Birthing in Finland

In this last episode of the podcast I share with you my postpartum experience with my son born in June 2023. I talk about how I prepared for it, who I invited into my space and what it did for me. Send me a DM on Instagram with the word "Prepped" to receive my "Prepped for Postpartum" ebook https://www.instagram.com/mothers_transition/ The Nest doulas https://www.doulacollective.fi/

In this episode I share with you the birth story of my son who was born in June 2023. I also share the news that my family and I are moving to The Netherlands and that this episode will be coming to an end. These episodes will always be available for listeners so you can keep recommending them as well as the other Nest Doulas. www.doulacollective.fi is where you can find more info about our Nest Doulas. www.motherstransition.com is where you can continue to follow my work as well as on IG @mothers_transition

On this episode I will be wrapping up the podcast for a few months as I go on my maternity leave. I share with you what I have been doing in the past few weeks to prepare for birth and postpartum as well as what I am hoping to feel and do in the last weeks of my pregnancy. The future of the podcast still remains unclear to me but I will be popping in and out, maybe surprising you with an episode here or there before I make any official announcements as to how it will continue. I want to thank each and every listener for being here on this journey! It has been an absolute pleasure! Please stay in touch with me and let me know your thoughts on those episodes through writing on my IG posts or in DMs. Links: Download the Asking for Help Guide at the bottom of this page https://www.motherstransition.com/ Nest Doulas website: https://www.doulacollective.fi/ My Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/mothers_transition/ Sign up for Positive Birth Helsinki meetup: https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth Information about Motherhood Talks and other activities at LillaLuckan https://www.facebook.com/groups/1210503785696783 Aquarian Mother - Marie-Andree's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/am_lestudio/

On this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing with you Alma's birth story. In this episode Alma shares her challenging experience of dealing with a late diagnosis of preeclampsia which led into an induction and then to a cesarean birth. Alma so vulnerably shares how one of her biggest fears was having a cesarean and how throughout her pregnancy she didn't really deal with that fear. She also talked about the disappointing and difficult experience she had after the surgery where she was in the recovery ward separated from her baby. She talked about the really primal instinct and desire to see her baby, feeling confused and angry at the fact that they were not together. It was my honor to hold space for Alma to share this story on the podcast and to bring forward some parts of our conversation and her story. Thank you for being here with me today. Topics: Making a cesarean birth plan as well as a vaginal birth plan Facing our fears in pregnancy to prepare for labor Preeclampsia diagnosis at 39 weeks Induction story Cesarean birth experience Feeling angry and sad about being separated from the baby after cesarean birth Difficult experience in the cesarean recovery ward

Welcome to this episode of the podcast where we dive into Maria's birth stories. A first birth story which left Maria feeling broken and traumatized followed by a healing and empowering experience of birth with her second child. Maria talks about the importance of good support in healing from birth trauma as well as recognizing it as such in the first place. This episode is for anyone who has had a challenging first birth experience and maybe wants to hear that it's possible to birth with positivity in consecutive births. I hope this episode gives you hope and encouragement to understand the things that can make a big impact on your laboring experience to make sure that it is indeed a positive and empowering experience that leaves you feeling strong and capable as a woman and mother. Let's get started on this week's birth story with Maria. Thank you for being here. Links: Spinning Babies: https://www.spinningbabies.com/ Evidence Based Birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/ The Positive Birth Company: https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/ More info on Cholestasis: https://icpcare.org/ Podcast episode by Birth Kweens on healing from birth trauma https://www.birthkweens.com/birthkweens-ep71/ Healing After Birth: Navigating Your Emotions After A Difficult Childbirth Book by Jennifer Summerfeldt MACP https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/healing-after-birth-9781999497200 Birthing from Within: An Extra-ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation. Book by Pam England and Rob Horowitz https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/birthing-from-within-9780965987301

