Congrats you're having a baby - here's your promo bag!

On our very first prenatal visit for Tex here in Dallas, we met with the dr in his office after the sonogram confirmed a little heartbeat.

On his desk was a large plastic bag that looked to be packed full of papers and samples. I thought to myself a drug company rep must've dropped off the latest goodies for the dr while he was out.

It turned out the bag was for us! It was brimming with coupons, free magazine samples, prenatal vitamin samples and other booklets and papers telling us all about what's out there for baby.

Now, I, like most people, enjoy getting a bag full of free stuff :-) Especially when its appropriately targeted.

What was interesting was the amount of ad space dedicated to the formula vendors. The bag was sponsored by Infamil and carried several marketing pieces about baby forumulas. I noticed that in UK, for example, all infant formula ads have to marked with a notice that highlights that breastfeeding is the most complete nourishment for a baby up to 6 mos. Here in the US, there is no such requirement. Our bag also had mail-in cards to sign-up for the formula clubs promising formula coupons, free toys, a free diaper bag, free formula samples and more, more, more. Who can resit?
Enfamil Family Beginnings

I also got free issues of American Baby (sign up online for free subscription), Fit Pregnancy (the swimsuit issue), Baby Talk (another free subscription available online) and Women's Health and Fitness. (Where was my sample of Cookie!!??) I flipped through all of them when I was feeling queasy in the early days and now often go back to look for decorating ideas, find out what all is available in baby strollers and to cut out pictures of infants for Peanut's photo book.

There were coupons and product brochures from Baby Depot, Babies R Us and a local guide to what's what for babies in the metroplex. All complete with lists of 'must have' items for baby -- some over the top, but I know I would have appreciated the ideas for my first baby. And, there sure is a ton of gear, clothing and what nots that you can pile up if you want.

One of my favorite pieces is the "as your baby grows - from conception to birth" magazine. It has the most amazing photos from inside the womb of how a baby develops. Incredible color images of this tiny miracle! The photos are from a book called A Child is Born.

In contrast to all this, in Finland, I didn't see a piece of promo materials until I received my KELA box. In it were some free diapers, baby lotions and condoms. No coupons. At the hospital they had also tucked away, out of sight, on a shelf some small purple bags from the diaper brand, Libero. I just happened to overhear a nurse answer another mom that yes, you can pick one up if you want to, you don't have to.... Never anywhere were there any materials promoting formula.

Also, once Peanut was born and registered in the national population registry, we received some promotional mail at our home for her.

Moses Law to help save abandoned babies

The fact that something like the Moses Law exists in Texas and 45 other states is a sad thought:

The statute – the first of its kind in the nation – lets mothers leave healthy babies up to 60 days old at a hospital, fire station or other medical emergency facility, with no questions asked and no fear of prosecution.

Though I often support laws that seem to condone undesirable behavior, like abandoning babies, if they are created to deal with the reality of the situation and try to alleviate the consequences of the behavior.

Ideal would be to find ways to prevent the behavior in the first place, but the truth is that sometimes pregnancies are unwanted and sometimes the parents don't feel as if they have any options because of social or financial constraints. Or, they are just unprepared to deal with the responsibilities of their actions.

Over the weekend, the Dallas Morning News reported on two cases of newborns being abandoned: one in a public bathroom and the another on the hood of a car. Both just horrifying thoughts! Unfortunately, the Moses Law in Texas has had only minimal success. It seems those most likely to abandon a baby are unaware of it.

Honey, let me take care of dinner tonight!

Because I'm a sucker for coupons, I dropped by Super Suppers today with my 4th of July parade coupon for a free side dish. Honestly, I was just curious as to what they could do and if anyone can help me with getting dinner on the table, they're worth a second look.

The idea is that Super Suppers plans a number of menus each month, has the ingredients already chopped up and all you have to do is 1) bag & mix the ingredients or 2) have them bag & mix for you or 3) take a frozen meal to go. They also offer sides and desserts. While I only tried one, there would be a big benefit to coming in and prepping many more meals so you could be set for the week or two or even month!

Walking in, you see a number of mini-salad bar like stations where you can prepare the entrees. I decided to put together a quick & simple one since Peanut was with me. It involved frozen chicken breasts, pineapple juice, shredded ginger, teriyaki sauce, honey, uncooked pasta and chicken stock. In a couple of minutes I was ready to check out.

