Are you a busy birth professional who cares for women pregnant after a cesarean?
Do you believe that every pregnant person should have access to VBAC?
Are you frustrated by the amount of misinformation out there?
Do you want to provide families with the best VBAC education and support based on the latest evidence?
Right now, even with all the misinformation surrounding VBAC, about half of women and birthing people are interested in laboring after their cesarean.
However, only 14% actually have a VBAC. The rest, 86%, end up with a repeat cesarean, many of which were not wanted or needed.
If you want to deepen your VBAC knowledge so you can confidently provide your clients with unbiased information...
If you want to create the circumstances for your clients and patients to make truly informed decisions...
If you want to provide authentic support without fear and trepidation...
If you want to effectively consult with other providers...
All while earning continuing education hours in a dynamic program....
... then VBAC Facts® professional membership is calling you!
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.
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.
Let's dream together...
Imagine if you were so knowledgeable about VBAC that you were able to confidently communicate the facts to birthing families.
My big vision for you is that you are able to answer VBAC questions with honesty, integrity, and accuracy.
That the guidance you give women and birthing people is solidly rooted in the evidence built upon the foundation of medical ethics.
That you can help your clients navigate this broken system that automatically directs so many towards repeat cesarean.
That your clients are able to make truly informed decisions based on the risks and benefits of their options.
All of this is possible. And it’s why I created VBAC Facts® professional membership.
But solid information isn't enough...
The very first step to giving your clients the best support is learning the facts so you can share them with your clients. Accurate, unbiased information to enable their autonomous decision-making, not to steer them to any specific choice.
But, as anyone who has worked in this field knows, the medical facts about VBAC and repeat cesarean are not the only factor.
One must understand the non-medical factors that impact VBAC access and outcomes, like legal liability, corporate profit, medical training and education, and individual provider bias. Racism in healthcare, and specifically in obstetrics, is a systemic issue that harms BIPOC women and families.
Together, we can share reliable information, quickly debunk the myths, and calmly guide parents to the facts. Whether they plan a VBAC or a repeat cesarean, their thoughtful decision will be rooted in the best information available.
Through this process, we can lessen the likelihood of coerced cesareans and increase access to VBAC one parent at a time.
Ready to learn the facts?
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 for the last 16 years 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 membership apart in addition to my personal commitment to integrity, honesty, and ethics.
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 and the midwifery Bridge Certificate as well as any other licensing bodies that accept nursing CEs.
Right now, we offer over 22 nursing contact hours for the following trainings, all of which include videos, subtitles, and transcripts to accommodate for various learning modalities:
- The Truth About VBAC™ for Professionals (my signature course that I have presented in-person and online around the world since 2013)
- The Truth About VBAC™ Fetal Monitoring
- The Truth About VBAC™ Induction: How to Decrease Uterine Rupture Risk and Maximize VBAC Odds
- Single vs Double Layer Suturing: Is One Method Superior?
- Plus Size VBAC: Odds, Risks, and Realities
- The Truth About Vaginal Birth After Two Cesareans: Risk, Rates, & Outcomes
- The Limited Evidence on VBA3+C: Decision Making in the Midst of Uncertainty
- Decoding the Evidence: External Cephalic Version and the Scarred Uterus
- Decoding Classical, T/J, and Low Vertical VBAC: Navigating Limited Knowledge and Unknown Risk
-
Decoding Maternal Deaths: Why Birthing People Die and How We Can Turn the Tide
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:
- VBAC vs ERCS: Making an Informed Choice
- Vaginal Birth After Two Cesareans: An Overview of the Evidence
- Vaginal Birth After Three or More Cesareans: What You Need to Know!
- Uterine Rupture: What Impacts the Risk?
- Should Planned VBACs Be Induced?
- Body Mass Index (BMI) and VBAC: An Overview of the Evidence
- Placenta Accreta: The Untold Risk
- VBAC Calculators: New Study Reveals Surprising Truths
- VBAC Community Birth – What Do We Know About Risk?
-
VBAC Community Birth – Choosing Place and Provider
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.
Topics we have examined include:
- Birth Intervals
- Pregnancy after uterine rupture
- Vaginal birth after "failure to progress" cesarean
- Twin VBAC
- Prolonged second stage
- Uterine rupture long-term neonatal morbidity
- Latinx and VBAC calculator odds
- Bias in maternity care
- Provider type and VBAC odds
-
Trends in hospital VBAC policy
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.
