The Labor Line

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 Announcement00:11:36 - 4th Child: Kidney Stone Complications + Epidural-less Induction01:11:22 - 5th Child: Calm Pregnancy + Redemptive Home Birth

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 Tessa00:13:30 - Miscarriage00:15:31 - 1st Child: Induction, Group B Strep, Epidural Delivery, & Breastfeeding Struggles00:47:30 - 2nd Child: Empowering Community, Positive Home Birth, & Positive Breastfeeding01:23:17 - 3rd Child: Physically Taxing Pregnancy, Diastasis Recti, & Emotional Home Birth

This week I’m joined by my friend Natasha, who had to overcome some fears about labor and motherhood before she felt ready to become a parent. After a positive pregnancy and a long labor that included forceps after 4 hours of pushing (!!), she once again had to learn to trust herself and God to manage her postpartum anxiety. Although her mental health has continued to play a role in her experience, Natasha is a huge advocate for adding positivity and hope to the conversation surrounding childbirth and motherhood. Her episode offers such a wonderfully balanced and uplifting perspective to anyone who has ever wondered, “Can I really do this?”Chapters:00:00:00 - Meet Natasha00:11:56 - Pregnancy: Positive Pregnancy After Overcoming Fear00:35:53 - Labor: Epidural, 4 Hours of Pushing, + Forceps Delivery00:46:03 - Postpartum: Mental Health Struggles & Finding Joy in Her Son01:22:29 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week I’m joined by my friend Summer, who gave birth standing up and caught her own baby! Summer takes us through how she prepared for her positive, unmedicated hospital birth, both physically and spiritually. She also gets real about the pain of back labor and how that affected some of her coping mechanisms, as well as the unexpected curve balls of postpartum, including recovering from a tear, postpartum depression, and a migraine that lasted 3 months!Despite the bumps, Summer seriously has the best energy towards birth and motherhood as a whole. I’m so grateful for the positive perspective she brought to the podcast this week!Chapters:00:00:00 - Meet Summer00:08:30 - Pregnancy: Prepping for Birth & Being Past Due00:51:42 - Labor: Back Labor, Getting Vocal, & Catching Her Baby01:13:49 - Postpartum: Learning the Purpose of Resting + Long-Lasting Migraine01:23:43 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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 Allie00:10:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Inconsistent Periods, 5 Months of Trying, & High Blood Pressure Readings00:14:57 - 1st Labor: Cervidil Induction at 37 Weeks, Unexpected Transition, & Unmedicated Delivery00:32:58 - 1st Postpartum: Lack of Sleep, PPA, & Making New Mom Friends00:48:35 - 2nd Pregnancy: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction, Staying Active, & Passing a Kidney Stone01:01:25 - 2nd Labor: Cytotec Induction at 39 Weeks, Rapid Dilation, & Planned Unmedicated Delivery01:19:41 - 2nd Postpartum: Positive Sleep Training & Supportive Community01:30:57 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

Today I am joined by me, myself, and I as I recap my 2nd trimester experiences. Y’all sent in questions to guide today’s conversation, and I loved the opportunity to look back on a truly transformative time. We talk about all things cravings, left-field symptoms, baby showers, nursery prep, and where I’m at with my birth plan. It’s such a privilege to deep dive into my journey through motherhood with y’all! Thanks for being here 🩷

This week, I’m joined by my friend Emma, who prepared for an unmedicated birth that actually didn’t come to fruition because her baby was breech. After trying everything in the Spinning Babies handbook, she decided to pivot and use the very same mental coping techniques that she had learned for her natural birth to prepare for an ultimately positive C-section birth. She shares beautiful memories of the love she felt the first time she saw her son, the joy of skin-to-skin, and the bonding experiences her little family shared together afterwards. Even with a spinal block headache and a painful start to breastfeeding, she was able to stay grounded in her postpartum experience by remembering that things can be difficult and sweet at the same time, but that with motherhood, it always comes out worth it in the end. Chapters:00:00 - Meet Emma07:59 - Pregnancy: Positive Pregnancy, Natural Labor Prep, & Failed ECV20:51 - Labor: Leaking Water, Working Through Early Labor, & Peaceful C-Section29:09 - Postpartum: Skin-to-Skin, Instant Love, & Breastfeeding Challenges52:02 - To My Pre-Mom Self… 

