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Sara is a researcher and doula in Zurich, her own website and her resources are below this description.

What if the difference between a hard birth and a healing one was a few well-chosen words, a handful of choices and a team that truly listened? Sarah’s story spans two countries and two radically different experiences where she found her rhythm, her voice, and her power. Her first, an induction in Denmark marked by pressure toward an epidural that failed, and later, in Zurich, having to forgo her goal of giving birth at Delphy's Birth House, for an induced hospital water birth at Triempli Stadtspital.

We walk through the real contrasts in maternity care. Denmark’s midwife-led approach offered continuity and calm, with minimal medicalisation. Switzerland provided more monitoring, options, and risk framing. Both helped in different ways, but the decisive factor was how supported Sarah felt. After a tough recovery the first time, including a third-degree tear and weeks of painful feeding before a tongue tie was found, she dove into preparation for her second: a birth house plan, a doula by her side, and tools like hypnobirthing, sophrology, breath counts, and a TENS unit. When her waters likely released and the clock started, she transferred to hospital and advocated clearly: no oral misoprostol, start with a midwife’s brew, then use a reversible oxytocin drip. An “angel midwife” kept the space safe. The oxytocin built, she stayed in rhythm, and the team filled a birth pool. With calm coaching to slow crowning, she birthed her son gently with no tearing.

Sara's Resources:
Why and how to use the TENS machine

Blog post on TENS

Epi-no device, to train and stretch the perineum, to prevent tears (a good alternative is perineal massage):

Favorite international birth stories podcasts:

- https://australianbirthstories.com/

- https://www.thepositivebirthstorypodcast.com/

hypnobirthing listening track and meditation/timer app for labor:

Favorite and super knowledgeable IBCLC lactation consultants (in CH/IT/DK - all offer online consultations in EN)

Fitness and pregnancy/birth wisdom

Surprisingly true and favorite reads: 1 2

Sara's own doula websit

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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.

Loved this story? Subscribe, leave a review to help more parents find us, and share this episode with someone who needs a hopeful path back to birth.

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.

podcas

Support the show

Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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@swissbirthstories

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Ladina's resources are at the end of this description.

Plans rarely survive contact with labour, and that’s exactly where this story shines. We sit down with Ladina, a Swiss parent who grew up in the US and Brazil, to trace two very different births at Triemli Stadtspital in Zurich—one long and medically complex, the next fast and grounded in simple tools and trust.

We start with the first pregnancy and a nerve-wracking NIPT delay over the holidays that coloured the months that followed. Labour opened with back pain and slow dilation, a middle-of-the-night epidural for much-needed rest, and oxytocin to restart contractions. Doctors weighed a C-section as her baby’s heart rate dipped, then broke her waters to reassess. With clear communication and steady midwifery support, her team helped her continue toward a vaginal birth. Postpartum brought a hot, crowded ward, sleepless nights, and the classic “flirt weeks” that soon gave way to evening fussiness. Breastfeeding clicked early, freezer meals saved their sanity, and expectations reset as reality arrived.

The second time, everything felt different. With a toddler at home, there was less anxiety and more trust in her body. A TENS machine became her secret weapon for back labour, letting her arrive at the hospital already seven centimetres dilated despite being two weeks past her due date. Induction was planned, then labour started on its own; she birthed without an epidural in a calm room with minimal staff. We dig into the Beleghebamme continuity-of-care model at Triemli, why it matters even when schedules don’t align, and how the right ally can keep options open without pressure.

Family life after birth adds honest layers: preparing a firstborn with simple rituals, navigating rough affection and parental triggers, and handling weeks of illness that often trail big transitions. We explore sleep ups and downs, self-weaning when pregnancy changed milk, and a daughter who refused bottles at daycare, pushing Ladina to pump at work and leave early pickups. The big takeaway is practical and humane: some babies sleep, some don’t; tools like TENS, doulas, and continuity of care help; and confidence grows when we allow plans to change without losing our voice.

If you care about natural birth, epidurals, induction, TENS in labour, breastfeeding, bottle refusal, sibling bonding, and Swiss maternity care, this story delivers grounded insight and real-world strategies. Subscribe for more birth stories and expert perspectives, share this episode with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Ladina's resources:

TENS machine rental from Lilybee: https://www.lilybee.ch/shop/tens-rental/

Beleghebammen Zürich | Carolina Iglesias, Eva Kaderli

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Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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@lilybeezurich

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This episode is a must listen for every pregnancy. Henar's story of finding answers, self-advocacy, hard work and tenacity, as well as leaning in when things went differently than planned holds lessons for everyone embarking on pregnancy and birth in Switzerland.

Henar's resources are below this description:

What happens when modern diabetes tech collides with decades‑old pregnancy protocols? We sit down with Henar, a Spain‑born mum in Switzerland living with Type 1 diabetes, who turned a “high‑risk” label into a plan rooted in data, calm choices, and unwavering self‑advocacy. From preconception A1C goals and fine‑tuning basals to balancing nutrition, exercise, and hormones, she shows how preparation can rewrite expectations without ignoring real risks.

