American Parents React to Scotland's Baby Box - This is Incredible!

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In this video we take a look inside Scotland's Baby Box. What a beautiful thing for new Scottish parents and babies to receive. Inside Scotland's Baby box you'll find all the essentials a child needs for the first 6 months of life. We're both shocked at the detail and the high quality items that go into one of these free baby boxes.
Not only are Scotland Baby Boxes an incredible resource for struggling parents, they are actually shipped to all new parents from the Scottish government and the NHS to make sure all newborn babies in Scotland have what they need to thrive. The box itself even turns into a small crib for the baby, including mattress!
This is truly amazing. As parents we would love to see something like a baby box available where we live, but unfortunately we don't have access to anything like this. Let us know in the comments if you've received a Scottish baby box and how it helped your family out in the first months of your child's life.
Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this reaction please give this video a thumbs up, share your thoughts in the comments and click the subscribe button to follow my journey to learn about my British and Irish ancestry.
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Thumbnail Image used Winning Baby Box Design
Attribution: Scottish government
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[@samanthakennedy4023]

Your surprise that you get a midwife, it’s a large part of why our maternal and infant mortality rate is so much lower than the US.

[@xarisstylianou]

I remember when I was younger and when my little sister was born my mom had a midwife who came two times a week My mom also got a box full but I don't know what was init what I do remember is getting rosehip syrup ( this was in the middle fifties Then the midwife on her bicycle ,, I miss them days we may have been poor but happy 😊😊 😊😊 Playing all day outside and on Saturday going to the match it was haven

[@pamelaadam9207]

I remember the rosehip syrup in the late 60s loved it mixed with milk

[@IsobelIsobel123]

Why do you have to word things like a dig at them? They are being nice about the UK and then there are people like you who embarrass the rest of us by being so rude! I hope Steve and Lindsey know not all British people are like that 😬

[@faithlesshound5621]

Midwives must be rare in the US because they medicalized childbirth to the extent that normally it's obstetricians who deliver babies in hospitals there. Childbirth at home isn't common there either.

[@miatfitz]

​@IsobelIsobel123 really?? Nobody is having a dig. The folks from the USA are interested in other countries. Most are well aware things are different. They are basically pointing out the difference in health systems.

[@giuliamorrell4466]

Only provided in scotland in the UK. I would have loved this when i had my first baby 35 years ago, but two of my grandkids have benefited from this. I'm so proud of my government for providing this

[@lisasallery7860]

As a midwife it’s absolutely bonkers how different UK deliveries are, compared to those in the US. If you watch a series called One Born every Minute. You will see the difference. It’s so much more relaxed in UK. No doctor wearing scrubs, no automatic legs in stirrups. Even if it you require a doctor delivery, it’s still quite relaxed, unless it’s an emergency. The delivery room is more like a hotel room in midwifery led units. Birth is a natural thing and should be kept like that. Take a look at the series if you get time ❤

[@BP-of5cp]

Midwives are just legends! We had a great experience with ours. My great grandmother in Italy was a midwife and she was responsible for delivering alone all babies in her village and villages around. I always heard the best stories passed on in the family about her job. ❤ She was a busy lady as my grandmother alone had 10 😂.

[@sandrathompson1277]

I too saw that difference between the countries….big business in America I think…health care elsewhere..

[@laura_7577]

I had my daughter in an NHS midwife led birthing unit. Water birth, no meds, very relaxed. Went home that evening. Almost like a home birth, only minutes from the ward if needed.

[@georgefuters7411]

@@sandrathompson1277 I think the term healthcare is anathema in the US... just not sure whether it should be called Wealthcare or Hellcare . Every other country in the world sees healthcare as a basic human right, while in the good ol' US of A it's just another excuse to milk the population for every cent they can!🙉🙈🙊 Between their government, the pharmaceutical industry, the medical conglomerates and the insurance companies, they're screwed from the cradle to the grave 🙄🥴😱

[@S29ORY]

It’s also free to go to hospital and spit out a baby. How much would that shit cost in America??

[@nixi-bixi]

I wouldn't rely on the "you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding" whilst it is supposedly less likely, theres PLENTY of oops babys that turn up due to not using protection when breastfeeding.

[@amsodoneworkingnow1978]

Tell me about it?

[@andreaconroy3623]

It's why there's only 13 months between my first two children!