This week, I’m joined by my friend Lauren, whose epidural worked a little too well to the point that she broke her pubic bone without even realizing it! In this episode, Lauren walks us through her 3 pitocin & cervidil inductions and 2 failed inductions. She also experienced preeclampsia with all 3 of her pregnancies, but gradually learned how to manage her symptoms and advocate for proper care.Even though there were some bumps along the way, Lauren’s stories have so many beautiful highs, like when she was able to catch her own baby during delivery or when she had a bonding moment with her daughter that reminded her that they were chosen for one another. This episode is like a breath of fresh air. So if you’re looking for an uplifting conversation about all things motherhood, this one’s for you!Trigger Warning: Mention of infant death (40:25 to 40:39)Chapters:00:00:00 - Meet Lauren00:09:05 - 1st Pregnancy: Conflicting Advice & Late Preeclampsia Diagnosis00:16:29 - 1st Labor: Powerful Epidrual + Broken Pubic Bone00:18:33 - 1st Postpartum: Postpartum Anxiety & Emotional Breastfeeding Struggles00:29:04 - Miscarriage00:30:52 - 2nd Pregnancy: Processing Pregnancy After Loss00:35:19 - 2nd Labor: Failed Epidural, Advocating for Herself, & Catching Her Own Baby00:41:43 - 2nd Postpartum: Residual Empowerment From Birth + Self Compassion in Breastfeeding00:55:14 - 3rd Pregnancy: Phantom Pregnancies & Managing Preeclampsia00:59:17 - 3rd Labor: Embracing an Unplanned, Unmedicated Birth01:02:19 - 3rd Postpartum: Gaining Confidence & Finding Peace in Breastfeeding01:19:07 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week, I’m joined by my sister-friend, Rachel, who is the third and final of my sisters-in-laws to share her story with us! Rachel went through quite the journey to bring her two daughters into the world. Starting with endometriosis-related fertility struggles, followed by hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and severe preeclampsia that led to one daughter being born at 30 weeks and the other at 33 weeks. We discuss extended NICU stays, the long-term effects of being a micropremie, and how Rachel learned to stand up for her family through it all. This week’s discussion is a bit heavier, but it is a reminder of the power of a mother’s intuition and the strength that comes when fighting for your children.Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesTrigger Warning: Discussion of miscarriage and traumatic birth throughoutChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Rachel00:19:50 - 1st Pregnancy: PCOS + Clomid, HG, & Bed Rest at 29 Weeks00:52:33 - 1st Delivery: Preeclampsia & Life Saving Measures01:01:58 - 1st Postpartum: 2 Month NICU Stay & Learning to be Assertive01:15:46 - 2nd Pregnancy: Secondary Infertility, Subchorionic Hematoma, & Feeding Tubes01:32:42 - 2nd Delivery: Failed Stress Tests, Redemptive C-Section, & OR Skin-to-Skin01:40:12 - 2nd Postpartum: COVID in the NICU & Coping with Postpartum OCD01:55:42 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week I’m joined by my new friend Kyla, who learned how to differentiate between what was in her control and what wasn’t early on in her motherhood journey. This distinction helped her achieve a positive, unmedicated hospital birth with the help of a doula, even through 12 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing, and an episiotomy! Kyla truly loved her birth experience and just being a mom overall, so this episode is perfect if you’re looking for some positive motherhood vibes!Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesTrigger Warning: Mention of infant death (01:00:05 to 01:00:30)Chapters:00:00:00 - Meet Kyla00:12:38 - Pregnancy: Delayed Conception & Channeling Energy into Birth Prep00:23:12 - Labor: Positive Unmedicated Hospital Birth + Doula Assistance00:59:21 - Postparum: Immediate Adrenaline High, Breastfeeding Woes, & Loving Motherhood01:08:36 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week, we are joined AGAIN by my friend Ashley, who is a mom to six kids! In this episode, we are wrapping up her story by walking through her last three birth experiences. Ashley shares how the precipitous, unmedicated delivery of her third baby (which we ended on last week) brought a lot of anxiety into the medicated delivery of her fourth. She also remarks on how different it felt going back to an epidural birth after having experienced an unmedicated birth. This ultimately influenced her to decide to have unmedicated home births with her fifth and sixth babies! It is amazing to hear how much more empowered and excited Ashley felt with her last two births in contrast with some of her other experiences. It is seriously special to see how all six of her experiences come together to create a beautiful journey through motherhood. Ashley’s stories are truly a reminder that every birth is unique and transformative!Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:15 - 4th Child: Unsolicited Membrane Sweep, Processing Anxiety, & Choosing an Epidural00:29:25 - 5th Child: Mentally Preparing, Working with a Midwife, + Mostly Unassisted Home Birth01:04:05 - 6th Child: Overcoming Doubt & 1-Push Home Birth01:23:38 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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 pregnancies that resulted in almost identical deliveries (seriously—same birth weight and everything!). But her third baby threw her for a loop, from taking longer to conceive to a labor so fast she didn’t even have time to get an IV!Each of Ashley’s experiences builds on the last, and I can’t wait for you to see how all six come together to form such a beautiful, resilient story of motherhood.Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Ashley00:13:19 - 1st Child: Smooth Pregnancy, 45 Minutes of Pushing, & Weaning From a Nipple Shield00:38:08 - 2nd Child: Finishing School While Pregnant & Admitted at 8 cm Dilated for a Deja Vu Delivery 00:52:46 - 3rd Child: Slower Conception, Unintentionally Unmedicated, Out in 2 Pushes

