American Mom in Finland

 We’ve been living in Helsinki, Finland for a little over 2 years now. That’s not super long, but it’s long enough that our lives have drastically changed to fit our new environment. I still remember the first day we were in Finland in our temporary apartment, suddenly in a record breaking heat with no air conditioning, trying to figure out how such tiny grocery stores could possible have all foods we were used to, and completely forgetting that we actually had to carry our food home. Never mind the fact that my Finnish was limited to hei (hey), kiitos (thank you), and anteeksi (excuse me/sorry), which does not help you at all when trying to read food labels for allergens. We didn't have any bags, so S had to carry our groceries. It’s strange to think about those versions of us. Raising kids in Finland has forced us to adapt and conform to Finnish norms faster than we probably would have naturally, and I love that. I love that I’ve changed in many ways that will probably be permane...

 Hey! Before you start, I’m going to be discussing both of my birth stories here, the good and the bad. This might not be a good read for anyone who is squeamish about birth details.  Please skip Soren’s birth story if you are sensitive to birth trauma or medical trauma. Soren’s American Birth (Not all the details, but a summary of the big issues for comparison’s sake) Soren was born two years ago, precisely on his due date. Like most first births, his birth was longer and harder than average, because your body has never done it before. Even by those standard’s, Soren’s birth was a lot. I went into labor after a membrane sweep the night before his due date. I got an epidural when I was 3cm dilated, which wound up being quite early, especially considering I wasn’t allowed to eat. I labored for 26 hours (with epidural for 13 of them), and pushed for 3 hours.  By the end of labor, Soren’s heart rate was dropping and the birth team began interventions. He was born by vacuum a...

When Aaron and I decided we were ready for another baby, we knew were embarking on a very different type of pregnancy. A different health care system, a different language, different standards of care, plus I would be chasing around our toddler part time. And then, of course, the pandemic struck, and even our newest plans were demolished. But let’s not jump too far ahead.  Today I want to talk about the BIG culture differences in pregnancy care comparing America and Finland! (I used the private system for the first 36 weeks, and that may affect some of my observations) BUT WAIT Before you ask, no, we did not get the infamous baby box. 😭 Long story short, we are still paying into American social security, so we are not covered 100% by Kela which is who distributes the boxes. 1. “In Finland, we are just naked” This is an actual quote from one of my doctors in Finland 😅 Finns are accustomed to naked saunas (family or same gender). Combining this with an extremely efficient mode...