Swiss Birth Stories

Karina: The Most Empowering Thing I've Ever Done Was Give Birth- Unmedicated Hospital Birth.

• Julia and Christine • Season 1 • Episode 9

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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 consistency despite considering birth center options
• Used TENS machine and hip squeezes from her partner and doula (our lovely co-host Christine) for pain management
• Arrived at hospital already 6cm dilated after laboring at home
• Found the hospital triage with bright lights and monitoring challenging
• Experienced the pushing phase as equally intense as contractions
• Describes birth as "animalistic" and "liberating" as she vocalized through the experience
• Appreciated the support voices around her saying "you can do this"
• Surprised by the physical recovery needed after natural birth
• Found breastfeeding challenging but persevered through nipple shield use for three months
• Discovered her baby had a spirited temperament from day one
• Considers birth the most empowering experience of her life


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Julia Neale:

Hi, welcome to Swiss Birth Stories. I'm Julia Neal, mother, perinatal educator, hypnobirthing coach and trainee doula.

Christine Bliven:

And I'm Christina Bliven. I'm a doula, baby-wearing consultant, childbirth educator and mother of three.

Julia Neale:

Karina gave birth at Hirst Landon Clinic, zurich. She often speaks directly to pregnant mothers in this episode and gives a candid, realistic and real account of her unmedicated birth experience. In this episode she talks about so much, including her support, people training, her TikTok algorithm, her choices in birth, her breastfeeding experience and the experience of having nine months of nausea followed by a blissful first meal. She says her birth is the most empowering thing that she has ever gone through and that afterwards she was left with a feeling that she can do anything. I know you are going to enjoy this story, so let's get started.

Christine Bliven:

All right, hi Karina, hello, hello. Thanks so much for joining us.

Karina:

Thank you for creating this project. I think it's very interesting to I. I wanted always to listen to the stories positive stories while preparing for my birth, so it's nice to know that I can help someone this way um, as well.

Christine Bliven:

Yeah, we're excited to hear hear your story. Would you start by telling us just about you and your family?

Karina:

Yeah, well, my name is Karina. I'm living here in Switzerland for about six years now. I'm a first-time mom. I gave birth to Amalia Luna on the 4th of November last year. We are a family of three, so it's Amalia, my partner and me and I'm originally from Poland. My partner is Swiss, so we have a good mix. Yeah, my background is a bit in psychology and education and I work actually as a UX designer, so I work in tech and the design application for cardiac patients, so that's like more or less about me, yeah, great.

Julia Neale:

So let's go back to then your pregnancy.

Karina:

Could you tell us about it? How did you feel in your pregnancy? How did it go? Almost until very end, it subsided the last trimester but I was taking the caribou pills who knows, they know what I'm talking about. I was taking them until 37th week of pregnancy, I think. So, yeah, it was tough on me and, uh, disabled me, especially first few months. Um, I would say rather take birth over the pregnancy, yeah, um, but it, um, it passed quick. But when I think about it I still have a little bit. Yeah, now, like recalling memories is the same time of the year right now that I was pregnant started. So I do have like, yeah, when I think about what I was doing this time and I was feeling nauseous, I feel I can feel it still, you know, like it awakens with the same feelings and it's weird. I hope it's gonna pass soon, yeah oh, that's awful.

Julia Neale:

Were you able to do any of your daily, normal daily life, you know, going to the grocery store, cooking, working. Were you able to continue those things?

Karina:

I was just so I am lucky to work from home mostly. So, um, and I had like understanding company, so I was working from home and that was the only thing I was doing. I was just doing my tasks and um, and there were days I even couldn't do that. I sometimes I couldn't even scroll my phone like it was too much for me. So I, there were many days I woke up and prayed for the day to be over, because at night I didn't feel anxious. So, yeah, it was, it was hard, it was hard. It was hard, yeah, challenging, but during the whole pregnancy I always knew I want a natural birth and unmedicated birth and I want a doula. So that's how I met Christine. I found her even before I was pregnant because I already knew I want Dula. So I was doing a little research and and then quite early in my, in the in pregnancy, I contacted her, we had a call and then, yeah, we, we could set up for the, for the journey together, and that's definitely helped me in the whole process, which we can talk about how it went, uh, in detail, more in detail and overall.

