Prenatal classes in English - Helsinki

[Galith]

Hi Girls (and boys)

I'm a mom to be (due in September) and am starting to look for these prenatal classes to prepare to birth - unfortunately it seems that the only lady (that i heard of) who organizes these classes is already fully booked until..September
Anyone knows of other places or private people that organize these in Helsinki?

Is it really possible only 1 person does that in the whole area ? i thought there were more of us here - Non finnish (yet) speaking pregnant women!

Let me know

[Amandine.K]

Did you ask in Neuvola? I was given contact details from one midwife in Hertoniemi if I remember right.

I'm sure your neuvola nurse can find you something. You can always join the Finnish class, you will probably have somebody there with good enough English to help you out.

I know that they have tours in English of Naistenklinikka. And most midwives speak excellent English. Never had a problem during my pregnancy.

[Galith]

Thank you Amandine (BTW - are you French? as i'm French myself )

I'll check out at the Neuvola.
My only frustration with that is that you have to call at this ridiculous timeframe (12-1PM) and if you don't go through you have to try again the next day........and again..can get really annoying!

Did you have a similar experience?

[Amandine.K]

Oui je suis francaise! Tu dépends de quelle neuvola?

I continue in English, yeah your experience is very similar. I also had a hard time to reach neuvola when needed because of the weird times they give you. Though if your baby is due in September she won't advise you on prenatal courses before a while. I any case it's very different from the French system. Not worse just different. I had a great experience giving birth here, a few of my friends delivered their babies here and no complaint so far.

N'hésite pas à m'envoyer un pm si tu veux plus d'info

[Galith]

(Merci)

good to know that it's not just only me.
I 'depend' on the Neuvola in the Töölöö health center I'm planning to give birth in NaistenKlinika as it's near my area as well - Plus my Finnish husband was born there ( and seems to have found memory of the place )

I didn't know they only refer you later in Prenatal classes, i thought it was a process that was to start quite early ( 2nd trimester) in the pregnancy - when usually do women start these (if ever) in Finland?
To be very honnest i don't know much about the french system as this is my first baby, but so far i found them more proactive during the 1st trimester than in Finland and somehow more medicalised.

As you said, not better, not worse just different - but sometimes a bit disturbing when you are expecting some things ( like toxoplasmosis tests) and that here - it's just not done.
funny...

-G

[Amandine.K]

I went to Naistenklinikka and really had a wonderful experience. We had a false labour and had to go to Kätiloopisto (Naistenklinikka was full!) and they were also very nice and patient.

Ask you rneuvola nurse about the course but I seem to remember it was quite late in the pregnancy, early or mid-third semester I'd say.

[Mölkky-Fan]

I went to Naistenklinikka and really had a wonderful experience. We had a false labour and had to go to Kätiloopisto (Naistenklinikka was full!) and they were also very nice and patient.

Ask you rneuvola nurse about the course but I seem to remember it was quite late in the pregnancy, early or mid-third semester I'd say.

That is funny, you speak about 'I went to' for the nice experience and then 'we had a false labour'. I guess your partner got half the blame for the false labour and no credit for the wonderful experience

[Amandine.K]

Actually it should have been the opposite then, we went and I had The false labour was me stressing so much in wanting to have the baby out by a certain date! We both had a great experience. Competely different than our first birth when our daughters were delivered by emergency c-section. This time round we got to experience the real thing (that includes the painful contractions and the long wait to reach the magic 10cm for me! ).

[Clau]

Hi,
We just went to the prenatal classes a few weeks ago, it was a big group of english speakers parents and it was fun!
It was recommended for me at the Töölö's heath center by my neuvola:

• Birth preparation classes in english:
At Herttoniemi health center (close to siilitie metro station) they organize english classes for parents. The course is free of charge and part of the National Health system. You just have to call to check when is the next group starting. The course consits of 3 evening classes.
Contact Patricia Siljamaa, from 12 to 13:00 at (09)3105-5216

Good Luck!
Claudia

[Galith]

Thank you for the tiåp - I had called her and the next session is in September... but the birth should be in september as well so... no luck from that side.
I think i might just sign up to a finnish one and hope for the best........

[Galith]

anyone has any idea of a Gym or other center that offers classes only for pregnant women?

[blackdragone]

Hello, I'm an expecting mother in Helsinki and I would like to share with you a webpage I found. It was hard to find a birth class in English but through some old topics of this forum and some phone calls I got here, thanks to the suggestion of a nurse in Herttoniemi:
http://www.heket.fi/?page_id=286
I still have to attend the course, so I cannot give feedback yet, but I'm confident because I was suggested by a nurse and I didn't just find it while surfing. Hope it'll be useful to other future moms!