At home, it took about 40 mins to get the tasty meal (really, it was good) on the table mainly because of the time needed to defrost the chicken before cooking. I'm not sure that it was so much easier though I did save on chopping time. What I really saved on was the sometimes agonizing thinking of what on earth can I do with chicken tonight? And, when will I have a chance to go to the store?

The tab:

• Super Suppers says: With an average entrée price of around $3.00 per serving, you can save hundreds of dollars and 20-30 hours of your precious time every month!
• I paid $20 for a 4 - 6 serving entree (that is 6 chicken breasts & pasta to match). We probably pay around $7 for 3 chicken breasts and $2 for pasta. Then add in the pineapple juice and teriyaki sauce we don't have on hand. Then you're probably pretty close to even if we had bought the ingredients ourselves.
• Fill your Freezer Days -- at the end of each month as they prepare to change menus, Super Suppers discounts current menu entrees. Come by and stock up!
  

Bonus for new moms - they will assemble food for free for the first month after your baby is born!

Dr Baby Proofer

I first saw "Dr. Baby Proofer" (aka Thom Golden) at the Cry Baby Matinee and then again when he was invited to come meet with our playgroup.

We hadn't done too much baby proofing around our home since we've only recently moved in so there wasn't too much stuff to get out of Peanut's way. We had gotten the plastic outlet covers and installed some latches on a few kitchen cabinets.

Dr. Baby Proofer came in with some surprising info:

• those plastic outlet covers are a chocking hazard and kids can easily pull them out (plus parents often forget to put them back!). Better are the sliding outlet covers.
• cabinet latches that let the cabinet open slightly often cause many little fingers to get hurt and are easily operated by toddlers once they see you use them enough! Best are the Tot Lock magnetic locks.
• wooden baby gates are dangerous & they should never open out over a staircase lest a little one open it and topple down the stairs
• no bumpers on the crib - EVER - some chance of strangulation or even suffocation or possible link to SIDS
• infant seats in cars should be used with the handle locked in the down position
• He highly recommended avoiding the "Safety First" brand for all baby proofing products EXCEPT for the Tot Lock magnet locking system for cabinets.
• Care givers (ie, anyone but mom & dad) need an authorization letter signed by you if they need to take your baby to the emergency room. Otherwise, the hospital is legally prevented from taking any action until it becomes a matter of life or death. This seems insane, but is evidently the way it is. Keep a copy of the letter in your diaper bag and in a visible place at home.
  

His main point was that accidents always happen in the blink of an eye, when you turn your back for just a second -- baby proofing gear is not there to prevent it, simply to give you a few extra seconds to find out what's going on and to personally stop your baby.

Dr. Baby Proofer is happy to come to your home to make recommendations on how to best baby proof your home -- and he'll sell you the gear to do it!

Phone: 972-380-1116

What's your sign, baby?

A story on NPR this morning highlighted the trend in the US for more parents using sign language to communicate with their pre-verbal ones. Its a frustrating time for parents and children when the babies reach an age that they try to communicate needs and wants, but simply can't. Evidently, children learn more hand gestures and movements much earlier than how to make the mouth, tongue, vocal chords coordinate to make words.

I can see us approaching that stage with Peanut, too.

At Gymboree, where we go to play once a week, there are also baby sign classes that start as early as just a few months old! And, here in Coppell, the local Kindermusik also teaches a baby sign class.

Peanut & I went to a preview of the Korner Kottage Kindermusik class one day at the library. We went through a mini-lesson which included learning signs for 'the bear went over the mountain to see what he could see.' Not very useful. However, useful were 'its time to clean-up' and 'jumping' and 'stop'. Ideas like 'please' and 'thank you' seemed a bit too abstract for me when we still haven't mastered 'milk' or 'sleep'. The instructor made several claims about the benefits of baby sign that I also found difficult to believe:

• raise child's IQ !! (how on earth would you know?!)
• learn words faster - a signing baby has vocab of 20 or more signs at 12 mos

Maybe....even ABC News had a story supporting the higher IQ theory....

Alex is one of 140 sign language babies followed by researchers for the past 16 years as part of a long-term study on the effects of signing with babies.

These days, Alex is an A student who is outgoing and involved in athletics. Acredolo says children like Alex, who've learned sign language at an early age, seem to be high achievers.

Acredolo says when these children had their IQs tested at 8 years old, they scored an average of 12 points higher than the control group. She says the same children also achieved higher-than-average scores on their SATs.

Though we haven't followed 'real' baby signs, we do have a few of our own around the house with Peanut. One of the most effective ones has been rubbing her palms together at the table to let us know when she is done eating. We also have signs for brushing teeth ( imitation of tooth brush on teeth) and water (action like bringing cup to mouth).

