Maternity Clinic
The Maternity Clinic provides you and your partner / family pregnancy monitoring and support so that your pregnancy, the birth and the care of your baby become a safe experience for the whole family.
Activities of the Maternity Clinic
You can take contact to your local Maternity Clinic already in early pregnancy, when your period has stopped. The prenatal first visit to the Maternity Clinic happens usually at the 8th or 9th week of pregnancy. Your partner is also welcome to the consultation visits.
During pregnancy, you usually visit the nurse or midwife 8-9 times. These pregnancy visits include one extensive health check-up and at least two medical check-ups. A home visit is provided after delivery. The postpartum examination is performed either by a doctor or a trained nurse or midwife. In addition to these visits, additional visits will be arranged according to individual needs.
The person who gives birth to the child is the child’s mother. If the mother is married when the child is born, the husband is the father of the child. If the mother and father are not married when the child is born, paternity must be established and confirmed separately. When a female couple has a child through fertility treatment, the non-biological mother can be confirmed as the child’s second mother through recognition.
Every third child is born to a cohabiting family. In these families, biological paternity is usually clear, and the partner wants to acknowledge the paternity of the child. In this case, a separate visit to the Child Welfare Officer is not required after the birth of the child. Paternity can be acknowledged at the Maternity Clinic even before the child is born (from the beginning of 2016).
The recognition of parenthood is carried out primarily at the Maternity Clinic before the birth of the child and secondarily at the Child Welfare Officer. The parents expecting the child will be informed of the recognition in connection with the Maternity Clinic visit. Recognition can be made when the pregnancy has progressed beyond the 25th week of pregnancy. Both parents must be present at the recognition ceremony and their identity will be verified with an appropriate identity document. Both must understand the meaning of recognition and the legal consequences of recognition. If the pregnancy originated during fertility treatment, a fertility treatment certificate must be present at the recognition event.
The establishment of parenthood creates a legally valid family relationship. The child’s parents are liable for maintenance and the child is entitled to maintenance up to the age of 18. Even after that, the child is entitled to maintenance for education, if it is reasonable. The child will have the right of inheritance to the family of the party who recognized the parenthood, as well as the right to a surname. At the same time, the confessor also has custody of the child.
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency confirms parenthood after the birth of a child and sends the decision on the confirmation of parenthood directly to the parents by post. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency may refuse to confirm parenthood if there is reason to doubt the parenthood of the confessor.
It is still not possible to agree on sole custody, maintenance, visitation rights or housing at Maternity Clinics. If necessary, these matters are agreed upon with the Child Welfare Officer after the birth of the child.
Family coaching info and videos
Family coaching is provided to families expecting their first child. The aim is to prepare the family for childbirth, breastfeeding, childcare, upbringing and parenting. In addition, the goal is to strengthen parents’ knowledge and skills about childcare, parenting, health, and healthy habits.
Your own Maternity Clinic provides more information about the time and implementation of family coaching. On the link below, you can also watch family coaching videos (in Finnish or Swedish).
You can also find a lot of useful family coaching information in English and other languages via the link below. You can learn for example about exercise, intoxicants and nutrition during pregnancy, when to go to hospital for labour, breastfeeding and low mood after childbirth.
The prenatal class is meant for you who are expecting your first child. The best time to attend the class is from pregnancy week 32 onwards. The class is held by a midwife working on the delivery ward. The class provides information about the different stages of labour and you practise breathing- and relaxation exercises.
The class is held at Vaasa Central Hospital or as online classes through Teams. You will find more information and registration instructions via the following link.
Psychological support during pregnancy
Pregnancy, childbirth and the first weeks with your baby can trigger a wide range of thoughts, feelings and experiences in you and/or your partner, and create a need for psychological support. The Maternity Clinic may refer you to a psychologist, family therapist, psychiatric nurse or other provider of psychological support in your area.
Information about pregnancy and labour
From the links below you can acquire additional information about pregnancy, labour, mental health, intoxicants, prenatal screening and physical training during/after the pregnancy.
