Episode 32

full
Published on:

11th Feb 2026

Impassable Kidney Stone + 2-Day Induction | Tessa’s Birth Stories (PART 2)

This week, we are AGAIN joined by my friend Tessa, a mom of five! In this episode, we are wrapping up her story by walking through her last 2 birth experiences.

While pregnant with her fourth child, Tessa developed a kidney stone so large that she was unable to pass it!! She had to wear a urostomy bag to drain her kidneys until she was 6 weeks postpartum. This physically complex pregnancy caused her to transfer her care from her home midwife to a hospital, where she eventually had a successful, epidural-less induction at 39 weeks.

Following this difficult experience, Tessa was motivated to finish out her childbearing journey on a high note. Thankfully, her last pregnancy went smoothly, and she was able to have yet another redemptive birth at home, surrounded by her four other children.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Podcast Announcement

00:11:36 - 4th Child: Kidney Stone Complications + Epidural-less Induction

01:11:22 - 5th Child: Calm Pregnancy + Redemptive Home Birth

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for The Labor Line

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

-

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

Profile picture for Emily Lau

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.