Home births, once almost unheard of in Finland, are now drawing growing interest, with more families opting for this alternative to hospital deliveries.
In the past five years, planned home births in Finland have quadrupled. While home births are not covered by the public healthcare system, studies suggest that a home birth attended by midwives can be as safe as giving birth in a hospital.
In the early 2000s, home births were almost nonexistent in Finland, with only around ten children being born at home each year. The general expectation was that births happen in hospitals.
"Our healthcare system doesn't approve of home births," said Mika Gissler, a research professor at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
But it's not illegal to have a baby at home.
Policymakers want all births to take place in hospitals, and this is unlikely to change, according to Gissler.
"A birth can look the same at home and in the hospital. But the biggest difference is that a home birth is always considered a normal birth, without any complications," explained Mariette Pontán of the Federation of Finnish Midwives.
Costly births
The number of planned home births has quadrupled in the past five years, according to THL. But giving birth at home is still very rare in Finland. Of the 43,383 children born in 2023, only 147 were delivered through a planned home birth.
One reason for this is the cost. Since home births are not covered by the public healthcare system, families must cover all expenses themselves, which range from 3,000 to 4,000 euros, primarily for the midwife's fee.
Families must also make all of the practical arrangements for a home birth, complicated by the fact that there is no collaboration between maternity hospitals and midwives who assist with home births.
"I am sure there is more underlying interest in home births," Gissler said, adding that financial considerations were putting mothers off this option.
At the same time, research and experiences from countries where home births are more common than in Finland show that giving birth at home can be just as safe as in a hospital, provided certain criteria are met.
Nursing Research Foundation (Hotus) is currently developing recommendations for the future of Finnish maternity care, with the Midwives' Association also consulting on the new guidelines. The Midwives' Association said they would like to see recommendations issued that they could use as a reference point when queried by families about home births.
The THL has also emphasised the importance of guidelines for people choosing to deliver at home, especially in terms of avoiding situations where families proceed without a professional present.
Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here.