Karina:

Like, um, my pregnancy was um, so amaya was measuring, always bigger and that was one of my fears during pregnancy. I mean, at the end of it, that, and I think a lot of mothers have this fear when their baby's measuring big, that they have to be induced or they will have to have C-section. And often, like a lot of midwives or even my doctor would tell me, like I can't tell you this, like how it's going to go, you have to just try. And the measurements everybody knows measurements are not accurate, especially towards the very end of pregnancy. So my measurements for everyone who is worrying about it and listening to that my measurements were quite on point, but the baby came in the perfect moment. So just trust and you can do things that you believe are good and safe. Of course you can do everything in your power, but you can't force nature and everything will come as it should.

Karina:

I think it was like this in my case. Yeah, and from perspective, why natural birth? Because I also have people, friends, that would tell me oh, I would go straight for C-section. I'm so scared of pain, I was so scared of needles from like epidural or or c-section, which also demands that part, plus being awake during major surgeries for me like a very, very disturbing thought. That is for me, like a very, very disturbing thought that feeling pain was for me like better option, in a way, less uh, less stressful. Everybody's of course different, um, but it was my motivation. My motivation was not to go through that medical uh process process.

Julia Neale:

So when you were preparing for birth. We know about your doula, of course, but could you tell us about it? Could you walk us through your preparations?

Karina:

Yeah, so first of all, there was the decision between hospital and birth center. I did explore both options. I decided for hospital because I wanted I know in the birth there's so little constants like their things can change so much how it goes that I wanted and if I knew, I knew that I choose birth center, I have still the A B thing Either will give birth there or they will have to transfer me to the hospital. So in my head, and only in my head, I knew that I will feel safer if I have this constant that I'm starting and ending in hospital. That was motivation behind my choice at the end of the day. For the second, if I am pregnant again, birth center definitely will be higher on my list because of positive experience overall. Um, but yeah, I don't regret that decision.

Karina:

And uh, from preparing for birth, I did a lot of different things. I did sometimes meditation, it was not things. I was nothing stringent, stringent, I was not very like okay, now, every day, meditate, meditate. No, when I had mood, when I could, um, I would put some guided meditation. Spotify, nothing paid, nothing special, really. Um, I would have my playlist that I would relax to, I would have a bath with lights and, funny enough, that's how I gave birth, not in a bath, but with the same music, with the same lights, um. So basically, I kind of trained my brain, like gave it a cue to relax because of certain environmental cues. And I think it's not so hard to do. You have to just chill at home when you're pregnant and just add to this chilling element that you can later take with you to the birth. Um, I was using birthing ball. Um, not a lot earlier, but in third trimester, definitely towards the end. Daily, I would just, you know, evening show watching 20 minutes, a bit of rolling in one side, the other, nothing again, nothing special, nothing tiring. I think it helped.

Karina:

Another thing I did was the ice cube exercise. I don't know if you know about it. It's very cool. Not even to do it very often. You can do it a few times just to understand the power of your mind and your breathing, because the first time you do it you are like barely. Basically what it is is to take the ice cubes in your hands and hold them for at least a minute there and then you can feel how for the first time, how painful it is. But if you start to breathe and try to focus and actually use maybe some of the techniques to relax and to breathe through it. You see that, yes, you can do this. You can pass this first wave of pain and then it's easier and I think it kind of gives you this confidence that, as the contraction can last one minute, you can do it for one minute and I find it super, super interesting it for one minute, and I find it super, super interesting.

