Birthing in Finland

This episode introduces  you to Ria Malva, a home birth midwife. I will be asking Ria all the questions that parents want to know when considering the option of a home birth in Finland. From worries about what happens if a transfer to the hospital is needed, to how much home birth might cost. We go into different worries and concerns that parents have including the mess at home, the safety of homebirth, the tools that Ria brings to the birth, having a backup midwife, and more… I hope that this episode helps you gain more information about this very legal and real choice that you have of a home birth. 

Mentioned topics: 

Show notes: 

1. Ria's website https://www.rakkaudenkohtu.com/

2. Ria's email address [email protected]  

3. Ria's website about homebirth safety and possible reasons for hospital transfer https://www.rakkaudenkohtu.com/kotisynnytyksen-turvallisuus.html

4. Evidence Based Birth https://evidencebasedbirth.com/

5. Rachel Reed - Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage https://www.rachelreed.website/books

6. Spinning Babies https://www.spinningbabies.com/

7. Synnytys Syli - birthing place http://synnytyssyli.fi/

8. Synnytys Kota - birthing place http://www.synnytyskota.fi/

Welcome to another episode of birthing in Finland. On this episode I sat down with our nest doula Sona Jany Louhivuori, to have a really casual and fun conversation about how having sex and pooping can give us clues about the ideal environment to have a baby. Are you getting curious? Haha this is a great episode with many golden nuggets that im sure you’ll enjoy. We spoke about how some of the birth preparation methods are also used when training for professional sports, and why we think that there’s a really important lesson there.

We got deeper into the big emotions of birth like feeling safe with the people around you. Feeling safe enough to be the most raw and vulnerable version of yourself, knowing that you will continue to be loved also after. We finished off the episode with some words about postpartum care as well, how important it is, and how preparation for postpartum during pregnancy is an important part of it!

Show notes: 

1. Sona's website https://sonajany.com/

2. Sona's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/feelyourbirth/

3. Positive Birth Helsinki - register here - https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth

4. Motherhood Talks - moms group - https://fb.me/e/28VPvEvCL

5. Sona's and Rosalia's childbirth preparation course - https://bit.ly/childbirtheducationcourse 

Welcome to my conversation with Hanna Grankvist. Hanna is a birth and postpartum doula as well as a babywearing instructor living right here in Finland. Hanna is also so gifted and talented that she weaves her own baby carriers made locally under the name of Tyykityy. In our chat we talk about the importance of choosing an ergonomic carrier and how to spot if it is indeed ergonomic, why you might need more than one carrier for your family, and how you can continue to wear your baby also through the harsh Finnish winters. Hanna then tells us in more detail about how she makes her very own carriers as well as about a babywearing association that holds gatherings where you can ask your babywearing questions and try out new carriers before purchasing - how convenient.

Show notes:

1. Hanna's Instagram - Tyykityy https://www.instagram.com/tyykityy/  

2. Babywearing association "Kantoliinayhdistys" - supporting volunteers list - https://www.kantoliinayhdistys.fi/kantaminen/tukihenkilot-ja-kantovalinelainaamo/ 

3. Facebook group - babywearers in Finland - look for upcoming dates of babywearing cafe - https://www.facebook.com/groups/kantoliinatjakantoreput/?ref=share

4. Sign up for Oct 15th Positive Birth Helsinki meetup - https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth 

On today’s episode I share with you my conversation with Gabriela Ariana. Gabriela is an ecological artist, body therapist, ecosomatic practitioner, dancer and singer. She has been working with mothers and women on their feminine journey for over 20 years. Gabriela also trains postpartum doulas right here in Finland together with Anu Lampinen who has also been a guest on the podcast. In our conversation today we dive into the path of motherhood. We talk about the way motherhood is seen in our culture and society, the disconnection of that definition from our sexuality, why motherhood can be a gate towards self realization, and so many more amazing and mind opening pieces. It is a long episode but it’s filled with many personal stories and examples, as well as deep issues and topics that are so fascinating for anyone interested in the path of motherhood and the identity shift that follows. Gabriela offers a really unique and deep perspective into the transformation to motherhood and I am so happy to bring this conversation to you today. Have a listen until the end to hear the beautiful poem that Gabriela shares - a poem which she wrote to her second child while still pregnant. Let’s get started.

Show notes: 

1. Gabriela's email [email protected] 

2. Gabriela's website https://juurakonvoima.com/en/gabriela-ariana-en/ 

3. Gabriela's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabrielaariana_juurakonvoima/ 

4. Book: Reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage by Rachel Reed https://g.co/kgs/KJvoDV 

On today’s episode I’ll be chatting with Sari Tjurin-Zeiger. Sari is an acupuncturist specializing in gynecology, obstetrics, and reproductive medicine. In this episode you will find out what kinds of challenges Sari can help people with, why scientific research is so important to inform the working practice, and how it supports reproductive health including secondary subfertility. We spoke about how secondary infertility sometimes receives less attention and those who are experiencing it may feel marginalized. Sari is a great person to know for your entire parenting journey from conception to postpartum and beyond and that’s why she’s a guest on the podcast. Let’s get started with this deep dive into acupuncture.

