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It’s been some time since I last posted here. Many things have changed in my life since then- the most important transition being my decision to move to Finland to work as a research fellow with the Baby-friendly Ventilation Study Group in Turku. The life of a beginning clinical researcher deserves a separate post here (it may even come at some point). To celebrate my first anniversary in Finland I would like to share 3 things I wish somebody had told me before I moved here. Enjoy! 1.Get nylon pants. The weather in Finland is truly whimsical. We have had a kind spring, warm summer, and lovely, colorful autumn. I was able to enjoy each of these seasons, biking in the Archipelago, watching sun that never sets, traveling north to see ruska, and finally seeing Northern Lights for the first time in my life. My only concern here is rain. It doesn’t follow laws of gravity AT ALL. How is that possible, that those raindrops are not falling DOWN from the sky, but they are literally attacking you from every direction? It took me some time to overcome my frustration and find a solution. I have closely observed (relatively) happy Finns and discovered that the most important clothing item here is… nylon waterproof pants. The trick is they have to be big enough that you can pull them over your regular pants to keep you dry and warm when it rains. This small thing has definitely improved my comfort here. It has also created that precious feeling of belongingness- I could finally proudly join the rustling and swishing sisterhood of waterproof pants. 2. Drop in the fertility rate is a real thing. Ok, I am a doctor and I KNOW it is a real thing. I know that statistics don’t lie. I know. But I kind of didn’t want to acknowledge that it may actually impact my study. We have had a fairly good start of the patient recruitment, which had kept me busy in spring. But then summer had arrived, and the recruitment slowed down. I kept thinking that maybe it’s just because of the summertime in general (like preemies would be able to pick a season when they want to arrive early, right?). But then autumn has come, and it was time to face the music- I have a problem. In order to recruit the desired number of infants, I may either stay here forever OR I need to come up with a clever solution very soon. Thankfully, I have amazingly supportive supervisors here and we decided- we are expanding! That means more traveling for me (and possibly more blog posts for you)! 3. Compulsive talking about 99nicu may help you to dance more salsa. That statement may seem rather weird, but there is a logical explanation. Very recently I’ve had a chance to attend a regional neonatal meeting in Finland. I was asked to present highlights from the 99nicu Meetup in Copenhagen. Since I like the whole concept of 99nicu.org and loved two conferences I had attended, I took that task very seriously- meticulously prepared my PowerPoint presentation and practiced my performance out loud at home. I decided to tell participants about lectures I remembered the best- neonatal transports, simulations in the NICU and infants surviving at the limit of viability. You may argue that there were more important lectures there, but those were the ones that still “spark joy” after all these months. Do you remember that sim scenario of postpartum seizures in a birthing pool that Ruth Gottstein talked about? I’ve discussed it with so many people in so many places already, that it might have become my favorite topic of random conversations with strangers. Anyways, I think the presentation went well- participants awarded me the prize for the best presentation of the evening! I received a gift card that I can use for cultural or fitness activities in Turku- including more salsa classes in my favorite dance school. Voila! Thank you 99nicu!

July was very eventful for me and that had caused my on-line silence. I had a chance to visit again my beloved Finland and now I'm back with fresh thoughts and ideas (and also hundreds of photos). Enjoy! Kotiloma is a word in Finnish that means „vacation at home”. But in some NICUs around Finland it has grown into a bit different meaning. Kotiloma is a practice of arranging a little vacation at home for NICU patients before their final discharge. The routine is quite simple. On the kotiloma day parents come to the unit with a car seat and a set of clothes. When the seat is warm and the baby is ready, they just simply take their baby home for a day. Before they leave, they inform the staff about the time of their return. If they would feel insecure, they can always return to the unit sooner and their room will be waiting for them. The duration of the stay away from the unit can last from a couple of hours up to a whole weekend. Sounds interesting? There are two basic conditions: parents' willingness and staff's trust in parents' abilities. Parents need to be confident when it comes to securing baby’s needs. Since kotiloma applies mostly to preemies, parents are generally well prepared (hello Family Centered Care!) and very eager to take the baby home for this vacation. It’s like a free trial of full-time parenthood and you can still bring the baby back But seriously speaking, after spending several weeks in the unit with the baby, they really just want to change the surroundings and go out for a while. If the home is too far away, or if the thing is just logistically too difficult, they can take their child for a long walk in a baby stroller instead. Since parents are in the unit every day, taking care of their little one, it is quite simple for the medical staff (especially for the fantastic nurses!) to assess their preparedness, encourage them and prepare them also technically for kotiloma. Basically there are two types of kids who go for a vacation to home. The first one is when the baby is being fed by a feeding tube and getting close to the discharge date. Parents generally feel quite comfortable with using the tube and since they are practically living in the unit, it’s not a big hassle for them to take the baby home with this tube. The second group of babies are the ones on an "apnea countdown" . Those are sent home with saturation monitors and parents are specifically educated by nurses to interpret heart rate and SatO2. They are additionally trained in infant resuscitation. This whole „crash course” takes no more than 1 hour. If the parents are eager for the kotiloma and the staff is ready to train them, they can take the baby home for the daytime (so they can observe the monitors, but those babies have to return to the Unit for the nighttime.) If you are even a bit like me, and I know many of you are, you will ask „BUT WHO IS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BABY? WHO IS IN CHARGE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS?”. Well, since the kid is not really discharged from the hospital, that would be you. I know it sounds tricky, but my (not-so-)confidential informant Samuli Rautava from the TYKS NICU says, that since they’ve been doing that (already 5 years!), nothing has ever happened. If the family has any questions or concerns during the kotiloma, they are encouraged to call the nursing station. They are never left alone with their worries. When it comes to financial issues, I would say (naively) that nobody pays anything extra for that vacation. Since the kid hasn’t been discharged, the healthcare fund pays for the day in the unit. Parents provide their own car, clothes and the car seat. No more costs are involved. Easy as that Is it safe? Generally life is known to be a dangerous adventure But it’s easy to notice, that this practice is based on a mutual trust agreement. "You- The Parents- trust us- The Medical Staff- every day, that we perform medical procedures based on our best knowledge and best available evidence. So WE trust YOU, that you will not idle away our efforts and do your best to provide the best possible care to your baby". This cooperation is working well. Parents are properly educated in their baby’s needs (thanks to Close Collaboration with Parents Training Program). They learn how to perform CPR and call 112 in case of emergency. The nursing staff always gets the information about the condition of other siblings and cohabitants (to avoid infections etc). Okay, but what are the benefits? Besides empowerment of the parents (which is a huge thing, especially since they are on-their-way to the discharge date), it actually makes the whole discharge process easier. After the kotiloma parents' confidence grows. It is like a short trial of full stay-at-home parenthood. When you take your precious, fragile baby home, some questions may arise in your head. It feels good to know, that you will be able to ask them to your own pediatrician and nurses when you return to the unit. This practice enables parents to observe their child in a home setting. They notice how the baby looks around and curiously contemplates the new environment. It is also a good chance for other cohabitants (those furry ones too!) to get to know their future housemate. Kotiloma is simply a joy for parents, baby and whole family. A sign saying „our baby is doing fine”. Some happy moment to cherish. We all need those sometimes!