Pregnancy
From the first signs to the birth: the Mutter-Kind-Pass examinations, symptoms, nutrition, medication and the questions between appointments.
A pregnancy brings more examinations, questions and opinions in forty weeks than the ten years before it. This overview sorts what belongs at the practice, what you can work out yourself and where the answers are to the questions that come up between two appointments.
The Eltern-Kind-Pass (formerly Mutter-Kind-Pass, the Austrian maternity record) sets the rhythm: five obstetric examinations, the ultrasound scans and the laboratory tests, each in a set window. Which one is due when, the maternity passport planner works out from your due date – with the exact windows and as a calendar file. The date itself comes from the due date calculator, the course week by week from the pregnancy calendar. One exception is the glucose tolerance test: it takes at least two hours and is not carried out at this practice but, by appointment, at a laboratory.
Ultrasound is the central examination, and it can do less than many expect: it shows the baby's position, growth and supply, a weight estimate is accurate to ten to fifteen per cent, and a normal scan is no guarantee. What it shows and what it does not is explained on the page Ultrasound. A 3D image is not medically necessary and depends on the baby's position – if it comes easily, you get one; it cannot be promised.
The questions in between. May I have an X-ray? What does a low iron level mean? Which vaccinations make sense now, and which do not? How much weight should I gain? The articles on X-rays and radiation, the blood count and vaccination before and during pregnancy answer these in detail; the weight gain calculator shows the range for your starting weight.
What the practice provides. Confirmation of pregnancy, care according to the Eltern-Kind-Pass and the advice in between – as a private (Wahlarzt) practice with the time a conversation needs. You submit the invoice to your insurer; the amounts are listed under Fees. Make an appointment.
Calculators for this topic
Estimated due date by Naegele’s rule, optionally corrected by cycle length or ultrasound.
Pregnancy calendarAll 40 weeks in detail: your baby’s development, symptoms, upcoming check-ups.
Maternity passport plannerEvery appointment of the new programme with time windows, content and calendar export.
Pregnancy weight gainThe recommended range depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI – calculated for your week.
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UltrasoundThe central examination in gynaecology. What becomes visible, how accurate a weight estimate is – and what a normal …
X-rays and radiationThe question asked most often with real fear – and almost always answerable with reassurance.
Frequently asked questions
When should the first appointment be?
Around the sixth to eighth week after your last period, once the test is positive. By then an ultrasound can confirm that the pregnancy is in the uterus and a heartbeat can be seen – and the Eltern-Kind-Pass is issued.
Does public insurance pay for the Eltern-Kind-Pass examinations?
The examinations in the record are covered by public insurance. At a private (Wahlarzt) practice you pay the fee first and submit the invoice; the insurer refunds 80 per cent of the corresponding public tariff. That applies to the Austrian public system; anyone insured privately or abroad submits the invoice to their own insurer.
Is the glucose tolerance test done at the practice?
No. The test takes at least two hours and is done by appointment at a laboratory; some GPs offer it as well. The window for it lies between the 24th and 28th week.
How many ultrasound scans are planned?
The Eltern-Kind-Pass provides for ultrasound scans in set windows; from 1 October 2026 the public insurer additionally refunds a fourth scan before the birth. Further scans are possible where there is a medical reason.
Which symptoms need to be checked straight away?
Bleeding, severe or persistent lower abdominal pain, fever, sudden swelling with headache or visual disturbance, and in the second half: noticeably fewer movements than usual. In these cases, do not wait for the next appointment.