A Baby in a Barnevogn

When I first moved to Denmark, I (like most Americans it seems), was shocked to see babies sleeping in their prams outside cafes while moms (and dads) had a coffee and chat inside.

I mean a baby?! Outside?! By itself?! In the cold?! There were so many things wrong with this scenario. What if the baby froze? What if it got stolen? What if it rolled out of the pram?

Ok, but what if all those babies crawl out and then run away? And then Peter Pan finds them and brings them to Neverland and their parents never see them again…

However, after talking to some parents about it, it seemed that babies never froze, or got stolen, or rolled out and fell to their deaths. In fact, they seemingly thrived outside. Breathing in fresh air was good for their lungs, gave moms a break from the incessant needs of a baby, and actually helped the babies sleep longer than they would inside.

Interesting. Very interesting.

While I was intrigued and awe-struck by these cool Danish moms who confidently strapped their kids in their barnevogne (Danish for perambulator) and left them out in the freezing weather, I wasn’t sure how to go about the whole process.

You see, people don’t readily offer help here. It is thought rude to assume someone doesn’t know what they’re doing and step in with advice. But honestly, I could have used the secrets to this national ritual.

When I gave birth to my first baby a few months after moving here, the sundhedsplejerske (public nurse) came to our apartment to check on the baby a few days after he was released from the hospital.

“Your baby cannot sleep outside until he weighs a bit more. Probably in about a week he will be ok to sleep outside.”

Right. I glanced at my husband. I had no idea how to go about that. I just nodded and we continued the check up.

Every time after that, the sundhedsplejerske continued to impress upon us the importance of our baby sleeping outside. One time we admitted that he napped in his crib. She got very agitated and serious and we got a lecture on how important it was for the baby’s lungs to breathe the fresh air. And how important it was for me, as a mom, to get a break from my baby.

This was a totally opposing viewpoint from many Americans who seemed to think that if you were parted from your child for a second, you were traumatizing them.

I wanted to tentatively try the Danish way, and so if my baby ended up falling asleep in his little barnevogn while on a walk, I’d leave him outside with a monitor. It was almost summer at that point, so I didn’t worry about him being cold.

This lasted until my baby was around 7 months and outgrew his barnevogn. You see, my husband and I, being total newbies to this whole thing, had bought a barnevogn/klapvogn (stroller) combo when we first moved to Denmark. That is, once the baby outgrew the barnevogn and could sit up, we’d switch it to the stroller attachment. Now, most parents here have industrial-sized (and industrial-priced) barnevogne that are paid for by their parents as a sort of new baby gift. They are around 98 cm and can sleep a child up to three years old (depending on that child’s size.) Our mini barnevogn was only 72 cm and was quickly outgrown. When it was, we napped our babies inside again.

When our first two children started vuggestue (nursery) between 12-18 months, there were giant barnevogne there. Our children would apparently willingly climb inside, be strapped in, and sleep soundly.

My husband and I were fine with our barnevogn/stroller combo and we didn’t have the money to buy a bigger barnevogn. There’s a reason why parents buy them for you…they are freaking expensive! But…

…our third child cannot go to the same nursery as our other children. Because we have moved and now live in a different kommune (county) it would be insanely expensive to send him to the same daycare as our older children. A shame on many levels. So instead, he has just started at a dagpleje, which is a group of no more than four 0-3 year olds at a caretaker’s private house. Dagplejer can be private or public. My son’s dagpleje is public and is managed and partially subsidised by the government. However, as it is at the caretaker’s house, we have to provide more things, such as diapers, and yes, a barnevogn.

We had made it to my last child’s first birthday before having to drop a bunch of money on a barnevogn. I felt sad for my bank account. Even the used ones on Facebook Marketplace were still expensive! I finally found a pretty good deal and in true Danish fashion, my mom bought it for my son for his first birthday present. Thank you, Mom! Best birthday gift ever!

So we now had a tank-sized barnevogn that took some muscle to maneuver but insured my baby would sleep at dagpleje, while running errands, and in our garden when his brothers were being too loud for him to nap indoors.

I learned what the proper clothes are to put on him, where to attach the harness to the barnevogn so he can’t crawl out, and which thrift stores have the best sleeping bag for winter. I learned how many layers you should put on the child for which season, and when a duvet (or two) is needed. I may not be an expert, but I’m pretty sure my baby will no longer freeze.