Karina:

Uh, the things like dates I met, raspberry leaf tea, those things I did as well, um, do I believe it helped? I don't know, I just know that for me and my peace of mind, I did what I could. Um, I would not obsess about it though. Like, if you don't like dates, don't eat them. If you don't like dates, don't eat them. If you don't like this tea, don't drink it. It's in the end you're meant to like, enjoy the process.

Karina:

I think I was also prepared because I gave birth in Hirslanden clinic in Zurich and they taught us on the birth prep course that we can have at home Buscopan suppositories for the early stages. So I had it as well and that was kind of prep because it helped. When earlier I brought it home, I believe it could have helped and, of course, I prepared with Dula, so we had meetings before, some practical exercises, some thinking through exercises, and that was very nice. That's the whole of preparation. It's a lot, I know, but everybody can pick and choose what they want to do. Definitely, you could do more. I could do more regarding perinatal massage. I think I did care at the end, but it didn't traumatize me or anything. Don't be scared of it. I would say so yeah, that's it, uh, from the preparation what about um labor?

Christine Bliven:

how did you know that things were starting? What did that feel like for you? The thing started.

Karina:

So the thing started all in allurday evening. Um, it was funny. I I stayed alone, um, I was alone home. My partner went for birthday, uh, and uh, I tried this day already. I I was two days after my due date. Um, no, actually sorry, no, no, no, no, no, no, fourth. So on monday I gave birth. It was fourth, third, second.

Karina:

So exactly on my due date I started laboring, yes, and um, I was very motivated to make to, to have things moving because of probability of my baby being big, as I mentioned before. So I did walk some stairs, you know, I had a bath, I had a glass of non-alcoholic red wine, which actually tasted very well, and I had an idea in the evening. Uh, I was like, let me, let me watch some very soapy movie that will make me cry. Why I had this idea, I didn't know, but I was like, let me google it, because you know why I have this idea. Can it this make the oxytocin, you know, start? And it was true, so I can say, okay, let me do this. And I watched the notebook I don't know, I mean the notebook like I was crying already from the beginning because I knew what's going to happen. Um, so, um, I cried for this couple of hours. Uh was very nice, um and uh, yes, I was going this night to bed. I could start feeling. I was feeling some. I thought Braxton Hicks at this stage, so I didn't know this is starting. It was just so little tension but it and I could sleep through it. So I went to bed and I slept through it until four in the morning, it until four in the morning.

Karina:

At four in the morning it started to be more like okay, that's like a period, pain, proper feeling, and I think I'm not sure now, but I think that was around in the morning when I went to the toilet and I said, oh, I lost the mucus plaque, because you know, everybody waits for this and looks for that, looks for the belly to drop. I had no signs before that. Right, zero, no belly drop, no mucus plaque, no, braxton hicks. Really like nothing. And also, I was day before checked by the physician, if I'm dilated, nothing. So for anyone who worries again about this, you don't need any science for things to start.

Karina:

Um, at four in the morning I woke up, got up, couldn't sleep anymore, and then, yeah, I just spent the day with my partner. I had a walk, had a bath, measured the contractions here and there, but I was not stressing too much, I was like, oh, it can still take days. That was the key. I was all the time delusional during the whole process that it still can take days. Until the very, very end I was in my head okay, no, it can take still 24 hours, 48 hours, because I heard so many stories about long births, um and um.

Karina:

But afternoon of Sunday I was like, okay, I think we should call in the evening the hospital, because if something happens at night I want to know what to do. I'm not sure when I contacted exactly Christine, I think around similar time, maybe a bit earlier, but we decided to call hospital only at eight on Sunday and they told me just go sleep earlier today, use the bus, copan, take a bath, because we go sleep, because we might see each other soon. So I tried. I couldn't, went to bed 10, 30 um and around one o'clock I couldn't stand anymore the bed because the feelings were quite intense. I couldn't find spot where I was comfortable on the side and so on. So I was like, okay, I need to go out of the bedroom, I need to start doing something. Uh, more um were you?

