S02E12 Andrea: What If Your Second Birth Rewrites Your First? How A Fast First Labour, Postpartum Hemorrhage, And Hashimoto’s Led To An Empowered Second Birth

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Andrea's resources are below this description.

A birth can change your life. Two births can change your map. Andrea, a teacher and author living in Lenzburg, opens up about a first labour that moved faster than anyone expected, a cramped exam room at Hirslanden Aargau standing in for a delivery suite, and the cascade that followed: retained placenta, agonising uterine compression, a major postpartum hemorrhage, and surgery during the height of pandemic restrictions. With her partner sent home and information scarce, recovery stretched into a week in hospital and months of fatigue, anxiety, rage, and insomnia. Therapy named postpartum depression. Bloodwork finally revealed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, connecting dots and restoring stability with the right medication.

The second time, Andrea did more than hope; she prepared. Counselling helped process trauma. A clear plan flagged her prior PPH, requested the delivery suite, and lined up colostrum in case of separation. Her partner trained to advocate. Friends handled the midnight drive. Rest, snacks, an acupressure comb, and warm water carried her through. In the quiet between surges, she felt her son’s head, waited, and delivered him into her arms in a peaceful water birth. He surprised everyone at nearly 4.5 kilos, and the placenta followed smoothly out of the tub, with a blissful first latch to seal the moment.

We talk about birth trauma in Switzerland, trauma-informed care, postpartum mental health, thyroid health after birth, building a real support network, and why postpartum rest is part of recovery, not a luxury. Andrea’s story is a reminder that healing doesn’t erase what happened; it gives you a new chapter to hold it with care.

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Andrea's resources:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51290494-why-did-no-one-tell-me-this - a book I found at the local Orell Füssli and was very glad I read! My husband even referred to it while I was in labour.

https://www.youtube.com/c/BridgetTeyler - the one and only YouTube channel I used during pregnancy and postpartum.

https://www.thenakeddoula.com/ - I found her visuals to be striking and memorable. The flashcards helped my husband and I prepare for the birth, and I also made my birth plan using her visuals.

https://www.born-together.com/ - counselling with Francesca helped me process the trauma of my first birth story and prepare for the birth of my second child, which turned out to be a truly healing experience. We also had one couples counselling session.

https://www.thewavecomb.co.uk/ - I used the wave comb and water to help me have an unmedicated birthing experience and feel in control.

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