Maternity Box: What Finland Does For Their Expecting Mothers Might Make You Envious

Meet the Maternity Box, the generous gift given to expectant mothers by the Finish government as part of a long-standing tradition.

A custom that was originally meant for low-income families dating back to 1938, the only official requirement is to have been pregnant for 154 days. After that, the box will arrive on your doorstep and cost you absolutely nothing, according to BBC News.

Some of you may have the seen the Maternity Box that found its way into the news last year after the Finnish government sent one to expecting mother Kate Middleton.

Well, Finnish mother and Reddit user GrumpyFinn took to the internet when hers came in and decided to post her gift to the image sharing site Imgur.

For those of you wondering exactly what is inside the box or if they offer alternatives, below is what BBC had to say:

“It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress… With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby’s first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box’s four cardboard walls… Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently set at 140 euros, but 95 percent opt for the box as it’s worth much more.”

Below are GrumpyFinn‘s photos of the Maternity Box and her descriptions along with them.

What do you think of this Maternity Box given to mothers by the Finnish government? Do you wish mothers in the United States received something like this?

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We picked up the box from the post office, and even Simba was excited.

This is the box itself.

The box, opened.

There is a snow suit, hat, mittens, and another warm body suit.

Sleeping bag and sheet.

Hats, balaclava, pads, socks, tights, and the small bag has a little book, a toy, condoms, and some other small baby hygiene products.

There’s a cloth diaper, and a towel, but the rest is almost all clothing in various styles and forms, all gender-neutral. The bottom of the box is also a mattress, so the baby is able to use it as a bed at the beginning of her life. All of the clothes are very high quality, and a good chunk of what came in the box was made in Finland or by Finnish companies.

[Images via Reddit user GrumpyFinn]