Kun olet raskaana

"With a child comes bread to the house."
(Finnish saying)

Maternity clinic (Äitiysneuvola)

The task of the maternity clinic is to foster the health and well-being of the pregnant woman, unborn foetus and new-born infant, as well as other family members awaiting the new arrival.

Women should visit a maternity clinic as soon as they become pregnant or before the end of the 4th month of pregnancy. The clinic monitors the health of the pregnant woman and the child and organises antenatal classes for mothers and fathers. The services are free of charge for the customers of the clinic.

Children's clinic (Lastenneuvola)

Once the infant is born, the doctors and nurses of the infant healthcare clinic take care of the health and vaccinations of the child. Information on the topic can be found on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Your local health centre will provide you with more information on maternity and infant healthcare clinics.

Maternity grant (Äitiysavustus)

Pregnant women who are permanent residents in Finland are entitled to Maternity Grant (äitiysavustus) (information in Swedish and English) as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. The Kela Website has more information on who qualifies as a permanent resident in Finland (Finnish, Swedish, English). Maternity grant is available either as non-taxable financial aid or as a Maternity Package (äitiyspakkaus) (information in Swedish and English).

Maternity allowance (Äitiysraha)

Pregnant mothers who have been permanent residents in Finland for a sufficient period of time are entitled to a Maternity Allowance (äitiysraha).

Finnish, Swedish and English), if she is resident in Finland, if the duration of the pregnancy has exceeded 154 days and if she will have been residing in Finland for at least 180 days prior to the estimated date of birth. The applicant's entitlement to maternity allowance begins at the earliest50 working days and at the latest30 working days prior to the estimated date of birth. The mother may herself choose the date for maternity allowance to begin within this period. The period of maternity allowance ends when maternity allowance has been paid for 105 working days. Maternity allowance is generally determined on the basis of the mother's taxable income, and must be applied for latest two months before the estimated date of birth.

Having Children in Finland guide
(doc or pdf)

English
Finnish
Albanian
Arabic
Kurdish
Farsi
Swedish
Serb Croat

We're Having a Baby
(guide published by the National Institute for Health and Welfare)

Finnish (1.5 mb, pdf)
Swedish (1.6 mb, pdf)
English (1.6 mb, pdf)

The Children and Young People page has information on the benefits available for families with children.

Are You Pregnant and in a Difficult Situation?

If you are pregnant and do not have a partner to support you, you can receive support for instance from the First Home (ensikoti). In First Homes families receive support in relation to parenthood and life management. Mothers are welcome to the First Home while they are pregnant or when they have already given birth. 

Are you pregnant and have not got a partner to support you? The website of the Association of Single Guardians and Joint Guardians (Yksinhuoltajien ja yhteishuoltajien liitto) has information on the topic in Finnish.

Information on Abortion is available on the Sexuality page of the Info Bank.