Here are the official signs based on American Sign Language for many toddler interesting words! And a link to Baby Signs with plenty of other resources.

More Babies in Finland = Good, Less Babies in US = Good, huh?

On Mother's Day some news about who should have babies when:

Minister of Health and Social Services Liisa Hyssälä feels that Finnish couples are waiting too long before starting families.

"If the first child is born when the mother is around 30 years old, many families end up not having as many children as they had planned," she said.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic the big story has been a drop in pregnancies - at least among more affluent women, reports the Washington Post:

Poor women in America are increasingly likely to have unwanted pregnancies, whereas relatively affluent women are succeeding more and more in getting pregnant only when they want to, according to a study analyzing federal statistics.

Finland ranks at top, US at bottom of infant mortality survey

From CNN.com

American babies are three times more likely to die in their first month as children born in Japan, and newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in the United States than in Finland, Iceland or Norway, Save the Children researchers found.

The report, which analyzed data from governments, research institutions and international agencies, found higher newborn death rates among U.S. minorities and disadvantaged groups. For African-Americans, the mortality rate is nearly double that of the United States as a whole, with 9.3 deaths per 1,000 births.

Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children, said the report card "illustrates the direct line between the status of mothers and the status of their children."

Maarit makes list of Cool Names for 2006

at least according to the BabyZone e-newsletter:

Maarit Origin: Finnish Meaning: Pearl Why we like it: Call it the Ikea effect, but suddenly Scandinavian names are sounding very bright and modern to us.

Other cool girl names:
Amelie
Dahlia
Fiona
Gianna
June
Jozy
Mae
Shanti
Talise

For boys there were names like:
Heath
Henry
Leander
Ian
Preston
Oliver
Stefan

Is your baby a Baby Einstein?

Sure, we all secretly (and some not so secretly) think our own babies are geniuses. And, they all are, aren't they :-)

I've thought alot about the Baby Einstein phenomena during this first year of Peanut's life though we have never owned a BE DVD. In Finland, they did not exist so they didn't really even enter as a possibility until we moved to Texas. By that point, however, I had decided to try and keep the TV off at home during the day. Now, we've lived the first year without having TV viewing as part of our daily routine so its very natural for us to not even think of watching it or having Peanut watch it as a distraction.

Here it seems EVERYONE has and watches BE - they get them as gifts, some buy them, but most parents swear by them: our 4 mo old loves it, our 8 mo old learned baby signs from it, our 12 mo old sings along with it, etc, etc. They buy me time to take a shower, read email, make dinner, etc, etc. I don't know how I would make it through the day without TV....

Since we never had TV in our daily program, Peanut doesn't crave it and I don't even think to turn it on. If I need a few moments of baby-free time, I play some music for her, open a book for her to flip through, dump a pile of blocks on the floor for her to carry to the bathtub and she's just as happy doing those things.

Blogging Baby's post about a Child Advocacy group suing BE was very interesting as are the comments left by other readers:

From the Washington Post: A child-advocacy group is petitioning the federal government to bar the Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby Companies from promoting their products as "educational and beneficial to child development." The group, The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, says that claims made by the two companies that their videos "foster toddler's speech and language skills," and otherwise enhance childhood learning are deceptive, since there's no proof, and in fact, television watching "could adversely affect cognitive development if it replaces creative play and interaction with a child's parents and surroundings."

Further Comments on baby consumerism:
I'm not sure that I agree with the ban, but in general I have found the Center to be an excellent source of information about the adverse effects of marketing on children. Have any of you read books such as Juliet Schor's "Born to Buy"? Unfortunately there is ahuge push for cradle-to-grave brand loyalty. Children as young as 6 months have been proven to recognize icons like Elmo, and 18 month-olds can correctly identify brands. It sounds innocuous enough on the surface, but when you start thinking of all the character tie-ins (Thomas the Tank Engine underwear, Dora soups, etc.) it becomes weirdly obvious what is going on in conjunction with your nice, educational programming.

Baby summer skin care

We've got plenty o'sunshine here in Texas; maybe a little too much to let Peanut out without sun protection.

So far, I've got her an sunhat that is supposed to block out harmful rays and a few bottles of the 'pink' sunscreen. We've tried on a few pairs of baby sunglasses at the store, but they usually last a few seconds on her face before she rips them off!

But, a story on ABC asks why the best UVA protection is not available in the US:

But there's good news. Lotions that contain the ingredients Oxybenzone, Titanium Dioxide or Parsol 1789 block out some UVA rays.

