Midwife and private room while delivery

[Gigi]

I kind of agree with what most people say here... The system here in Finland works really well and although it was also to me a cultural shock, I have no complaints at all. I would suggest to get to know the system first, give it a chance, check out the hospital - talk to people and if you really don't feel comfortable giving birth here, you can always go elsewhere. BUT keep in mind that if you want to benefit from the well-organized Finnish social system you have to use also the Finnish healthcare system...

[JuliaB]

Ok so you cannot prepair for the ideal birth you that had hoped for, but you can prepare for the ideal birth that is possible in Finland. Research the hospitals around you and the amenities they have to offer. Educate your partner as your birth coach to hold your hand or rub your back or do whatever you want. Focusing on what you cannot have is not going to help you have the best birth for you. Best of luck to you.

[EP]

Only 8 nations globally manage to have smaller infant mortality.

Tiwaz, what statistics are you referring to? Just asking because for example Nationmaster´s statistics put only Hong Kong, Japan and Iceland before Finlad. Of course I don´t know how reliable they are.

[Rip]

Only 8 nations globally manage to have smaller infant mortality.

Tiwaz, what statistics are you referring to? Just asking because for example Nationmaster´s statistics put only Hong Kong, Japan and Iceland before Finlad. Of course I don´t know how reliable they are.

8 matches with the CIA figures quoted in Wikipedia (I note that Hong Kong and Macau or even Bermuda are not really countries). The absolute number of deaths starts to be so small that random fluctuations between years (or the chosen length of the periods for calculating averages to dampen the fluctuations) can effect the standings.

[Gigi]

According to the WHO website infant mortality in Finland is 2/1000 neonatal and and 3/1000 for children under a year.

And only Iceland, Japan, Norway and Singapore have the same or smaller.

Estonia has 4/1000 neonatal and 6/1000 for children under a year.

You can check these numbers yourself on www.who.int

[Tiwaz]

My stats came from CIA factbook as noted.

Either way, differences are extremely small at the bottom where Finland is.

So every woman can ask themselves... Is getting private midwife and pastel shaded private room worth the increased risk?

Everyone is free to set up their priorities as they wish. My wife and I have no complaints of Finnish system though.

[internatwoman]

Hi, I must say you sound like you have watched to many TV shows on 'birthing' etc etc. I come from a country where what you are wanting is also a possibility, but I would not change my pregnancy/birth procedure from here to there for anything! Those shows are full of bull$hit and really I think you need to start getting a little more realistic about being pregnant and having the baby. Its not a very 'romantic' process...start accepting that now!

I am living in Oulu and I was in and out of hospital the week before the birth, the care was FANTASTIC. Here a pregnant woman and her unborn child are treated specially, you dont have to pay to be treated specially either! To me that is way more important. All that crap about planning the birth etc just sets you up for major dissapointment as at the time your child decides to enter the world, no amount of planning will dictate what will end up happening! They do what is best for the baby at the time he/she arrives and that is how it should be. To be honest, when you are in labour, you may have 1 person in the room with you or 15, YOU DONT EVEN NOTICE...!! All you want is the baby out and to carry on with life....

You must get realisitc...think about which country has the better 'care' for your child, where the statistics are better etc...here they wont simply give elective caesars, provide private special care etc...but that is because those sorts of things really are not necessary. Birth in itself is special, and no matter how hard you try to 'fix' it to happen a certain way, your child will make it the way nature needs it to be made...Finland caters for all those kind of special needs, they dont just hide it all with a load of crap like listening to your 'birthing' desires etc....and that persoanlly is how I think it should be...its not a fun thing giving birth, its a very real, very harsh thing...and in amongst all of that it produces the most specail and wonderful gift nature can provide....

Plus at the end of it you get a very small bill to pay...not this HUGE bill you receieve in any other country!! And the thing is if you needed anything 'special' like cat scans etc etc for your child to make sure they are 100% ok (we had a few worries and they took care of them amazingly!)...you dont end up with bills that make your broke before you leave the hospital!!

Sorry I am ranting a bit, but honestly all this buzz makes me sick...All my friends who tried to make plans and birthing plans well just ended up bitterly dissapointed, and often feeling like they had failed themselves and their child...and getting that baby out you is not failing, but you can set yourself up for major dissapointment I feel if you keep going along this path! Seriously when you have your baby, like you are focused on just getting it out.....and the rest of teh world just fades away....I went in rather ignorant and god imglad I did...!! I was not dissapointed and gees it was painful, but well I survived and you know what I will do it again...no plan at all!

And Finland definatley does look after its babies!!!

[EP]

Internatwoman, I am glad you wrote that. I wanted to, but decided not to because I thought maybe it sounds too negative. It is true, you don´t hear music or see colours or flowers or sense smells while giving birth. Only things you realize and concentrate on are your own body and the midwives orders. And it would be the same in the prettiest room or in the middle of the market place.

But Kristiina, you CAN prepare already now. Keep you body in good shape, walk a lot and so on. Eat healthy. Contact your neuvola and book a time. First time is usually when the pregnancy is 7-9 weeks, and the first ultrasound two weeks after that. Buy some baby book and read it. Read articles about pregnancy (realistic ones) and birth. And in later phase take part in baby care course at neuvola, they teach the basics.