On this episode of the podcast I chat with Linda Tötterman, a midwife working at Lohja hospital. Linda used to work at Naistenkilinikka before Lohja and we got to chatting about some of the differences between these two hospitals. We touched upon the capacity, the amount of midwives there, the general approach and atmosphere, and much more. Linda shared her passion for physiologic birth and talked as well about the challenges that a midwife might experience due to the lack of continuity of care in the Finnish maternal care system - essentially supporting a woman whom she is meeting for the first time. In relation to this, Linda also mentioned how important and helpful it is for her when women have a birth plan to show and especially when that birth plan is visual. We talked about childbirth preparation and the importance this has on the birthing experience as well as the role of the doula vs the midwife at the birth. I hope you enjoy this really insightful episode with Linda and that maybe Lohja maternity ward could be for you. Thanks for listening to this episode, let's get started! Links: Visual birth plan https://www.positivebirthmovement.org/visualbirthplanicons/ More about Lohja maternity ward https://www.hus.fi/en/patient/hospitals-and-other-units/lohja-hospital/maternity-ward-lohja-hospital Lohja receiving the baby friendly hospital certificate https://www.hus.fi/ajankohtaista/lohjan-sairaala-uusi-baby-friendly-hospital-sertifikaattinsa Lohja maternity ward on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hus_lohjansynnytysosasto/?hl=en

Today's episode is all about water birth! Johanna Honkanen has been working as a midwife for 17 years. She has been in the hospital and now has her own private practice. She is one of the leading midwives in Finland about childbirth and has been involved in writing the water birth guidelines and recommendations that are used in hospitals all around Finland. She also trains midwives and doctors in hospitals around Finland to be able to support water birth better. In this episode you will find out what those guidelines are, why the training is so important and the impact it has had, as well as the benefits of water birth for the mother and the baby. If you've never considered the option of giving birth in the water, this episode will definitely give you some food for thought. Thank you for being here today and let's get started with Johanna. Links: Johanna's website: https://www.versojajuuret.fi/ Evidence on water birth from the Evidence Based Birth website https://evidencebasedbirth.com/waterbirth/

On today's episode you will hear another wonderful birth story from Mai who shares about the birth of her first daughter. We also got a bit into the birth of her second son and how those two were a bit different and of course connected. Mai talked about the importance of preparation and having a support person such as a doula for herself and for her partner just as much if not even more. We talked about the importance of the birth team and the atmosphere of the birthing room. Mai shared how much trust she gained in herself from this experience and how she still carries that with her in her daily motherhood experience. Links: Folkhalsan https://www.folkhalsan.fi/en/ LillaLuckan https://barnkultur.luckan.fi/ Activities for families at Luckan https://integration.luckan.fi/integratinginswedish/activities-for-families-with-infants-and-toddlers/ The Nest doulas https://www.doulacollective.fi/

Welcome to this episode of the podcast - a solo episode with your host Danielle Bensky. Today I share with you my feelings and thoughts about becoming a mom of two. In the moment of this recording I am 2 months away from giving birth and I wanted to share from the place that I am in right now just as I stand in front of the big unknown and this transitional moment. Listen to find out about my excitement, sadness, grief, anxiety. Find out what I'm hoping to use as my tools to support myself and how I hope to normalize these feelings for all of us by speaking about it on the podcast today. Links: Get the "Rites of Passage and Transitional webinar recording - https://fienta.com/rites-of-passage-and-life-transitions Follow Tori Milner on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tori_milner/ The Aware Parenting podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/27jy3YpTRlpmEuroVZqtTy?si=0b6b8b7e94df4ec2 The Aware Parenting Institute http://awareparenting.com/

