Birthing in Finland

Birthing in Finland

By Danielle BenskyParentingKids & Family
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Birthing in Finland episodes

  • #38: Normalizing the needs of a new mother and her newborn baby with postpartum doula Danielle Bensky

    Welcome to episode 38 of the podcast and the second episode in my mini-series of solo episodes about postpartum.

    This episode is dedicated to newborn mother and newborn baby needs and expectations. I'll be explaining what new mothers need and what is found across several traditions and cultures that is in common to postpartum care. You'll find out how you can plan your postpartum around those needs and why that can make a great foundation to a postpartum plan. The second part of the episode talks about the baby's biological expectations of life outside the womb in the fourth trimester and helps to normalize typical newborn behavior.
    When parents know and understand typical or expected behaviors and needs of newborn mothers and babies, they can rest assured in the normalcy of the experience without second guessing themselves or feeling that they are doing something wrong.
    This episode is here to encourage you and normalize your experience. Let's get started. 

    Links:

    • Book: The 4th Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/the-fourth-trimester-9781611804003
    • Book: Nourishing Newborn Mothers by Julia Jones https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/nourishing-newborn-mothers-9780648343103
    • Book: The First 40 Days by Heng Ou https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/the-first-forty-days-9781617691836
    • Meal Train https://www.mealtrain.com/
    • Postpartum Massages at your home with Soňa https://www.doulacollective.fi/sona-feelyourbirth/
    • Unina belly binding https://unina.com.au/product/bengkung/

      • Mentioned topics:

      • The 5 universal postpartum needs
      • How to prepare to meet those needs 
      • Examples of questions to ask yourself as you plan for postpartum
      • The expectations of newborn babies, the biological needs of babies
      • The ways in which newborn babies bond with an attachment figure
      • Understanding the needs and expectations of newborn babies helps parents know what is typical behavior 
      • What parents can do to help the baby feel calmer and meet the biological expectations in the fourth trimester
        • 37 min
      • #37: Mindfulness as a parenting superpower with postpartum doula Danielle Bensky

        In this episode of the podcast I talk about using mindfulness in parenting. This is the third and last episode in my mini-series of solo episodes that have focused on postpartum and parenting. Mindfulness has been a big teacher in my mothering and I love sharing that with other parents!

        I spoke about what mindfulness could look like at the different stages and phases of parenthood and how we could put them into practice. I shared about how my baby's sleep was a big opportunity for me to practice mindfulness and why I feel that it is exactly that, a practice.
        Join me on this episode to find out about this really important parenting tool, or superpower, that I believe plays a big part in enjoying your mothering and parenting. 

        Mentioned topics: 

        • Mindfulness at each stage of the parenting journey 
        • How labor gives us the lessons we need to have for parenting 
        • Parenting as an ideal time to practice mindfulness 
        • Parenting invites you to be a child again, they invite us to join them in the present moment
          • 22 min
        • #36: Preparing for postpartum in pregnancy with Postpartum Doula Danielle Bensky

          Happy New Year to those listening just as this episode airs. We are just a few days into 2023 and that marks 1 year since I started working on this podcast full time. To mark this beautiful celebration I'm coming out with a mini series of 3 solo episodes dedicated to postpartum preparation and expectations. Think of it like your mini course with me on how to get ready for postpartum. This first episode will be all about preparing for postpartum in pregnancy where I'll be explaining about what can an expecting family start doing in order to help themselves  have a supported postpartum experience. I also talk about why this can often feel overwhelming for couples, especially when it's the first child, and give ideas on small steps and actions you can take to start you off.

          Welcome to this 3 part mini series! Thank you for being here with me and let's get started on today's episode with yours truly. 

