When Swedes Make babies

Here in the northern latitudes, early signs of spring are starting to make their debut. The days are getting noticeably longer, the snow has (mostly) melted, and street cleaners are beginning to sweep away the winter gravel from sidewalks and roads, allowing for the first crunch-free walking since October. But there’s something else – much less apparent to most – that marks the start of our downward slope toward summer: the filling up of Sweden’s maternity wards.

Spring is naturally a time of birth across the animal kingdom. Take a hike through the forest this time of year and you may notice tiny fur babies scampering about. For Sweden, this surge in newborns has largely held true for us humans, too – at least traditionally so. For people born in Sweden between 1945 and 2002, the most common birth months are March, April and May. One specific reason for it, among others: the carefree days of summer so enthusiastically embraced by Swedes nationwide 9 months prior.

Ever since 1977, Swedes have been guaranteed at least four weeks of holiday during the summer according to Swedish vacation law – and they have taken it with fervor. The country’s climate can be harsh with long, dark winters and a slow arrival of spring. Anticipation for the extended vacation builds throughout the year so that, by the time summer comes around, offices empty out as Swedes flock to their holiday destinations. The more sunshine, the better.

Once arriving at their vacation haven, Swedes can fully shut down the work side of their brains and remain officially unreachable until their out of offices declare otherwise. Days are spent basking in the sun, swimming in the chilly ocean, relaxing in steamy saunas – with perhaps a few snaps thrown in here and there. The conditions are ideal for the complete unwinding that allows for more time between the sheets. Makes you wonder why all babies aren’t born in the spring. 

Omega-3 DHA not only contributes to the pre-conception stage of baby-making; it is also critical for baby’s healthy development, both in utero and in the earliest stages of life outside the womb. For their brains, for their vision, for their nervous systems and so much more, DHA is hugely important – and can be easily obtained through the mother as she carries and then breastfeeds her little one by taking a supplement like our Simris Algae omega-3.

The latest in Swedish baby-making

In more recent years, the birth statistics in Sweden have shifted slightly. Swedes are doing more planning, it seems, regarding when they’d like their children to be born during the year. Birth rates are low in November and December (likely to avoid being the youngest in the class and celebrating a birthday around the holidays) and rates are high in the late spring and summer months when both parents can easily take more time off together. Another factor of this change could be an increase in flexible holiday-ing as the norms in the workplace change and time off throughout the year becomes more common. 

Sweden’s birth statistics may vary over time, but its summers will always mean bright skies, holiday freedom and an attitude that’s a little bit more relaxed than the rest of the year. Is this the ideal combination for procreation? Hard to say – but we do know that omega-3s will increase the chances of its success on all fronts, and Simris’ line is a cut above the rest. Vegan, pure and high-quality: a healthy option for you and a healthy option for your baby (to-be). Your summer holiday may never be quite the same.