Julia Neale:

were you really tired at this point, like had you slept the night before?

Karina:

okay, through those early contractions yes, and until like four or five o'clock so I did sleep, but not, and I think during the day I also attempted to sleep a little bit, yeah, um, but at this point I was not really tired. I think there there's like adrenaline comes at some point and I was not tired at all, um, but I still thought it's gonna last forever. So, uh, I just took the birthing, the ball, basically the bouncing ball. I was doing my circles and everything had my music and my lights, was managing alone. My partner was sleeping Around three o'clock. I couldn't handle it anymore.

Karina:

So I called him because we had another thing that, thanks to Christine as well, we rented the tense machine from her. You can buy it, you can rent it, um. So he uh, put the tense machine on me, um, and I continued the process. We decided we will call hospital again, maybe around five, so if we have to go, it's before the uh, the morning traffic, because we live quite far away, uh, 40 minutes, uh, 30, 40 minutes away from the clinic. I live outside of zurich and um, and we did it. So, basically was managing, it was getting harder and harder and harder, but I was managing. And then at five after five I called again and they said straight away okay, come in, we will check you, and one hour later we were there already and now it's the now starts the hard part.

Karina:

So anyone who goes to hospital, be ready and wants natural birth, prepare yourself mentally or prepare yourself in other ways. I didn't expect that. The triage this is the moment where everything can go down if you are in hospital, especially, I think, if we are in hospital too early. For me, that was the worst part of the whole birth experience coming in the hospital and getting into the room that was bright white, with the measuring machine putting on you and told you to lay on your side, which was the most painful position that you can be in. I understand why, I understand they have to do this, but if I can give and I know it's everywhere like this, it's it's it's clinic, independent, it's like a medical place, I mean in birthing house. Of course it's different, but maybe there is a way for clinics also to understand there is a better way of doing this. Just environment yeah, I can be like this, but just dim the lights, please dim the lights. I was, they were changing the shifts, so the. I had to wait a little bit as well, and then um, and then the. The second midwife came and I was very like you know, this pain rage from me came out like, hey, can you please take me to the room now, because it doesn't even feel comfortable to. I was already at the point where I was vocalizing my pain, so it was quite intense. We see that the stomach actually was cold to come. I was already at the point where I was vocalizing my pain, so it was quite intense. We see that the stomach actually was cold to come. And positive thing is that I didn't mind to be measured my progress. I wanted to know where I'm at, especially that I was still delusional that they can send me home. I was.

Karina:

I came to the hospital six centimeters and I heard that I was like I was actually asking is this normal, is this often? I was like no, it's very good. So I felt like up, I felt really good, I felt motivated, like another push that okay, we are closer than further from the finish. And we got transported. I got transported. I walked to the room. We had nothing there because our things were in the car, because I was not sure we are staying there and we didn't have my music. We didn't have, we didn't have the lights. So there was this period of time when we were waiting for christine and then my partner grabbed the things and kind of things went on and I forgot to say that in triage I actually my water broke in triage. It was a very interesting experience, I would say.

Julia Neale:

Was it like the movies? Was it like a big one?

Karina:

I was laying down. So it was definitely not like in movies, but it felt quite intense. It felt quite intense. I was not sure for this first moment what happened, but I think this happened and this was confirmed, which was also a good sign for progression. Things are moving, um. So, if we talk about time wise, I came to hospital 6, 20, uh, I think after seven christine was there and then things moved quite fast, like it. It it always feels like a blur a little bit, but definitely a. It is intense, like it was intense. It was intense for me.

Karina:

You, you have the. The level of of pain is very high. You cannot say, yeah, it's going to be easy if you want natural birth. It is a challenge, you cannot trick your mind. In that sense, maybe there are some exceptions For sure there are but are more calm births.