Doctors say a chemical called Mexoryl offers even better protection.

One brand that has it is L'Oreal Ombrelle 45 for kids and infants. It can be found either in Canada or Europe.

To keep protected at the beach and pool, some opt for a layer of protective clothing:

http://www.galaxymall.com/natural/child/secondskins.html
http://www.tugasunwear.com/
http://www.splashskins.com/

Don't skimp on the diaper wipes

So, our cheap diaper experiment is going really well. The Target diapers are currently wrapped around Peanut and, like most things Target, are most similar to the big brands is their appearance even sporting a recognized character, the CareBears. Since Target gear has a way of not always making it in the long run, its fortunate the use of the diapers is very short.

But, big mistake to think I could switch to a generic diaper wipe even if it claims to be a duplicate of the brand name. Poor Peanut's tushie can tell the difference and she's now recovering from a bit of irritation which I'm sure have been caused by the cheapy wipes. Don't do it.

Antibiotics in infancy linked to asthma risk

Antibiotics in infancy linked to asthma risk

Exposure to a single course of antibiotics appeared to double the asthma risk, their study found. And, the risk seems to grow for every additional course of antibiotics taken within the first year of life, the report found.

However, the authors emphasized that while they observed an association between the use of antibiotics and the development of asthma, they did not establish a definitive, causal link between the two.

A play for babies opens in Sweden

Ever cutting-edge and avant garde, a new play opened in Sweden recently -the target audience? Babies.

On one hand, babies love to be entertained - this just takes those silly mama and papa antics to a whole new philosophical level....

Youthful audience finds new play is kids' stuff

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The audience for a new play at Stockholm's City Theater was getting restive only half an hour into the dress rehearsal. One had crawled stage left. Two others were being discreetly breast fed.

Not that the actors were fazed by the audience's antics. The play is aimed at babies 6 to 12 months old.

"Baby Drama," which opened this week and is already sold out, was written by psychoanalyst Ann-Sofie Barany and directed by Suzanne Osten, renowned for her work in children's theater.

"Babies are the perfect audience," said Barany after the dress rehearsal. "You can't find a more open, unconventional, and honest spectator."

The hour-long play shows the cycle of parenthood, birth and early life with the help of props such as red velvet curtains representing the womb and baby-bouncers that drop down from the ceiling, in which members of the audience are invited to sit.

Barany and Osten said the intention was to encourage tots to develop a new understanding of their existence and make parents rethink how they relate to their children.

Responding to criticism that the babies are too young to understand, Osten and Barany say that part of the message is that we underestimate the intelligence of the new born.

"If you can speak to a three-month-old baby and get laughter from them, you must be able to write an interesting play for them," said Osten.

The 12 babies certainly seemed to enjoy it. The mother of 11-month-old Febe said her daughter was "very happy," adding: "The babies are obviously having fun the whole time they are in the theater

Nearly half of U.S. moms never breastfeed, or give up within a month

MONDAY, Dec. 5 (HealthDay News) — Many of the most common barriers to long-term breastfeeding, such as sore nipples or feeding difficulties, are either preventable or correctable with proper education and support, a new study finds.

Unfortunately, only about half of all mothers who begin to breastfeed continue for longer than four weeks, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Basically, our findings from this project show that we need to encourage women to breastfeed for as long as they can," said the study author Indu Ahluwalia, an epidemiologist in the division of adult and community health at the CDC.

"The quit rate could be lowered if women are supported and adequate counseling is provided," she said.

The study appears in the December issue of Pediatrics.

Part of the problem with breastfeeding is that it doesn't come naturally and isn't always easy, at least initially, said Dr. Adam Aponte, medical director at North General Hospital in New York City.

"It's not as innate as one might think it is. It's really very difficult, and it takes a lot of encouragement and support," he said.

However, it's certainly worth the effort. Breast milk confers a broad range of benefits to the baby, including antibodies that help reduce the number of ear and respiratory infections, according to the study. Breastfeeding also reduces gastrointestinal distress and may reduce a baby's risk of death, the study researchers said.

Additionally, breastfeeding provides the mother with benefits. It helps speed the recovery of a mother's body after birth, and recent studies have suggested that breastfeeding may lower a woman's risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

To see what's keeping women from breastfeeding longer, the CDC researchers reviewed data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System, which includes information on more than 30,000 American women.

Overall, 32 percent of the women didn't start breastfeeding, 4 percent breastfed for less than a week, 13 percent breastfed for one to four weeks, and 51 percent breastfed for more than four weeks, according to the study.

