Giving birth in Finnish

Here are some useful sentences for the hospital, if you are ever giving birth in Finnish:

When the baby is coming, forget Finnish and focus on listening to your body and the midwife, kätilö. Here are some typical sentences you might hear in the delivery room, synnytyssalissa:

• Nyt meni lapsivesi. - Now the water broke. 
• Hengitä syvään. - Take a deep breath.
• Rentoudu. - Relax.
• Nosta tätä jalkaa. - Lift this leg. 
• Älä ponnista vielä. - Don't push yet. 
• Kuuntele. - Listen. 
• Ponnista nyt. - Push now.
• Pää näkyy jo. - I can already see the head.  
• Vielä kerran. - One more time.
• Se meni hienosti. - That went well. 
• Haluatko leikata napanuoran? - Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?
• Otatko kahvia vai teetä? - Will you take coffee or tea? (After the baby is nursed, washed and swaddled, it's time to have a family snack.)

I don't usually share photos of ny children,
but I don't think that anyone can recognize this baby on the street. 

If everything goes well, you'll have plenty of time to practice Finnish with the nurses, doctors and your possible roommates at the maternity ward, vuodeosastolla: 

• Anteeksi, mutta voitteko olla hiljempaa? - Excuse me, but could you be more quiet, please? 
• Minä yritän nukkua. - I'm trying to sleep. 
• Kuinka sun synnytys meni? - How was your labour?
• Voisitko auttaa minua? - Could you help me?
• Anteeksi, tuli vähän sotkua. - Sorry, we made a little mess. (A little mess came.)
• Saisinko jotain särkylääkettä? - Could I have some pain medicine, please?
• Voisitko olla vauvan kanssa sillä aikaa, kun käyn suihkussa? - Could you be with the baby while I take a shower?
• Onko kaikki kunnossa? - Is everything ok?
• Saadaanko me mennä kotiin tänään? - Can we go home today?

Some useful verbs:

1. synnyttää - to give birth
2. syntyä - to be born
3. imettää - to nurse
4. röyhtäyttää - to make someone burp
5. röyhtäistä - to burp
6. kuolata - to drool
7. puklata - to vomit the milk you just had
8. pissata - to pee
9. kakata - to poo
10. riisua - to undress
11. pestä peppu - to wash the butt
12. vaihtaa vaippa - to change the diaper
13. kylvettää - to give a bath
14. pukea - to dress up
15. kapaloida - to swaddle
16. haukotella - to yawn
17. aivastaa - to sneeze
18. itkeä - to cry
19. nukahtaa - to fall asleep
20. nukkua - to sleep

Here's what inside of äitiyspakkaus, the maternity package. Check out the names of the baby clothes and notice that some of them can be a bit confusing, especially the pants department:

sukkahousut - tights with the sock part (sock trousers) 

leggingsit - tights without the sock part

potkuhousut - basically a piece of clothing that has everything but the sleeves. Used with a onesie or a shirt, has snaps or buttons on the shoulders. (kick trousers)

puolipotkuhousut - tights with the sock part, but looser than sukkahousut. (half kick trousers)

pöksyt - a cute word, means any kind of pants. Origins form the Swedish byxor.

If this was useful, you might also like my post Being pregnant in Finnish.

About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  If you want to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do it here.