Show notes:

Schedule an appointment with Sari: https://www.eiransairaala.fi/fi/Asiantuntijat/Tjurin-Zeiger-Sari 

Scientific literature and references:

1. Allais G, Chiarle G, Sinigaglia S, et al. Acupuncture treatment of migraine, nausea, and

vomiting in pregnancy. Neurol Sci. 2019;40(Suppl 1):213-215. doi:10.1007/s10072-019-

03799-2

2. Dehghani AS, Homayouni K, Kanannejad Z, Kanannejad Z. The effect of acupuncture on

the day of embryo transfer on the in vitro fertilization outcomes: An RCT. Int J Reprod

Biomed. 2020;18(3):209-214. doi:10.18502/ijrm.v18i3.6719

3. Bäumler P, Zhang W, Stübinger T, Irnich D. Acupuncture-related adverse events:

systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open.

2021;11(9):e045961. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045961

4. Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of episodic migraine.

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;(6).

doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001218.pub3

5. Lokugamage AU, Eftime VAI, Porter D, Ahillan T, Ke SX. Birth preparation acupuncture

for normalising birth: An analysis of NHS service routine data and proof of concept.

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2020;40(8):1096-1101.

doi:10.1080/01443615.2019.1694878

6. Park J, Sohn Y, White AR, Lee H. The safety of acupuncture during pregnancy: a

systematic review. Acupunct Med. 2014;32(3):257-266. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2013-

010480

9. Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. Influence of acupuncture on

the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility and

Sterility. 2002;77(4):721-724. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(01)03273-3

10. Hullender Rubin LE, Opsahl MS, Wiemer K, Mist SD, Caughey AB. Impact of Whole

Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes. Reprod

Biomed Online. 2015;30(6):602-612. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.02.005

11. Khorram N, Horton S, Sahakian V, Chacon R, Khorram O. Adjuvant acupuncture reduces

first trimester pregnancy loss after IVF. Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

2012;02. doi:10.4236/ojog.2012.23059

Interesting to read:

12 FinnAcu. Akupunktion tietopaketti. Published 2021. Accessed September 26, 2022.

https://finnacu.fi/akupunktion-tietopaketti/

13. Rubin LH, DAOM, LAc, Medicine FA at OR, Studio PA. How Acupuncture Impacts IVF

Success Rates. FertilityIQ. https://www.fertilityiq.com/topics/acupuncture-for-

fertility/how-acupuncture-impacts-ivf-success-rates

14. Tjurin-Zeiger S. Akupunktio hedelmöityshoitojen ja raskauden tukena - Dextra

Lapsettomuusklinikka. Published March 23, 2021.

https://www.dextralapsettomuusklinikka.fi/blogi/2021/03/23/akupunktio-

hedelm%C3%B6ityshoitojen-ja-raskauden-tukena/

Welcome back to the Birthing in Finland podcast! Today I am talking about a topic I love so much - conscious parenting. My guest is Clara Vazquez, a conscious parenting guide and psychologist who facilitates conscious parenting trainings right here in Finland. In this episode we explored how conscious parenting is actually much more about discovering who we are more than about our children, why it’s a philosophy more than a method, how the way in which we were parented influences the way we parent, why emotions are a compass in our life. We explored together the question whether conscious parenting spoils your child and what that even means to begin with, how one of our most basic needs and kids and humans is unconditional love, as well as the importance of play in helping parents connect with their children’s interests and internal world. We ended up also talking about the “witching hour” and giving it a slightly new perspective you may have not heard before so make sure you listen till the end to hear our take on it. If you find yourself interested, you can email or send a WhatsApp to Clara to get on the waiting list for the course. She will explain more about it in the episode. Are you ready to explore a perhaps new philosophy of parenting? To look deeper into yourself as a child and now parent? If anything comes up for you from listening to this, please send me a DM on IG and we can explore it more together. Let’s get started on this episode about conscious parenting with Clara Vazquez.

Show notes:

1. Clara's email: [email protected] 

2. Clara's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clara.work.1610 

3. Clara's WhatsApp: +358 40 7295355

4. Clara's course for professionals: https://www.trapesa.com/tapahtumat/introduction-to-conscious-parenting/

5. Clara's course for parents: https://www.instagram.com/consciousparentinginfinland/ 

6. Aware Parenting instructor page http://www.awareparenting.com/instruct.htm 

7. Books by Aletha Solter: http://www.awareparenting.com/books.htm

8. Dr Shefali website: https://www.drshefali.com/

9. The Aware Parenting podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/27jy3YpTRlpmEuroVZqtTy  

10. Book list from Clara: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AxbQ8xgoH0uPDUjzPj6wDRFK-O9jCS7mQn4_qpk6tao/edit?usp=sharing

Welcome back to the birthing in Finland podcast. This is another special episode that was recorded a little over one year ago to capture the special moment. Today I have Maria Fernandez with me again along with her then 4 week old newborn baby. We got to talking about baby brain in the immediate postpartum, the use of mantras or affirmations also for postpartum, what you can do to help support your baby brain, why the hormone oxytocin continues to be important also after birth, and why talking about “getting back to yourself” can be quite a misleading idea to keep in mind. At the end of the episode Maria mentioned that she would like to have a closing ceremony and indeed almost one year after the birth, the nest doulas gifted Maria with a beautiful loving caring ceremony that nurtured and gave her a boost of confidence. But now, let’s get started with this episode about baby brain.