When I had my babies they still taught a breathing technique that helps, but now I hear they don´t do that any more because women easily forget what they have been taught when they are in labour. Nowadays they tell you how to breathe when the actual labour is on.

[Niblet]

sorry silly question - do you have to stay 2-3 nights after the birth. My second birth went well and baby and I were home in 12 hours, would that be possible in Finland or are they really strict? Of course, everything must be ok with me and the baby before I'd want to go home, but if all goes well and we are both fit - could I go home after 12 hours or the next day?

I hate trying to get to know your new baby in hospital, you can't sleep for all the noise of other babies and mothers and the midwives going around constantly. I will adjust much better at home.

[Rip]

sorry silly question - do you have to stay 2-3 nights after the birth. My second birth went well and baby and I were home in 12 hours, would that be possible in Finland or are they really strict? Of course, everything must be ok with me and the baby before I'd want to go home, but if all goes well and we are both fit - could I go home after 12 hours or the next day?

2-3 nights is typical but some go home faster. If you're healthy, baby is healthy and there is no reason to believe you would not know what to do (you're not a first timer), I do not think they have really legal grounds to keep you there against your own wish for very long. Talk with the hospital in advance about their procedures, at least some offer outpatient deliveries with stays not necessarily longer than six hours.

[Amandine.K]

They like you to stay one night there and then you can go home to next day (that is if it is a normal delivery, for C-section they do keep you for a few days). Check with them first but if everything is ok then why would they keep you in?

[jen]

You may be interested in looking into hiring a Doula for your labour. As far as I know you can have whoever you like at your birth for support so there is no reason a hospital can object. The Doula would not be allowed to perform and medical related tasks, however she can massage, suggest positions, give guidance on using yoga/aromatherapy and other alternatives to support the delivery, she can bring you flowers, put on music and be there throughout your delivery.

I didn't have a doula when I delivered either of my children; 1 - because I don't have the funds, 2 - because I don't think it is necisary and 3 becaus eI just don't think it is something I would feel comfortable with. I gave birth 2 my second child here in Finland and was initially disappointed that I couldn't have a home birth but in the end I relaxed at home through most of my labour (about 2 hours) the my birth was attended by 2 midwifes who were with me the whole time (about 30mins), and my husband. I had talked through before hand with my husband my feelings intervention, pain relief, hormone injections etc and trusted him to make sure my feeling were respected by the midwifes. He did an excellent job and the midwifes were very understanding.

I delivered in a very nice room that had plenty of space to move, an exercise ball, rocking chair, private shower etc. After my son was born I went for a shower to freshen myself up, my husband relaxed with our son and the delivery room was cleaned. My daughter and my close friend came to the delivery room to meet him and I was brought some food. The midwife even brought fruit and ice cream for my daughter. After some time we went to the ward where I shared a bedroom with one other woman and baby. The standard minimum stay at the hospital where I delivered was 48 hours after delivery (even if it is not your first child) however I requested to go home early which was allowed after a consultation with the pediatrician on the condition that I take my son back to the hospital for a check up and couple of days later.

The finnish system may be less flexible than others, however it does not mean that you are stuck in a bed hooked up to machines and medication. You can do plenty of thing withing the system to make your delivery comfortable, natural and relatively cosy.

[Gigi]

I gave birth to a wonderful daughter just a week ago. I had made a birthplan and asked for a private room after delivery. Although I "planned" my birth, in the end I made totally different choices than I had planned. And my birthexperience was a good as it can get, and again I had great midwives (yes I had 3, because they changed shifts + I had a student with).

I didn't get my private or family room, I ended up being in a room with 3 women. And that was neither a bad option... it was our girl who kept up the others and not the other way around BUT during the day I had someone to talk to, and after 24h at the ward I was so bored I wanted to go home. But according to hospital regulations I had to stay the full 48h, but as soon as the pediatrician gave us the green light, we left and now we are well settled in at home and even our toddler gets used to his baby sister!

Just to say... you can make plans, but birth is so unpredictable that however you plan it... it very seldom comes true. AND still you can have a great experience.

[RA]

Congrats Gigi on your baby girl!

My little one is now 7 months old and I didn't like the hospital experience this time, but our daughter was born healthy and that's the most important. I was in the hospital for quite a bit before the birth and it seemed that the doctors didn't really know what to do with me, their opinions kept changing and differed so I was also a bit confused and tired. It was more to do with my condition I suppose, but anyhow, I ended up being induced after what seemed very rushed decisions, and it was for me a horrendous experience, especially as nothing ended up happening and then I ended up having a c-section, which went well except the surgeon also made a cut on the baby's head(!)...apparently very unusual.

I ended up leaving the hospital after two days, after the doc said I could leave. I was a bit surprised at the early release, but I was happy to go home and relax. I suppose my feelings really had to do with the fact that it was 'rush season' when I had my girl, there were very many women delivering and the hospital has to function efficiently and it was one mother in and another out basically, and I just felt off and rushed and pushed, and I did voice my concerns, but.... in the end I just wanted my baby born and us home.

Delivery was in a private room as is the norm, I shared a room with 4 mothers before delivery and with 1 mother after. Due to my long stay before, I actually had the pleasure of making a couple of new friends so that was a plus. All in all, I did get good care and my baby was delivered very safely, but still the whole experience was 'not so good'. My first delivery experience was way much better... even though it was by emergency c, so go figure.