November Carnival of Breastfeeding – My Hospital Experience in Norway
Welcome Carnival readers. This post isn’t really new, in fact it’s almost four years old. That is, the linked post I am sharing I wrote of my hospital experience after my daughter was born on December 6, 2005 in Norway.
From October 2004 until March 2006, I was living in Norway. I was a bit of an oddity among American women there because I was married to an American man, who worked for a local company, instead of being married to a military man or a Norwegian man. This first pregnancy was a surprise and we were privileged to learn the ins and outs of Norwegian prenatal and pediatric care. There are many great things about their system, and a few strange things. I have written several other posts this effect but here post I will share only those experiences directly related to breastfeeding in a foreign hospital.
Let me clarify a few points. For prenatal care, women can choose a personal doctor or the care of a midwife in the Helsestasjon, or neighborhood Health Station. Kari Janne was a wonderful woman. It might have been nice for her to be present during labor and delivery but that was not the case. The hospital I was assigned to was in another town at about 30 minutes away reached by bus, train and bus, or taxi. A combination of three or four nurse-midwives attended me during delivery. A doctor checked on me after delivery. A pediatrician checked on all the babies born there but at home, my daughter was cared for by a baby nurse and I saw a personal doctor. In the past, probably the 70′s or later, births and feeding were more clinical. In more recent years the country’s hospitals are very baby friendly and mothers are encouraged to breastfeed for the next 6-12 months. Most women have to go back to work because of the high cost of living. The father’s get time off then to help with the transition as the child goes off to Barnehagen, or day care/pre-school/kindergarden. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, after rereading just in case you missed it. 
Baby Story Volume 2 – Hospital Stay
Excerpt: “After all the work was done and Sara Ellen and I were both nice and clean, we got comfy on the bed I had just delivered on (cleaned up of course) and were wheeled up to the Postnatal Ward or BarselAvdelingen. A nurse pushed us for a short distance and after bumping into a door frame or something apologized, saying she didn’t have a license to drive it. Then she passed us off to an orderly, who when I asked, confirmed he did have a license to drive the wheeled bed and took me right into the room I would occupy for the next five nights.”
Please take the time to visit the other Carnival contributions.
Breastfeeding 1-2-3: Breastfeeding in the Hospital
The Milk Mama:Newborns, Nursing, and Hospital(ity)
Hobo Mama: Breastfeeding support: A tale of two hospitals
Whozat’s: The Nipple Intervention
The Beautiful Letdown : Breastfeeding in the Hospital
Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog : Please Speak Up
Breastfeeding Mums Blog :Breastfeeding Experiences in the Hospital
Wow, that’s really fascinating. A lot of it reminds me of my experience being in a German hospital when I broke my leg while we lived in Berlin — minus the birth and breastfeeding parts!
I mean, the aspects where you stay so long in the hospital in comparison to typical American hospital stays (for instance, the German hospital wanted me to stay several weeks after my surgery, but we convinced them to transfer me to the US Army hospital after several days, and the US hospital just sent me straight home!). And even the food delivery — it was the same sort of thing, with a buffet cart where a plate was loaded up with what you wanted and handed to you. Sometimes I had my parents smuggle me in Burger King, too, but that was just me! 
Anyway, thanks for sharing your story. I’m glad that the staff there were supportive. They sound really hands on. It’s definitely not what I’m used to, but it’s interesting to hear. I was especially taken by the fact that they have breast milk on hand for supplementation, when that’s so much rarer in the US. It’s too bad they had to separate you and your daughter for those blood tests and that she had low blood sugar, but I’m glad it all ended up well and you were able to start off your breastfeeding relationship. I also read your birth story, and it sounded like a whirlwind!