Those who were least likely to breastfeed for more than four weeks were young women, those with lower incomes, and women who smoked. Black women were less likely to initiate breastfeeding and less likely to continue breastfeeding for longer than four weeks than white women, the researchers said.

Planning on breastfeeding prior to delivery was a big factor in initiating breastfeeding, according to the study. Before the baby was born, 50 percent of the women said they planned to breastfeed, while 16 percent said they thought they might breastfeed. Almost 5 percent were unsure, and 30 percent said they didn't plan on breastfeeding.

Some of the most common reasons cited for stopping breastfeeding included sore or cracked nipples, not producing enough milk, the baby had difficulty feeding, or the perception that the baby wasn't satisfied by breast milk.

"Having difficulty with breastfeeding is a common experience," said Ahluwalia. "It's a learned behavior and it needs to be encouraged in the most supportive way."

If you're having trouble breastfeeding, Aponte said you shouldn't give up.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help. Breastfeeding can be a wonderful thing once it's established and successful," he said. If you need assistance, he said, you can call your child's pediatrician or see if a lactation consultant is available in your area. Other mothers who've breastfed are also a great resource.

If your nipples are sore or cracked, the baby probably isn't latching on properly, Aponte said. The baby shouldn't just be sucking on the nipple, so make sure the baby is really opening wide when latching on to the breast. Also, don't let the baby nurse on one breast for more than 15 minutes. After about 10 to 12 minutes, he said, the breast is empty. Babies will still suck because it's an innate reflex, but they're probably already full, he said.

Ahluwalia said this study points to the need for continued education efforts, both before and after childbirth. And, she said, it indicates the need for extensive support for breastfeeding mothers, especially in the early weeks when women have the most difficulties establishing breastfeeding.

-- Serena Gordon, HealthDayNews

To wipe or to wash? that is the question....

When Peanut was born they taught us at the hospital how to wash her little behind when we needed to change a dirty diaper. We carried on the same way when we came home.

Sniff, sniff - yes, its confirmed, a diaper change is needed. Diaper comes off. Towel (or really a cloth diaper from the KELA box is what we used) is tossed over the shoulder of the changer and the bare-bottomed bundle is carried off to the bathroom sink. Rinse, rinse, rinse with plain water. Back to changing table. Dry her off. Use little cotton wipes to dry out between the rolls of baby fat on the legs. Apply a little lotion as needed. Fresh diaper on.

It was a bit tougher if we were out somewhere and needed to change her. Once she was about 6 weeks old, I decided to try out some baby wipes on her. Easy, quick, efficient. But, also a bit to strong for her skin as she developed a rash when I used the diaper wipes all day.

So, I modified the program. A 'fresh wipe' would do if it was only a wet diaper, but everything else got the wash.

Here in the US, diaper wipes are the leading choice early on. At first I was a bit torn about the large solid plastic casings you could buy the wipes in. It seemed wasteful (as did many other forms of packaging when compared to Finland). However, very practical. They keep the wipes moist longer. I bought a smaller one for on the go and a LARGE one for home. Besides, they aren't that wasteful if you buy the refill packs which are just like the Euro versions.

We're currently using Pampers Sensitive which boasts a tagline of 'gentler than water'. Frankly, they are. Peanut hasn't had any rashes and a decreased number of washes saves the skin on her legs and feet from getting dry. Plus, with her now weighing 7.7 kgs, it saves mama's back from carrying & holding over the sink.

Finnish Babies Healthiest in Scandinavia, but....

From YLE 24

A new study shows that babies in Finland have better health, compared to other Nordic countries. But the evidence also suggests that Finnish children and young people are at higher risk of illnesses and accidents.

Finland has higher rates of suicide amongst young people, and they smoke more than other Nordic countries. The annual report of the Nordic Health and Social Statistics Committees indicated that over 40 percent of Finnish 15 to 16 year olds had smoked tobacco during the previous month.

In addition, children and young people are the victims of more fatal traffic accidents. The rate of increase in diabetes amongst children and young people is also highest in Finland. In addition, illness caused by asthma and allergies are higher.

Statistics showed that Danish young people consume the most alchohol, with 40 percent having enjoyed a drink no less than twenty times a year and over a quarter admitting that they had been drunk at least once during the previous three months.

YLE24

Birth Preparation - in English

When I was looking last fall, I found the following:

> my neuvola (Kallio) had information about an English language class held 2x year. it was hosted by a kätilö from the herttoniemi neuvola.

