Matrescence is the profound physical, emotional, and psychological transition of becoming a mother and it's a big focus of everything we do at Swiss Birth Stories, but it's also a huge part of Dr. Jessica Laine Carmeli's expertise. In this episode, she discusses pregnancy, out-of-hospital birth, breastfeeding, and motherhood. She describes severe hyperemesis in her first pregnancy, medication-supported nausea management in later pregnancies, and contrasts NHS hospital-based midwifery care with Swiss birth-house and home-birth midwifery models, emphasizing continuity of care and the need for self-advocacy in doctor-centered systems. She recounts a first birth house birth, including labor stalling during an Uber ride, minimal intervention, immediate breastfeeding, and quick discharge, then a second, faster, uninterrupted home water birth shaped by safety, environment, and boundary setting. She discusses tandem feeding, weaning decisions, cultural “good mother” scripts, preparing more for motherhood than birth, and trauma healing as central to her motherhood transition.

*Quick head's up: childhood sexual abuse is briefly mentioned around minute 53 to 54.

This episode answers these 5 (and more!) frequently asked questions about birth in Switzerland:

1. What's the difference between hospital, birth center, and home birth in Switzerland?

Jessica experienced all three- hospital-based midwifery care in the UK, a birth center (with continuity of care from one midwife), and a home birth, plus she is currently planning her second home birth. She shares how each setting shaped her sense of safety and control.

2. How do you find an English-speaking home birth midwife in Switzerland?

Options are limited, so Jessica recommends reaching out early, confirming availability around your due date, and asking clearly about backup midwife coverage.

3. Are cervical checks necessary during labor?

Not always- Jessica had them in her first birth but did not have any of them in her second.

4. Is it possible to breastfeed while pregnant, and can you tandem feed after the new baby arrives?

Jessica breastfed through pregnancy (with reduced supply) and tandem fed her toddler and newborn, sharing how she navigated it emotionally and physically. Her discussion about weaning and examining your own scripts about motherhood and breastfeeding is especially enlightening.

5. How do you advocate for yourself with doctors and midwives during pregnancy?

Jessica describes contrasting expert-driven medical care with a more collaborative midwifery model, and how she learned to trust but also to push back when necessary, even when it felt uncomfortable, to get the care which was right for her.

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Jessica's Resources

The birth where Jessica had her first baby was the Maison de naissance Eden in Lausanne: https://maison-eden.ch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matrescenthealth

Website: https://matrescenthealth.com

Substack, where she write about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and Motherhood: https://substack.com/@mamaoutlaw

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Jessica: Matrescence, 1 Birth Centre and 1 Home Birth in Switzerland

Episode Description

Never lose your place, on any device