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Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

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21–30 of 171 posts

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#21
post #3

I think even considering using a box instead of a crib in the states may get you a visit from child protective services, or at least looks of disgust from your family or in-laws. Does anyone have experience trying this out?

Probably besides the point, but you have an extremely skewed idea of what prompts a visit from Child Protective Services in the United States.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#22
post #8

From the list of the box contents: > Condoms Given you've received the box, isn't it a bit too late for that?

Condoms will hopefully prevent a second box arriving too soon.

Nursing will do that job automatically.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#23

A cushioned cardboard box is enough for a newborn. Its weakness could be moisture and high flammability. But aside from that it is perfect.

I mean, they've been doing this for decades. Don't you think their dataset is probably more informed than your speculation?

as my dad loves to say, 3000 years of chinese medicine _can't_ be wrong

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#24
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Does anyone have experience trying this out? Everybody in finland?

Oh I meant suggesting it in the United States. I feel like it would not go over well, unless of course you or your SO are from Finland!

Define "go over well."

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#26
post #4

Doesn't CO2 accumulate in the box since there are no holes on the sides?

Effectively no, first if you look at the picture there are holes on the sides and no body is putting the lid on.

More widely Cold CO2 from dry ice or pressurized tanks is a problem because it’s both releasing a lot of CO2 and that CO2 is very cold which means it sinks quickly. On the other hand babies breath is both fairly slow and has a relatively low CO2 concentration which makes it easier to mix with the air. On top of this breath is warm so combined with a convection current from body heat in otherwise still air it has a tendency to rise which improves mixing.

An extreme version of this happens when a baby or small child falls down a pipe and can avoid suffocating for hours.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#29
post #7
post #3

I think even considering using a box instead of a crib in the states may get you a visit from child protective services, or at least looks of disgust from your family or in-laws. Does anyone have experience trying this out?

There's a widespread legend that poor parents in the US would put a dresser drawer on the floor. Sometimes the baby came before all of the preparations had been made. Sometimes folks were just poor, or smart, or both.

I slept in dresser drawers frequently as an infant, or so I've been told. It was convenient when staying with family out of town and the like apparently.

Re: Why Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes (2013)

#30
My baby is due in 4 weeks. My wife and I shopped for weeks trying to buy a 2nd hand crib that was affordable (We ended up getting one for free from a neighbor on nextdoor).

Never did it cross my mind that I could just use a cardboard box! I will definitely make a cardboard box for my upcoming baby, use it as much as I can, and see if I could get by without a crib! Perfect DIY project for a stay home dad, cribs always felt excessive to me.

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