          Show notes: 

          • Danielle's website www.motherstransition.com - download the Asking for Help guide at the bottom of the page
          • Schedule a Discovery Call with Danielle https://www.motherstransition.com/contact
          • The Fourth Trimester book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/the-fourth-trimester-9781611804003
          • The First Forty Days book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/the-first-forty-days-9781617691836
          • Seven Sisters for Seven Days book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/seven-sisters-for-seven-days-the-mothers-manual-for-community-based-postpartum-care-9781939807892
          • Purna Yoga Childbirth Education course https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/main_enroll.asp?studioid=14837&tg=42&vt=1052&lvl=&stype=-8&view=week&trn=100000003&page=&catid=&prodid=&date=12%2f14%2f2022&classid=0&prodGroupId=&sSU=&optForwardingLink=&qParam=&justloggedin=&nLgIn=&pMode=0&loc=1
          • Purna Yoga classes https://www.purnayoga.fi/en/pregnancy-birth-and-postnatal/

            • Mentioned topics: 

            • Why is pregnancy the best time to start thinking about postpartum? 
            • Why can it feel strange and overwhelming? 
            • What can you do to start thinking about postpartum in pregnancy?
            • Look for childbirth education courses that have a session about postpartum as well.
            • Understanding that postpartum, as birth, can be unexpected.
              • 27 min
            • #35: Homeopathy for the parenting journey with Anna Perälä

              On this week's episode we're having Anna Perälä back on the show to talk about her other passion - homeopathy. Anna is a homeopathic birth doula who introduces us to the world of homeopathy. In this episode we debunk some myths about this healing modality and I have to say that it made me curious! Anna explained the basics and origins, the importance of looking and treating the person as a whole, as well as how it can support each stage of the parenting journey from conception through to the postpartum. Anna gave us some of her favorite remedies and told us where you can buy them here in Finland. We touched upon the skepticism which some may have towards this modality and looked at some research findings as well. If you have a strong opinion about homeopathy but actually quite little knowledge, I warmly invite you to come with an open mind and get curious! I love adding more tools and learning about new ways to support myself and my family, and this is the reason I brought Anna to the show to talk about this topic!

              Before we get started, I wanted to share that this episode will be the last one before I take a little Christmas and New Years break. I will be back with new episodes on January 9th, 2023. If you haven't listened to the previous episodes of this show, this is your chance to catch up before the new content comes out! Go back and listen from the beginning because the guests here have really been special! So now, let's welcome Anna Perälä  back on the show for this episode about homeopathy. 

              Links: 

              • Pur kauppa https://pur-kauppa.fi/
              • Remedia https://www.remedia-homeopathy.com/shop/
              • Study from Switzerland about using homeopathy in public healthcare system https://www.narayana-verlag.com/Homeopathy-in-Healthcare-Gudrun-Bornhoeft-Peter-F-Matthiessen/b13068
              • Finnish Homeopath Association https://www.homeopaatit.net/
              • Nordic Homeopath Association http://www.homeopatiainfo.fi/homeopatiainfo-users-suomen-homeopaatit-ry
              • Book a consultation with Anna https://en.doula-anna.com/homeopatia 

                • Topics mentioned: 

                • The basics of homeopathy and the origins of it
                • The importance of treating the person as a whole when using homeopathy
                • How homeopathy can support the parenting journey from conception to postpartum 
                • Anna's favorite remedies for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum 
                • Where to find homeopathic remedies
                • What is inside the remedy and how it is made
                • Evidence for homeopathy and efficacy 
                • How to understand and look at homeopathy research studies



                  • 1 hr
                • #34: The baby's position in pregnancy and what it means for birth - with doula Chloé Bernard

                  Welcome to this episode all about baby's position in utero. Chloé and I spoke about the different positions that the baby could have during the pregnancy and especially at the end. We made the connection between your baby's position and the labor that you might have, recognizing the importance of the baby's position in that. We explained how the way that we move and sit during pregnancy is related to our baby's position and spoke about the importance of creating room for the baby in the front of our body rather than in the back. If this all sounds a bit confusing at this point, hold on one moment and we'll get started - everything is explained really clearly and slowly. We also give you examples of positions that you could get into that will help create that space in the front. We also talked about trusting our baby and body after we've done everything to invite them and created more space for them yet they still don't change their position, we spoke about belly mapping and the knowledge that it can give us about our own baby, as well as what the added benefit of seeing an osteopath might be for creating balance and alignment in our body.

                  Let's get started. 

