical literature for the strongest and most relevant VBAC studies and then distill them down so you can easily stay on top of the latest research.
Team up with us so you can easily integrate the latest evidence into your practice.
Topics we have examined include:
The Research is Excellent
I get a perspective from VBAC Facts® I don’t see much of in the inpatient hospital setting. The research is excellent and presented in an easy to understand organized manner.
- Patti Gale
Nurse Leader and Parent Advocate
Expert Interviews
Providing the best support to VBAC families doesn’t begin and end with the research.
When we talk about learning the facts, we include the knowledge and lived experience of midwives, nurses, trauma experts, attorneys, doulas, physicians, and other experts as we explore topics surrounding informed consent, autonomy, litigation, adverse outcomes, informed consent, bias, policy, and so much more. Our video interviews go deep including...
How to Support the Traumatized Patient/Sexual Abuse Survivor During Labor
with 15 year L&D RN Lexi Abeln, RN CCE IBCLC
An Attorney's Guide to Navigating Informed Consent and Refusal
with Hermine Hayes-Klein JD, Informed Consent Expert, International Human Rights Lawyer
How to Identify and Resolve Secondary Trauma
with Nekole Shapiro, Holistic Peer Counseling Founder
Lessons from the $16 Million Dollar Lawsuit: Marketing, Policy, and Patient Autonomy
with Cristen Pascucci, Birth Monopoly Founder
Demanding or Earning Respect? Improving Doula-Nurse Relations in the Delivery Room
with Traci Weafer, Doula Educator
An OB's Journey to Attending Vaginal Birth After Multiple Cesareans
with OB/GYN Dr. Henry Dorn MD PhD
What to Do When a Physician Files a Complaint Against You
with Diana Snyder JD, Doula
How to Navigate Forced Cesarean Threats
with Lexi Abeln RN CCE IBCLC, Cristen Pascucci, and Hermine Hayes-Klein JD
Why Racism Matters: Understanding Whiteness in Maternity Care
with Heather Thompson MS PhD
How an OB Reversed a 10-year VBAC Ban
with OB/GYN Dr. Annette Fineberg MD
Navigating Shared Decision Making: How a Green Beret Turned OB Challenges the System and Honors Patient Autonomy
with MFM Dr. Brad Bootstaylor MD FACOG
A Midwife's Guide to Coping with a Fetal Demise
with Racha Tahani Lawler Queen LM CPM
Motivation Matters: How Rural Hospitals Can and Do Support VBAC
with OB/GYN Dr. Tami Michele DO
Committing to an Antiracism Journey as a White Person: A Conversation
with Jen Willsea
We Can Change the System
As a MFM and a physician scientist, I need to know the ins and outs of the data and I don't have time for fluff. I have heard Jen present before and it's impressive how she dissects the relevant studies and analyzes their quality according to methodology, sample size, confounders, etc.
Prior cesarean is such a commonly encountered issue these days and yet I have discovered large knowledge gaps among many OB providers in my community regarding VBAC. I can't help but wonder to myself how dramatically our maternity care system might improve if all OBs understood the topic of VBAC as well as Jen does.
- Dr. Emiliano Chavira
MD, MPH, FACOG
Thank You For Your Work
I don't think I would be sitting here and I'm not exaggerating, if it weren't for VBAC Facts®. For so many years, I just read and read and read. And I still do. If I'm going to go give a talk, the first thing I do, I go to two places: Evidence Based Birth® and VBACfacts.com. Both amazing websites.
If you haven't spent time there, you need to and you need to support Jen and her work because she's the voice in the wilderness. Without her work, there's not a voice. So keep it up Jen. You deserve all the support you could possibly get.
- Dr. Chris Stroud
MD, OBGYN
Community Forum
Share your wins, feel inspired, and fill your sails
Connect with an international community of VBAC-passionate professionals where you can share victories, exchange ideas, and receive support from like-minded birth professionals who also value increasing VBAC access.
Plus, I’m in the community too, answering questions and providing ongoing support.
Feel More Confident
I attended "The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals" and feel much more confident in supporting birthing people who are planning a VBAC! I can't wait to share this with them.
- Claire Woods
Certified Doula, Lamaze Childbirth Educator
Ready to learn the facts?
unbiased VBAC education for health care professionals
VBAC Facts® professional membership is a comprehensive VBAC resource consisting of continuing education trainings, research updates, handouts for birthing parents, expert interviews, and an online community.
What makes it different from other VBAC education opportunities? My work since 2007 as an international speaker, nursing continuing education provider, expert witness, policy consultant, and VBAC subject matter expert.
It is that depth of intersectional knowledge that sets this membership apart in addition to my personal commitment to integrity, honesty, and ethics.
Join us inside the membership
Membership is for you!
The Monthly Plan
$49 per month
- Get a solid foundational VBAC education. We're adding new content and research all the time. Cancel anytime. Due to the digital nature of membership, we cannot issue refunds.
The Annual Plan
$490 per year
- One year commitment for those who want to dive deeper, get access to the latest research, or move through the material at a slower place. Plus a bonus of two months for free. Due to the digital nature of membership, we cannot issue refunds.
Looking for additional support?
Receive a one-hour VBAC consulting call with Jen every year with your annual membership.
Get Additional Support!
The Annual Plan+
$740 per year
- Two Months Free!
- +60-Minute 1:1 Consulting Call
Armed with Real Knowledge
I wanted to increase my VBAC knowledge and understand the true risks, not what I learned as a registered nurse or other information handed down from nurses on the unit. At "The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals," I learned what the research shows and now feel armed with real knowledge.
- Allison Cado
Registered Nurse
Provide Solid Information
I was feeling helpless in supporting clients with unsupportive providers. I felt like they should have the power and information to refuse primary and repeat cesareans, but I was unable to provide solid information. With the VBAC Facts® patient handouts, and the information provided in 'The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals,' I feel I can better empower them (and myself!!!)
- Becca Anderson
Doula, Student Midwife
Give the Facts, Defend Your Position
I am an owner/ administrator/ midwife at a birth center in Colorado. We recently changed our regs to include VBACs in birth centers. Home birth midwives were already doing them fairly frequently. I attended 'The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals' because I needed to arm myself with the facts so that when I am challenged (which I know I will be), I can give the facts and defend my position.
- Patty Kandiko
CNM, Birth Center Owner
Wondering something?
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm here with answers!
Investment Questions:
Absolutely! A sliding scale is available for BIPOC birth professionals. Contact us for more information.
Questions About Membership:
As an international speaker, expert witness, policy consultant, continuing education provider, 20-year VBAC subject matter expert, and consumer advocate, my unique perspective encompasses medical research, national guidelines, legal concerns, and other non-medical factors that frequently inhibit access to VBAC.
All of this was born from my own personal experience with a surprise cesarean and VBAC. It is my mission to help as many families as possible make the most informed decision for them. This is my life's work.
Timeline Questions:
Membership starts now and ends when you complete it! Membership consists of existing on-demand trainings, research updates, expert interviews, and downloadable handouts for birthing parents along with new programming or resources that are presented or delivered periodically.
I'll send you emails twice a month with the link to the next lecture or module as well as invitations to the next live event.
Provide True Informed Consent
"The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals" helped me to be more knowledgeable with providing my patients with true informed consent. I also carried a few misconceptions and the training helped me view things differently.
- Anna Nellikappallil
Certified Nurse-Midwife