This week, we’re talking about the stories YOU shared about the nicest things someone did for you postpartum. Y’all gave me all the insider secrets about what your postpartum friends ACTUALLY need. We talk about meal train etiquette, C-section postpartum hacks, and ways dads can help lighten the load. This episode is packed with ideas and insights that I had never even considered before! Perfect for expectant parents to share with their support team, or for you, like me, who want to do more for your new mom friends, but don’t know where to start! Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodes

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 between two medical offices that resulted in her missing 17 weeks' worth of OBGYN visits, and an unintentionally unmedicated birth after she missed the window of opportunity to get an epidural. Her son spent time in the NICU due to a tight umbilical cord around his neck during delivery, and Katie herself had to be readmitted to the hospital due to postpartum preeclampsia. Through it all, Katie shares her experience with warmth and humor. Her story is a testament to the emotional and mental strength that you discover when there’s no way out but through.  Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Kaite00:14:02 - Miscarriage00:17:50 - Pregnancy: Anatomy Scan Scare, Medical Miscommunication, & Increased Monitoring00:55:08 - Labor: Data-Motivated Progression & Going Unintentionally Unmedicated01:18:46 - Postpartum: Umbilical Cord Issues, NICU Transfer, & Postpartum Preeclampsia01:46:10 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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 appeared in the third trimester, and an emergency, traumatic C-section that led to a blood transfusion. We also talk about the grief of unmet expectations, body image struggles, and how motherhood can be the ultimate invitation to slow down and be present.Sydney’s episode is a beautiful example that sometimes our biggest battles can teach us the most about our own strength. Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Sydney00:07:32 - Pregnancy: IUI Success, Twins, & Preeclampsia Signs00:35:19 - Labor: Magnesium Loopiness + Emergency C-Section00:38:06 - Postpartum: Processing Grief & Disconnect, An Unhealed C-Section Incision, & Finding Purpose in Motherhood01:11:56 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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’t sure if she’d be able to have children at all.In this episode, Meredith opens up about how diabetes has shaped her motherhood journey, her difficult first delivery that led to her daughter’s dislocated shoulder, a NICU stay, and a fourth-degree tear (!!), and how her second birth, a planned C-section, brought a much more positive experience in contrast.Meredith’s episode is a reminder that you are more capable than you think and that you are strong enough to feel scared but to do it anyway. Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Meredith00:11:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Slow Fertility, Wonderful Endocrinologist, & Big Baby00:26:29 - 1st Labor: Spotty Epidural, 4th Degree Tear, & Dislocated Shoulder00:38:03 - 1st Postpartum: NICU Stay & Breastfeeding Success00:59:09 - 2nd Pregnancy: Struggling to Find Supportive Doctors01:08:26 - 2nd Labor: Scheduled Positive C-Section01:11:21 - 2nd Postpartum: Changes in Milk Production, Milk Sharing, & 2 Under 2 Haze 01:25:34 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week I’m joined by my friend Jessica, who pushed both of her babies out in only two pushes!! Her experiences include first-trimester nausea (particularly in the car), a negative reaction to IV pain medication, and pubic symphysis dysfunction, which was especially difficult because she’s a dancer. She also talks about her experience with a velcro baby who wouldn’t sleep without her, breastfeeding both of her kids at once, and dealing with anxious, intrusive thoughts. Jessica’s episode is a beautiful example of standing firm in what you believe is right for you and your babies, even if it looks different from what you had originally planned.Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Jessica00:13:19 - 1st Pregnancy: Car Sickness & Hip Pain00:31:58 - 1st Labor: Water Breaking, 12 Hour Labor, & A Finicky Epidural00:38:42 - 1st Postpartum: Committing to Breastfeeding, Choosing to Co-sleep, & Intrusive Thoughts00:50:21 - 2nd Pregnancy: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction & Slightly Enlarged Baby Kidneys01:02:26 - 2nd Labor: Negative Reaction to IV Meds & Side-lying Epidural01:10:41 - 2nd Postpartum: Tandem Breastfeeding & Mental Health Help01:20:16 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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 that took almost a year to recover from, and a baby who struggled to breastfeed and therefore struggled to sleep. Luckily, her second brought a better delivery and postpartum experience because of what she learned from her first. Through all of this, Katie learned how to trust her own instincts and let go of advice that simply wasn’t helpful. If you’re trying to find your voice and learn to laugh at your mistakes, Katie’s episode is the one for you! Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00 - Meet Katie 07:29 - 1st Pregnancy: 6 Months of Trying + Weight Gain Comments 13:57 - 1st Labor: Broken Water, Lack of Sleep, & Almost 3 Hours of Pushing18:49 - 1st Postpartum: 3rd Degree Tear, Breastfeeding Struggles, & Co-Sleeping 31:56 - 2nd Pregnancy: Positive Pregnancy + Mild Gender Disappointment 38:37 - 2nd Labor: Fainting Husband, Quick Labor, Out in 3 Pushes 41:58 - 2nd Postpartum: Learning from Last Time + Formula Supplementation 48:40 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