On this episode my guest is Georg Macharey - a perinatologist working in the delivery ward of Naistenklinikka. Georg has written his PhD on the topic of breech presentation and is one of the experts in this field in Finland. In today's episode Georg explains the different breech positions that exist and their implications for the birth as well as how the position is discovered. We spoke about what makes vaginal breech birth different from cephalic and what are some criteria that the hospital follows when advising for vaginal vs. cesarean birth for a breech baby. We then also spoke a bit about twin births to understand how the birth experience could be different and what are some important things to know regarding the positions of the babies. Thank you for being here to listen to this episode. Just before we get started, I want to invite you to our month Positive Birth Helsinki meetup which will take place on Saturday April 15th 2023. So if you're listening to this episode as it airs you can use the link in the show notes to sign up. This month's topic is "my birth room" where we'll explore together in an intimate group setting what you can expect to find in a birth room in Finnish hospitals as well as the kind of environment that you might want to encourage to support the physiology of birth. Don't forget to sign up and I'm looking forward to having you there. Let's get started on this week's episode with my guest Georg Macharey. Topics: The different kinds of breech positions and how common they are. Frank, complete, and incomplete. How these positions are established, based on hips and knees position How is the presentation and position of baby discovered once we know it is breech? Criteria advised for vaginal breech birth vs. cesarean Twin birth and ideal position for babies Links: Sign up for the Positive Birth Helsinki meetup https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth Episode with Chloe on baby's position https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RkCN9L4R3zOBC4lEb7v9y?si=3ymbHfIsTw6ZPtAWC8Cbrg Georg's PhD https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/231197/BREECHPR.pdf?sequence=1 All of Georg's research https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/fi/persons/georg-w-macharey/publications/

This episode of the podcast is all about the pelvic floor or as we've been calling it on the episode - the pelvic trampoline. Listen in to find out why my guest Mari Camut prefers this imagery to more accurately represent what this area of our body is all about. Mari talked a lot about what can happen to the pelvic floor or trampoline through the pregnancy and after birth. She also explained why having a check up with a physiotherapist can be so important and where to even find one here in Finland. We briefly touched on the Kegels which is what so many of us equate with pelvic floor health but by listening to this episode you will find out how there is so much more to it than just that. Mari offers such a holistic perspective about pelvic floor health which I think is what I valued most about her work and way of thinking. You can see that come through especially when she talks about some of the red lines to pay attention to as a new or expecting mother. Topics: What happens to the pelvic floor in pregnancy and after birth? What is a pelvic floor physiotherapist and what do they do? How can you find a physiotherapist pelvic floor in Finland? What are some red flags? When to seek help? And who to connect with? Where to go for group activities about this? Links: Pelvic floor physiotherapists association in Finland https://www.pelvicus.fi/lantionpohjan-fysioterapeutit/ Maternity physiotherapist association in Finland https://www.aitiysfysioterapia.fi/aitiysfysioterapeutit/ Baby and mom pilates or yoga classes https://tyovaenopisto.hel.fi/  Look for mother baby classes here https://ilmonet.fi/search?cgt=667&com=3&status=-10000&page=1&limits=16&list_type=30&sort=2500

Welcome to today's episode where you'll hear another birth story. This time it's from a second time mother who talks so beautifully about getting ready for labor using hypnobirthing, and learning to trust herself through understanding what it is she wants. Ana shared how relaxed she got in labor using hypnobirthing to the point that her husband thought that labor had actually stopped. Listen in to hear Ana's experience with being 10cm dilated and yet not ready to push and how this was something totally new for her. These birth stories remind me just how strong of a rite of passage they are, and how they teach us so much about the next stage of our life - which is motherhood. Times of transition and rites of passage can be new, unfamiliar, and sometimes scary for us and this is why I've created a webinar all about giving you tools and techniques that will support you to thrive through your rite of passage and transitional moment. This webinar will help you see your transition as a growth opportunity and will keep you grounded when you feel like the carpet has been pulled from under your feet. It's perfect for anyone who is preparing to give birth or is just a few weeks or months after. You can join me live on March 30th or sign up and receive the recording to watch as a companion to when you're resting up in bed in your final weeks of pregnancy or with your baby. I will leave the link in the show notes for you to find. And now, let's get into Ana's birth story! Topics: understanding birth better through reading the hypnobirthing book learning to trust yourself you are more likely to get what you want when you know what you want what Ana learned from her rite of passage being 10cm dilated doesn't mean you are ready to push Links: Sign up to my webinar on rites of passage https://fienta.com/rites-of-passage-and-life-transitions More info about birth doula Rosalia https://birth.fi/ Hypnobirthing book by Katharine Graves ⁠https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/the-hypnobirthing-book---childbirth-with-confidence-and-calm-9781911558040⁠ Mindful Hypnobirthing by Sophie Fletcher book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/mindful-hypnobirthing-9781785043093 Positive Birth Company Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/thepositivebirthcompany/ Bridget Teyler YouTube account https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsqMRhkuuI5aiJAVxgUpgbQ Prenatal yoga at Purna Yoga Helsinki ⁠https://www.purnayoga.fi/en/