[@felicitywoodruffe4087]

Im living proof i fed 11 babies some are 14 months apart in age

[@Spiklething]

Advise from the NHS is as follows You're unlikely to have any periods if you breastfeed exclusively (give your baby breast milk only) and your baby is under 6 months old. Because of this, some women use breastfeeding as a form of natural contraception. This is known as the lactational amenorrhoea method, or LAM. It's important to start using another form of contraception if: your baby is more than 6 months old you give them anything else apart from breast milk, such as a dummy, formula or solid foods your periods start again (even light spotting counts) you stop night feeding you start to breastfeed less often there are longer intervals between feeds, both during the day and at night

[@joanold4035]

I breastfed my first baby and had another baby 11 months after the first.

[@heatherconnolly8658]

My daughter got hers recently. The box contains everything she needs, in limited numbers, to start with. We are fortunate to be able to afford what she needs. She’s had excellent pre natal care, extra consultant and midwife checks, all free at the point of need. Even free dental treatment until the baby is 1 year old. I’m 100% happy for my taxes to go towards this 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ❤

[@iantaylor5292]

It's also worth noteing that Scotland was the first country in the world to provide all period products (tampons, pads, etc ) free of charge to anyone who needs them.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That's awesome! Way to go Scotland

[@Rajamak]

It’s not awesome, it means we are much closer to communism. Nothing is free.

[@Bungle-UK]

Absolutely ridiculous….if you can’t afford to look after yourself on such a basic level you’re doing something seriously wrong.

[@fionacraig156]

Yes and that's how it should be Period poverty is a thing and considering the UK government insist on adding VAT to the price. Which is disgusting. No woman should suffer due to having periods under any circumstance

[@mattsmith5421]

​@@Bungle-UK🤡

[@ClanBroonford]

Hey, thanks for using my video. It's really interesting to see what you thought of what's inside. It's an amazing thing that we get and I'm so proud of it. 😀

[@DaveyPalmer1]

I remember watching your video when you posted it Tony and found it incredibly humbling. Seeing it again on this review is equally as moving. Well done Scotland - such an awesome gift for your bairns 👏👏👏👏

[@nottheredflagwriter]

NHS in Scotland and England are entirely separate and always have been since the NHS was formed.

[@georgebarnes8163]

same in Northern Ireland which does not have the NHS, they have the HSC

[@reactingtomyroots]

Ah, okay! Good to know :)

[@Crusty_Camper]

@@reactingtomyroots They are separate, but people who live in one country can will treated free of charge in another country. This is what happened to me ( living in England )when I fell and almost lost a finger on the West Highland Way in Scotland. After the helicopter ride to Glasgow hospital, I had two surgeries and three days in a fantastic hospital. I was even given a Scottish NHS number, which I am very happy about.

[@julia2jules]

@@reactingtomyrootsfirstly, the NHS is funded by taxation. Imagine that there was just one health insurance company and everyone was a member and what you paid was based on what you earned, not your health circumstances, and you didn’t have to spend months getting pre authorisation for treatment that you need! Cheaper overall costs as less administrative costs as no itemisation per person. Each of the four countries that are within the UK choose what to fund their nhs to provide. Only Scotland has the baby box. Scotland also has zero cost when you get a prescription In England when you get a prescription you pay ‘out of pocket’ a fixed price £9.65 per item or you can purchase a 3 months for £31.25 or 12 months for £111.60. If you have a low income you may be entitled to free prescriptions. If you have certain health conditions such as diabetes, then you also get free prescriptions. However some very expensive treatments, eg genetic modifiers for some illnesses such as cystic fibrosis may not be available in Scotland without applying for special authorisation, whereas in England it is available as soon as child is old enough. I rely on insulin, so I would find it very expensive to live in the USA

[@sharonmartin4036]

@@reactingtomyroots May I wish your little family all the very best for 2024. Love your channel, keep it up. Happy Hogmanay!

[@linds17]

I had twin boys over 30 years ago. So we missed out. However I'm so happy that others can benefit from such help. Proud to be Scottish 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Love to the u.s.a. ❤

[@berrybannanas]

do you get more if you have multiples?

[@peppermintpixie9240]

lol like a double or triple stack lmao@@berrybannanas i think shes meaning the time period?! My lad is 30yrs this year 😳😲😊

[@hellsbunniestv584]

It's not just the baby box. Here in Scotland, we're proudly the first country in the world to stop period poverty. If you can't afford to buy tampons of sanitary towels, you can go to ANY government building, say you need help and a female member of staff will come out and take you to a room to take whatever products you need.