Karina:

My birth was more animalistic, I would say, was more animalistic, I would say, and I couldn't find any more a good position, tennis machine. I was increasing the levels and the tennis machine. And the second thing that helped me tremendously was Christine, and my partner as well, giving me the hip squeezes during the contraction. And that's why I said invest in your doula, because my partner tried and he tried his best, but like Christine knew exactly how and to do this and I was just like calling out for help Whenever the next contraction came. They were quite intense, every minute or two, and they were shorter. They got a bit shorter and the time between them also got shorter. So everything started to be more intense, like I had less breaks, but also the contractions were shorter. I had less breaks, but also the contractions were shorter, and this part was like started to be really heavy. Well, I was surprised.

Karina:

I had a feeling this is very subjective that midwives didn't, I think because Christine was there, actually the doula, the midwives were not there much. They came couple of times. Uh, they asked me if I want something. I said no, don't give me anything. I did, uh, I wanted the water birth but I want. I was so happy, so happy with the dance machine that I didn't want it. I couldn't imagine taking it off and that I would have to do it if I would want to get in the water.

Karina:

So the the plans changed as as we went with that and then at some point I was like I need the floor. I knew, even though every position change was for me increasing my my, my pain and all the sensations. Somehow I couldn't anymore, like I wanted to go just on the floor. I don't know what I wanted. I just wanted to go on the floor and then my partner and Christine started to run around to kind of organize how I can get on the floor. I got there, but again super intense, and then came again midwife to check and I hear the magic question do you feel something is different? You know, and again in that moment you are not thinking straight, like you're not analyzing, you're in different sphere of your thinking, of your brain. But subconsciously, from what I knew from prep and listening called the TikToks and whatever, because I'm this type of person, I knew that probably I'm in transition and that was true. So they basically wanted to check if I'm in transition.

Christine Bliven:

Hi, I'm Christina, a doula, baby-wearing consultant, childbirth educator and mother of three. I'm the owner of Lilybee, a family hub in Zurich, where you can find resources, community and support in English as you begin your journey into parenthood.

Julia Neale:

It takes a village. Find yours here. Julia, here it's my mission over at Happy Day to mentor and support you in creating a pregnancy. Mentor and support you in creating a pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience that is empowering, holistic and uniquely tailored to your needs. Together, we'll uncover the tools and knowledge you need to thrive, with confidence, mindfulness and self-compassion at the core of your journey. That's the reason why I offer my three hallmark courses to parents in person in the Zurich area and online. They are Hypnobirthing Plus Mindful Postpartum Preparation and Hypnobirthing for Planned Cesarean Birth. Check out my website, happydayhypnobirthingch, or Instagram at happydaybumpsbabesbeyond, for more details, useful content and support. Now on to this week's Swiss birth story.

Karina:

And they offered to check me and I agreed because I have nothing against that. Everybody does their own way uh, it was not too much at the end of the day. Um, so it was the second check and I guess I was, I think, seven, eight centimeters, and here starts to be a bit blurry. I know later from recollection that, uh, I think my partner said that they called the doctor to come in one hour but literally within minutes they changed their mind. They said no, you have to come now because it's time. And still, at this point I thought it's going to take hours, don't get me wrong delusion. And then they offered, offered. Then they asked me would you like to come to the bed? So, like there's another part of the room where it's more medical part of the room where you actually give birth, usually in bed, and I'm, uh, christine, hold me in the back, you don't need to agree. But and I knew I don't need to agree but at this moment I was like I just want this to end like I, I do what you tell me. So I understand that if you really want to have fully natural experience and be unrestricted and not manipulating anything, you maybe choose the birth center, but I don't feel traumatized anything. You maybe choose the birth center, but I don't feel traumatized by it because I knew I have choice, right. I think it's all about you and your awareness of what you want and what you can. I didn't feel pressure to it. It was this moment I chose to agree to it. Um, so that's empowering, for sure.

