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The Scandinavian approach to parenting is practical, balanced, and free from outdated beliefs. In the book Parenthood the Swedish Way, two Swedish medical experts present guidance to help parents navigate modern challenges, ensuring healthy, happy families. Here are five recommendations to embrace Scandi parenting:
Resentment often arises when one partner feels a lack of fair distribution—whether in time, freedom, or financial contributions. This emotion, while natural, signals potential imbalance in a relationship. To avoid resentment, it’s essential to divide parenting duties equally, supporting a strong bond with both parents. With the arrival of a newborn, some chaos is inevitable, so advance planning is key to prevent falling into a one-sided caregiving model. Creating a partnership agreement that outlines responsibilities for both parents during the first year can help foster a balanced, involved approach.
Many companies capitalize on new parents’ desire to be prepared, often leading them to over-purchase. However, a newborn only needs a few essentials: clothing, diapers, a means of transport, and a car seat if needed. Feeding choices may incur specific costs—formula and bottles or additional groceries for breastfeeding mothers. Extra items like a changing table or cot might be useful, but they aren’t necessary. Be cautious of health-monitoring products, as they can increase anxiety rather than providing comfort.
Women don’t need to pump and discard breast milk after drinking alcohol, as breast milk contains the same alcohol concentration as blood. For example, if a 60 kg woman drinks two glasses of wine, her blood alcohol concentration would be around 0.05%, the same as her breast milk, which is 40 times less than that found in low-alcohol beer. This minimal amount of alcohol poses no risk to the baby. Many natural foods, such as yogurt and fruit, contain similar low levels of alcohol.
In Sweden, nearly all parents (97%) vaccinate their children according to the national immunization program, reflecting one of the highest vaccination rates globally. Vaccines in the public health program are carefully monitored for safety and efficacy. Following your national immunization schedule can protect children from serious illnesses, safeguarding their health.
Allergies are reactions to substances that are generally harmless. Though “allergy tests” are often marketed, they only indicate if a child has IgE antibodies to certain allergens (sensitization), not if they have a true allergy. Sensitization without symptoms is common and doesn’t require treatment, so unless symptoms are present, there’s no need to alter a child’s exposure to substances identified in these tests.