                  But just before we jump in, I have to tell you about the upcoming training that Maria Fernandez, our nest doula, is hosting on December 7th 2022 online. The workshop is called Getting Ready for Breastfeeding and it's for pregnant families who are interested to know more on breastfeeding and feel prepared for that adventure. I have taken this training before and as someone who has breastfed, I felt like it was so on point and touched on all of the challenges that I had as a newborn mom with a newborn baby. It's fantastic. If you want to sign up, visit Maria's IG page @eyogadoula. 


                  Show notes: 

                  1. Spinning Babies website https://www.spinningbabies.com/
                  2.  Belly mapping https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/baby-position/belly-mapping/
                  3. Rest Smart Spinning Babies https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/techniques/rest-smart/
                  4. Episode with Nicola https://open.spotify.com/episode/6rJKe876SM7N3W5FYaSMsx?si=5yb4txXYTmCAD0Rnwm-xVQ
                  5. Women's Cafe in English https://sornas.kvinnoforbundet.fi/sv/aktuellt/women_s_caf_in_english/
                  6. Maria Fernandez's IG account to sign up for breastfeeding training https://www.instagram.com/eyogadoula/


                    7. Mentioned topics: 

                    • What do we mean by optimal position? 
                    • What are the positions of our body that may encourage a less than optimal fetal position? 
                    • What are the more recommended positions for us to be in to encourage baby into a more optimal fetal position?
                    • The use of the peanut ball in labor to help open the hips
                    • Belly mapping to help localize the position of the baby in the uterus 
                    • The benefits of belly mapping 
                    • There are sometimes reasons which we do not know for why the baby chooses to be in a certain position 
                    • After inviting the baby to get into another position and making room, there is an element of trust to be had as well
                    • What can people do to encourage balance and  invite baby into an optimal fetal position 
                    • Why visiting an osteopath in pregnancy can be helpful for baby's position
                    • Recommended Spinning Babies exercises for labor 
                    • There is sometimes a reason why our babies choose to stay in a certain position even though we have tried everything 
                    • Great position for birthing that will create as much room as possible for the baby 
                      • 50 min
                    • #33: Supporting baby's emotions after birth using Zone Therapy with Heli Ahlsten

                      This episode of the podcast starts the conversation about the baby's experience of birth and the way in which babies too want to tell their birth story. Heli shared the ways in which Zone Therapy can support the parenting journey from conception to postpartum as well as how it can help the babies after they are born. By helping the baby relax and ease tension in their body, Heli helps families who deal with belly aches, unexplained crying, sleep challenges, and more.

                      We spoke about the patterns that Heli notices in the baby's body depending on the kind of pregnancy and birth experience that they have had. This is so fascinating to understand the impact that the birth has on our babies and actually on all of us. Zone therapy is a wonderful way to support the parents as well as the baby throughout the entire journey and this episode is here to guide you through how that is done. If you listen to this episode and feel called to have more guidance and support in listening to your baby's crying as they share their birth story, please schedule a Discovery Call with me through my website motherstransition.com. I work 1-1 with families and mothers to help my clients find their center so they can feel more prepared and capable to hold space for their child's emotions as I do for them. I look forward to hearing from you, and now let's get started on this episode with Heli about Emotional Zone Therapy.    


                      Show notes: 

                      1. Heli's website https://www.helinhoitohuone.fi/en/
                      2. Heli's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/helinhoitohuone/
                      3. Integrative Baby Therapy http://matthew-appleton.co.uk/integrative-baby-therapy/
                      4. Schedule a Discovery Call with Danielle https://www.motherstransition.com/contact

                        5. Topics: 

                        • What is Zone Therapy?
                        • Zone Therapy for conception support 
                        • The integration and connection between emotions and body
                        • The magical bond between pregnant person and baby
                        • Zone Therapy for pregnancy e.g. supporting the sleep, joint pain, baby's position, start of labor
                        • Zone Therapy for the postpartum 
                        • Too often after birth, the mother is forgotten 
                        • When we care for mothers, we care for families and for society
                        • The birth journey from the perspective of the baby 
                        • How Zone Therapy can help with newborn baby challenges e.g. belly ache, sleep challenges, 
                        • The kind of patterns Heli notices in baby's behavior depending on the way the pregnancy and birth was
                        • The non verbal memory that babies have about their birth and how it affects their life
                        • Babies have emotions that come with a sensory embodied memory
                          • 41 min
                        • #32: Nutritional preparation for labor and birth with Rosalia Pihlajasaari