Karina:

And uh, yeah, and then we started the, the pushing, which was a shock for me. I was like, okay, here we go. Um, definitely, pushing was not for me, easier than the birthing process, not contractions. It was like similar level of difficult, because some people say pushing is easy or less painful. Um, for me it was same intensity, very intense. I was very loud, very animalistic, and it was actually very liberating when I think about it, because I was always I'm a rather quiet person and not like to show too much emotion, especially to people I don't know. Um, so I was loud, but you know, it was such a amazing experience for me as a person who actually didn't have a faith in I didn't have full faith myself I can do this. I didn't. I was not confident I can do this. I was assuming everything can go wrong, everything can go right, but I knew it's a very difficult process so I was not making too much hopes that it's going to go as I want. But I had my plan, like what I would like to Now, being in this state where I have closed eyes, where I'm in so much pain or intense sensation, if we start to talk, how to program your mind and not talk about pain but sensations, um, and you hear just voices, four or five voices around and all the voices telling you can do this, you're doing great, you can do this.

Karina:

Christine partner, doctor, midwife, one, the student, everyone. It's surreal, like it's real experience, like you are in different world and, and it's just, you keep going, even though you think you cannot, you keep going. And, um, I know there was a moment that a doctor was a bit scared because the baby was dropping and I got oxygen to my nose and I was told to focus, to breathe deeply because the baby is getting stressed and things have to start moving. And I know I was. Um, there was a uh, the doctor started to push and almost went for the episiotomy and vacuum, but the the midwife protected me, protected, vouched, vouched for me, wow, and she said that I can do this.

Karina:

I didn't understand it in the moment. I know it from other people um and vouch for me and um, and I did it and I did it. So the last last minutes were crazy intense, but I mean, after that it's just seconds and you are like in a new world. You basically everything in your world changes. You just become a mother and I mean there's literally like no words that can describe this feeling, the relief, the happiness, everything. And only then I got offered the laughing gas. So when I'm being stitched it's less painful was very fun experience. I said I could actually use it before I could be less less hard.

Karina:

But then I think this gas was working as well with all the hormones that I felt in this moment, release of all the positive, happy hormones. So I'm not sure if it would work so well before. But yeah, I gave Amalia away to my partner for a little bit of golden hour because with the laughing gas I felt a bit insecure to hold her. That was my first maternal instinct, I think, to protect her. But this teaching, this process was kind of, yeah, it lasted a little bit. There were some sensations, but anyone who is scared of this, don't be scared, it's okay, like it's not so bad, it's doable. This is the least part you can, like you have to worry about, in my opinion, because, because, like you are completely in different space mentally at least that was for me. Um, don't want to undervalue anyone else's experience, but, um, what was crazy is that after all this process I literally had to get up and walk to the other bed, which was like it's scary. I underestimated so much, underestimated actual things postpartum, straight postpartum with the natural birth. I actually thought with natural birth it's easier than it was. It's not Like you went through a major thing. You need to rest. You do have pain. You have pain while walking getting up. It's a part of the process. You will heal soon enough, but it's a part of the process. So this doesn't end the moment. The baby's here, that also. There is also part of this after, but it's okay. Like it surprised me, but it's okay Like it surprised me, but it's it passes and of course, everyone is has different levels of of what what happens to their body.

Karina:

But, yeah, had another, had my golden part of my golden hour with with Amalia as well. After that she latched, we breastfed and I ate some breakfast there. We had time. We were not rushed from this room, which was really nice, and then we got transported to the floor where we stayed for another two nights. So quite a short time, and that was what I wanted. I didn't want to stay in hospital for too long. Um, but yeah, I appreciated the care. Everything was was very, very nice. I finally could enjoy food. That's like. This is something that I think every woman is hungry after birth. But for me it was double reward, because I also finally didn't feel this impending feeling of nausea. It was nine months with me.

