5 Things I Learned Having a Baby in Finland as a Foreigner
5 years ago, I gave birth to my son in Finland. He is my favourite Finnish souvenir! The process was a huge learning curve, with lots of pleasant and some not-so-pleasant surprises. Please keep in mind that my experiences are my own, and this list reflects MY experience and the advice I was given by the people I saw. I gave birth in Finland during COVID, which probably added a few nuances and complications (or perhaps a thousand).
Every Family Gets Access to the Neuvola System
The Nevuola system, which is a free pre and postnatal advice centre for families. They track the health of the baby and mum and give advice and referrals when needed. Not going to lie, my experience with this system wasn’t great when I was pregnant, but when they thought my son was quite unwell, the service and care my family received was amazing.
You can read more about it here.
Here is No Private vs. Public System for Giving Birth
Everyone gives birth in the public system here, and you usually go to your local hospital. This was very different from my private health care birth in Australia, where I got to build a relationship with my OBYN over 8 months and who delivered my baby. However, I did almost have to sell my left kidney to be able to afford that experience, and in Helsinki I paid less that 200 euro. In some places, it is totally free.
I Was Eligible For Amazing Parental Leave
I wasn’t sure how many of the amazing services I would be able to receive as a foreigner. But I get the same privileges as any other tax-paying resident. This meant I got 3 months fully paid leave, plus an additional 9 months' pay at 80% of my salary. I could have also taken up to 3 years off. You are also encouraged to take 4 weeks off before the birth to rest…. I took 7. I was tirrrrred.
You Don’t Get as Much Choice
Finland takes a very low-intervention approach to birth. This is very different to the Australian private system, where you can pretty much design-your-own-birth when it comes to induction, elective c-sections, and pain medication. But in Finland, they don’t give you such choices, especially to foreigners who are probably not as equipped to advocate for themselves due to the language. For this reason, if I were to do it again, I would hire a doula.
Everyone Gets a Baby Box
Everyone gets a baby box that is full of products for a newborn, including winter gear, nappies, clothes, and the box can even be used as a bed. How cool is that? Especially given how harsh winters can be here, it provides me comfort that every baby is warm. You can read more about it initiative here.
Have you had a baby abroad? What was your experience in a foreign country or at home? Let me know in the comments. And, as always, if you have any questions, let me know.