> we ended up going to a class held by the Työväenopisto in Tapiola. It was run by a kätilö from the kätilöopisto (who also happened to be present when our baby was actually born ) and cost about 20 EUR. But, I didn't find the classes terribly useful. It wasn't a 'birth preparation' in the lamaze sense. It was three 2 hr classes about 1) what happens during pregnancy 2)what happens in labor, signs of labor, when to go the hospital, video about a birth 3) how to wash, feed, clothe baby. It was interesting just to review these things together with dad, but no real information that I couldn't find in a book or on a website.

1, 2, 3, 4, up, down -- Baby Aerobics

For the past month, peanut and I have been going to a baby aerobics/play class once a week. A colleague of mine also on maternity leave with her baby daughter ( a week older than Peanut) had told another colleague of mind in the same position (ie, at home with her baby daughter) about it, and so via word of mouth, we decided to go check it out.

My main reasons for going were to keep exposing Peanut to group settings with other babies and to have a chance to do some exercise myself :-) I think its important for provide these sorts of experiences for Peanut - i want her to feel comfortable in groups and get to see other babies. Otherwise we're just hanging out at home or she's cruising around in her stroller passively observing what happens around us.

The group we joined is called Kirppanat and we go to the 0-6 months group in Tapiola. Our regular group varies from about 12 - 20 moms + babies (i haven't seen any dads in our group or the one right before us).

A regular session starts with everyone marching in a circle with babies in hand to a Moomi tune. Its a little warm up for the range of activities ahead. I always have to smile as we go around the 2nd or 3rd time and the number of slobber drops on the floor increases :-)

Almost everything involves mom + baby except for a few exercises for mom where babies get a chance to explore on their own on their playmats. Many babies just lay there, looking around - usually at the mom or baby next to them. I find peanat hardly ever looks at me :-) The "work out" is designed for everyone to do all the moves in whichever way they and baby feel comfortable. Taking a break for breastfeeding, diaper change or other baby comfort activities is a natural part if baby needs it.

None of the activities are meant to develop super babies - no sitting training, no crawling training, no balance training, etc. Its just a chance for mom & baby to play to some music with a group of others.

For me, its nice to do some leg-lifts or sit-up types of moves. I've found myself trying some of them at home, too. And, now I know how to involve Peanut so its much more likely the exercises get done!

Each session ends with a quieter tune during which moms are encouraged to breastfeed (if they want and baby wants to) or just rock gently with babies. When the song ends, everyone leaves according to their own schedule; after diapers are changed, babies burped and bundled :-)

The only thing missing is a chance to interact more with the other moms. Like everyone, most have someplace else to go after class and there really isn't time during the class.

A few practical notes about the sessions in Tapiola:
> the tennis place tries to keep the strollers outside, but i still see several inside each session
> babies should wear something comfortable
> bring your own small blanket and some toys to amuse baby during blanket time (+ pacifiers)
> i've found myself rather warm during classes in sweats, but everyone seems to wear long pants + socks

About Kirppanat:
> you can pay as you go or
> buy a pass card which is slightly more economical
> classes are in Finnish

Take baby to the movies

Moms or dads looking for a chance to enjoy a movie can now do it without leaving baby at home with a sitter. Join in on a Baby Movie session and bring the little with you to special viewings.

At the Baby Movies crying, talking, diapering, feeding, breastfeeding, moving about, etc, etc are OK and expected.

What's Playing
Check out the movies in the coming weeks.

In Helsinki and Turku, the Sandrew Metronome movie theaters offer 'babybio'.

In Helsinki:
every other Tuesdays at 10.30 am at Kinopalatsi 2

In Turku:
every other Tuesday at 13.00 at Kinopalatsi 1

In Helsinki also the Naperkino welcomes small moviergoers once a month to their showing during the Fall. The movies are held on Fridays from 10 - 12.


A few hints for baby movie goers:
> the front rows are intended for babies already crawling
> try getting up if baby is not happy sitting - walking up and down the stairs can be soothing
> you can enjoy the movie in almost any position you & baby want - sitting, standing, walking

Story in Helsingin Sanomat

Basics in a Nutshell

Here is a link to an excellent booklet covering the basic facts about having a baby in Finland!

My favorite page was the one with a picture of how much clothing to put on baby in what temperature - always a challenge for me!

The guide "Having Children in Finland" is available in the following languages:
English, Finnish, Albanian, Arabic, Kurdish, Farsi, Swedish, Serb Croat.