Having a child: accompaniment during pregnancy

Pregnant women (Portuguese women or foreign nationals* who have resided in Portugal for more than 90 days) are entitled to free check-ups during their pregnancy and for the first 60 days after giving birth. You will need to go to your Health Centre for these pre-natal appointments and ask to be seen by a family doctor.

*  Pregnant women who are foreign nationals and do not have a residence permit are entitled to free check-ups during pregnancy, as long as they can produce proof of residence issued by the parish council in their area of residence, indicating that they have resided in Portugal for more than 90 days.

Mothers and fathers can both take time off work to attend pre-natal appointments (fathers can take up to 3 days off to accompany the pregnant woman). Preparation for childbirth counts as a pre-natal appointment.

When you attend your first appointment, you will receive your pregnancy health record [Boletim de Saúde da Grávida], in which the healthcare professional will record any observations, including your estimated due date.

This record can be used to inform your employer that you are pregnant. You should take this record with you in order to be entitled to priority treatment at public services, and to exemption from health service user fees.

In a normal (low-risk) pregnancy, the schedule of your appointments should be as follows:

In addition to appointments, there are regular clinical examinations and scans to check the health of the mother and baby throughout the pregnancy.

Besides the check-ups, there are regular clinical examinations and scans to evaluate the state of health of the mother and the baby throughout the pregnancy.

Pregnant women covered under the national health system (SNS) are entitled to ‘dental vouchers’ [cheques-dentista], which will be issued by their family doctor.

Pregnant women are entitled to a maximum of three dental vouchers per pregnancy, which can be used up to 60 days after the birth, and treatments are free of charge. More information on ‘dental vouchers’ is available on the SNS portal.

When your expected due date approaches, the family doctor will refer you for an appointment at the hospital where your baby will be born.

This is an opportunity to talk to the medical team about your birth plan, including your preferences about pain relief methods (e.g. type of anaesthesia), and who you would like be present during labour (if there are complications, it will not be possible to be accompanied).

Find out in the SNS24 Pregnancy Guide whether you can do physical exercise, the most appropriate clothing to wear during pregnancy, and about dietary recommendations.

For any further questions about pregnancy, sexuality and family planning, you can contact ‘Ajuda de Mãe’ (Help for Mothers) via the SOS pregnancy line.

You can also consult the SNS24 Guide Care for pregnant women during childbirth for information on the right to be accompanied during labour, including caesarean sections.