Hospital Birth Episodes

Send us Fan Mail Her pregnancy is “textbook” until a routine late-pregnancy check reveals high blood pressure and protein in urine, and suddenly every day feels like a decision point. We’re joined by Kaitlin, an American-Swiss mother living in Zurich, who walks us through severe preeclampsia monitoring, a surprise ICP diagnosis after relentless itching, and how quickly things can escalate when your body starts sending warning signs at 35 to 36 weeks. Kaitlin shares what labour looked like for h...

Send us Fan Mail Born on a tiny river boat in Colombia during a tropical storm, Valentina grows up across continents and later lands in Switzerland working in maternal health and gender equity. Then pregnancy hits and theory becomes real. Hyperemesis gravidarum leaves her sick for months, and she learns how quickly a system can turn “protocol” into pressure when a mother is exhausted and vulnerable. We talk through what informed consent actually sounds like when your waters break, time starts t...

Send us Fan Mail What an episode. When Lisa is told again and again that her recurring miscarriages are “just bad luck,” she knows that's not it. She follows her intuition, pushes for deeper testing, and finally gets an answer. Lisa has a balanced chromosomal translocation, a rare genetic rearrangement that makes naturally conceived pregnancies far more likely to end. That diagnosis forces impossible choices. Lisa and her Swiss husband look at IVF realities, adoption barriers, and the heartbrea...

Send us Fan Mail Wow, what a story. You will want to stick around for the postpartum discussion and her incredibly brilliant moment which left not a dry eye on the recording that day. A birth plan can be thoughtful, informed, and deeply held and still get rewritten in real time. Guilia came into labour hoping for a low-intervention, midwife-led experience at Triemli Hospital in Zurich, supported by preparation, hypnobirthing tools, and the belief that staying open to Plan B matters. What follow...

Send us Fan Mail After five years of trying, Emily and her husband's fertility journey ends not with another treatment cycle, but with an act of surrender and faith. And then, a positive test surprises them two weeks later! Emily, a UK–Italian psychologist living in Uster, ZH, invites us into her honest, layered journey through PCOS, infertility, a late breech pregnancy, and an induction at Spital Uster that swung from serene to urgent in minutes. We talk about the moment her waters broke, why...

Send us Fan Mail A clear plan helps, but the real story begins when birth asks you to adapt. Anna joins us from Zurich to share how she chose motherhood on her own terms, navigated a heart-shaped uterus without panic, and prepared through hypnobirthing, swimming, yoga, and an English antenatal class at Triemli Stadtspital in Zurich city. What follows is a vivid, vulnerable account of labour: nausea between contractions, a walking epidural that brought crucial rest, and the moment where language...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when labour quickly goes from quiet to unstoppable and the only “birth room” around has four doors and a meter running? We sit down with Diana, a Brazilian living in Zurich, to relive two unforgettable births: a swift, positive first delivery at Spital Zollikerberg in Zurich and a second that arrives in a taxi during rush hour - no midwives, no doctors, no time, just instinct and inspirational courage. We start with the ease of her first birth and the rare gift of ...

Send us Fan Mail 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, recover...

Send us Fan Mail 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 dilati...

Send us Fan Mail 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. 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 root...

Send us Fan Mail 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. 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 tea...

Send us Fan Mail 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 yea...

Send us Fan Mail Josefina is a certified pre- and post-natal yoga teacher and a pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist (PCES) living in Appenzell, Switzerland. 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:...

Send us Fan Mail The journey to motherhood transforms us in ways we never expect. For Johanna, an Australian expat living in Switzerland, what began as a dream-come-true pregnancy turned into a birth story filled with unexpected twists – from her water breaking in the bath to a husband who wouldn't answer his phone (and was immediately presumed dead), a taxi driver who got lost en route to the hospital, and ultimately, a challenging posterior labor that demanded everything she had. She gave birt...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when careful preparation meets the unpredictable reality of childbirth? Marie, an American yoga and fitness instructor living in Switzerland, takes us on her journey from visualization to adaptation as she welcomes her daughter at Spital Lachen in Canton Schwyz. Marie's story begins with perfect timing. A five-week yoga teacher training in Bali while her Swiss husband was deployed, creating ideal conditions for her body to be "ready to receive" when they reunited. ...

Send us Fan Mail When an ultrasound technician uttered the words "his neck is sick" during a routine 12-week scan, Sonia's world tilted on its axis. What should have been a joyful glimpse at her second baby instead launched her family into a medical odyssey that would test their resilience, challenge their beliefs, and ultimately change the landscape of treatment for an incurable disease. Sonia's story isn't just about giving birth in Switzerland (she gave birth at HUG in Geneva)—it's about the...

Send us Fan Mail Clare shares her story of giving birth to her second child in Switzerland after moving from the UK, highlighting the differences between birth systems and the beauty of sibling relationships. Her marathon 67-hour labor culminated in a water birth at Hôpital de Morges after her initial birthing center plans changed. Moved to Switzerland 20 years ago with husband and 7-week-old son Max, who is now in his final year of apprenticeship Planned for a birth center birth with her seco...

Send us Fan Mail Veronica shares her journey of giving birth in the midwifery led program at Stadtspital Triemli in Zurich, including a "dream birth" and a surgical repair of a third-degree tear caused by her baby's "saluting hand" position during delivery. Through her story, we explore how careful preparation, a positive mindset, and strong support systems helped her navigate both the beautiful and challenging aspects of childbirth. Moving from Italy to Switzerland 6.5 years ago and deciding t...

Send us Fan Mail Agata, mother of five children, shares her experiences of pregnancy and giving birth at Hirslanden Hospital in Zurich with remarkable honesty, self-awareness, and optimism. Originally from Russia, Agata met her German husband in the UK before settling in Zurich in 2011 Always wanted a large family- had her first three children in less than three years, followed by her fourth and fifth Learned to listen to her body during pregnancy, which helped heal her relationship with food...

Send us Fan Mail Karina shares her empowering unmedicated birth experience at Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich, where she welcomed her daughter Amalia Luna after navigating nine months of severe pregnancy nausea. First-time mother from Poland partnered with a Swiss father Endured persistent nausea throughout pregnancy that only subsided in the last trimester Prepared thoroughly for birth with meditation, environmental cues, birthing ball exercises, and ice cube practice Chose hospital birth for c...

Send us Fan Mail Ashley shares her remarkable journey through IVF, international moves, and a picture perfect birth which she was encouraged to share. Her story demonstrates how resilience, support networks, and finding peace in unexpected circumstances can create beautiful pregnancy and birth experiences despite complex logistics. Started trying to conceive naturally before turning to IVF after a year Completed two rounds of IVF with traditional Chinese medicine support First son conceived d...

Send us Fan Mail The ultimate plan-maker meets the ultimate plan-changer: motherhood. Rosanna's journey reveals what happens when our carefully crafted expectations collide with the unpredictable reality of bringing life into the world. Rosanna shares her powerful journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, revealing how she learned to flow when her carefully made plans took unexpected turns. Her birth took place at the Zollikerberg Birth Centre and Spital Zollikerberg. Originally from It...

Send us Fan Mail Mihaela shares her empowering breech birth story, defying medical expectations through tenacity and informed decision-making to deliver her daughter naturally at Hirslanden Clinic in Aarau, Switzerland. First-time mother determined to have a natural birth despite baby being in breech position Used hypnobirthing techniques to prepare mentally and emotionally with her partner Faced significant pressure from medical professionals to have a scheduled cesarean birth Found a suppo...

Send us Fan Mail Ellie 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...