Topics we have discussed include:
- 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
Community Forum
It can feel isolating supporting VBAC.
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.
Is this you?
VBAC Facts® professional membership has helped countless perinatal professionals around the globe move from tentative and anxious to competent and confident when discussing the VBAC evidence with their clients.
You should definitely join membership if:
- you want to increase your knowledge and confidence surrounding the VBAC evidence
- you want to truthfully give families the information they need to make informed decisions
- you passionately believe that every person should have access to VBAC
Membership isn't for you if:
- you already have a thorough understanding of the VBAC evidence, ethics, politics, and guidelines
- you already feel confident and calm supporting people laboring after a cesarean
- you already feel resilient against the anxiety and angst that other professionals carry
To show you I'm 100% with you on this...
I want to offer you a 100% risk-free guarantee.
When you join, you’ve got 3 days to decide if membership was right for you. If, within those 3 days, you still feel like membership isn’t delivering on its promise, I will refund your purchase.
Just send an email to [email protected] to let my team know.
That’s just the right thing to do.
What people say about VBAC Facts®
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
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
We Can Change the System
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. As a MFM and physician scientist, 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
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
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
Easy to Share with Clients
VBAC Facts® supports my Evidence Based practice as a Black Birth Doula. The material is easy to comprehend and share with my clients and peers. Here in NYC I am welcomed for embracing the evidence. VBAC Facts® highlights information that others avoid. This information is empowering to Black and BIPOC families/peers.
Denise Bolds, Founder, Bold Doula
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
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
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
Hi, I'm Jen Kamel
Can I be honest with you? I became an advocate for accurate VBAC information for many reasons.
The injustice of so many people being denied the option of VBAC. The lies, misinformation, and manipulations. The number of hysterectomies and other serious preventable complications from "routine" repeat cesareans. It lit a fire in me.
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.
Over the years, I have received countless emails, DMs, and even old fashioned cards thanking me for this work. Because this knowledge enables professionals to confidently provide their clients with accurate information so they can make truly informed decisions. It helps professionals identify misinformation, change restrictive VBAC policies, and ultimately increase VBAC access in their community.
And now? I want the same for you.
That’s why I created VBAC Facts® professional membership. And why I speak around the world as a Continuing Education Provider through the California Board of Registered Nursing, advise advocates seeking regulatory or legislative change in their state, serve as an expert witness in legal proceedings, and provide educational programming for cesarean parents. Offering membership to you is just one of many strategies I employ to ensure that parents receive respectful, evidence based care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this priced at $49/ $129/ $490?
Okay– if you’re worried about spending money right now, I get it. The world feels uncertain. So it’s definitely important that you feel safe and supported if we work together.
That said, we both know that it’s impossible to confidently share accurate information about VBAC with birthing families if you don’t know what the research says and have a deep understanding of national guidelines as well as the numerous non-medical factors that inhibit access to VBAC.
If you’re having trouble with the mystery of how to piece together the VBAC evidence with all the political and legal factors, let me help you solve it.
Let's get clear on the evidence together so you can confidently discuss the VBAC research and authentically support those who choose VBAC with the most accurate information rather than trying to do the research yourself and wondering if you answered a specific question correctly.
How much is that worth to you?
Why don't you sell classes individually? Why can't I buy an individual handout?
Bundling the classes and resources together within membership allows us to keep the pricing accessible!
Selling the courses individually would require the pricing to be substantially higher for access to our entire library of VBAC education.
We are committed to providing accessible VBAC education for professionals and the membership allows us to do so at a low monthly fee!
I’m up to my eyeballs with work/email/life. I’m not sure I have the time for this.
That's why I created membership. I want you to be able to quickly and easily understand the evidence without trying to wade through the research yourself. How much time do you spend doing that right now?
Should you try to free up some time to join membership?
Or should you join membership and have it free up some of your time?
You know my answer.
I’ve designed membership for even the most time-strapped professional. I’ve developed a logical sequence for the entire content of membership so twice a month, you will receive an email prompting you to attend the next module or training. You will always know the next step.
Alternatively, you receive instant access to our entire library of resources upon registration so you can attend the trainings and learn more via our research updates and expert interviews in whatever order you would like.