Welcome to this episode with Saskia who shared the birth story of her third child. Saskia gives us her experience of the challenges she faced as well as the non linear progression of her fast birth. Listen in to find out about some upcoming events this month of March 2023 and sign up with the links in the show notes! Topics:  Saskia's third birth mental challenges during pregnancy  a birth initiated by balloon induction and membrane rupture a fast labor  going from 5cm to pushing within minutes the importance of upright positions and movement in labor  labor is not linear and can be unpredictable  receiving respect at the hospital as a birth giver and nurse the impact of knowing Finnish when giving birth  Saskia's experience of having a Black partner and experiencing prejudice Staying at the Nest Hotel of Naistenklinikka Dealing with jaundice Anticipating that most mothers struggle with breastfeeding and do require help Links:  "Thriving in postpartum: Postpartum guidance for expecting parents" - get on the waitlist for my online course https://www.subscribepage.com/postpartumcourse Sign up for the Positive Birth Helsinki meetup on March 25th 2023 https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth Sign up to my webinar about rites of passage and times of transition on March 30th 2023 https://fienta.com/rites-of-passage-and-life-transitions

Welcome to the 45th episode of the podcast and to our one year anniversary! This is such a wonderful milestone of creating content for you that is relevant and helpful in navigating your way through giving birth in Finland, especially as a foreigner. Thank you for being with me on this journey and for coming back each week to listen to these episodes! On the podcast today, I have Anayte on to talk about her birth story which was also attended by her Nest doula Rosalia. Anayte shared how, already in her childhood, she was inspired by a book which spoke about birth as a marathon and how this book influenced her view of birth. She shared the impact that having a doula had on her, the process of facing her fears before the birth, and how useful it was to learn pain coping techniques in preparation. At the end of the episode I asked Anayte what she learned about being a mother from birthing her daughter. Stay tuned until the end to hear what she took away from this rite of passage. Speaking of rites of passage, I am hosting a very special webinar all about rites of passage and moments of transition in our life. Together with my friend Tori Milner, we will be giving you practical tools on how you can learn from one transition to support yourself in another. This webinar is for anyone in a rite of passage or before a rite of passage, wanting to support people who are going through transitional moments, or maybe have had challenging transitions in the past and want to change that for the better. If you are pregnant as you are listening to this, then the webinar is 100% for you! Join me there to get a closer look at preparing for the rite of passage and transition that birth is towards motherhood, also if it's your second or third or fourth child. You can join me on this webinar using the link in the show notes! And now, let's get into this week's birth story with Anayte.  Links: To find out more about Rosalia (birth doula): https://birth.fi/ Sign up for my webinar "Connecting Our Rites of Passage to Support Life Transitions" https://fienta.com/rites-of-passage-and-life-transitions Topics: preparing for birth like a marathon the process of choosing a birth doula  importance of facing your fears in birth preparation with a doula the impact that the pain coping techniques workshop Anayte took  the pain coping technique that Anayte found useful in birth  a birth that started with the water breaking  a birth in Lohja  the added value of having Rosalia as the birth doula the desire to be micro managed in the immediate postpartum  Anayte's learning from the rite of passage of birthing her first daughter 

On this episode of the podcast you will hear a birth story from the perspective of the partner! How did he experience the birth of his daughter, what effect did having a birth doula have on his experience and what are some things that were really touching and challenging for him. Johannes and his wife had Chloe (from The Nest) as their birth doula. You can find more information about Chloe in the show notes. Join Johannes and I as we explore the birth of his daughter. This episode will give you a nice point of view of what your own partner might feel like, and could be great to share with them or listen together! I hope you enjoy, and let's get started.  Mentioned topics: how he felt with the doula at the house before going to the hospital  deciding when to leave the home to the hospital  how the car ride was  he never felt like his wife was in pain - about the mindset.  the reason why they went to the forest before going to the hospital the use of their visual birth plan the special connection between the partner and the birth doula doulas can be reassuring for the partner as well  how doulas help you be prepared and safe More information about Chloe: https://www.ilmatardoula.fi/

