Friday, February 22, 2013

Fun with Swedish pregnancy words


I’m still here. I am still pregnant. But as the days tick by my ability to concentrate on anything other than how uncomfortable I feel is quickly fading. That and fighting with a sick Little Swede (well not really fighting more like plopping in front of the TV trying to avoid feverish meltdowns) and having a house full of guests means that every minute I have to myself I am hiding under the covers. And seriously those minutes I don’t have to myself, you may also find me hiding under the covers.

Anyways, pregnancy terms seem to be universally bizarre. In English, I could say that every day as of late begins with the frantic hope that today will be ‘the bloody show,’ a beautiful term for what is also referred to as losing your mucous plug – which is usually foreshadowed by such endearing wonderful events like lightening crotch (just what it sounds like) and Braxton Hicks – the feeling of carrying a bowling ball around and then spilling pretty much everything you eat into your lap because you constantly forget that your current diameter is so great.

But Sweden is not without its Pregnancy vocabulary beauty – and the Swedes seem to do it much better.

1) Moderkaka – This is the Swedish word for placenta – although placenta remains the medical term, so if you slip it in now and then with a Swedish accent (as I have been known to do) they will understand you. Moderkaka translates to Mother cookie, or Mother cake - if you are one of those people who has ever actually managed to solve the mystery of kaka vs. tårta.

2) Livmoderhalsen –The Throat of the Life Mother is what the Swedes call the cervix. So much more hopeful and optimistic.  Oh please, throat of the life mother, I hope all of these ‘sammandragningar’ or the drawing together of my life mother (aka uterus) are productive enough to make you open.  I am not sure what the word for effaced is, so I don’t know how you would explain how effaced the throat is, but really the Swedish midwives do not seem concerned about that at all.

3) Bröstvårt – After my baby arrives --- hopefully today so it can share a birthday with my hero, Kyle Maclachlan, (The Swede already said we could not name the baby Kyle or Maclachlan) – I will immediately place them to my breast warts so as to develop a healthy breastfeeding relationship. This one, for me, does not do as much visually as cakes and life mothers. Breast warts sound a bit icky. But, hey, we’ve all go them. So maybe they are not icky?

Also, I know my grammar is often lacking in these posts, but please keep in mind that sleep has eluded me for the past week. I cannot lie down anymore (except when maybe hiding under the covers), and sitting around being pregnant is a terrible full time activity. 

5 comments:

  1. Damn, "bloody show" was my favourite new expression for a few seconds. Thought it was a reference to women not wanting to be pregnant anymore, as in "when does the bloody show start?!"

    "Liv" is another word for abdomen, so it's not quite as poetic as it would seem.

    Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. Actually liv does not mean abdomen but waist. But that is not where the liv in livmoder comes from, it is exactly as written above, it means life mother.

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    2. Or is the Swedish word for abdomen/waist actually 'life'?

      Hmmm....

      Put your arm around my life.... don't worry, I will stay away from poetry in both Swedish and English

      I am still disappointed that the words for fika and ficka are not the same --

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  2. Love moderkaka - what a great word!

    I would absolutely love for you to link up at the Baby Shower a linky party for all things pregnancy and new baby - Alice @ Mums Make Lists xx

    http://mumsmakelists.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/The%20Friday%20Baby%20Shower

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  3. Ten to fourteen days after the first day of their last period is the most likely time for attaches, or implants, itself to the uterine wall where the baby will grow inside of you .

    ***** Tubal Reversal *****

    ReplyDelete