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 all 3 births, and a failed epidural that resulted in a multi-day-long allergic reaction. She has also run the gamut of postpartum mental health experiences, from postpartum depression with her first, to rage with her second, and anxiety with her third.In this episode: Leaking amniotic fluid at 37 weeksHealing from a 2nd degree tear while having a UTIPositive breastfeeding experiencesAn anatomy scan false alarmResponding to postpartum mental health warning signsMalloree is a great reminder that no two postpartum experiences are alike and that often the best way to take care of your kids is to first take care of yourself! Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters:00:00:00 - Meet Malloree00:06:26 - 1st Pregnancy: Positive Pregnancy + Extreme Tiredness00:09:13 - 1st Labor: Leaking Amniotic Fluid, 2nd Degree Tear, & A Big Baby00:14:54 - 1st Postpartum: Undetected Postpartum Depression + Breastfeeding Wins00:19:31 - 2nd Pregnancy: Slower Fertility + New Nausea00:34:14 - 2nd Labor: Scheduled Induction, Quick Dilation, Out in 1 Push! 00:39:06 - 2nd Postpartum: Postpartum Rage, Medication + Therapy00:59:55 - Miscarriage01:00:24 - 3rd Pregnancy: Innocuous Calcium Deposit + 3rd Trimester Anxiety01:07:24 - 3rd Labor: Failed Epidural & Allergic Reactions01:13:23 - 3rd Postpartum: Postpartum Anxiety, Medication + Therapy 01:22:02 - 4th Pregnancy: Just the Beginning!

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) pre-eclampsia, severe postpartum depression, the emotional impact of 2 miscarriages,  and joyfully welcoming their son with Down syndrome.   In this episode: 38 hours of labor (!!) followed by a month-long NICU stayThe emotional whiplash of pregnancy closing following loss Learning the difference between “baby blues” and postpartum depressionChoosing an amniocentesis to confirm genetic testingBeing welcomed into the tight-knit Down syndrome communityHannah’s story stands as a testament to the strength and resilience of moms everywhere. This is your reminder that brighter days are ahead, even if you feel at the end of your rope. Trigger Warning: Discussion of suicidal ideation (24:55 to 25:13 & 1:02:18) Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodesChapters: 4:47 - Meet Hannah10:57 - 1st Child: Pre-eclampsia, NICU, Colic, & Unrecognized PPD16:30 - 1st Miscarriage19:00 - 2nd Child: Easy Pregnancy, Positive Birth, & Recognized PPD26:10 - 2nd Miscarriage30:16 - 3rd Child: Amniocentesis, Down Syndrome Diagnosis, Emergency C-Section, & Positive Postpartum1:04:00 - To My Pre-Mom Self…