On this episode we will hear Amelia's birth story of her son Phoenix. Together with Amelia, I have on the episode her birth doula Rosalia from whom you will find out how Amelia prepared for birth and what happened in the labor as well as in the moments after.  Amelia's story is an unmedicated vaginal birth at Jorvi hospital with so many wonderful details from the car ride to the hospital to her baby's first poop while being born.  Join us on this episode to hear what birthing in Finland was like for Amelia!  More information about Rosalia: www.birth.fi

On this episode of the podcast I welcome Inka and Laura who work at a charity called  Äimä. This is a charity aimed at dealing with perinatal mental health challenges while looking at the entire family unit as well as how to make change on a national political level. We talked about the kind of mental health challenges that the charity supports as well as how they are involved in making national impact. Laura talked about the challenges that face women when they try to receive help from the system and what she thinks needs to be changed. We touched on the reasons why the Western culture has a higher rate of postnatal depression for example and Inka spoke on the importance of peer support and prevention as well as treatment. We ended the episode by talking about the importance of Inka's project of educating healthcare professionals who come into contact with new mothers daily. In this episode we also invite you, as non-Finnish mothers, who may be interested in receiving more services from Äimä in English, to please reach out to Inka and Laura to express ask for that. Also, please share this episode with every mother you know. Spread the word about this organization. People need to know that this exists and that they are not alone. With that, let's get started and introduce you to Inka and Laura from Äimä.  Topics:  We get to know the charity organization from the perspective of Laura and Inka  What kind of maternal mental health challenges does Äimä work with? You do not need a diagnosis to get help from Äimä The organization supports any family member affected by maternal mental health challenges  The importance of having easy to access help How Finland support maternal mental health challenges and how Äimä is involved with that What makes it so that in Western culture we see more cases of maternal mental health challenges? Prevention and treatment of maternal mental health challenges at Äimä The importance of peer support groups in prevention and treatment Having realistic expectations of what you can expect from the system  Äimä's efforts of educating social and healthcare professionals and perinatal diseases Links:  Inka's email: inka.kansi@aima.fi Laura's email: laura.piirainen@aima.fi   Äimä's website https://aima.fi/en/ Äimä on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aima.ry/ Äimä on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aiditirtisynnytysmasennuksestaAIMA/

On this episode of the podcast Soňa Jány-Louhivori explains the importance of caring for your birth scars. We dive into the emotions that our scars carry and how those emotions can be different depending on the birth story we experienced. Soňa shared her own story of healing her scar and how she noticed what she calls the "chaining effect" in which one scar can have a direct influence on other body areas. Soňa also explained how one can do their own scar massage and invites our listeners to a hands on in-person workshop happening on February 18th 2023 and on March 4th 2023 (choose the best date for you). For more info on the workshops check out https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWeF769sysLxckfJE3nlMFDyqnKB-QoNujWEo9h9fnHea4kA/viewform    Topics: What exactly is a scar? The knowledge to treat and care for the scar is limited Difference of having stitches vs not having stitches Difference between scar of episiotomy or tearing How having a scar can impact your body The chain effect of the scar influencing the entire body The ways in which scar massage brings a relief  Sona share's her own experience of scar healing  How long does it take for the redness of the scar to go away and for you to be able to start massaging? How to do a self massage on your scar Is it ever too late to work on your scar? Who can attend Sona's workshop? Healing the trauma of the partner who doesn't have a scar Which other professionals can support the healing of your scar? I share my aha moment of listening to my body and boundaries  Links: Register for Soňa's workshop https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWeF769sysLxckfJE3nlMFDyqnKB-QoNujWEo9h9fnHea4kA/viewform