                          On today’s episode Rosalia and I talk about preparing for birth with nutrition. We get into exactly why nutrition plays such an important part and what are some of the problems it can help you overcome or avoid. Rosalia explains the connection between the food we eat, suggesting that one thing influences the other and depends upon the other for smooth operation, which is why a holistic approach is often the one she prefers. She explains how she works with her clients and some of the amazing results that she notices from people who follow this process! I was amazed to find out some of the powers that Vitamin D has for example on pain coping! Have a listen to find out and contact Rosalia if you feel like nutritional preparation for labor is something that you want to know more about! Are you ready to start? Let’s go.

                          Show notes: 

                          1. Rosalia's website www.birth.fi
                          2. Rosalia's email [email protected] 
                          3. The Nest Doulas website www.doulacollective.fi
                          4. Research on Vitamin D in pregnancy:

                            5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183324/

                            https://youtu.be/V-pv9c8biGA

                            https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Vitamin-D-for-expecting-mothers--you-need-more-than-400iu-Happy-Mother-s-day--.html?soid=1101240076659&aid=yOD4SVfiIcI

                            https://lilynicholsrdn.com/vitamin-d-pregnancy/

                            https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/vitamin-d/?fbclid=IwAR08XbSquYsf3RMITh4_oCONzSF9v9_7vcJeAGD3RU9IfPhgeCRNYJevRQI

                            https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/infant-rsv-linked-to-vitamin-d-deficiency-study-1.1017896

                            Mentioned topics: 

                            • Nutrition as preparation for labor
                            • We’re given little info on what to eat and more about what you should avoid
                            • The connection between nutrition and need for artificial oxytocin
                            • Specific nutrition in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy in preparation for the labor and birth
                            • Nutrition is about helping your body function effectively
                            • Good level of vitamin D can help cope with pain
                            • The amazing benefits of the nutritional preparation and why it can be so important
                              • 38 min
                            • #31: The first 40 days after birth with midwife Anu Lampinen

                              Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Anu Lampinen once again. Today’s episode with Anu will focus on the postpartum time after birth. The 40 days after the birth where your body and mind go through so many changes and your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb. There is so much to say about the postpartum and in this episode we just scratch the surface. If you are pregnant, don’t shy away from this episode as it is so important to start preparing for your postpartum recovery already now in pregnancy.

                              Show notes: 

                              1. Anu's website http://katilotalo.fi/anu-lampinen/

                              2. Anu's email [email protected]

                              3. Anu's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/anu_katilo_akupunktio/

                              4. Anu's Facebook https://www.facebook.com/katilotalo

                              5. Nurturing the Family book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/nurturing-the-family-a-doulas-guide-to-supporting-new-parents-9781946665430

                              6. YouTube video "Why it's so Hard to Take a Shower With a Newborn" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQt90SHj6iY&t=3s

                              7. Motherhood Talks - a weekly support group for moms https://fb.me/e/3QcZe2UER

                              8. Imetys Tuki breastfeeding support in English https://imetys.fi/in-english/

                              9. Anu and Gabriela's postpartum doula certificate training (currently only in Finnish) https://juurakonvoima.com/kurssit/postpartum-doula-sertifiointikoulutus/

                              10. The mentioned article about breastfeeding in Finland:

                              Hannula L. 2003. Imetysnäkemykset ja imetyksen toteutuminen. Suomalaisten synnyttäjien seurantatutkimus. Tohtorinväitöskirja. Turun yliopiston julkaisuja C 195. Yliopistopaino Helsinki.
                              https://jyu.finna.fi/Record/jykdok.894402


                              Mentioned topics: 

