Najell x Carolin Meyer: "I want to inspire families to just do it and follow their dreams" 

In our Power People interview series, we talk to people who stand up for themselves both as parents and as individuals and empower others in the process. We spoke to Carolin Meyer (@we.in.sweden) who moved from Germany to Sweden in 2022 with her husband Clemens and daughter Leentje. While the move was quite spontaneous with limited planning, Sweden is now a permanent home for her family - with baby No. 2 on the way. 

You write on your Instagram account that your move was relatively spontaneous, and you only contemplated the move for a short while. What awakened your love for Sweden and how did you decide to emigrate?  

I’ve always enjoyed spending time in Sweden. We often stayed at my father-in-law’s small summer house in Småland. The first year as a mom was tough and we were looking for a change; that is when we had the idea of moving to Sweden. I was on parental leave for another year and my husband worked from home. So, we spontaneously looked for furnished houses for rent and found what we were looking for. 

Do you speak Swedish?  

My husband has already taken a language course and speaks Swedish well. I want to start a course soon but for now I communicate mainly in English. 

Can you imagine living in Sweden permanently or would you like to return to Germany at some point?  

Sweden feels like home to us! We can't imagine moving back to Germany at the moment. 

Carolin, you are pregnant for the second time. Your daughter Leentje was born in Germany. How do you think your pregnancy in Sweden is going compared to your first one in Germany? 

I could write you a novel about this question! For me, the pregnancy here is far nicer and pleasant; I find it more autonomous. In Germany, pregnant women have to go to a lot of gynecologist appointment and many of them are (in my opinion) unnecessary. I always had the feeling that they were trying to find a problem. In Sweden, you NEVER go to a gynecologist (as long as everything is okay). The entire pregnancy is overseen by a midwife who also pays attention to your mental state. Of course, they also do blood tests and monitor the heart. But there are only two ultrasound examinations during the entire pregnancy in Sweden. Tests like CTG (cardiotocography) or glucose screening for example, are not common. I feel more comfortable here during pregnancy.  

What other rules or habits around the topic of parenting have you noticed in Sweden compared to Germany? 

When Leentje was one and a half, I noticed fathers with prams with children the same age as Leentje's. In Sweden, a great deal of importance is attached to the fact that fathers also take their parental leave. In general, I find it much easier to reconcile having children and working. There are also a lot more child-sick days than in Germany. Daycare is also done in a better way than in Germany, for example: all children get healthy food and snacks at the daycare center; you don't need to prepare a lunch box. In general, children are more socially accepted in public spaces. In restaurants for example there are always highchairs and baby changing rooms, etc. 

Read More: How a baby carrier helps you rock the dad life 

You are quite far away from the rest of both your families. Do you get support from elsewhere and do you have quality time as a couple? 

That's right, we have to get creative as a couple. Since we’re both able to work flexibly, we have found that lunch dates work best for us while our daughter is in daycare. And of course, when parents or parents-in-law are visiting us, we try to take advantage of the opportunity to spend time as a couple. Although, I have to say, we love to be together as a family and love to spend all our time together. 

You started your Instagram account in 2022. What inspired you to start an online community and share your daily life in Sweden?

I remember that it was a rainy summer’s day and I wanted to share our journey of our Sweden adventure and show what it's like to make bold decisions. We love to try things out and just do it. I think there are not enough people these days with that mindset. With our account, I want to inspire families to just do things and follow their dreams. 

What advice would you give to everyone who is thinking about emigrating to Sweden? 

Sweden is a transparent country; you can find all the information needed on the Internet. Everyone here is super helpful, in our experience. You should be brave and just do it because even if you spend all your time planning, something unexpected will still come up. I think it's important when you move to another country as a family to have a strong sense of solidarity, because that's certainly put to the test at the beginning of an emigration journey. And you must directly approach people here if you want to know them; I think integration is very important - Unless you want to live alone in the forest, which can be nice as well!