[@reactingtomyroots]

That's awesome!

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

My local council provides them in every toilet in all their buildings; they even provide them in the male toilets so they can be taken home for family who need them.

[@hellsbunniestv584]

@@jacquieclapperton9758It's not sodding rocket surgery! I still can't believe there's VAT on them!

[@jacquieclapperton9758]

@@hellsbunniestv584 That's Westminster for you.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

​@hellsbunniestv584 VAT was cancelled when we left the EU. The EU insisted on VAT in sanitary products... Brexit allowed us to scrap it. Do keep up.

[@jameslewis2635]

As far as I am aware, this doesn't happen in other areas of the UK although I am of the opinion that it should be the basic standard for modern society.

[@georgebarnes8163]

It is the same in Northern Ireland, Wales and England tend to get freebies from private companies such as Boots and Johnston & Johnston.

[@alexboitz8540]

Scotland has its own NHS.

[@reactingtomyroots]

Oh okay! That's good to know

[@dasy2k1]

Scotland and Northern Ireland have devolved healthcare but with full reciprocal arrangements (so if I get sick in Scotland I get treated the same even though I live in England) It would be like if you were setting up universal healthcare in the US and decided to implement it on a state level but with all 50 organisations having reciprocal agreements with each other for visitors and people who live close to state lines if the closest suitable hospital is the other side

[@amberrose3073]

It is sent to every single baby in Scotland regardless of parents circumstances and it’s such a wonderful thing

[@loiscurrie1844]

Over 280,000 given out since the baby box started in Scotland. The poem is in Scots dialect. Given to every baby unless parent opts out.

[@samgillard7056]

A phrase that was used, around the formation of the NHS, is care "From Cradle to the Grave". We believe from the moment you are in that cradle, we will give our children the best shot at life. This seems expensive from the outset, but when government delivers initiatives like this, it is cheaper for all. This due to supply and demand economics which mean buying things in bulk is cheaper, so if you can negotiate with a company and buy hundreds of thousands of these a year, then you will get a better deal than if hundreds of thousands of families individually buy one. Government isn't perfect but somethings can be delivered efficiently and save money. Also, if you reduce infant mortality and accidents that impact babies such as neglect. It saves the NHS money and provides a better chance no matter what circumstances they were born into.

[@kierannichol1990]

I'm not a patriotic person, but this fills me with pride for my country too.

[@Wrtp.]

It does not fill me with pride why should I pay taxes for someone else’s children.

[@kierannichol1990]

@@Wrtp. Because I'm trying to live in a society of people who take care of each other. If that's not your thing, fair enough, but it's my thing, so I'm proud we're doing it here.

[@Wrtp.]

@@kierannichol1990 if you can't afford children easy don't have them.

[@kierannichol1990]

@@Wrtp. 2.5M tax payers in Scotland, and the baby box costs £9M per year. That's like 4 quid each, per year. I'm more than happy to pay that, and if you're not then fine - we've clearly got different ideologies. Have a good one.

[@jdm0101]

"Equals the playing field" - Exactly why the baby box exists. Good to see your reaction x

[@Carna101]

And just how does it level the playing field? A baby from a poor family is going to be poor no matter what the baby box provides. Babies grow and the playing field is increasingly not level. Never will be. It’s pure farce to suggest a baby Box gives everyone an equal chance in life.

[@jimblob44]

In my town (In Scotland) we also have a local FB group that forwards on baby clothes, prams, cots, highchairs etc to those in need, everything is donated by parents who's children have outgrown their things. My daughter has got many items this way but has forwarded on many more items too. It's a great way for new parents to share their joy.

[@DebbieZagarit]

We had Bounty Bags from the midwife going back 40 years ago in England. You got one before birth and one after. Later you took a voucher to Boots the chemist. It had all the basics like sudocrem, nappies, sanitary products, vouchers, baby rice. I have been in Scotland for 25 years. All my grandkids were born here. The Baby boxes are amazing. The nhs may have suffered but Mums get scans and midwifery all free. The health visitor calls regularly too. We are so blessed to have this for Mums here. New subbied

[@veetoria55]

Scotland has always been a country working toward equality. No matter the government of the day, for at least the 50 years, the policies Scotland has supported have largely been seen as progressive for the day. The baby box is especially one to be proud of.