                              • What are the elements of a peaceful postpartum that facilitates healing?
                              • Following your own truth in postpartum
                              • The importance of not being alone in postpartum
                              • The huge identity change
                              • Rituals to mark rites of passage
                              • The mammalian baby instincts
                              • What is lacking for families in postpartum?
                              • How supportive presence can help someone learn to breastfeed
                              • How positive attitude of the partner towards breastfeeding can help sustain it
                              • Families lack of support and information
                              • How postpartum support in Finland can improve
                              • What are the needs of families in postpartum?
                              • The advantages of having baby brain
                              • How quickly a newborn baby changes
                              • The need for nutrition in postpartum
                              • Having deep listening to your birth story
                              • When we come to see a new baby we are also seeing a new mother
                              • Preparing for postpartum in pregnancy
                              • What might you include in your postpartum plan?
                              • Having a maid of honor and best man for the postpartum too like at a wedding
                              • Doing an online closing ceremony when your friends live abroad
                                • 1 hr 24 min
                              • #30: What you'll want to know about breastfeeding your newborn with Maria Fernandez

                                Welcome back to the Birthing in Finland podcast and to today’s episode with our nest doula Maria Fernandez!

                                This episode will be all about breastfeeding in the early days of newborn life. You’ll find out what a pregnancy person needs to know about breastfeeding, whether or not you should prepare the body for breastfeeding, prenatal colostrum expression, the most common issues in the first weeks, and how to know if the baby is getting enough milk. We then moved into talking about getting breastfeeding help in Finland and asked the question where can people find breastfeeding support and when should they ask for support.
                                I asked Maria a few questions about her role as a lactation consultant as well such as how long does she work with families, and how does she help with supplementing if needed. We ended the conversation by making a connection between postpartum rest and breastfeeding. Listen until the end to find out what that connection is. Let’s get started on this super interesting and important conversation!

                                Show notes: 

                                1. Maria's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/eyogadoula/

                                2. Maria's reel about IBCLCs https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cg2FFulqoQs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

                                3. Finland's breastfeeding peer support charity https://imetys.fi/

                                4. Jack Newman's book https://www.adlibris.com/fi/kirja/dr-jack-newmans-guide-to-breastfeeding-9781780662305

                                Mentioned topics: 

                                • What does a pregnant person need to know about breastfeeding?
                                • Should you prepare the body for breastfeeding in any way?
                                • Prenatal colostrum expression - should you do it?
                                • The first days of breastfeeding, what are the most common issues?
                                • Searching for the nipple and getting the search reflex
                                • How to know that the baby is getting enough milk
                                • How can someone get help with breastfeeding in finland?
                                • How does a lactation consultant help with supplementation?
                                • How a lactation aid works
                                • Hhen to ask for help
                                • How long can a lactation consultant help the family?
                                • The connection between resting in postpartum and breastfeeding
                                  • 1 hr 10 min
                                • #29: Maria's mindful postpartum journey and transition to motherhood

                                  Welcome to this episode about Maria's postpartum story. In this episode Maria shares her experience of having Danielle Bensky (myself) as her postpartum doula. We spoke about what was meaningful to her, how preparing for postpartum assisted her and her partner in getting aligned on their expectations, allowed them to see their blind spots and feel more ready. Maria also spoke about the way in which having me as her postpartum doula helped her transition to motherhood in a more mindful and aware way. Maria mentioned that she felt more resourced and therefore felt more able to show up as her best self to her daughter. Listen to this episode to hear how a postpartum doula can support the transition to motherhood and why Maria enjoyed it so much! 

                                  Show notes: 

                                  1. Danielle's website for postpartum doula care www.motherstransition.com  

                                  2. Schedule a Discovery Call with Danielle https://calendly.com/daniellebensky/discovery-call-mothers-transition

                                  3. Episode 25 with Gabriela https://open.spotify.com/episode/60JyZluDAAfdBsCt1dbpYd?si=52edf9e7cc944f10

                                  51 min

                                About Birthing in Finland

                                From the publisher's feed

                                You’re a foreigner living in Finland getting ready to conceive a baby, give birth, or maybe you’re already navigating the postpartum and life as a parent. This podcast will introduce you to some…