Guides for parents in Latvia
Practical articles with verifiable sources, clear next steps and the details that matter in Latvia.
PregnancyYour first appointment and pregnancy care in Latvia
When to register, what the state covers and how to choose a gynaecologist or midwife.
PregnancyPregnancy calendar: three trimesters without the overload
Key milestones, examinations and practical tasks for each trimester.
PregnancyFood and supplements during pregnancy
A safe everyday foundation, higher-risk foods and sensible supplement use.
PregnancyPregnancy warning signs: when not to wait
Symptoms that require a call to maternity care, your clinician or emergency number 113.
BirthHow to choose a maternity unit in Latvia
Safety, distance, newborn care capacity and the questions worth asking.
BirthPacking for the maternity unit: a calm, short list
Documents, comfortable essentials, baby's first clothes and a small partner bag.
BirthA birth plan that supports rather than restricts
One page of priorities, medical information and flexible preferences.
BirthThe birth partner: practical ways to help
From the route and bag to breathing, communication with staff and the first hours.
NewbornThe first days with your baby: paperwork and practical steps in Latvia
A clear order for birth registration, benefits, family-doctor care and a safe start at home.
NewbornGetting breastfeeding started
Positioning, attachment, signs of milk intake and timely help without guilt.
NewbornSafer sleep for your baby
A simple, repeatable sleep environment that reduces suffocation and overheating risks.
NewbornWhy babies cry and how to help
A systematic needs check, safe soothing and a plan for moments when the caregiver feels overwhelmed.
NewbornRecovery after birth
What to expect physically and emotionally, how to organise help and when to act urgently.
Health & safetyTemperature in a baby: measuring and seeking help
Safe measurement, assessment of the whole child and special caution under three months.
Health & safetyChildhood vaccination in Latvia
Using the national schedule, preparing for an appointment, aftercare and safely catching up missed vaccines.
Health & safetyA family doctor for your child: registration and first-year care
Choosing a practice, preparing for reviews and knowing where to go when the doctor is unavailable.
Health & safetyChildren's dentistry in Latvia: state funding and the first visit
What is free for children, how to find a contracted provider and how to prepare.
Benefits & documentsMaternity benefit in 2026: duration, calculation and application
80% of average insured earnings for 56 or 70 days before and after birth.
Benefits & documentsParental benefit in 2026: choosing 13 or 19 months
60% or 43.75%, the non-transferable part and the 2026 rule for working parents.
Benefits & documentsRegistering a child's birth in Latvia
Where to submit information, how the child receives an identity number and what comes next.
Benefits & documentsMunicipal grants after a child's birth
Why amounts and residence conditions vary and how not to miss the deadline.
Family & wellbeingEmotions after birth: low mood, anxiety and support
Distinguishing short-lived emotional swings from a condition needing professional care.
Family & wellbeingYour relationship after baby: a team under sleep deprivation
Short check-ins, visible division of work and ways to reduce resentment.
Family & wellbeingChoosing a baby's name in Latvia: sound, spelling and name days
Testing how a name lives in three languages and fits Latvian documents.
PregnancyPlanning a pregnancy in Latvia: a healthy start before conception
A practical guide for both partners on check-ups, folic acid, vaccination, medicines and getting help in Latvia.
Benefits & documentsRights at work during pregnancy in Latvia: a practical guide
How to notify an employer, request safe conditions or part-time hours, and respond when your rights are not respected.
Family & wellbeingMental health during pregnancy: when and where to seek help
Anxiety and low mood do not have to be endured alone—warning signs, how to start the conversation and routes to care in Latvia.
Health & safetyThe pelvic floor during pregnancy and after birth
What leakage, pressure or pain may mean, how to exercise safely and how to find pelvic-health care in Latvia.
BirthCaesarean birth: preparation and recovery in Latvia
Questions before a planned operation, organising the first days and warning signs that need urgent care.
NewbornA premature baby and NICU: a guide for parents in Latvia
What to expect in neonatal intensive care, how parents can participate and how follow-up works after discharge.
Health & safetyNewborn jaundice: what to watch and when to act urgently
Why skin becomes yellow, how bilirubin is assessed and which signs should never wait until morning.
NewbornNewborn hygiene and umbilical-cord care in the first weeks
Simple, gentle daily care without unnecessary products, plus signs that should be assessed by a clinician.
NewbornFormula and combination feeding: safe and free from shame
Choosing and preparing formula, keeping equipment clean and feeding responsively rather than according to other people’s judgement.
NewbornStarting complementary foods in Latvia: a safe and calm first menu
Readiness, first tastes, iron-rich foods, allergens and choking prevention without competing over how much the baby eats.
Health & safetyA safe home for a baby’s first year: a room-by-room check
Preventing falls, burns, choking and poisoning before the baby masters the next unexpected skill.
Benefits & documentsReturning to work and arranging childcare in Latvia: an unhurried plan
Coordinating parental leave, benefit, flexible work and nursery adaptation as separate but connected decisions.