Show notes: 

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

Hello and welcome back to the show. This episode with Maria Fernandez about birth brain is brought to you by the Positive Birth Helsinki meetups. Our free upcoming session will take place on Saturday September 10th at LillaLuckan near Kamppi from 10 to 12am. The topic of this meetup will be “induction”. When might you be offered one and how to know if your body is ready for it? Meet our Nest doulas there, get to know other expecting families, and learn more on this topic. If you have a toddler, they are welcome to join you. If you have a partner, they are also welcome to join you. To register, please visit thenestdoulas on ig and find the bio link or check out the show notes.

So, on today’s episode I have Maria Fernandez with me, a Nest doula, who was at the end of her pregnancy at the time of this recording in March 2021. Maria speaks from her perspective as a birth doula, yoga teacher and second time mom as she prepares her mind and body for the upcoming home birth of her second child. She shares her tips on how to create birth brain mode which is so lovely and delicious in helping you enter the birth zone as you come closer to the birth of your baby. We get into what “birth brain” is and why you would want to facilitate it. We speak about the continuum that exists between pregnancy, birth, and parenting, as well as about the experience of the birth partner in all of this. If you are at the end of your pregnancy as you are listening to this, boil yourself some water, make a tea, light a candle, sit back and enjoy!

Show notes:

1. Register for Positive Birth Helsinki meetup on September 10th https://mailchi.mp/648e302327d5/positivebirth

2. Maria's Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/eyogadoula/?hl=en 

On today’s episode I’m bringing you my conversation with Anna Perälä, a doula, homeopath, reiki healer, clinical hypnotherapist and hypnobirthing practitioner. Anna lives in Seinäjoki and has been supporting both Finnish and international families. Anna has a lot of knowledge and expertise to share but for today, we’ve decided to dive deep into hypnobirthing. Today’s episode is brought to you by Rosalia’s Pihlajasaari’s pain coping for labor 1hr workshop on Sep 1st 2022. This workshop will give you two proven techniques for pain coping, give tips to the partner, as well as much more. To find out more and register visit thenestdoulas on Instagram and send Rosalia a message.

Now back to the episode with Anna. We start off by debunking some myths about hypnobirthing and move into speaking about why it’s so important to practice the hypnobirthing techniques during pregnancy. Anna explained what these techniques may look like and why they are quite effective. We ended off the episode by speaking about the importance of being the subject of your birth rather than an object and what hypnobirthing has to do with that.

In the episode i also briefly mentioned the work of midwife Johanna who was actually also a guest on the podcast on episode 17 so if you want to hear more of what we spoke about, definitely have a listen to that episode.

For now, let’s dive into this episode about hypnobirthing.

Show notes: 

1. Woman having a cesarean birth under hypnosis 

2. Book: Babies are not Pizzas; They're Born not Delivered by Rebecca Dekker 

3. Evidence Based Birth website by Rebecca Dekker 

4. Marie Mongan Hypnobirthing book 

5. Website for finding Hypnobirthing practitioners in Finland  

6. Anna's website 

7. Anna's email: [email protected]

On today’s episode of Birthing In Finland I will be chatting with Clara Vazquez about her role as a family expert and psychologist with Mielen Portti. Clara facilitates and leads events and gatherings for families with immigrant background, with the focus of mental health and well being. In this episode, you’ll hear more on what Mielen Portti has to offer your family and why Clara is such a fantastic person to know! We spoke about the challenges of foreign families living here and how having time for yourself as a parent with little family help can be very challenging. Just by listening to the challenges that Clara shares you might get a feeling of being understood and that you are not alone in it. 

In the episode Clara refers to 2 workshops that Giuliano is facilitating with Mielen Portti but we don’t go into them in depth. If you are interested to hear more about those then go back and listen to episode 14 where I interviewed Giuliano exactly about these groups. In the episode Clara also mentions neighborhood mothers which you can also learn more about by listening to episode 9. Finally, Clara mentioned a conscious parenting course - and the upcoming one is actually starting really soon on September 21st 2022. You can sign up for that by emailing Clara. Let’s get right into and dive into the interview i had on the podcast with Clara Vazquez.

Show notes: 

1. Clara's email address: [email protected] 

2. Moms/Dads in Finland with amazing kids (special needs) FB group 

3. Trapesa website 

4. Mielen Portti FB page 

5. Filoksenia FB page 

6. Filoksenia IG account

7. Clara's FB account