[@tinabento-filipe191]

In England whilst pregnant you are given a Bounty bag with a few samples in like baby wipes, Sudocreme nappy cream money off vouchers, but no clothes or blankets etc. You get another when you have had the baby in conjunction with a pregnancy booklet called Emma's Diary. You get a final Bounty box when your baby is between 4 and 6 months with weaning food samples like baby rice, Heinz baby food jars. The box is a smal cube no bigger than 8-10inches in length. Obviously these items are welcome but pale into insignificance against what Scottish mothers receive.

[@Ruth78620]

Im Scottish and so proud of this. Everything you need for a newborn and the box can double as a bassinet. Some areas here are poverty stricken and this box takes off some of the finacial stress. Parents also get their baby formula for free until the baby no longer needs formula so it switches to free whole milk until they are school age if the parents are on a low income then they will get a free breakfast and lunch at school. Its a fabulous idea. My friend did not use the condoms provided and when she went for her 6 week post partum check up and she was pregnant again 😂 and she was breast feeding so she had a 9 mo th old and a newborn at the same time poor girl didn't sleep for 3 years. Come to Scotland we'd be happy to have you.

[@milgeekmedia]

Just a quicky, he mentions this is given 'the Government' - what he should have added was that its' given by 'the Scottish Government'. Edit: Apologies, he goes on to stress it's from the Scottish government. This is why we are proud of Scotland.

[@auldfouter8661]

Also why the Scottish budget just whacked up the tax rates for middle earners. There's now a significant difference between the two countries and there are limits as to how far that can be pushed.

[@claregallagher8550]

@@auldfouter8661 Making sweeping statements is not offering the whole perspective. Someone on £50,000 will pay only £1,550 pa more tax in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. However, if you want to calculate the cost of prescriptions, nursery charges, education etc. that are funded by these taxes and which a middle earner's family will benefit from, then you are ignoring the hidden added costs of living in England, assuming to make a point with an agenda. In addition, you are also not mentioning that lower earners pay less tax in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

[@auldfouter8661]

@@claregallagher8550 The lower taxation is utterly cynical . £ 20 less a year allows them to make this claim while syphoning off thousands from higher earners. Still it pleases the SNP faithful despite needlessly complicating the tax bands. I have no agenda other than not wanting my pension paid in groats.

[@claregallagher8550]

@@auldfouter8661 Don't take my word, maybe experts like IFS (and others) who have said that Scotland has a more progressive taxation system: Quote: "In recent years, powers to change the tax and benefit system have been devolved to the Scottish Government. These powers have been used to make the system overall more progressive, with more generous benefits boosting the incomes of poorer households". "by April, the poorest tenth of Scottish households are set to have incomes £580 (4.6%) per year higher than they would under the system in England and Wales. Meanwhile, higher taxes will reduce the incomes of the richest tenth by £2,590 (2.1%) per year compared with the system south of the border." Two points, it is not just the lower tax that benefits the poorest families, it is the additional benefits that the Scottish Government are able to give them because of the fairer system, e.g. Scottish child payments were increased and extended to more families. Secondly, the loss of £2,590 a year by a mere 10th of the population is nothing to them, but it does allow for a better standard of living for the poorest. If you seriously have a problem with that, then we have very different values and nothing further to say to one another. My husband and I have been happy to pay additional tax for the benefit of those suffering the deprivation thrust upon them by the tory UK government. If you do not, then your values don't seem to match the majority of Scotland.

[@botticellirejectbotticelli2668]

@@auldfouter8661Whisht with your nonsense.

[@mariannew284]

we had the baby box for our 3rd baby (wasn't around for our first 2 babies) it was a massive help. the box started off in Finland first that's where they got the idea from its a brilliant idea xxx

[@slaintejimmy]

Another of the million reasons that I'm proud to be Scottish.. a wonderful show of our commitment and investment in our future. 👍❤

[@BeccaC673]

Absolutely loved my baby box and used basically everything in it. Still have the blanket and he is one on Friday. He also did sleep in the box when he didn’t like his moses basket. X

[@Sarah_mollyjane]

We don’t have it here in England either have a fantastic NEW YEARS EVE AND A GREAT 2024 🙏🏻♥️🇬🇧

[@gordonhutchison9647]

I received lots of free baby stuff way back in the early 70s when our son was born, it was really helpful and needed at the time.

