(edit title) Pregnancy, pregnant care in Sweden Experiences, opinion Options

[wantto]

Hej,

I am living in Sweden and finally got pregnant (with the help of IVF). This is my first pregancy, so I am a bit scared and confused sometimes. So far, what I experienced here is a bit different from the methods in my home country, where I more or less know the procedure (from friends, family members etc.) I would like to chat with others who gave birth/are pregnant in Sweden. I am only interested in the pregnant care, medical care part and giving birth. Any experience, opinion, advice is appreciated. What did you find here different(worse/better)?

[tes85]

Hej,

Congrats on getting pregnant! What an exciting time ahead.

I found the Swedish system to be very hands-off approach, which was actually nice. None of the constant checking to see if you're dilated or % effaced etc. Just a very nice experience.

I'd recommend going to http://www.mumsinsweden.com/ board, they have lovely women there, and lots of previous posts on what to expect.

Good luck mamma-to-be

[claudiacpc]

No experience, just wanted to say grattis!

[Ankinette]

From what i have heard from my friend who gave birth here, the following is quite minimal during the pregnancy, only one scan (dunno when), when its 3 in France for ex. In addition to that she met the midwife once a month for a talk/belly touching/heart listening.
Might be different for IVF babies though, maybe it requires a little more attention.
Oh and congratulations! :-)

[John.Smith]

Relatively hands-off as others have mentioned. However, during the pregnancy if you have any concerns it is possible to contact the midwife to discuss i.e. although hands-off you have plenty of support from them if/when needed.
Most women are allowed home after 24-36 hours after birth and the after care is good.

My wife has given birth here and in the UK and she preferred the process here.

Grattis

[Puffin]

There are 2 types of maternity care in Sweden and the type you get depends in part on the risks associated with your pregnancy and in part on whether you have complications

It is important to remember that the Swedes view pregnancy and birth as an essentially natural process and they do not believe in over medicalising it nor carrying out unecessary testing and interventions just to cover themselves against being sued

Normal maternity care (Mödravård)
Normal maternity care is midwife led in Sweden and if you have a normal pregnancy you will only see a doctor once as midwives are the birth specialists and have a University training that lasts in total almost 5 years

You see the community midwife/s at the local health centre of midwife clinic (if you live in a larger city there may be some considerable choice of public/private providers). Scans are usually done at the local maternity unit and the number varies depending on which county you live in but 1-3 are normal - if you need more then these are arranged.

When it is time to give birth you go to a local maternity unit - some offer tours beforehand while others that are very busy do not
- usually all of your delivery care if carried out by a midwife although there are doctors there for complications/high risk
- pain relief is available - many women opt for mobile epidurals that let you walk around during labour
- however many places will not let you have strong narcotics such as pethedine/morphine within 10 hours of estimated delivery because of the effects on baby's breathing
- usually if there are no complications you are allowed to do as you like during labour and birth - most places do not tie you to a monitor for the whole delivery which many women prefer - most allow you to eat and drink (my midwife's assistant made great ice-cream milkshakes)
- after the birth you usually stay on the post natal ward for 6-72 hours - longer if you need/want to
- if you leave hospital before 72 hours usually a midwife comes to your home a day or 2 after leaving hospital and the nurse from the local baby clinic comes often in the first week as well

Specialist Mödravård - specialist maternity care
If you have high risks or complications then you will often have your normal appointments at the hospital with a specialist obstetrician

Specialist maternity care is very high tech and there will be a much higher emphasis on testing and monitoring - it may mean that the birth will have higher controls or that induction/c-section will be discussed much earlier

Usually you will have all of your appointments with the same consultant obstetrician - many even do their own scans and tests rather than forcing you to hike around the hospital

It is only a minority of women that are sent for specialist care

[byke]

It is important to remember that the Swedes view pregnancy and birth as an essentially natural process and they do not believe in over medicalising it nor carrying out unecessary testing and interventions just to cover themselves against being sued

Just out of interest, are you talking from a social or medical perspective?
As given the rates of IVF in Sweden, this statement would seem to contradict itself.

[aino]

Find a Mödravård close to home or work, and just go there. Tell them you'd to register there and find a midwife, and make sure they send people from there to a good hospital/delivery place, somewhere close to you. Tell them you'd like an English-speaking midwife, and get her to explain everything to you. You can always switch if you don't like the person.

Mödravård does do more followups (and ultrasounds) with IVF usually, even more if you have multiples (i.e. it's a more high-risk pregnancy). Ask at your IVF place if you need more followups and drugs there (i.e. progesteron to help in the first trimester, etc?). Also, if you're concerned you can pay some nominal amount for extra ultrasounds.

They do blood tests during pregnancy, for iron (well, hemoglobin), and for stuff that would show if you have preeclampsia.

Piece of advice: once you're well into the 2nd trimester, find out more stuff for _after birth_. I really wish we asked more questions about how to get stuff like breastfeeding to work, rather than some of the things we worried about during the pregnancy.

[Puffin]

Just out of interest, are you talking from a social or medical perspective?. As given the rates of IVF in Sweden, this statement would seem to contradict itself.

I am talking about during actual pregnancy and giving birth - not the actual process of getting pregnant as this is what OP is talking about

In some countries you are not allowed to get up from the bed during labour and must have around the clock monitoring - often using a clip that is screwed onto the babies head in utero - this does not happen routinely in Sweden

[byke]

That honestly sounds like an episode from "All creatures great and small".

[Puffin]

you don't know the half of it - some births have a high James Herriot factor but most do not

[Puffin]

They will likely book in some extra visits and tests with an IVF pregnancy - and if you do have any complications you will be transferred to specialist care - it may be a good idea to bring your medical records

I suffered preeclampsia with my first pregnancy so got monthly scans with the second as a precaution

[tuborgian]

Congratulations :-) You must be delighted! Having had a baby here in Sweden, I was very happy with the care during the pregnancy and especially during the birth. As some of the other posters have said it is rather hands off and in some areas you will only have one scan at about 20 weeks. However, my spanish and italian friends said that they prefered the more medicalised care in their countries and prefered to have their babies there rather than in sweden. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[tes85]

One tip, if you want the 14week downs syndrome testing be sure to ask for it. From experience they didn't offer it as I wasn't in the age of risk category, but found out I could have asked for it.

I had one scan at 18 weeks. And was home 18 hours after giving birth

[wantto]

Thank you all for your answers!! :-)
So far, my pregnancy is without complications and I dont have any special care just because I had IVF. I am already in the 2nd trimester (just started recently) and I will have 3 scans altogether, if I understood correctly. In my home country women have usually 3 times as much and every time they go for a check up, they are fully examined by a doctor,not midwifes. so I was really shocked by this system here at the beginning, however it seems to be favourable others so I have to get used to it :-)