Summary of The Real Reason I Came Back to Finland

The video is an introduction to Michaela Peters’ new YouTube channel “Mika in Finland,” where she shares her experiences as an immigrant in Finland, focusing in this video on her recent decision to return to Finland to give birth. Key points and lifestyle insights include:

• Background & Channel Focus:
  • Michaela originally came to Finland in 2021 as a Fulbright master’s student and is now a PhD student.
  • She previously ran a channel called “Migratory Michaela” and is now shifting to a Finland-focused audience with “Mika in Finland.”
  • The channel will cover immigration, Finnish culture, language learning, and personal experiences, including parenting.
• Reason for Returning to Finland to Give Birth:
  • Michaela chose Finland over the US for childbirth primarily due to the Finnish healthcare system’s quality, cost, and approach to patient care.
  • She praises Finland’s medical system for being more respectful of patient autonomy and less profit-driven compared to the US.
  • The Finnish system includes automatic access to a midwife, which advocates for the mother’s wishes, unlike in the US where midwives or doulas are additional paid services.
  • Finland has a lower C-section rate (18%) compared to the US (about 25%), partly due to less pressure on women to have unnecessary C-sections.
  • The Finnish system provides extensive support before and after birth, including mental health care and financial/educational resources.
• Healthcare Experience & Costs:
  • In Finland, Michaela paid only a €66 clinic fee for multiple prenatal visits, with healthcare for children being free.
  • In the US, healthcare is costly and complicated, with bills for genetic testing reaching $700-$1,200 and doctor visits costing hundreds of dollars even after insurance.
  • The US healthcare system’s complexity and high costs caused stress and made advocating for herself difficult.
  • Finnish doctors and nurses are described as empathetic, spending more time with patients and addressing mental health, whereas US visits felt rushed and impersonal.
• Pregnancy & Medical Routines:
  • Michaela highlights the Finnish “mom card,” a booklet tracking appointments and measurements during pregnancy.
  • She had half of her prenatal care in Finland and half in the US.
  • Important Finnish prenatal practices include glucose testing, recommended vaccinations (e.g., tetanus and whooping cough at 35 weeks), and tuberculosis screening for those with significant foreign travel.
  • She appreciates the focus on natural birth options in Finland, including water births, which are less common in the US.
• Personal Reflections & Parenting:
  • Michaela shares emotional moments discussing childhood and parenting hopes with Finnish healthcare providers.
  • She values the Finnish approach to supporting parents and children’s mental health.
  • She plans to continue sharing her journey as a parent and immigrant, emphasizing that becoming a parent is part of her identity but not the entirety of it.
• Additional Notes:
  • Giving birth in Finland does not grant Finnish citizenship to the child; citizenship depends on the parents’ nationality.
  • Michaela received a Finnish Kela card and a baby box (a Finnish maternity package with baby supplies), which she plans to showcase in a future video.
  • She mentions difficulties in subletting her apartment and plans to stay in Finland for a few months before returning to the US to introduce the baby to family.

Notable Locations, Products, and Speakers:

• Finland’s healthcare system and maternity services (including the “Neväla” clinic and midwife care)
• Finnish Kela card (health insurance card)
• Finnish baby box (maternity package)
• Comparison with US healthcare system, including references to genetic testing companies and insurance terms (HSA, FSA)
• Michaela Peters (YouTuber and narrator)
• Mention of a chiropractor in the US who supported her decision to return to Finland

Overall, the video offers a detailed, personal perspective on the benefits of Finland’s healthcare system for pregnancy and childbirth, highlighting contrasts with the US system, and introduces Michaela’s evolving identity as an immigrant and soon-to-be parent in Finland.

Category

Lifestyle

Video