[@jilliansharp9684]

As a mum and from Scotland this is a fantastic so proud because ever child deserves a good start in life ❤️ 👏

[@TheRachaelJay]

I've recently started watching channels like yours, I'm from the UK (England) and am endlessly fascinated about the differences between our various/yet similar countries. Loving your vids guys, keep them up! Big hug to little Sophia, Elly & Owly too! 😂 Oh....I did get a baby box when my son was born (in England) but he's 30yo now and I'm sure England still does them. It really helped me when i was a single teenage struggling mum👍🏼❤

[@reactingtomyroots]

That's awesome! We appreciate you following along on the journey :)

[@katywatson6087]

My son slept in his baby box for the first 6 months of his life 😂 Wouldn’t tolerate the beside my crib at all.The baby box is the best thing ever!

[@eileenfb1948]

Many loud complaints came from some people saying that they didn't want the baby box. They are advised that the midwife will order it or not order it for your baby. Or it can be donated if not wanted. I worked in social work department some years ago and a social worker had to visit any mother who could not afford to buy what baby needed. A report had to be written and typed and mother was visited a second time and someone would send out the grant for mother to buy essentials. It would not have bought all of those things that are in the baby box. So to those who complain about the cost ... Social workers wages, typists wages, admin wages - this savings goes a long way towards paying for the box. AND the mother is not receiving 'charity'. She can hold her head high as her baby gets the same start as everyone else's baby.

[@TwistedTiara]

My demons are 40 and 39 this year and we were given baby bags back when I had them, nappies but they were terry towelling, I loved seeing a line full of brilliant white terrys blowing in the wind, we had bottles, powdered milk vouchers, though I breastfed both of mine, which could be used to get food instead of milk, loads of other vouchers, basically a load of stuff that was a massive help.

[@matthewbishop9342]

2010 we had a bounty pack. It was two large carrier bags of nappies, wet wipes, formula and money off coupons. 2013 when our youngest came, we got bugger all. We live in Worcester, where the famous source is made. Happy new year to you all

[@louisethomson820]

My daughter loved the baby box which she received before the birth of my granddaughter. My granddaughter slept in the box during the day.

[@margaretmlydon6910]

I'm in Ireland. Love this baby box from Scotland. When I had my children, 1986 onwards, we got a bounty pack. Which contained, pack of nappies, sanitary pads, nappy cream, baby powder . Can't remember the rest, probably vouchers for same products.

[@Beka_Rex]

I’m waiting for my box to come in. Was so excited when I found out the box itself doubles as a little temporary bed

[@24magiccarrot]

On top of the baby box there's a grant of between £300-700 for parents on low income paid just before the baby is born we used ours to buy the pram, buggy and cot

[@laguna3fase4]

My first wife and I had twins just to say they are expensive to clothe / feed etc. We could have done with something like this. As we had a boy and a girl you can only share their clothes for a short time. They will be 32 in two weeks time.

[@tamielizabethallaway2413]

Are they still sharing onesies??? 😂🤣😅

[@hl6876]

This is a Scottish initiative. The Scottish Government runs our health service here it is separate from the NHS in England and Wales.

[@maureendrennan9328]

Every parent who applies and for every child born in Scotland

[@isabelstokes4042]

I am SO proud to be Scottish! (I have the accent you love, by the way.) We have free prescriptions and free medication too. My grandson is three years old and still has his box.

[@innieplays]

If you haven't watched a documentary called 'The business of being born' with Ricky Lake, it's old now, but it's extremely eye opening about the US and how you do things there, most of the things in the documentary is still normal practice from what I hear even today. In the UK we had a series called 'one born every minute' which I recommend watching as well, wich gives you an insight into having a baby here. :) If you have a "high risk" pregnancy you are in the care of a 'consultant', this is the specialist Dr, but you will still also be seeing your midwife. Midwives all the way. It's always been very strange to me how the US and some other countries have the practice of seeing Drs for a normal healthy pregnancy, and how it's so extremely medical, instead of treated more natural.

[@reactingtomyroots]

Yes, Lindsay watched that when she was pregnant! Very eye opening, indeed. It's a great documentary!

[@kathchandler4919]

We, certainly in my part of England , have baby boxes. There's also a box of memories , fingerprints, footprints, pictures etc for parents who, sadly, have to leave hospital with no baby 😢

[@julianneheindorf5757]

Finland has a similar system. Since the 1938 every expecting mom gets a box full of baby stuff. Every baby gets one. Even the box is constructed solid enough to function as a bed for the newborn. This box full of baby stuff has resulted in reducing infant mortality especially decades ago when people where very poor.