Christine Bliven:

Yeah, that first meal is kind of magical anyway. And then, like you say, when you haven't been able to enjoy food properly for nine months, it must be yeah exactly.

Karina:

So yeah, um, in general, I think if you want to give natural birth, you, you shall prepare yourself. You should not just assume that I want natural birth because it's natural. It will work like, just like that out of blue. I think if you want it, if you want it, you should do something towards it, because I think the power is knowledge and managing your expectation in this whole process. That's where you know what is happening, what are your choices. I know that often people say, oh, you should not think if something goes wrong, because it will happen. If you think about it, you don't need to think that it will happen. But it's good that you have awareness that this is an option. So if it actually happens, you know what, what you have on the plate, what you can choose or where, where it can go. It's you don't have to spiral in anxiety about bad things, but be aware that they can happen and what is what, what is you can, what, what is you can do about it in that moment.

Julia Neale:

And like, imagine that and develop an understanding that you have the capacity to manage a lot more than you might think. And if you allow yourself to think that, then you can kind of let think about it in the moment. Let it go.

Karina:

Allow yourself to think that then you can kind of let think about it in the moment, let it go. Yeah, this is um. This is definitely the most empowering thing I've ever gone through, like when went through I. When I think about it's like when I was straight after I was like I can do anything right now. After that, I can do anything what I want. It's just a matter of motivation and and attempting something. But everything is possible. Literally everything is possible, and I've never had around surrounding me people, women that I know. I never heard positive birth stories. I just knew them online because I looked for them. I trained my TikTok algorithm to show me positive content right, also about birth, to fit the good things. But yeah, this is uh. The key is faith, knowledge and just doing what you can um, what did uh your postpartum look like then?

Julia Neale:

so in the hospital, out of the hospital, how did you? Um, yeah, how were you supported during this time?

Karina:

In the hospital. I mean there was like all the around the clock nurse help, right, so they were there. I didn't use it too much. I couldn't imagine giving away my baby for someone, that someone takes care of her. Um, the only moment I was separated was I decided to give her the rsv antibodies shot. That is new now in switzerland and I decided for that and but it was for me too hard to be there, so I just told them to do this and bring her back.

Karina:

Um, uh, the care, the food, the breastfeeding, um, also a lactation consultant there helped me a little bit. But after coming home the first night I can be surprised. I know probably some of you know that that it's challenging. It's like second night syndrome. But I thought my second night was in the hospital. That's why I got confused when the things went south the first night at home and um and I was crying. Baby was crying like she just couldn't latch and I knew she's hungry and um, uh, and then I just expressed some milk to give her through syringe because it was very stressful and we couldn't manage to work with the breast. So that helped us survive the night.

Karina:

For moms like you don't need to have a formula. Sometimes you just can express the milk right or the colostrum that you have and give your baby in the cup or syringe or however you want, because I had formula in my house like to in case. But then I was like I don't have to use that. Of course, if you want to use that, use again. No judgment, everybody does their choice.

Karina:

Um, and the next day I had visit from my midwife and she offered us the nipple shield and shields and that became for me a solution. So it probably helped us breastfeed, like keep with breastfeeding, which I wanted, but also became my course because it took me very long to get rid of them. I manage, I manage. After four, three, three months, a bit more than three months, we are nipple shield free. Um, but it was a very long process and breastfeeding again for me, in my case, breastfeeding is still a challenge. So I just want to say to everyone I thought and it also depends on your baby and your temperament, so don't get too scared of what I'm saying right now, because I have a baby who was very awake from day one and she's very awake, very bright, very active baby. So we hit three months and she's so aware of the world that the breastfeeding is is really real struggle.