The cracks appear where many parents feel them most: care that’s split between specialists who rarely speak, blanket recommendations to induce at 38 weeks, and hospital assumptions about “big babies.” Henar walks us through bringing her endocrinologist and hospital team into one conversation, documenting individualised thresholds, and buying time for spontaneous labour. When her baby arrived malpositioned and pushing stalled, she chose an epidural, tried every repositioning strategy, and then moved into a caesarean that felt informed, respectful, and peaceful. The golden hour still happened. The love still crashed in to that operating room. You will not want to miss the description of her first few moments with her son.

Postpartum, the story shifts to pain management gaps, anaemia, and the vital role of practical support. We dig into breastfeeding with Type 1 diabetes: why milk let‑down can drop blood sugar, how CGMs and pumps with low‑glucose suspend help at night, and the simple power of snacks within reach. We also explore returning to work, protecting pumping windows, and making a values‑based call on extended breastfeeding despite criticism. Along the way, we spotlight the real issue: a data lag that hasn’t caught up with continuous glucose monitoring, smarter pumps, and broader access that make tighter control possible.

If you’re navigating pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers clear strategies, compassionate perspective, and a reminder that protocols are starting points, not destinies. If it resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who needs encouragement today. Your notes and stories help this community get smarter and stronger.

Henar's resources:

Book:

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Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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Joanna is a small business owner living in Glarus with her family. She owns Moon and June, a non-alcoholic apertif made in Switzerland. Her resources are below this description.

A decade can change everything. Joanna went from a fast-paced banking career and a midwife-led hospital birth in Poland to a slow, deliberate, deeply supported home water birth in the Swiss mountains—finding a new kind of confidence along the way. Her story threads through motherhood, blended family life, and the tension between authority and intuition, showing how respectful care and continuity with midwives can reshape not only labour but the whole arc of becoming a parent again.

We walk through the first birth’s quiet triumphs and the subtle harms of the “clock”—that moment when protocols override pace. Then we shift to Switzerland, where an English-speaking midwife, a birth pool, and careful postpartum planning set a different tone. When Joanna’s longtime OB condemned home birth with fear-based warnings, she didn’t debate; she re-centred. With a low-risk pregnancy, a known midwife duo, and a registered transfer plan, she turned down the noise and trusted what felt right for her body and baby.

The labour unfolds like a lesson in physiology and presence: waters leaking at home, a rainy walk, a Spike Lee movie, then the unmistakable climb. Warm water, skilled hands, and a steady voice—“You’re a strong woman”—help Joanna surrender to the urge to push. One surge, and her daughter is born into the pool. Postpartum shines too: daily midwife visits, an easy latch after past struggles, food prepped, visitors paused, and a blended family gently knitting together. The episode’s heartbeat is a simple metric of success: leaving birth more confident than when you began.

If you care about home birth in Switzerland, midwife-led care, respectful maternity care, older motherhood, postpartum planning, or the realities of blended families, this is the story for you. Listen, share with a friend who needs a grounded perspective on birth choices, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review to help more parents find their footing.

- instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/joanna_k_perry/

- website: https://www.moonandjune.ch/

Support the show

Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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Maggie Wyss, PhD, is a researcher, writer, and international health expert exploring the intersection of gender, health, and society. Her work is centered on how women navigate complex decisions, particularly in pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. Her resources are below this description:

What if a twin cesarean could feel calm, connected, and even a little spiritual? We sit down with Maggie, a mom of three, to trace a full-term twin birth that began with a change of plans, unfolded with a warm, communicative medical team, and flowed into a gentle and intentional postpartum at a local birth house. From the moment her waters broke two days early to the first tandem feed in the recovery room, every step shows how informed care and human connection can transform a clinical setting into a safe, personal experience. She gave birth at Hirslanden Aarau and went to Terra Alta Birth House for the following few days.

We walk through experiences like how a familiar obstetrician and attuned midwives reduced fear, and what it meant to have immediate skin-to-skin and breastfeeding support with healthy, full-term babies. Then we follow the shift from hospital to birth house, where home-like rooms, nourishing meals, and gentle support fostered rest and confidence. It’s a rare window into postpartum care in Switzerland that balances medical safety with autonomy and warmth.

Maggie’s candid insights reach beyond birth. She explains feeding twins on different schedules, introducing bottles without losing the intimacy of nursing, and setting firm visitor boundaries when emotions run high. We talk safe co-sleeping with twins, planning real-life support that lasts months rather than days, and helping an older child adapt by anchoring routines with both parents. Her “most brilliant moment” isn’t a single snapshot but the ongoing reality of being the safe place where kids can crumble and recover—proof that calm isn’t the absence of chaos, but the presence of trust.