[@kellyajewski2583]

I would love to see the difference in maternity/delivery services in the US compared to the UK. There was a show in the UK called One Born Every Minute and I gave birth in the Liverpool Hospital where some of the series were filmed. I loved watching that show. In the UK it is the midwives who do the majority of antenatal check ups and delivery unless there’s an emergency or the pregnancy is high risk.

[@saralouise7199]

I think it’s great! Proud to be a Scottish girlie! :)

[@saralouise7199]

Yes it’s the Scottish government and the NHS. Overall the UK government haven’t put this in place, but since we have our own government they can make those choices within reason for the people of Scotland.

[@sharonpitcaithly3941]

As for baby milk If on a low income you get a weekly voucher up to the childs age 4 , you can use it for formula, cows milk or fruit& veg. It's something like £4.30 a week but it helps.

[@stepheley6417]

Im in England and when i had my son i was given a pack with some sample things in from different brands to try but thats pretty much it

[@bernadetterennie5623]

All new babies born in Scotland get this free from NHS Scotland.

[@trish8765]

I live in England, not sure of you still get them in England today. However my son is 25 now and back when he was born you received a box when you were going home from the maternity hospital after giving birth. 25 years ago it was called a bounty box. I can't remember everything that was inside but you got lots of guides and vouchers for free or discounted items, also some of the items in the box the guy in the video has shown. I remember 3 vouchers with a list of photographers where you could use the voucher to have a free professional photo taken of your baby at three stages of their life up to their 2nd birthday. You were also given a book called Emma's diary early in your pregnancy that in the style of a diary took you through the stages of pregnancy and had tips and guides on what to expect. There were also vouchers included with this.

[@janewilson90]

Those boxes are so good! My baby was born premature and we didn't have anywhere for him to sleep at home setup so he slept in the box! We still use the sling over a year later on!

[@JDizzlekl3yh]

Aww I thought you were having another baby when I saw the title! I thought someone from Scotland had sent you a baby box! X

[@Rldavies84]

Yes you also get a baby box in Wales, i also got healthy start coupons. Healthy start coupons are from 10 weeks pregnant up to the child's 5th birthday, it supplies formal, nappies, fresh milk, fruit, veg etc. also NHS in Wales, Scotland and England are separate.

[@carlbailey3130]

I have had this in England and midwives out to my house regularly

[@sirjonty18]

In England you get a £500 baby grant.

[@fionacraig156]

You also get this in Scotland

[@johnshea5967]

They are calling their baby," still to be decided"?.my son " it'll come to us", thinks they are crazy!!❤ Best wishes to both of you and of course Sophia for a happy and healthy 2024❤xx

[@lindaforbes9940]

I'm from Scotland too. The NHS also has a scheme which allows parents to buy food and formula for kids too.

[@MrVidification]

Before gov started handing out boxes, the first reference online to the term baby box in Scotland seems to be from around 2007, but the more general term of maternity package in reference to gifts goes further back. Companies over the last decade latched on to the idea in delivering anything and everything to your door, so I'm sure you can get similar in the US. There's babyboxcanada and london which will note their influence of the modern variation of the maternity package is Finnish, seemingly from the late 40s early 1950s

[@ivylasangrienta6093]

It started in 1938 in Finland.

[@albin2232]

I wish your lovely family a very happy 2024 from Edinburgh ❤❤❤

[@StewartyMac]

Of course as amazing as this is, you will hear unionists in Scotland put their own negative spin on it, as they do with everything that is great about Scotland.

[@cirstaidhpark3364]

Only in Scotland. We have a separate NHS and Scottish Government

[@MARKSTRINGFELLOW1]

Things are different between the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales.

[@garymcatear822]

The basic core principles are the same throughout all the 4 nations.

