Episode 31

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Published on:

3rd Feb 2026

Disconnected Induction + Redemptive Home Births | Tessa’s Birth Stories (PART 1)

This week I’m joined by my friend Tessa, a mom of five! In this episode, we walk through her first three birth stories, and next week she’ll be back to share the final two.

Tessa’s journey started on what she calls a medical conveyor belt, where she didn’t feel like she had much say in her own birth experience. Fortunately, for her next two babies, she was able to connect with a wonderful community of moms, birth educators, and midwives who empowered her with the tools she needed to have two redepemtive home births.

I can’t wait for you to see how each one of Tessa’s five babies gave her the opportunity to grow. It is seriously inspiring to see how she embraced each new challenge and became a more intentional, empowered version of herself with each birth.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Tessa

00:13:30 - Miscarriage

00:15:31 - 1st Child: Induction, Group B Strep, Epidural Delivery, & Breastfeeding Struggles

00:47:30 - 2nd Child: Empowering Community, Positive Home Birth, & Positive Breastfeeding

01:23:17 - 3rd Child: Physically Taxing Pregnancy, Diastasis Recti, & Emotional Home Birth

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About the Podcast

The Labor Line
A mom-to-be's authentic look into the birth experiences of her mom-friends.
The Labor Line is a real, unfiltered birth story podcast hosted by mom-to-be Emily, who was obsessed with birth long before her own was imminent.

Every Tuesday, Emily sits down with her mom friends to hear honest, hilarious, and deeply human stories about pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. Whether it’s an emotional conversation about breastfeeding struggles, an epic one-push delivery, or a hilarious “wait, did that nurse just call my baby ugly?” moment, no detail is too raw, real, or ridiculous.

This isn’t a clinical breakdown or crunchy birth corner. It’s more like eavesdropping on a late-night call between best friends, complete with laughter, tears, jaw-dropping moments, and sincere conversations about what it actually feels like to be a mom.

Perfect for moms, birth nerds, doulas, expecting parents, or anyone curious about the real side of bringing little people into the world. The Labor Line delivers weekly episodes full of heart, humor, and total honesty.

🎧 New episodes every Tuesday
🩷 Follow on Instagram: @thelaborline

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Keywords: birth stories podcast, real labor stories, pregnancy podcast, postpartum stories, c-section podcast, funny birth podcast, honest motherhood, podcast for moms, women's health podcast, birth podcast hosted by moms

About your host

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Emily Lau

Hey y'all, I'm your host, Emily. I live in South Austin with my amazing husband, Nate, and our perfect pup, Magnolia.

I’ve been fascinated by birth for as long as I can remember — while most kids were up early on Saturday mornings watching cartoons, I was sneaking downstairs to watch birthing shows on TLC 😅.

Studying women’s health in college and training as a doula reminded me just how powerful (and fun) it is to hear birth stories firsthand.

I created the Labor Line to celebrate and elevate these incredible experiences in a chill, accessible way.