If you’re exploring twin birth options, curious about cesarean experiences that feel humane, or seeking postpartum strategies that protect your energy, this conversation offers clarity, encouragement, and practical detail. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this story, and leave a review to help more families find empowering birth and postpartum care.

Maggie's Resources:

https://geburtshaus-terra-alta.ch/

https://www.instagram.com/maggiewyss_/

maggiewyss.com

https://substack.com/@maggiewyss?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Support the show

Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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Kristina's resources are below this desription

If you’re craving a nuanced, practical take on birth, breastfeeding, and entrepreneurship/work- light on dogma, big on real-life problem-solving then this is the story for you.

A long labour, a late epidural, and then the hardest part hits after birth: every latch feels like fire. When Kristina finally asks to stop, one midwife shames her- and another walks in with calm, options, and a plan that changes everything. That simple shift from pressure to partnership unlocks two years of breastfeeding and a new level of confidence.

In this lovely episode, Kirstina takes you through her pandemic-era pregnancy in Switzerland, why she kept her bilingual daycares open for essential workers, and how trusting her care team helped her feel safe during a marathon birth (at Clinique de la Source in Lausanne). You’ll hear why she considered birth preferences with A, B, and C paths; how a silicone nipple shield, rest, and reassurance transformed feeding; and why boundaries matter in vulnerable moments. She shares the realities of returning to work on day seven postpartum, turning a lack of daycare spots into a creative weekly rhythm, and navigating a baby who refused every bottle and almost every formula. With a paediatrician’s guidance, yogurt and cup feeds bridged the daytime gap, while nights became a dance of compensating feeds and evolving sleep.

We also dig into public breastfeeding in Switzerland, responding to judgement without losing yourself, and the surprising ease of weaning during a five-day trip when timing finally aligned. Kristina challenges common myths about “equal” night shifts and bottle-fed bonding, showing how attachment thrives when parents play to their strengths and stay responsive to the child in front of them.

Thank you Kristina for sharing your story with us!

If this conversation resonated, tap follow, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who needs supportive, shame-free birth and feeding stories. Your feedback helps more parents find us and feel less alone.

Kristina's Resources:

Insta: @babina970

Website: www.babinakristina.com (here you can learn all about her diverse projects and businesses)

FB: Kristina Babina

Support the show

Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

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Josefina is a certified pre- and postnatal yoga teacher and a pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist (PCES) living in Appenzell, Switzerland. Her resources are at the end of this episode's description.

The plan sounded elegant: move to Zurich, open a textile shop in August, welcome a baby in October. Then preeclampsia arrived without warning, and Josefina’s son was born at 29 weeks—840 grams of fierce life, tucked inside the NICU for 10 long weeks. What followed wasn’t a highlight reel. It was the honest, human middle: shame that the bond didn’t appear on cue, the grief of a birth rewritten, money stress that pushed her back to work while pumping at midnight, and a body that cried out with relentless migraines. Through it all, Josefina learned to separate fear from intuition, to ask for specific help, and to treat “self‑care” as essential infrastructure rather than a luxury.

We walk with her from the operating room to the NICU bedside, through language barriers and well‑meaning but invalidating comments, to the moment she trusted her gut and noticed her son wasn’t quite right—then was proven right. That small win became a thread that stitched their connection. She shares how to set boundaries with professionals who forget adjusted age or escalate anxiety, why expat parents need a village on purpose, and how to plan postpartum support that actually matters: food, laundry, quiet company, and a doula who speaks your language. Along the way, she names the myths that hurt parents—“all that matters is healthy mom, healthy baby”; “bonding is instant”; “good mothers don’t ask for help”—and replaces them with kinder truths.

Today, her once‑tiny preemie is tall, funny, and loud with song. Josefina is changing generational patterns by apologizing to her child, holding feelings instead of dismissing them, and modelling repair over perfection. If your path to parenthood bent in ways you never chose, this conversation offers steady ground: advocacy, realistic postpartum planning, and the reminder that a delayed bond is still a true bond. If it resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share this story with someone who needs the courage to ask for help.

Prenatal yoga series: https://resources.josefinayoga.com/balanced-before-birth

Her Postpartum Plan: https://resources.josefinayoga.com/postpartum-plan

Easy self-care ideas for new moms: https://resources.josefinayoga.com/easy-self-care-ideas

Her free resources: https://josefinayoga.com/free-resources/

Support the show

Please connect with us! See below for how to contact and interact with us:

To share your story: https://www.happydayhypnobirthing.ch/swiss-birth-stories

All episodes:

https://swissbirthstories.buzzsprout.com

Our websites:

www.swissbirthstories.com

www.happydayhypnobirthing.ch

www.lilybee.ch

Instagram:

@swissbirthstories

@happy.day.bumps.babes.beyond

@lilybeezurich

Tiktok:

@swissbirthstories

Substack:

https://julianeale.substack.com/