Giving childbirth in Luxembourg

Overview of childbirth in Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, every woman or family that decides to have a child receives maximum attention from the state. The average age of women giving birth is 30-34 years. 

A woman can choose where to give birth to her child. Although most expecting mothers traditionally prefer to do this in a hospital, home births accompanied by experienced midwives are also gaining popularity. As the costs of home births are also partially covered by the CNS since 2022, the number of home births is increasing.

Prenatal care in Luxembourg

Pregnancy monitoring in Luxembourg is carried out by a gynecologist. To receive prenatal care, a woman will need to do the following:

Choosing a healthcare provider, confirming the pregnancy, and scheduling the next appointment

The very first step after a positive pregnancy test is choosing a gynecologist.

During the first appointment, the doctor will confirm the pregnancy with a medical certificate, issue a maternity record book (carnet de maternité), and an application form for prenatal benefits. If the woman is employed, she must send this certificate to her employer to officially notify him of her pregnancy and intention to take maternity leave.

In addition, the woman must visit the dentist and make a corresponding note in the book. The next appointment is usually scheduled in 2-3 weeks.

A gynecologist can be chosen freely. Read our article on how to make an appointment for the first appointment.

Medical examinations

During pregnancy, a woman visits her doctor every month and undergoes various examinations:

• blood tests,
• urine tests,
• heart tests.

Three screenings are mandatory: at 11-14 weeks, 22-24 weeks and 32-34 weeks. But in addition to them, you can optionally undergo an ultrasound scan at each appointment to monitor the growth of the child.

1. At the first screening, the gynecologist conducts a detailed ultrasound and a non-invasive prenatal test to identify pathologies. In addition, during the screening, the child's blood type is determined.

   After this, the woman will have two visits once a month to assess her general condition.

2. At the second screening, a detailed ultrasound and blood test are also performed.

   At 6 months, the woman again undergoes a general examination and can talk to a midwife from the chosen clinic to discuss the birth plan.At seven months—another visit to the doctor and the passage of the HGPO (oral glucose tolerance test). In addition, if during the first screening, the mother, and fetus were found to have a Rh conflict, the woman will be given an injection of immunoglobulin.

3. During the third screening, the woman undergoes another detailed ultrasound examination, lasting about 30 minutes.

A month before giving birth, a general examination to assess the woman's condition is scheduled, an examination for infections and determination of the position of the fetus. During this month, it is necessary to undergo cardiotocography once every 10 days to monitor the condition of the child.

Childbirth process and options

As already mentioned, in Luxembourg there are two options for giving birth: at home or in a hospital. In either case, a midwife will accompany the woman during the birth.

Home birth

If the expecting mother has decided to give birth at home, she should inform her gynecologist about this as early as possible. According to statistics, about 6 home births are performed in the Grand Duchy per year, most often chosen by women giving birth to their second or third child. The process of home birth also takes place under the guidance of an experienced midwife.

Specialists can be found at Luxembourg Midwives Association (Association Luxembourgeoise des Sages-Femmes) or in The LUNATA center.

Addresses of midwives in Luxembourg

To make an appointment or for more information, you can contact your chosen midwife directly.

Childbirth in the hospital

The most common type of birth is simply going to the hospital when the time is there. It should be noted that there are no specialized maternity hospitals in Luxembourg, but there are specialized maternity departments in large local hospitals. If the pregnancy is going without complications, it is recommended to go to the hospital when contractions begin to occur every 4-5 minutes. At this point, the clinic should be contacted and then follow the advice of the nurse.

For hospitalization, the expecting mother will need the following documents:

Info

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

identity card

healthcare card (carte de securité sociale)

blood group card

the name of pediatrician

any extra insurance documents (mutuelle) if necessary

birth plan

Info

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

Luxembourg

Guide

Healthcare

Healthcare system in Luxembourg

Cost of giving birth in Luxembourg

In total, all the expenses for pregnancy and childbirth amount to a considerable sum – more than 7,000 euros. Fortunately, their payment is covered by the CNS – the National Health Fund.

There are some important to remember about CNS:

• It is available for residents. For everyone else, private health insurance options are available.
• The state only covers the costs if the doctor is a member of the state health system.
• The CNS covers prenatal care, childbirth and postnatal care for mothers and babies. This includes regular check-ups, ultrasounds and other necessary medical interventions. The exact amount that the state will be able to reimburse is usually announced by the doctor.
• Reimbursement of expenses is only possible after payment for medical services. The time for reimbursement from the time the request is sent until the transfer to the bank account is received is currently between 2 and 4 weeks.

Health insurance and the benefits it provides to pregnant women are described in detail in our article.

Postnatal care

The mother and child remain under close supervision of specialists for some time after birth.

Legal procedures and aspects after having a baby in Luxembourg

Once a child is born, the parents are required to register it within 10 days of the birth. This can be done by the father or mother at the civil registrar in the commune where they live. Non-Luxembourg parents must first declare the child at the commune and then at their consulate or embassy. Alternatively, the birth can be registered by a doctor, midwife or other person present at the birth. Although the registry office receives daily birth data from clinics, this data does not constitute a declaration of birth.

Required documents

To register a new born baby officially, you will need to provide some documents to the authorities. In case the parents of the baby are not born in Luxembourg, it is necessary to inform the authorities of the country of origin of the parents.

To register a newborn, you will need the following documents.

Info

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

The birth certificate, issued by a doctor or midwife.

Family record book or marriage certificate, if the child was born to a married couple. It must be translated into French, German or English.

Identity documents of the mother and father, if the child was born out of wedlock.

Identity card of the applicant - if he/she is not one of the parents.

Joint application signed by both parents indicating the surname of the newborn - if one of the parents is a Luxembourg citizen

Info

*The mandatory items are marked with red asterisks.

Obtaining a birth certificate and sending copies

Once the birth has been registered, the Bureau des déclarations de naissance will send the parents 8 copies of the certificate.

Child benefits and family allowance in Luxembourg

The state supports parents of newborns and pays them an amount of 1,740.90 euros. Applications for birth benefits must be submitted to the Children's Future Fund (Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants – CAE). The application form for receiving the benefit is given to the mother by the gynecologist during the first visit.

To receive benefits, you must meet several criteria.

• reside in Luxembourg;
• for non-residents: have a job in Luxembourg
• undergo all mandatory medical examinations during pregnancy and after childbirth.

The benefit is paid in three parts. The first part can be received before the birth or immediately after, together with the second part. The third part is paid when the child reaches the age of two.

In Luxembourg, the quality of healthcare is very high. According to the WHO, the country has one of the lowest neonatal mortality  rates in the world, so both the expecting mother and the child are in good hands throughout the pregnancy and during the birth process.