Confused about Foreigners giving birth in Finland

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:00 pm

I have looked in many places but I have been unable to find information on complete foreigners having babies in Finland. I am on a short contract and have limited KELA Benefits, my partner just joined me but our baby is due in 6 weeks. She will not qualify for any benefits and we are unmarried.

We are happy to pay and don't need advice of this nature. What we are both lost about is how to get started and we are being bounced all over the place for a answer. Does anyone have suggestions? While we believe we have checked everything we are not afraid of having a second look with fresh eyes.

O

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DMC · Post by **DMC** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:48 pm

Have you seen this old thread?

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:01 pm

@DMC No but I will check it now

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:50 pm

DMC wrote:Have you seen this old thread?

Thanks! I've read the entire thread and followed relevant links. The difficulty is the thread quickly goes tangential. what I need is something like

Step 1) Have Sex
Step 2) Get Pregnant
Step 3) Confirm Pregancy
Step 4) See Nurse at_______________

Ok I'm being a little facetious but not from step 4. I am sure it is related to language but I cannot properly understand the procedure. When we went to the hospital they said see the maternity nurse. When we went to the maternity nurse she said 'Why are you here? - no kidding - The we asked about procedures and she said 'I don't know about this you have to ask at the hospital in Jyvaskyla" ..... The other thread makes reference to pre-birth visit. When do you do this? How do we arrange it.

I think you get the idea. We don't really know where to begin but we know we are not really getting answers.

O

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:06 pm

For starters, you don't mention where you live. You can check if the local public maternity clinic would see you. In Helsinki i know this private clinic as well: http://www.aitiysneuvola.fi/en

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:26 pm

opomarski wrote:

Ok I'm being a little facetious but not from step 4. I am sure it is related to language but I cannot properly understand the procedure. When we went to the hospital they said see the maternity nurse. When we went to the maternity nurse she said 'Why are you here? - no kidding -

O

Language and thinking is the same here.

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 10:30 pm

We don't really know where to begin but we know we are not really getting answers.

I dont know much about it but i think you need a referral from a treating doctor.then the other halfwits follow that advice.

Flossy1978 · Post by **Flossy1978** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 4:32 pm

If this is all private, you need to go to a private medical centre and make an appointment with them.

Ring and tell them you can't get KELA, so you can't go through Neuvola. Ask them how to get help. Go and see a gynecological doctor to see if everything is going fine and ask her/him how to get yourselves booked in at the hospital.

The hospital will accept you, but you will prepay I think it's 3000€ for a normal birth. And when you go into labour you contact the hospital before going there to tell them you are in labour and would like to come to hospital.

They then know you are coming and can prepare for you. And possibly even give you a tour and whatnot before you have the baby.

But go to a private doctor first and ask for their help. They'll know what to do and they'll know who to point you towards.

Mancho · Post by **Mancho** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 6:44 pm

Hi,

I had similar situation. I was student then and I'm not EU citizen. I went to public hospital, they arranged 1 or 2 meetings with the nurse and then said that I wasn't entitled to go to public hospital because I had no KELA insurance and they gave me the phone number of some private clinic. I had to pay 50 euros per visit. It is also possible that you can go the public one but you have to pay about the same. However, delivery is always held in the public hospital, they communicate and will ask you permission for that.

So, I think you should to call to your local Neuvola and tell your situation and ask(=request) where you can get service. Sometimes, you really have to explain word by word and ask questions like to a child, otherwise they don't get it.

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:55 pm

Thanks everyone for your amazing replies. They have helped, though I still find most things a bit confusing. The local Neovala is assisting with the pre natal and we have had a fantastic tour of the local hospital. The tour was conducted in English We were lucky as we had gone to the Neovala monday and were told it would probably be two or more weeks before we could get an appointment. We received a call Tuesday morning saying there was a class/visit that afternoon (no other until May) of course we took it.

From the Hospital side, perhaps because we received the information in english which helped, the explanations were pretty straight forward. The midwife was very reassuring that we would get the help we needed and gave us phone numbers for the hospital just in case. A translator has been arranged for my wife (for anyone concerned we are paying for all, not KELA) and we feel much more comfortable.

Honest · Post by **Honest** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 1:45 am

opomarski wrote: She will not qualify for any benefits and we are unmarried.

opomarski wrote:A translator has been arranged for my wife

?

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:30 am

. @honest. I suppose you have a point? Would you like to share it?

opomarski · Post by **opomarski** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:32 am

?

Yes? I don't mind if you ask. It's more useful than judging. You may discover your judgement is right or you may discover your judgement is wrong.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:45 am

well here at least if you take the dictionary translation of "wife", it means a woman you're married to. I guess the meaning here is bit more loose.

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