[@Justsomebody009]

Hello, from Scotland. I had my son in 2015. Baby boxes were not a thing back then. But we still get loads of stuff. I got free prenatal vitamins, I also got free nappy cream, some nappies and I think some bonjella too. But our midwife's I feel like I need to talk more about. We usually see them at a drs office where we get the baby measured and they ask us about symptoms. Any questions we have but they also help with our birth plan and if we want to breastfeed etc. They also do all our checks after we give birth. I left the hospital after 3 nights and 2 full days in the hospital. The day after I got home my midwife was over to make sure the baby was okay and that I was healing down there, making sure I'm not infected. My son had some jaundice that she was concerned about but gave us a day to hopefully see the jaundice go down, the next day she came out and it was much better, then she came back out maybe 10 days post partum with a breastfeeding support nurse to help me a bit because I was worried he wasn't eating enough. She came out a few more times to make sure I was healing. Then I think you may be left on your own for 3 weeks before Ur 6 week check with the Dr. My midwife wasn't there when I gave birth which is the case most of the time. They have midwife's in the hospital for when you give birth and the hospital midwifes are not typically doing home visits. They stay at the hospital. My birth experience was amazing and I think if I lived in America my whole experience would have been a lot harder purely down to the fact that I was 18 and broke when I had my son... I was working full time on an apprenticeship earning £400 a month, that's working 35 hours a week. If I had a hospital bill on top of that I think I would have made a different choice...

[@ianprince1698]

as part of wartime rationing which went on to the 1950s, we got a large tin of powdered milk and orange juice my mother took me to get it from an office, when I was 4.

[@sarabazlinton9820]

Sadly this isn’t available to new mums in England, or at least neither of my nieces got one when they had their babies, one is 2.5yrs and one only 4 months.

[@kevinedie4119]

So proud that this is something we do

[@lisalep]

Not sure if you guys have this in the states but if you have a baby pass away in Scotland you get a bereavement box. My son died from sids and i got one it had z beautiful knitted blanket, a teddy bear, a box for a lock of hair, and a box for his hospital bands. And while my son was in the morgue being dressed after his post mortem the lady took really nice photos of him and put the onto a disc . My health visitor actually came in with a metal love heart pendant and asked me what i wanted engraved on it. And what they done was hang it from a remembrance tree they have here in Scotland for babies who have passed ❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@clairey31207]

As this is given to every child regardless of household income, many people who either have a child already or feel they don’t need the items often give it away to someone who may need the extra clothes etc for free. It’s an amazing initiative!

[@BrokenBackMountains]

The Scottish NHS is separate from the one in England and is a slightly older institution. The baby box originated in Finland and worked so the idea was borrowed by the Scottish Government.

[@AlanSmithofficial]

Just a note to say that the NHS in Scotland is a separate organisation to the NHS in England and Wales.

[@rossbrown6029]

The baby box thay me and my wife received for our wee one wasn't required, so we boight some extra wee bits and pieces, comforting toys, muslin clothes and nappies of various sizes. We then donated it to a charity that was taking products across the UK and to Ukraine.

[@michaelmccann-5958]

Its a starter box so you understand the things you need to take care of the baby

[@kwalts88]

The guy who does Clan Broonford ic one of my Old managers - I won’t say the baby’s name in here for privacy reasons but it was THE CUTEST NAME EVER!!

[@cathybrookeburt2616]

Probably the biggest reason the US doesn't do this, is that Scotland has less than 50,000 babies per year. The US has 4 million. These are amazing & would be awesome if this happened for all young parents, as well.

[@mrsmunchin]

In England I got one for both. We have a midwife (during pregnancy and shortly after birth), and health visitor for when you get home.

[@revenant_scot]

The NHS in Scotland is under the jurisdiction of the Scottish Government, hence why there are initiatives here that are not present or universal in other nations on these islands. I'm unclear as to what some other commenters in England have received, but provision of baby boxes there is far from universal. The NHS in England is delivered locally by NHS Trusts. These usually cover a hospital / group of hospitals, or primary care in a particular area. At the time that Scotland launched the baby box initiative, some NHS Trusts in England introduced pilot (test) schemes to deliver baby boxes in their trust area only. I don't know how many did this, or if the pilots resulted in a permanent service. It is a very different proposition to that of Scotland though. Someone also mentioned the scheme available in the North East of England. This is run by a charity, and not the NHS. Notably, I'm not aware of any provision at all in Wales or Northern Ireland which doesn't mean it isn't there - I just don't know about that. In Ireland, a pilot scheme was introduced in February 2023. So, Scotland is unique on these islands in terms of universal provision leading to every child receiving a baby box. However, professional groups such as the Royal College of Midwives have endorsed the introduction of a universal scheme in England and Wales.

[@eileenmulhall1330]

I had my children in 70ts and 80ts we got a baby bag and all was free in hospital food nappies etc. England

[@andrewcomerford9411]

Finland has been doing this for decades, but the Scottish Government decided it was a good idea. The box doubles as a crib, if you don't have one, or for travel.

