Maternity leave in Finland is generous according to my American standards. This obligatory leave is 105 non-Sunday, non-holidays which is roughly 4 months. This period begins 30 - 50 days before the baby's due date and is all paid. The employer may opt to pay the salary in full for a designated amount of time. If the employer does not pay the salary and/or when this amount of time is over, the national insurance, KELA, pays roughly 70% of the salary.
All of this is regardless of the woman's profession or employment. To qualify for this benefit, the woman must submit an application to KELA which includes a note from the maternity clinic that she has had care before the 4th month of pregnancy. This is the same application used for the baby box.
KELA is serious about beginning leave 30 days before the due date: they yank insurance coverage at the woman's workplace because she is not supposed to be there. If she is working and is injured, she will have to pay the medical expenses out of pocket. So, stay at home!
Following maternity leave is parental leave. This is the 158 days immediately following the maternity leave period, which works out to be about 6 months. Again, this is non-Sundays, non-holidays and 70% salary is paid by KELA. This period may be split between the parents with the restriction that each parent can only do 2 stints and each block of time must be a minimum of 12 days.
In addition to that is paternity leave. The father is guaranteed 54 working days (about 2 months) of leave before the child is 2 years old. However, only 18 days of this leave can be used during the maternity and parental leave periods. This time can be divided into a maximum of 4 periods.
Got all of that? This all works out to mean that one of the parents is home with the baby until it is 9 months old and if the paternal leave is used in succession, the baby will be 11 months. Because of this, the city-operated day cares do not accept babies younger than 10 months. This system is pretty amazing to me. Mind-boggling, in fact. I am extremely grateful for this time I get to spend with my little one.
Showing posts with label KELA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KELA. Show all posts
21 February 2014
08 September 2013
Finnish Baby Box
Maybe you caught wind of it when UK's Prince George was born this summer. It's something that is otherwise not widely advertised outside of Finland -- I certainly had never heard of it until I moved here. I am talking about the maternity package (äitiyspakkaus: AY-tie-oos-pahk-kah-us) given to all expecting mothers in Finland who have the government insurance, Kela. This includes all residents plus those immigrants who have a 2-year + residence permit.
The history of the baby box dates back to 1937. The contents of the box have changed some over the years to reflect views of baby-rearing (i.e. bottles were once included, but it was thought that they sent a message against breast feeding), but have largely remained the same. The items inside are unisex which probably saves a ton of work on their end. Even the box is usable: it comes with a foam insert that exactly fits so that the box can be repurposed as a bassinet. They are so popular among expecting families that 95% choose the box rather than the money.
Since Finland gifted one of these baby goods-packed boxes to the royals, their popularity around the world has taken off. So much so that during the summer, the maternity grant website posted an announcement apologizing that these boxes were not yet for sale. The message has been removed, but I have not heard that these boxes can be purchased. Too bad, it might be a great industry for Finland, but maybe they would have difficulty keeping pace with demand?
How does one acquire this baby gift box? You need to have Kela insurance and have lived in Finland for 180 days before the due date. You must visit the maternity clinic for a check-up at least before the end of the 4th month of pregnancy, and the pregnancy must have lasted for at least 154 days. At this point, the maternity clinic gives you a certificate stating the length of the pregnancy. Submit this along with an application form to Kela that asks for the due date, among a few other things (to come in a future post). Then sit back and wait until the box is delivered to your nearest post office (Posti) sometime during the 7th month. What if you don't want a box? You may chose a one-time lump sum of €140 ($185), which would not even come close to buying all of the items in the box. As I said earlier, the box is overwhelmingly more popular than the cash.
We received our box this week. Do you want to see what's inside???
The history of the baby box dates back to 1937. The contents of the box have changed some over the years to reflect views of baby-rearing (i.e. bottles were once included, but it was thought that they sent a message against breast feeding), but have largely remained the same. The items inside are unisex which probably saves a ton of work on their end. Even the box is usable: it comes with a foam insert that exactly fits so that the box can be repurposed as a bassinet. They are so popular among expecting families that 95% choose the box rather than the money.
The 2013 box, decorated with a customizable family tree
Since Finland gifted one of these baby goods-packed boxes to the royals, their popularity around the world has taken off. So much so that during the summer, the maternity grant website posted an announcement apologizing that these boxes were not yet for sale. The message has been removed, but I have not heard that these boxes can be purchased. Too bad, it might be a great industry for Finland, but maybe they would have difficulty keeping pace with demand?
