Help, moving to Finland to have a baby!

[Rodwen]

Well you could get an abortion? That might sound like a bit of 'coffee' humour but I'm serious. You're planning one of the hardest moves in the middle of having a child at the same time?

You should learn some decency.

[Kutittaa]

Well you could get an abortion? That might sound like a bit of 'coffee' humour but I'm serious. You're planning one of the hardest moves in the middle of having a child at the same time?

You should learn some decency.

Decency? That's rich!

[Rip]

Sure maybe everyone in Helsinki speaks English as another language in hospital. But don't go to Oulu or Rovaniemi.

Well, she hasn't said anything but I guess Helsinki (where sizeable fraction of the babies are registered with other mother tongue than Finnish or Swedish) is a more likely than Rovaniemi.

NO ONE there, not even the really young 'Lähihoitajia' (young teen nurses) speak sufficient English to provide a service in the language.

Actually one would not expect the language proficiency to go up with educational level going down.

So I strongly recommend that if you go to a hospital be accompanied by a Finnish<->English speaker!

As there is an obvious candidate (baby's father) for the job available, nobody would argue with that.

Saves the headache of extra paper as others have said

We have?
I'd think it's easier with UK papers, bit more trouble with Finnish ones if the baby is born in UK.

the problem with HUUUUGEEE costs

She should either gets registered here and get the KELA card or bring the European health insurance card with the S2 or E112 form. Failing to do neither would cost around 3000€. On the other hand if she wants to stay here for a while after the child is born anyway, moving here in time (and registering) gives a benefit of about 4000€ in maternity and parental benefits.

[magenta22]

Congratulations.

Can I ask when the baby is born, as you are not yet married which surname you will give the child?

What my question is really, what happens then if the child's surname is different to one of the parents?

Asking because have decided to try for a baby and not yet married, yes it's the wrong way round
does it cause problems with the whole RP thing if different surnames?

[Rip]

Asking because have decided to try for a baby and not yet married, yes it's the wrong way round

Could of course ask "why?" as a husband or wife is relatively easy to get rid of in the end, while the children (except in the unfortunate cases) tend to attend one's funeral.

does it cause problems with the whole RP thing if different surnames?

The family relationship is not decided based on surname. As long as the paternity is established you can choose either the mother's or father's name, and the name makes no difference for the application.

[EP]

What my question is really, what happens then if the child's surname is different to one of the parents?

Nothing happens. The baby has your surname or the father´s surname, whatever you decide.

[magenta22]

Asking because have decided to try for a baby and not yet married, yes it's the wrong way round

Could of course ask "why?"

Age! and other reasons it might take a bit longer.

Plus, got committment of sorts, can't expect too much in one go!!!

[Rip]

Could of course ask "why?"

Age! and other reasons it might take a bit longer.

Ok, but that still leaves you nine months to officially incorporate your farm after the first crops have been planted..

[magenta22]

Oh come on... he's a Finn - one thing at a time!

[Mölkky-Fan]

Why is everyone so hung up on marriage before the birth?... I am fairly old and remember when it was not so common, but the figures below tell the story these days.



I feel that commitment is needed before bringing a child into the world, but who is to say that marriage = commitment these days?

And normally I am not too worried by the 'semi-offensive' answers on the forum as you could expect them, but the abortion post was really low. Sad that it was written.

[Rip]

My point was just "Why not?" - and immigration-wise it does often at least bit helps the official part of things.

[hmm]

If you intend to have the baby in Finland, then get a doula. It´s a lady who will come to the delivery with you, and you can request one who speaks English.
http://doulat.vuodatus.net/page/Tietoa
Will make the whole experience much nicer because the nurses and doctors may not have good English skills, and you don´t want to feel alone when giving birth.

Having visited many UK hospitals, I would have the baby in Finland, as the hospitals are typically much nicer. It´s also easier to raise children in Finland, childcare is cheap and good, schools are great.

The big thing is that you may feel very alone and isolated in Finland without the support of your friends and not knowing where to go and what to do. Don´t move to the sticks because it may be difficult to make English-speaking contacts.

Join an English baby-group: http://www.familiaclub.fi/duo_homepage.html

[Evertony]

Move to FInland, have the baby in the Sauna like most Finns are born and thats that. Simples.

Kidding.

Discuss it with your family, both British & Finnish family and decide what to do. Don't take advice from the doom mongers on this forum! There are over 12,000 Brits in Finland, if they all read this forum there would only be 10.

[llewellyn]

Well, naturally the infant mortality rate is lower in Finland (pretty much any national health statistic is better in the Nordic countries than the UK or the USA - the latter has actually pretty awful stats for a developed country), but both countries have such low rates that the difference is probably not that meaningful. Other than that, it's pretty much up to you, without marriage things are more complicated, but manageable.

This forum is probably the first barrier to prevent people moving here based on any sunny, carefree optimism... Be grimly pessimistic, unwilling even to move, disdainful of Finland - and you will find plenty of soulmates! I think it might be that the proportion of relatively satisfied anglophones is quite a bit lower here than in the real life, but who knows.

[Kutittaa]

I was quite surprised how little Finns know of the services rendered by their own country... I for one know just about everything in terms of 'starting life' in Australia.. it's common knowledge.