[@billybscotland7246]

And you wore your England hat whilst watching 😮 It’s one of many things we get in Scotland that we are proud of. Scotland is the only part ok UK that does this currently.

[@greenjedi8]

The Scottish NHS is a separate organisation from the one in England and is actually a year older as well.

[@heathermc1049]

I am scottish and I would much rather we had more money in our own pockets at the end of the month through decent wages and fair taxation so we could chose our own stuff for our babies than be given things we didnt chose from the government bought with our money. Its like the difference between being gifted cash or a voucher for a shop you dont go to.

[@kaydavis2310]

I had my daughter in 1998. In England you were meant to be given a Bounty Pack. This contained small samples and leaflets with money off coupons. But they only visited hospitals on weekdays. So babys born on weekends got nothing.

[@Concreteowl]

Health is one of the devolved responsibilities of the Scottish Government. The rest of the UK doesn't do this yet.

[@jamesconnell1531]

Every mother receives one.We also give sanitary health care to all females for free as well. Our prescriptions are also free .Scotland sends its regards

[@alicetwain]

The Broonford guy to me shoulds very Edinburgh. He has an accent, but it's not too heavy and it's easy to understand. It also helps that he is educated and a performer (actor if I am not wrong).

[@scottjustice8543]

Move to Scotland and have a little Scottish baby. ❤❤❤

[@baggymummy9770]

You can get them in England too. You do pay but it’s just postage and admin so less than £10 I got the box and mattress, pampers, creams, blankets and toys.

[@somemore9784]

We actually used the cardboard bed for our third child. It's super handy can be moved around easily. I thought it was actually better then building up the full size bed that we used for the other 2 as that just took up too much space you had to lean right into, it's awkward so just not really practical for the first few months.

[@quarantinefox]

Some of the stuff was great. One of the books in their helped my partner discover baby-lead weaning. Based parenting decision we ever made was to follow that premise. I'm not saying it's the right way or the best way. Was the best for us. Never had to feed our baby mush. Never had to clean mush. Never had to blend food or buy jars of mushed food. Never had to sit and spoon him our soon. He just got milk and finger food. So easy. He's 3 now and a great eater. He does like BBQ sauce on cucumber and carrot sticks though, so.....some oddities lol

[@fuzielectron5172]

Lol.... I dont recall getting a baby box that big when my daughter was born twenty years ago. Although offered many cots she spent the first nonths of her life sleeping in a mattress bottomed fabric lined cardboard box on top of a "kist" (wooden chest) in our bedroom. Scotland is a nice enough place and when you consider that child will get free further higher education later in life enabling them to build their own future, theres worse places to be.

[@Smithjones12]

When a friend was pregnant I made up a baby box with different bits, I would buy one thing every time I shopped.

[@moragsinclair2400]

Amazing items

[@jason5047]

Scottish NHS is different from England's, with our healthcare being devolved and so Scottish government gets to make changes. Why we have free prescriptions in Scotland and elsewhere don't, among other things.

[@AngelaVara-i4l]

When my kids were small i used terry towelling napies that lasted for a long time,much cheaper than paying for disposable ones.

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

wales nhs does a similar thing. called BABY BUNDLES.

[@nelzmcmillan9237]

It used to be a bounty bag,everyone that has a baby you get one. At Christmas the first baby born into Christmas,like 1second into it get put in the papers and are giving presents for that baby. Best place to stay Scotland we don't pay for prescriptions, England still pay for theirs

[@missbramley8663]

In the UK we get something called Emma's diary bags, i think you get 4 throughout the pregnancy, and it has loads of samples of baby bits in, no where near as good as the scotland baby box though

[@trishaharris4448]

Scotland as a small nation we are big In heart, we also provide free prescriptions for medications/glasses etc as well as all period poverty. which i saw also posted. It may shock you as a small nations our achievements throughout the world are second to none. Maybe something for you to look into are the inventions that have come out of Scotland would love to see your reaction to a few of them. It will be an eye opener for you. all the best for 2024 to you and your family and all viwers where ever you may be or as we say in Scotland lang may yir lum reek. ( its a old saying that litterally means your wishing someone the best of health wealth prosperity.)

[@weegiewarbler]

NHS Scotland and England are separate entities, commencing in 1947 (Scotland) and 1948 (England).