General information
- We are having a baby (Finnish institute for health and welfare)
Nutrition
- Special diet recommendations for pregnancy (City of Helsinki)
- Diet during pregnancy (Neuvokas perhe)
- Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers (Finnish Food Authority)
- Gestational diabetes – what should I know about it? (Neuvokas perhe)
- Gestational Diabetes Online course (Finnish diabetes association)
Physical activity
- Weekly Physical Activity Recommendation during Pregnancy (UKK Institute)
Prenatal screening
- Prenatal screening (National Institute for Health and Welfare)
- Prenatal screening (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Mental health
Intoxicants
Gestational diabetes means that a sugar metabolism disorder occurs for the first time during pregnancy. Blood sugar levels are higher than normal. Gestational diabetes can be diagnosed with a glucose tolerance test, which is performed between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy, and in some cases earlier. The body’s insulin production and effect in the body are impaired, causing blood sugar levels to rise and the fetus to grow larger than normal.
You may be at risk for gestational diabetes if:
- you are overweight
- you have a family history of diabetes
- you are over 40 years old
- you have previously given birth to a baby weighing more than 4.5 kg
- you have had gestational diabetes before
- you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
How is gestational diabetes treated?
- You will receive instructions from your maternity clinic on how to monitor and treat your blood sugar levels.
- Eat small amounts regularly, favoring soft fats (fish, vegetable oils, vegetable margarines) and high-fiber whole grains. You can get carbohydrates from vegetables, fruits, and berries.
- Avoid eating sugar and white grains.
- Engage in at least half an hour of physical activity that you enjoy every day. Everyday activities such as yard work and walking are also good and help lower blood sugar.
You are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, if one or several values in your oral glucose tolerance test is too high during your pregnancy.
Insulin or tablet treated pregnancy-related diabetes
- Oral glucose tolerance test and check-up at diabetes nurse 6-12 weeks after delivery.
- Oral glucose tolerance test, waist measurement, BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol-test every year.
Diet-treated gestational diabetes
- Oral glucose tolerance test and check-up 1 year after delivery.
- Normal test-result: oral glucose tolerance test, waist measurement, BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol-test, every 1-3 years.
- Abnormal test-result: Oral glucose tolerance test, waist measurement, BMI, blood pressure and cholesterol-test, every year.
Be in contact with your local health station
Log in to Citizen’s Health Service and book a telephone appointment to the nurse at your local health station. They will make the laboratory referral for you.
Clients living in Mustasaari/Korsholm area
Telephone hours Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00-9:00 tel. 06 218 4271 or book a telephone appointment from Citizen’s health service to the Cardiac Nurse.
Book the Glucose tolerance test (Remember to fast 12 hours before the test):
Take responsability of your health!
Omaperhe.fi helps you find information for your family, for example about pregnancy, giving birth, children’s growth, being a parent, or relationships. You can also find services and events near you.
Note: The website has a translation tool at the top of the page. You can use it in many other languages, besides Finnish, Swedish, and English.
The Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia distributes potassium iodide tablets to families with under 3-year old children and to pregnant women. This is in accordance with the guideline of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on the use of medical iodine in the event of a radiation hazard situation and preparedness.
Use of medical iodine in the event of a radiation hazard situation
The iodide tablets will be distributed to the households at a regular visit to the clinic. Pregnant women will also receive iodide tablets for their child to be born. For the rest of the population, i.e. children over 3 years and adults up to 40 years of age, self-preparedness is recommended. Households can purchase iodine tablets from pharmacies.
In the iodide package there is important information about how and when to use the tablets. Read this information carefully!
Potassium Iodide 65 mg – instructions (English)
Contact us
Once you have had a positive pregnancy test, book a telephone appointment at the Maternity Clinic, preferably via Citizen’s health service, Appointment Booking. We will call you back during the day to book your first appointment.
Alternatively, you can call the unit-specific phone numbers below during telephone hours.
Digital appointments:
- First contact by phone
- Telephone appointment with your Maternity Clinic nurse
- Telephone appointment to book a home visit with your own Maternity Clinic nurse
When you book an online appointment, we will call you back on the chosen day.
Payment for non-cancelled or a late cancelled booking.
You must cancel your appointment no later than the previous working day. For late cancellations or no-show appointments, we withhold the right to charge a fee according to our current pricing policy. The fee is charged to everyone over the age of 18. No fee is charged, if there is a valid reason for not cancelling the appointment, such as a medical certificate.
Northern area
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Middle area
Please note that the Vöyri Clinic has reception in Oravais.
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Southern area
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Mothers living in Kaskinen receives services at Närpiö Maternity Clinic.