{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T04:58:02Z","timestamp":1790657882648,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Korean Society of Women Health Nursing","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790640000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["e-whn.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Womens Health Nurs"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: This study explored the meaning of women\u2019s choices regarding mode of birth and the birth experiences of women in the Republic of Korea who had a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) within the previous 3 months.Methods: This descriptive phenomenological study used Colaizzi\u2019s framework. Nine postpartum women who had experienced midwife-supported VBAC at three obstetric hospitals in Seoul were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from March 1, 2025, to May 7, 2026. Each participant completed a Zoom interview, and two participants completed an additional telephone interview. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi\u2019s seven-step method, including extraction of significant statements, formulation of meanings, organization into themes, and member checking of the essential structure.Results: Three categories and 12 theme clusters were identified: \u201cTrauma and lasting impressions of cesarean delivery,\u201d \u201cMotives and barriers affecting VBAC decisions,\u201d and \u201cSupportive relationships and transformation of the birth experience.\u201d Respect for autonomy, a positive birth environment, and family support helped transform birth from an experience of alienation to one of participation. The statement \u201cI did it\u201d expressed a sense of accomplishment and recovery of the agency participants felt they had lost during previous births.Conclusion: This study suggests that, for these participants, VBAC involved more than a choice of mode of birth; it was experienced as a process of rewriting the birth narrative and recovering agency and self-efficacy. These findings may inform midwives and nurses seeking to understand and support the psychosocial experiences of women pursuing VBAC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4069\/whn.2026.08.26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T04:26:53Z","timestamp":1790656013000},"page":"205-217","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4069\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u201cI did it\u201d: a phenomenological study of women\u2019s experiences of midwife-supported vaginal birth after cesarean sections in South Korea"],"prefix":"10.4069","volume":"32","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5919-9988","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Uri","family":"Bang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2782-108X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Hyun Kyoung","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2522","reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0b013e3181eeb251"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000003078"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Vaginal birth after cesarean delivery. 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