How does one acquire this baby gift box? You need to have Kela insurance and have lived in Finland for 180 days before the due date. You must visit the maternity clinic for a check-up at least before the end of the 4th month of pregnancy, and the pregnancy must have lasted for at least 154 days. At this point, the maternity clinic gives you a certificate stating the length of the pregnancy. Submit this along with an application form to Kela that asks for the due date, among a few other things (to come in a future post). Then sit back and wait until the box is delivered to your nearest post office (Posti) sometime during the 7th month. What if you don't want a box? You may chose a one-time lump sum of €140 ($185), which would not even come close to buying all of the items in the box. As I said earlier, the box is overwhelmingly more popular than the cash.
We received our box this week. Do you want to see what's inside???
Baby toiletries (lotion, brush, tooth brush, scissors for nail clipping), bath thermometer, teething ring, book (Finnish and Swedish text), nursing and sanitary pads, condoms (perhaps so you don't need another box soon???)
Sleeping bag
Sheets, mattress cover, bath towel
Duvet
Cloth diapers, hats and balaclava, bib, socks, mittens, and leggings
One-piece suits
Shirts, onesies, and pants
Cold weather suits
Snow suit with insulated mittens and booties
This box is a great starter kit for a newborn of either gender. The clothes are different each year but always come in a variety of sizes, from 50 to 70 cm (19-28 inches): the baby clothes here are sized according to baby's length. Due to this box, the American tradition of a baby shower never started in Finland. However, I am told that they are starting to occur since so many US movies and TV shows have been imported. These boxes are seemingly well-thought out (can't yet speak from experience) and gives us first-timers an idea of what the baby will need. I am feeling quite spoiled and lucky to experience Finland's baby box!
11 August 2013
Pregnancy in Finland
It has been a long time since I have posted! Since our son arrived in mid-November, life has been quite busy and my blog posts have taken a back seat. I hope to resume posting with some regularity.
Disclaimer: This is based on my experience, which has so far been a normal pregnancy.
Finland was recently ranked best place in the world to be a mother, based on the likelihood of the baby and/or mother to die in the 24 hours after birth by Save the Children. By comparison, the US was #30.
How did this country of 5 million people earn the top ranking? I think that one of the biggest contributors is cost, all appointments are entirely paid by the insurance that everyone has: KELA. As far as I have read, we will only have to pay the hospital day fee when our baby is born, and I understand this to be quite low, about 35€/day. "Wait, doesn't this make people have more babies and thus burden the tax-funded insurance?" No, in fact, fertility is at it's lowest rate yet. And from my Helsinki-limited view, most people only have 1 or 2 children.
Free prenatal care means that everyone in Finland gets prenatal care: 997 out of 1000 mothers according to a recent NYTimes article. In addition, this cuts down on prematurity: 5.7% of births in Finland are premature whereas it's 12% in the US. The big incentive to obtaining prenatal care is that it is required to receive the baby box (or money, or maternity/parental leave) from KELA (national insurance) as well as to apply for maternity and parental leave and the baby grant. To qualify, you must visit the maternity clinic within the first 4 months of pregnancy and the pregnancy must have lasted for at least 154 days. The nurse prints a note for you, signs and dates it, and you mail it to KELA with the application.
Prenatal care begins by making an appointment at your local municipal maternity clinic. At the first appointment, the nurse-midwife takes an initial interview: family history, alcohol and drug use habits, as well as the mother's vitals: blood pressure, pulse, weight, and hemoglobin reading. You also get a maternity card at this first appointment where all of the important stats from each appointment are recorded. These are of course recorded in an electronic chart, but this card is for the mother to carry for emergency situations.
Maternity care is largely handled by nurse-midwifes in Finland. "Gasp! You only see a nurse?!" Relax. These are healthcare professionals who have specific training and experience in prenatal care. In fact, they only see patients who are pregnant ladies or children. On top of regular visits to the nurse at the same frequency as prenatal visits in the US, there are 2 appointments with a doctor at weeks 28 and 35. Perhaps it was the doctor I had, but I would much rather have gone to the nurse instead. The doctor could not answer all of the questions that I had for her, and I was in and out of the office in 10 minutes, and that included a check of the baby's heart, a glance at the position of the baby by ultrasound, and an internal exam. Whew... we were flying! And not because there was someone waiting for the next appointment. These appointments all occurred in the maternity clinic.
