Whether you are seeing a doctor or midwife, regular ‘controls’ are generally the same in terms of check-ups: heartbeat, blood pressure, tummy measurements.  However, the experience of going to a midwife for controls in Norway can be very different than seeing a doctor. Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Cappella Scrovegni a Padova – Depiction of Midwife [...]

When Lilu was born she had the mark of a Norwegian – A Rosebud in Her Hair.  (Of course I had to write about one of the mysteries of being Norwegian.)  We have watched the rosebud grow as Lilu has grown and since that first post I have received comments about how somebody’s Norwegian also [...]

Nowadays most people find out they are pregnant through a home pregnancy test. When they test positive the next step is to book a doctors appointment. In Norway this is called a pregnancy check-up (Svangerskapskontroll) and (because the compound word is such a mouthful) medical practitioners often use the word ‘kontroll’ (or control in English). [...]

This post is a general introduction to pregnancy and birth in Norway.  In future posts in this series “Having a Baby in Norway” I will go through procedures, information and experiences in detail.  If you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments section below so everyone can benefit from the answers. [...]