Insurance
Always tell your health insurer that you are pregnant. Read your policy carefully, so that you know what is covered for the pregnancy, the birth and the maternity period.
Acknowledging parenthood and the surname
If you are not married, your baby automatically takes the mother's surname. The baby can also take your partner's surname, but for that your partner has to acknowledge the unborn child during the pregnancy — preferably before 24 weeks, the point of viability. You arrange that at the town hall.
Acknowledgement does more than settle the surname: it makes your partner a legal parent. Since 1 January 2023 joint parental authority follows from it automatically, which lets your partner take part in decisions about things like school, medical care and travelling abroad.
Maternity care
During a hospital or home birth, and throughout your maternity period, good support from a maternity nurse matters a great deal. Alongside the midwife she is the person to turn to with questions about caring for your baby, about breast or bottle feeding, and about anything else that comes up in those first weeks. We advise getting in touch with a maternity care organisation before 16 weeks of pregnancy.