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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/

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Gülkiz' resources are below

A wrong email address reshaped an entire birth story. We sat down with a scientist‑mum whose path wound from Berlin’s buzz to Zurich’s quiet trails, through months of trying to conceive, a surprise double‑line at dawn, and a chance discovery of a birth house (Geburtshaus Zollikerberg, in the Zurich, Switzerland area) that aligned with her values.

What followed was a swift, deeply supported labour: hip squeezes practiced in class, affirmations in the bath at 1 a.m., a midwife’s steady calm when vomiting signalled progress, and a simple mirror that turned confusion into effective pushing. She cut the cord herself, sobbing with relief and power, then nested for two days while the team protected rest, food, and the golden hours.

The fourth trimester told a different story. Low milk supply, jaundice, and weight charts pulled her into relentless pumping and anxiety until a hard pivot to combo feeding brought her baby back to comfort—and brought her back to herself. Then came a quiet miracle: a neighbour and colleague with oversupply left pumped milk in the mailbox three times a day; in return, our guest tucked snacks and fruit into hers. That small, daily exchange felt like rediscovering a village in the middle of a city, a reminder that donor milk, formula, and friendship can coexist to support a thriving baby and a steadier parent.

We also wade into the tender parts most people avoid: how parental leave assumptions clash, why sleep deprivation can unravel even strong bonds, and what repair looks like when you’re still in the thick of it. Between early crawling, stop‑start workouts, and lingering illness, we talk honestly about postpartum depletion and the slow return of identity through help from her mum and the relief of adult conversation at work. If you’re curious about birth houses, hypnobirthing, partner roles in labour, donor milk, combo feeding, or simply how to build a real support system, this story delivers practical insight and hard‑won compassion.

If this resonated, follow and subscribe for more Swiss birth stories of birth stories in Switzerland and expert guidance, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. We’d love to hear your thoughts—tag @SwissBirthStories or send us your story at SwissBirthStories.com.

Resources:

Birth House Zollikerberg, Birth House Zurich, Geburthaus Zollikerberg: https://geburtshaus-zollikerberg.ch/
Lilybee prenatal course: https://www.lilybee.ch/antenatal-classes/

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/

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Johanna's resources (including her website and new podcast) are below this description

The journey to motherhood transforms us in ways we never expect. For Joanna, 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 birth at Paracelsus, a unique hospital in Richterswil which unfortunately no longer exists. This is another example of smaller hospitals with birthing capabilities having to close their doors.

Though her birth experience was difficult, it was also profoundly empowering. Joanna vividly recalls the ethereal moment during transition when she felt connected to generations of women throughout history: "I had this awareness that I am this woman doing this thing that women have done for all eternity." With the encouragement of a compassionate Australian midwife who reminded her of her strength, she found the power to bring her baby into the world.

But the real challenges began after birth. Despite her lifelong dream of breastfeeding, Joanna encountered devastating difficulties that were met with insufficient support and harmful messaging about her anxiety being the cause. For six months, she never got more than 45 consecutive minutes of sleep while trapped in an exhausting cycle of feeding, pumping, and supplementing. Years later, she discovered the true cause wasn't her "personality flaws" but her babies' tongue restrictions – a revelation that completely transformed her understanding of her experience.

This discovery sparked Joanna's journey to become a lactation consultant, now dedicating her life to ensuring no mother endures what she went through. "It wasn't my fault at all," she shares, challenging the narrative that blames mothers for breastfeeding struggles. Her story reminds us that birth is just the beginning of a profound transformation, and that with proper support and understanding, we can rewrite the narrative of early motherhood for ourselves and others.

Have you faced similar challenges? Share your experience or reach out if you're struggling – support makes all the difference in this transformative journey.

Johanna's resources:

https://milkandmotherhood.com/

@milkandmotherhood

https://www.thelatchrevolution.com/

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/