On this episode of the podcast Rosalia and I speak about pregnancy loss. We touched on the emotional experience of families who are going through this, what are their needs and how a person like a bereavement doula can meet those needs. We talked about the terminology and the importance of the words we use, as well as the statistics on pregnancy loss. I had a real aha moment towards the end of the episode related to the experience of trying to conceive again following a loss. We finished the episode by talking about the Finnish system and what one can expect if something like this happens.  Notes:  Rosalia shares how she got into working as a bereavement doula Why the use of the term pregnancy loss is important  The difference between miscarriage and still birth  How the term miscarriage could unintentionally bring feelings of self-blame  How we are afraid to speak about this topic  The statistics of pregnancy loss How birth and death are being removed from the community into the hospital where it's isolated and clinical rather than community based What the emotions that families are dealing with in this time depending on the kind of experience  What is the kind of support that families really need at this time What someone who has experienced multiple losses could be feeling Listen to the aha moment i had when talking about attaching ourselves to a new pregnancy at the early stages How a bereavement doula like Rosalia can help support and meet the needs of the grieving family  The added benefit of having a birth doula from early on in pregnancy or before conception  Similarities between birth and death  Understanding what happens in the system in Finland to be able to make educated decisions about your experience  The importance of educating yourself and asking for services to support your experience  Links: Previous episodes with Rosalia on the Birthing in Finland podcast Episode #2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vGTqCLYeVVoEzXvZV3x7Y?si=MYAMl-jZQwChaqKqPbbOzg Episode #32: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1P7XP8Z4wak1oraxZJpmzQ?si=KDQvr1F6Rmu5FTr7jySu5Q Birthing in Finland episode on mindfulness as a parenting superpower (episode #37) https://open.spotify.com/episode/67ac3x3hQddZ4OOLHYowaO?si=Jq3e_zv5Rxa3Vyz2p4cYww Rosalia's website on bereavement support https://birth.fi/full-spectrum-bereavement-doula/ Rosalia's IG account https://www.instagram.com/birthwisdomdoula/

Welcome back to this episode of the podcast with Laura Laitala, organizer and instructor at the Loru Leikkipuisto inside Oodi. Laura came on the podcast to introduce the concept of Leikkipuistos (playgrounds) to any foreign parent who doesn't know it. We spoke about the history of the playgrounds, what you can find there, why the instructors could be a great person of contact to have for any family issues or challenges, and why the playground itself is such a fantastic place for families to gather, meet, and spend their mornings. The playgrounds are wonderful places for families with children of different ages as the activities they provide really cater to a wide range. Have a listen and hopefully you'll find a service that will benefit you as well! All the services of the Leikkipuistos are for free and (most) do not require you to sign up. Thank you for being here and let's get started.  Topics:  The closure of playgrounds in Helsinki between Jan-May 2023  Easy to join activities at Loru playground  The history of the playground activities that is unique to Helsinki  The different types of activities that you can find at the playgrounds  The playground staff can be an info center to help guide parents and a be a place to find resources  How to spot the playgrounds in Helsinki even though it might look like a daycare Links: Leikkipuisto Loru website and schedule https://www.hel.fi/varhaiskasvatus/fi/leikkipuistotjaperhetalot/loru/loru  A video presentation about playgrounds in Helsinki (with English subtitles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT9-M3gZ0IU Search for a Leikkipuisto near you on the map https://palvelukartta.hel.fi/fi/search?q=leikkipuisto List of open and closed playgrounds in 2023 https://www.hel.fi/static/liitteet-2019/KasKo/vare/Leikkipuistot-vuodenvaihde-22-23.pdf Contact details of playground instructors by region https://www.hel.fi/varhaiskasvatus/fi/leikkipuistotjaperhetalot/johtavat-leikkipuisto-ohjaajat Playgrounds by alphabetical order (also mentions if open or closed in 2023) https://www.hel.fi/varhaiskasvatus/fi/leikkipuistotjaperhetalot/leikkipuistot General page about playgrounds in Helsinki (includes information about a Leikkipuisto app) https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/childhood-and-education/play/playgrounds/ List of activities that are available at the Leikkipuisto https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/childhood-and-education/play/families