Membership also includes an index so if at any time you have a specific question or what to learn more on a specific topic, you can search the index to see where we have discussed it.
How is VBAC Facts® professional membership different from other VBAC education programs I've seen?
The thing that makes membership different is the 16 years of experience that informs its content and tone.
As an international speaker, expert witness, policy consultant, continuing education provider, VBAC subject matter expert, and consumer advocate, I offer a unique perspective that encompasses the medical research, national guidelines, legal concerns, and other non-medical factors that frequently inhibit access to VBAC.
The other thing that makes this course different is my personal commitment to integrity, honesty, and ethics. This is not just a business for me. This is my life's work.
Does membership offer continuing education hours?
Yes! All of VBAC Facts® online trainings have been approved for continuing education hours by the California Board of Registered Nursing. These continuing education hours are accepted by all RN boards, ACNM, NARM (including the Midwifery Bridge Certificate), ICEA, Lamaze, DONA, and CAPPA as well as many other medical and health organizations.
In order to earn the CEs, you must attend all lectures and earn 80% on the post-course quiz. Upon completing a training, you will receive an email with further directions.
Not all organizations accept nursing continuing education hours or hours earned via on-line courses. Check with your particular organization. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Continuing Education Provider #16238.
Who joins VBAC Facts® professional membership?
If you are a perinatal professional who wants to best equip families in advocating for their desired births, membership is for you.
Our members include all types of birth professionals, but one thing ties them together: their passion for VBAC. Their fundamental belief that everyone is entitled to honest, transparent information. Their strong desire to provide the best possible support and latest information to their clients. Their unwavering goal to improve the care that parents seeking VBAC receive.
How can you do this work if you aren't a physician, midwife, or nurse?
One of the most surprising things I've learned over the years - directly from physicians, midwives, nurses, doulas, and childbirth educators - is how little they learn about VBAC during their schooling.
In addition, they report that what they were taught is often inaccurate, biased, and outright contradicts medical evidence, ethics, and national VBAC guidelines published by the American College of OB/GYNs. This is why I became a continuing education provider and have developed trainings for you.
In fact, during one of the seven times I spoke in Florida, a 30-year OB told me that my training was the best he had ever attended on VBAC.
A maternal fetal specialist who attended a training in Texas asked, "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."
A midwife who joined professional membership said, "I highly recommend your teaching and feel it would be invaluable if delivered to all clinicians."
I may not be a clinician, but health care providers around the world follow and respect my work.
Further, because I don't work in a hospital, my hands are not tied in terms of what I can tell you. I'm not bound by hospital policy that forbids me from being honest about the VBAC evidence, national guidelines, and medical ethics.
What is your refund policy?
I want to offer you a 100% risk-free guarantee. When you join, you’ve got 3 days to decide if membership was right for you. If, within those 3 days, you feel like membership isn’t delivering on its promise, I will refund your purchase. Just send an email to [email protected] to let my team know. That’s just the right thing to do.
Can my colleagues join membership? Do you offer group rates?
Absolutely! Registering with a group secures a discounted rate for the lifetime of your membership.
Group rates ensure that physician/ midwifery practices, doula agencies, childbirth educators, and L&D units stay current on the research together!
The more people in your community who join, the easier it will be for you to increase VBAC access.
Groups of three or more can contact us for more information. The bigger the group, the deeper the discount! Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about our group discounts.
When does membership start and finish?
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.
How long do I have access to membership?
After enrolling and through the life of your membership, you have unlimited access to our trainings, expert interviews, research updates, downloadable patient handouts, and community - across any and all devices you own.
Do you offer a discounted rate for BIPOC?
Absolutely! A sliding scale is available for BIPOC birth professionals. Contact us for more information.
How can I contribute to the BIPOC Scholarship Fund to support BIPOC birthing people in their VBAC education?
Thank you! You can make a contribution here. As you may know, the VBAC Facts® BIPOC Scholarship Fund enables us to make our courses for professionals and parents more accessible to the BIPOC community for whom the VBAC journey carries additional stressors due to institutionalized racism. We welcome your contributions as we stand in solidarity with BIPOC perinatal professionals.
I have another question that wasn't answered here.
Send my team an email at [email protected] and we will get back to you!
