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

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

Author: Emily Lau February 3, 2026 Duration: 1:55:00

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


Hosted by Emily Lau, The Labor Line offers a space where the profound, messy, and surprisingly funny realities of bringing a child into the world are shared without polish. Emily, who has long been fascinated by birth stories, began this podcast as an expectant mother seeking genuine conversations beyond the textbooks. Each episode is built from candid talks with her community of mom friends, where they unpack everything from the first signs of labor to the unpredictable weeks that follow. You’ll hear the full spectrum of experiences-the anxiety of unexpected complications, the raw emotion of feeding challenges, the triumph of a swift delivery, and those bizarre, laugh-out-loud moments that happen only in a hospital room. This isn't a how-to guide but a collection of human voices reminding you that you're not alone on this journey. By focusing on personal narratives, the podcast connects listeners to the cultural and relational shifts that define parenthood, all through the lens of honest storytelling. Tune in for weekly episodes that normalize the complexities of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum life, offering both solidarity and a much-needed dose of humor.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 32

The Labor Line
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