Ultrasounds: I had 2 ultrasounds, at 12 and 20 weeks, and these took place in the maternity ward in the hospital where I gave birth. It wasn't fancy, just a 2-D ultrasound, but they saw what they needed to see. If I had demanded one, I could have gotten a 3-D ultrasound, but this would have cost €250.
Glucose test: I had this during week 24 and it is different here than in the US. Everyone has a 2-hour fasting test (water only for 12 hours before -- this was pretty miserable for me) with 3 blood draws: take a sample, gulp the sugar drink (not as terrible-tasting as I was expecting, and I was thirsty), wait 1 hour to take the 2nd sample, wait another hour and take the final sample.
The system for prenatal care in Finland is different from the U.S., but I felt that the standard of care was the same. Look forward to future posts on birth and maternity leave in Finland!
Disclaimer: This is based on my experience, which has so far been a normal pregnancy.
Finland was recently ranked best place in the world to be a mother, based on the likelihood of the baby and/or mother to die in the 24 hours after birth by Save the Children. By comparison, the US was #30.
How did this country of 5 million people earn the top ranking? I think that one of the biggest contributors is cost, all appointments are entirely paid by the insurance that everyone has: KELA. As far as I have read, we will only have to pay the hospital day fee when our baby is born, and I understand this to be quite low, about 35€/day. "Wait, doesn't this make people have more babies and thus burden the tax-funded insurance?" No, in fact, fertility is at it's lowest rate yet. And from my Helsinki-limited view, most people only have 1 or 2 children.
Free prenatal care means that everyone in Finland gets prenatal care: 997 out of 1000 mothers according to a recent NYTimes article. In addition, this cuts down on prematurity: 5.7% of births in Finland are premature whereas it's 12% in the US. The big incentive to obtaining prenatal care is that it is required to receive the baby box (or money, or maternity/parental leave) from KELA (national insurance) as well as to apply for maternity and parental leave and the baby grant. To qualify, you must visit the maternity clinic within the first 4 months of pregnancy and the pregnancy must have lasted for at least 154 days. The nurse prints a note for you, signs and dates it, and you mail it to KELA with the application.
Prenatal care begins by making an appointment at your local municipal maternity clinic. At the first appointment, the nurse-midwife takes an initial interview: family history, alcohol and drug use habits, as well as the mother's vitals: blood pressure, pulse, weight, and hemoglobin reading. You also get a maternity card at this first appointment where all of the important stats from each appointment are recorded. These are of course recorded in an electronic chart, but this card is for the mother to carry for emergency situations.
Maternity care is largely handled by nurse-midwifes in Finland. "Gasp! You only see a nurse?!" Relax. These are healthcare professionals who have specific training and experience in prenatal care. In fact, they only see patients who are pregnant ladies or children. On top of regular visits to the nurse at the same frequency as prenatal visits in the US, there are 2 appointments with a doctor at weeks 28 and 35. Perhaps it was the doctor I had, but I would much rather have gone to the nurse instead. The doctor could not answer all of the questions that I had for her, and I was in and out of the office in 10 minutes, and that included a check of the baby's heart, a glance at the position of the baby by ultrasound, and an internal exam. Whew... we were flying! And not because there was someone waiting for the next appointment. These appointments all occurred in the maternity clinic.
Ultrasounds: I had 2 ultrasounds, at 12 and 20 weeks, and these took place in the maternity ward in the hospital where I gave birth. It wasn't fancy, just a 2-D ultrasound, but they saw what they needed to see. If I had demanded one, I could have gotten a 3-D ultrasound, but this would have cost €250.
Glucose test: I had this during week 24 and it is different here than in the US. Everyone has a 2-hour fasting test (water only for 12 hours before -- this was pretty miserable for me) with 3 blood draws: take a sample, gulp the sugar drink (not as terrible-tasting as I was expecting, and I was thirsty), wait 1 hour to take the 2nd sample, wait another hour and take the final sample.
The system for prenatal care in Finland is different from the U.S., but I felt that the standard of care was the same. Look forward to future posts on birth and maternity leave in Finland!
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