Swiss Birth Stories: A Podcast About Birth In Switzerland
Your hosts are Julia, from Happy Day Hypnobirthing and Christine from Lilybee in Zurich.
Our mission is to share diverse birth stories from across Switzerland in a way that empowers the storyteller. We aim to create a supportive space where each person is in control of their own narrative.
By recording and sharing birth stories in Switzerland, we hope to inspire those planning their own birth, offer insights for birth workers, or allow listeners to reflect on their own birth experiences. Tune in to hear real, personal, raw birth stories. Available on all major podcast platforms.
Would you like to be a guest on the podcast? That's great! We welcome all kinds of birth stories because listening to birth stories can have a big impact on people planning their birth and reflecting on their own stories. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please fill out the form below.
Episode 1: Dipal- one birth in India, one in Switzerland. Navigating cultural differences, bilateral clubfoot and the transformation to motherhood
Dipal (Bangalore and Spital Zollikerberg) shares her powerful birth experiences in India and Switzerland, highlighting cultural differences between healthcare systems and navigating a bilateral clubfoot diagnosis during her second pregnancy. Through both births, she demonstrates how preparation, knowledge, and supportive care providers created empowering experiences despite differing approaches to maternal autonomy and birth practices.
More here: Dipal's informative blog and social media
Episode 2: Mona- From Initial Disappointment to Empowerment: Reframing the Cesarean Birth Experience. 3 planned cesarean births, recovery, self-advocacy, breastfeeding and more.
Mona, mother to three "little female dragons" - now aged 21, 16, and 7, shares her journey of three planned cesarean births in Bethesda (in Basel) and Kantonspital Baselland. Mona's uterus is uniquely shaped, which prevented her babies from turning naturally into the optimal birthing position. She shares how the path to planned cesarean birth did not change anything about her mothering and how they were positive experiences. In this episode, she shares how she accessed many kinds of postpartum support, invaluable when living as an expat in Switzerland without family support. She talks about her positive breastfeeding experiences and looking forward to her cesarean births.
Episode 3: Elli- From fear to trust: Two babies, two different experiences.
Elli shares her journey of giving birth twice at the University Hospital in Zurich, exploring both the emotional challenges of pregnancy and the profound differences between her two birth experiences. Through her story, she highlights the importance of advocating for yourself during labor and recognizing that babies arrive with their own unique personalities from day one.
There are a few gorgeous moments in this podcast where you can hear her little one snuggling in for a feed. We kept these moments in as it is simply real and true to the experience of interviewing Elli, which was a total delight.
Elli has left a plethora of resources for listeners in the show notes, you'll want to check those out.