|
|
|
2020207_102111_1.jpg
It's a tradition that dates back to the 1930s and it's designed to give all
children in Finland, no matter what background they're from, an equal start in
life.
The maternity package - a gift from the government - is available to all
expectant mothers.
It contains bodysom, the box becomes a baby's first bed. Many children,
from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the
box's four cardboard walls.
Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently
set at 140 euros, but 95% opt for the box as it's worth much more.
The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only
available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949.
"Not only was it offered to all mothers-to-be but new legislation meant in
order to get the grant, or maternity box, they had to visit a doctor or
municipal pre-natal clinic before their fourth month of pregnancy," says Heidi
Liesivesi, who works at Kela - the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.
So the box provided mothers with what they needed to look after their baby,
but it also helped steer pregnant women into the arms of the doctors and nurses
of Finland's nascent welfare state.
In the 1930s Finland was a poor country and infant mortality was high - 65
out of 1,000 babies died. But the figures improved rapidly in the decades that
followed.
Mika Gissler, a professor at the National Institute for Health and Welfare
in Helsinki, gives several reasons for this - the maternity box and pre-natal
care for all women in the 1940s, followed in the 60s by a national health
insurance system and the central hospital network.
Contents of the box
Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping
bag/quilt
Box itself doubles as a crib
Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties
Light hooded suit and knitted overalls
Socks and mittens, knitted hat and balaclava
Bodysuits, romper suits and leggings in unisex colours and patterns
Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer,
nappy cream, wash cloth
Cloth nappy set and muslin squares
Picture book and teething toy
Bra pads, condoms
Dressing baby for the weather: Finland's official childcare advice
At 75 years old, the box is now an established part of the Finnish rite of
passage towards motherhood, uniting generations of women.
Reija Klemetti, a 49-year-old from Helsinki, remembers going to the post
office to collect a box for one of her six children.
"It was lovely and exciting to get it and somehow the first promise to the
baby," she says. "My mum, friends and relatives were all eager to see what kind
of things were inside and what colours they'd chosen for that year."
Her mother-in-law, aged 78, relied heavily on the box when she had the
first of her four children in the 60s. At that point she had little idea what
she would need, but it was all provided.
More recently, Klemetti's daughter Solja, aged 23, shared the sense of
excitement that her mother had once experienced, when she took possession of the
"first substantial thing" prior to the baby itself. She now has two young
children.
"It's easy to know what year babies were born in, because the clothing in
the box changes a little every year. It's nice to compare and think, 'Ah that
kid was born in the same year as mine'," says Titta Vayrynen, a 35-year-old
mother with two young boys.
For some families, the contents of the box would be unaffordable if they
were not free of charge, though for Vayrynen, it was more a question of saving
time than money.
She was working long hours when pregnant with her first child, and was glad
to be spared the effort of comparing prices and going out shopping.
"There was a recent report saying that Finnish mums are the happiest in the
world, and the box was one thing that came to my mind. We are very well taken
care of, even now when some public services have been cut down a little," she
says.
When she had her second boy, Ilmari, Vayrynen opted for the cash grant
instead of the box and just re-used the clothes worn by her first, Aarni.
|
|
发表于 2016-7-10 18:06:19