Giving Birth
Förlossning, värkar, BB — the words of a Swedish delivery ward.
Giving birth in Sweden, start to finish: the midwife-led system (en läkare bara vid behov), the early hours (förvärkar, var femte minut under en timme, bli tillsagd att stanna hemma — ett bad hemma), the delivery room with its dämpad belysning and pilatesboll, the pain-relief menu from värme och vatten to ryggbedövning, the birth itself (andas igenom, krysta, hud mot hud), the other routes (kejsarsnitt, sugklocka), the first cry and the numbers — through BB and BVC to the truest last line: och sedan börjar allt.
- 1
en förlossning
a birth
Tip: lit. the same.
- 2
en förlossningsavdelning
a delivery ward
Tip: lit. the same.
- 3
BB
the maternity ward
Tip: lit. the same — short for barnbördsavdelning.
- 4
en barnmorska
a midwife
Tip: lit. the same — who delivers the baby here.
- 5
en undersköterska
an assistant nurse
Tip: lit. the same.
- 6
en läkare bara vid behov
a doctor only if needed
Tip: lit. the same.
- 7
värkar
contractions
Tip: lit. the same.
- 8
förvärkar
early contractions
Tip: lit. the same — the false-alarm kind.
- 9
regelbundna värkar
regular contractions
Tip: lit. the same — when you ring.
- 10
var femte minut
every five minutes
Tip: lit. the same — the classic rule.
- 11
under en timme
for an hour
Tip: lit. the same.
- 12
vattnet går
the waters break
Tip: lit. the same.
- 13
ringa förlossningen
to ring the ward
Tip: lit. the same — always first, never just turn up.
- 14
bli tillsagd att stanna hemma
to be told to stay home
Tip: lit. the same — and it's usually right.
- 15
ett bad hemma
a bath at home
Tip: lit. the same.
- 16
bli inskriven
to be admitted
Tip: lit. the same.
- 17
ett förlossningsrum
a delivery room
Tip: lit. the same.
- 18
dämpad belysning
dimmed lights
Tip: lit. the same.
- 19
en pilatesboll
a birthing ball
Tip: lit. the same.
- 20
en förlossningspall
a birthing stool
Tip: lit. the same.
- 21
röra sig fritt
to move around freely
Tip: lit. the same — encouraged here.
- 22
smärtlindring
pain relief
Tip: lit. the same.
- 23
lustgas
laughing gas
Tip: lit. the same — very widely used in Sweden.
- 24
en ryggbedövning
an epidural
Tip: lit. the same — 'EDA'.
- 25
sterila kvaddlar
sterile water injections
Tip: lit. the same — a Swedish speciality.
- 26
värme och vatten
warmth and water
Tip: lit. the same.
- 27
en partner som stöd
a partner as support
Tip: lit. the same.
- 28
andas igenom
to breathe through it
Tip: lit. the same.
- 29
krysta
to push
Tip: lit. the same.
- 30
huvudet är ute
the head is out
Tip: lit. the same.
- 31
en krystning till
one more push
Tip: lit. the same.
- 32
hud mot hud
skin to skin
Tip: lit. the same — immediately, as standard.
- 33
klippa navelsträngen
to cut the cord
Tip: lit. the same.
- 34
sen avnavling
delayed cord clamping
Tip: lit. the same — routine here.
- 35
moderkakan
the placenta
Tip: lit. the same.
- 36
en bristning
a tear
Tip: lit. the same.
- 37
stygn
stitches
Tip: lit. the same.
- 38
ett kejsarsnitt
a caesarean
Tip: lit. the same.
- 39
ett akut kejsarsnitt
an emergency caesarean
Tip: lit. the same.
- 40
ett planerat
a planned one
Tip: lit. the same.
- 41
en sugklocka
a vacuum extraction
Tip: lit. the same.
- 42
det första skriket
the first cry
Tip: lit. the same.
- 43
vikt och längd
weight and length
Tip: lit. the same — announced immediately.
- 44
tretusen fyrahundra gram
three thousand four hundred grams
Tip: lit. the same — always in grams.
- 45
ett familjerum
a family room
Tip: lit. the same — partner stays too.
- 46
en tidig hemgång
an early discharge
Tip: lit. the same — often after six hours.
- 47
ett återbesök
a follow-up visit
Tip: lit. the same.
- 48
en BVC
a child health centre
Tip: lit. the same — barnavårdscentral.
- 49
ett hembesök av sköterskan
a home visit from the nurse
Tip: lit. the same — in the first week.
- 50
och sedan börjar allt
and then everything begins
Tip: lit. the same.