Pregnancy and childbirth 

Pregnancy is an exciting time of joyful expectation, but sometimes it also causes fear and uncertainty. You should talk about all your feelings at the maternity and child health clinic, because there is help available for many things.   

On its YouTube channel, the Niitty project has collected multilingual videos aimed at immigrant families on subjects such as childbirth coaching, fear of childbirth, breastfeeding, recovery from childbirth, newborn care and exercise during pregnancy and after childbirth.  

Pregnancy sickness is an unpleasant ailment that a lot of people unfortunately suffer from. However, it usually goes away after the first stage of pregnancy. Hyperemesis gravidarum is very strong nausea and vomiting that occurs during pregnancy. Sufferers from hyperemesis gravidarum often have to be hospitalised for rehydration. Additional information on the subject can be found on the website of the Finnish Hypermesis Association (Hypermeesi ry).  

Information about breastfeeding is available in multiple languages on the website of the Finnish Association for Breastfeeding Support (Imetyksen tuki ry). Direct link to the Somali-language page and the Arabic-language page. 

If you have undergone FGM, please tell your nurse as early as possible. Opening surgery is possible, and to avoid complications, it is good to do it before labour starts. Amal ry and the VIGOR project have produced brochures about opening surgery and repair surgery.