Karina:

She's interested in distracted she's interested in everything apart and there are really no position like the position I'm breastfeeding. You don't even want to know like it's, it's acrobatics and because, because this lady cannot be held certain ways, um, she doesn't want to be held like incorrect. So just like, if you have this moment when you breastfeed for hours in the early days with your little baby and you're just hours on the sofa, enjoy because I was there and I was tired and I was complaining. But with time you will miss this time when you can just chill and like scroll your phone or read a book or talk with somebody on the phone and just feed for hours on the phone and just feed for hours. Um, it becomes more of a of course. For everyone different, but for me it became a little bit of a fight to to make sure she, she, she's, um, stays put, stays put.

Karina:

Yeah, especially that there's a lot of anxiety about the breastfeeding. Oh, are they putting enough weight, you know? Are they growing? And at least, like I could say I'm on this in this kind of mom that would say, yeah, I'm an anxious mom. You know I did some work recently and I know a lot of my anxiety is normal and it's a part of the process and it's getting less and less with time and experience.

Karina:

But but yeah, it's, it's okay to be worried, it's okay to have the best interest of your child, to protect them. If you still can function normally and you don't go very dark places in your head, it's okay and you will know when you need help. I think, as a person, so don't also, don't, also, don't, don't be scared to ask for it. I did start therapy a few weeks ago and I already see like it's okay, you know, like it's okay to be anxious, as some things just are bigger in your mind. Even the anxiety itself can be bigger in your mind than it actually is, because it's actually normal what you feel. So I think with that I can finish the story and the postpartum route and the most takeaways and surprises, with the breastfeeding and, um, yeah, the child with with temperament that you maybe wouldn't expect because you're, you were calm and partners calm, and then you have a fireball coming out of you, but I, I love it. She's full of life, yeah that's.

Christine Bliven:

That's a really good point is you don't know who you're going to meet, right, Extrovert, introvert what are they interested? Yeah, that's, and even so early you can already kind of tell a bit of personality.

Karina:

Good sleeper, bad sleeper? Right, there is another whole topic. You could do a whole podcast about sleep. Oh yes, there's another whole topic. You could do whole podcast about sleep. Oh yes, that's uh what you imagine or what you think about baby sleep. Really, I didn't know. And I worked with children. I worked with children. I was working in the daycare here in switzerland, so, like three months plus, I have experienced it's so different when it's your child at home, your own child at home, and with the temperament that is not easy to put to sleep. So that was a surprise that everything will pass, because everything is a phase in the parenthood it can be very humbling the sleep journey, the breastfeeding journey yes, exactly you.

Karina:

You can't be fully prepared. You just go with the flow.

Julia Neale:

You have to go with the flow then I guess we'll end it with my favorite question, which is what is your standout most brilliant moment from this experience in your life?

Karina:

well, I think the moment I, I, I had her on my chest, that's the moment that, like I said, it's surreal. It's just you are nine months walking around with a growing belly and then suddenly there is a baby, and it's just there is no words to describe this. It's the moment that it's worth everything. Every moment of nausea, every moment of pain during birth, this is worth it. I know there are women that dissociate, like there are women who will not have this extreme flow of emotions after birth. You also have to be ready that it might not happen to you, and it's okay, it will come. But for me personally, this moment was amazing. It was great, and would love to experience this again. I'm not scared to give birth again. I want to give birth again.

Christine Bliven:

I'll be excited to hear your next story.

Karina:

I hope. I hope the universe will allow me to experience this again.

Julia Neale:

Thank you so much, Karina. That was beautiful, Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for tuning into another episode of Swiss Birth Stories. If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love for you to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an inspiring birth story or expert insight. Your support means the world to us and helps this community grow, so please also take a moment to rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps us reach even more parents-to-be. Don't forget to share this episode with a friend or loved one who could benefit from it, and be sure to follow us on social media at Swiss Birth Stories for even more tips, resources and updates on upcoming podcast guests, courses and events. We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and birth stories too, so feel free to DM us, fill out the form on our website, SwissBirthStoriescom, or tag us in your posts. Until next time, keep sharing, keep learning and keep connecting with each other.

People on this episode

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Julia Neale

Host
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Christine Bliven

Co-host