When to arrange the first appointment
After a positive pregnancy test, contact a gynaecologist, midwife or family doctor. Give the first day of your last period, mention important health conditions and say whether you have pain or bleeding. The clinician will suggest an appropriate appointment date; if you feel well, there is usually no need to obtain an ultrasound the same day. Care should, however, begin in the first trimester and you should be medically registered by week 12. This allows risks to be assessed early. For a socially insured woman, starting care by week 12 and continuing throughout pregnancy is also one condition for 70 rather than 56 prenatal days of maternity benefit.
How to choose state-funded care
State-funded antenatal care is provided by a gynaecologist, midwife or family doctor contracted by Latvia's National Health Service, NVD. Search Rindapiearsta.lv or call NVD on 80001234, then confirm the individual professional and service when booking. Once pregnancy is confirmed, there is no patient co-payment for pregnancy-related consultations and scheduled examinations delivered through an NVD-contracted provider; related postnatal care is also covered for up to 70 days.
If you choose a clinician without an NVD contract, consultations, laboratory tests and diagnostic examinations are private services. A referral from a private clinician does not by itself guarantee state funding. Before every referral, ask where it can be used and whether both the provider and service are covered.
What to bring and prepare
- identification;
- the first day of your last period and any cycle irregularity;
- the history of previous pregnancies, births and pregnancy losses;
- details of chronic conditions, operations, allergies and significant infections;
- every medicine, vitamin, herbal product and supplement, including the dose;
- relevant reports and results, especially anything not visible in E-veselība;
- questions about work, exercise, travel, food or emotional wellbeing.
Do not stop a regular prescription medicine on your own. An untreated condition can sometimes be riskier than a carefully selected medicine, so review treatment with the clinician who knows your pregnancy.
What the first assessment usually covers
Your clinician discusses your medical and family history, estimates the due date and assesses blood pressure, weight and individual risk factors. Blood and urine tests, infection screening and other checks are arranged according to gestation and clinical need. Not everyone needs the same additional tests. Within NVD-funded care, the first scheduled ultrasound is at weeks 11–13 and the second at weeks 20–21; further examinations are added when medically indicated.
Leave with a clear care plan
Before leaving, agree the next appointment, how results will be received and whom to contact with an urgent concern. Useful questions include:
- Who coordinates my care, and who covers when they are absent?
- Where will I see results, and who calls if something is abnormal?
- What should I do in the evening or at weekends?
- Does my health history change the schedule or screening offered?
- When should we discuss the maternity unit, preparation classes and the electronic B incapacity certificate?
- Which languages are available, and may a support person join the appointment?
The schedule may change as the pregnancy develops. If you switch professionals, request an organised summary and make sure the new team receives the essential information.
When not to wait for the routine visit
Contact a clinician or maternity unit urgently for bleeding, severe or one-sided pain, suspected waters breaking, fainting, fever, inability to keep fluids down or, later in pregnancy, a clear change in your baby's usual movements. Call 113 for a life-threatening situation such as unconsciousness, seizures, sudden breathing difficulty or heavy bleeding. Uncertainty is a valid reason to call; you do not have to wait until a symptom becomes unbearable.
After the appointment: keep the information together
It can be difficult to remember every name and deadline in the first weeks, so create one secure place for your care information. Record the clinician's name, practice contacts, next appointment, requested tests and where results will appear. Keep referrals and copies of privately obtained reports because information does not always reach every subsequent provider automatically. Note separately whom to call during office hours and where to seek advice at night or at weekends.
When results arrive, do not interpret a number outside the laboratory reference range in isolation. Some values change during pregnancy and the clinician considers them in context. If an explanation is unclear, ask for plain language and write down the next action. Avoid comparing your schedule with a friend's pregnancy or an online forum: additional appointments can reflect individual caution or a clinical need. Equally, fewer tests do not automatically mean incomplete care when the agreed programme is being followed. A simple folder or note should contain only what you need: dates, decisions, questions and reliable contacts. Review it before each appointment, remove questions that have been answered and bring forward anything that still worries you. This small routine reduces mental load, makes handovers between professionals safer and helps you notice when a promised result or follow-up has not arrived.