Epidural-less Inductions + A Kidney Stone | Allie’s Birth Stories

Epidural-less Inductions + A Kidney Stone | Allie’s Birth Stories

Author: Emily Lau January 13, 2026 Duration: 1:39:30

This week I’m joined by my friend Allie, who endured passing a kidney stone while in her 3rd trimester!! Truly chilling stuff. But, beyond that, Allie shares her experience with high blood pressure near the end of both of her pregnancies that ultimately resulted in two positive, epidural-less inductions that she takes us through beat-by-beat. She also opens up about the difficulty of having a baby who refused to sleep through the night for a whole year and how that impacted her postpartum mental health. Her postpartum experience was then transformed through a few new friendships that serve as a beautiful reminder of the power of community.

Allie’s story is truly uplifting and downright hilarious in many instances. If you’re looking for a motherhood pick-me-up, this episode is for you!

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Allie

00:10:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Inconsistent Periods, 5 Months of Trying, & High Blood Pressure Readings

00:14:57 - 1st Labor: Cervidil Induction at 37 Weeks, Unexpected Transition, & Unmedicated Delivery

00:32:58 - 1st Postpartum: Lack of Sleep, PPA, & Making New Mom Friends

00:48:35 - 2nd Pregnancy: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction, Staying Active, & Passing a Kidney Stone

01:01:25 - 2nd Labor: Cytotec Induction at 39 Weeks, Rapid Dilation, & Planned Unmedicated Delivery

01:19:41 - 2nd Postpartum: Positive Sleep Training & Supportive Community

01:30:57 - To My Pre-Mom Self…


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
Podcast Episodes
Deja Vu Deliveries + 2 Hour Labor | Ashley’s Birth Stories (PART 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week I’m joined by my friend Ashley, a mom of six!! In this episode, we walk through her first three birth stories, and next week she’ll be back to share the final three. Ashley’s journey starts with two smooth preg…
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This week I’m joined by my new friend Katie, whose journey to motherhood has many twists and turns. Her story includes a hurricane that influenced her decision to discontinue her birth control (yes, really), a snafu betw…
IUI Twins + Preeclamptic C-Section | Sydney’s Birth Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week I’m joined by my friend Sydney, whose C-section incision site reopened a few days after birth. Her journey to motherhood also includes IUI fertility treatments, advocating for herself when signs of preeclampsia…
Type 1 Diabetes + Breastfeeding for 3 | Meredith’s Birth Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week I’m joined by my amazing friend Meredith, who is a type 1 diabetic mom who breastfed three babies (one of them not even her own!) for over six months! What makes that even more incredible is that she once wasn’…
Breastfeeding Struggles + 3rd Degree Tear | Katie’s Birth Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:28
This week I’m joined by my friend Katie, who thought she wanted a large family until she had a bumpy start to motherhood with her first. Her experiences include a long, difficult labor that resulted in a 3rd degree tear…
Quick Dilation + Postpartum Health | Malloree’s Birth Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:05
This week, I’m joined by my friend Malloree, who once dilated from a 5 to a 10 in just 15 minutes, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Her 3 birth experiences include a one-push wonder baby, Group B Strep (GBS) for a…
PPD + Down Syndrome | Hannah’s Birth Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:58
This week, I am joined by my friend Hannah, who went from not knowing how an epidural worked to delivering her third without her husband while he was at military training! Her experiences include (but aren’t limited to)…
Pitocin Inductions + Powerful Support Team | Jorden’s Birth Stories [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:20
This week, I am joined by my sister-friend, Jorden, who is my incredible sister-in-law, who is due just 2 days after I am! She has had 3 previous birth experiences that included 3 pitocin inductions, adjusting to breastf…