Maternity and child health clinics

The aim of maternity clinics is to further the health and well-being of the pregnant woman and the foetus. In addition to this, the aim is to promote the health and well-being of the future parents and the whole family, as well as the healthiness and safety in the future child’s developmental environment. Attention is paid to the couple relationship and to parenthood. The maternity and child health clinics help parents prepare for parenthood and the changes their child brings in the family, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Maternity clinic services are free of charge.

Contact a maternity clinic when you find out you are pregnant. We recommend both parents are present at the maternity clinic visit that takes place in early pregnancy.

Maternity clinics offer individual visits at the reception and home visits, as well as group activities. The activities also include various interviews describing the well-being of the whole family, such as interviews about the emotional state, intoxicating substances and domestic violence.

At visits to maternity clinics, the progress of the pregnancy is monitored, and in case of problems, the mother is sent for further treatment. In addition to this, multiprofessional family coaching is organized for expectant families.

The mother is offered the option of screenings for foetal chromosomal and structural abnormalities during the pregnancy as a part of a nationwide screening program. The examinations are carried out at the maternity outpatient clinic at Central Ostrobothnian Central Hospital. Examinations are always voluntary.

Digital preliminary information form

The maternity clinics use a digital preliminary information form, which you can fill out via DigiSoite’s My Healthcare service by navigating to the “Medical history and health surveys” section in the service.

The digital preliminary information form is intended for expectant mothers who are coming for their first visit at Soite’s maternity clinic. If the digital form is filled in before the first visit, the visit will go more smoothly, and the public health nurse will have information about the expectant mother already in advance.

Examinations at a maternity clinic

During a pregnancy that goes smoothly, the mother is offered 8-10 check-ups at a public health nurse’s reception and two visits to a doctor’s reception. In addition to this, we offer a home visit after the childbirth.

According to the act regulating maternity clinic services, one extensive health examination is carried out at 13-18 weeks of pregnancy, assessing the well-being and support needs of both parents and the family. The goal is to make a home visit to a family expecting their first child or that has had their first child. In addition to this, family coaching that is carried out multiprofessionally is organized for expectant families.

Visits to a public health nurse and doctor during the pregnancy

After childbirth:

• Postpartum visit home visit/visit to the maternity health clinic: public health nurse
• postpartum examination 5-12 weeks after childbirth: public health nurse/doctor

An online handbook by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL deals more broadly with the contents of periodic examinations and health care guidance carried out at maternity clinics:

A person planning a pregnancy, is given counselling by phone or an appointment with either a public health nurse/midwife or a doctor is booked depending on the matter. Typical reasons for needing pregnancy planning include e.g. the mother’s chronic disease, hereditary diseases in the family, psychosocial problems in the family, or the family’s need for information and support when considering or planning a pregnancy.

When a pregnancy test is positive, you can call the centralized phone service of the maternity and child health clinics in order to schedule a first visit.

The first visit to a public health nurse usually takes place at 8-10 weeks of pregnancy. We very much welcome both parents to the maternity health clinic. Topics that are discussed during the visit include your state of health, your feelings, expectations and health habits, as well as matters related to monitoring during the pregnancy. Fill out and print out the maternity clinic’s preliminary information form and bring it with you to your first visit.

The purpose of an extensive health examination is to, together with the family, examine not only the health and well-being of the pregnant woman and the foetus but also the health and well-being of the whole family, to strengthen the family’s resources, to identify support needs at an earlier stage and to ensure the timely provision of support for the family. It is carried out by a public health nurse/midwife in collaboration with a doctor. Both parents expecting a child are invited to the visit.

Oral health guidance for families expecting a child

Oral health guidance for families expecting a child is carried out in Soite via video link through DigiSoite’s Omahoito service.

Families make an appointment themselves for oral health guidance via DigiSoite’s My Healthcare service. Soite does not send a separate reminder about this appointment.

The key tasks of child health clinics are to monitor the child’s health, growth and overall development, as well as examining and supporting the well-being of the whole family. The starting point of the work is to identify the individual needs of the child and family and to support their resources. Attention is paid to the couple relationship and to parenthood. Child health clinic services are meant for children under school age and their families.

Child health clinic services are free of charge and operate by appointment. The child and family are transferred to the services of the child health clinics when the child is 2-3 weeks old. Appointments for 2-6-year-old children are booked digitally via DigiSoite’s My Healthcare service.

Monitoring the overall development includes assessments of the child’s interaction skills and linguistic development as well as social and motor skills at different ages. Key matters include the family’s resources and child-rearing, nutrition, physical activity, the daily rhythm, being outdoors, accidents, relationships, emotional state, domestic violence and intoxicating substances, as well as the family’s financial situation.

As the child approaches preschool age, the assessments also expand to working skills, daily activities, and learning.

Vaccines that are included in the national vaccination programme are given at the child health clinic.

The need for health care guidance and support is assessed through discussions with the family, as well as with the help of various methods and questionnaires. The forms of service at the child health clinics include individual appointments and home visits as well as group activities. The services also include various interviews describing the well-being of the whole family, such as interviews about the emotional state, intoxicating substances and domestic violence.

The child health clinic is visited regularly in accordance with the examination programme and the individual needs of the child or family. In addition to the public health nurse and doctor, specialists in different fields are available at the maternity and child health clinics as needed.

The purpose of family coaching and childbirth classes is to help prepare for parenthood and help having a successful childbirth, and it is intended for families who are expecting their first child, but persons who are becoming parents again are also welcome.

Childbirth classes

Childbirth classes are organised in small groups at Central Ostrobothnian Central Hospital and primarily for persons who are having their first child and for support persons who are going to be present at the childbirth. A good time to participate in a class is approximately after 35 weeks of pregnancy. A place in a childbirth class is booked digitally.

The goal of childbirth classes is to strengthen the mother’s own resources and to help her prepare for the coming childbirth. The coaching involves going through preparation, the phases of childbirth as well as the options for pain relief. The classes also include a visit to the delivery room. The duration of the class is approximately 2-3 hours.

The maternity and child health clinics implement the method Let’s Talk about Children, which is intended to help in addressing themes related to pregnancy, parenthood and the couple relationship.

Family coaching

Soite’s family centre services offer family coaching in cooperation with various other family centre services in the Central Ostrobothnia region. Enrol:

The pregnancy is preparation for parenthood and for a life as a family with a baby.

Below, you will find a list of family coaching-themed links and videos that offer an opportunity to pause and look at this new and important stage of life before the birth of the child and to strengthen the parents’ knowledge and skills so that everyday life with the baby goes smoothly.

Childbirth classes are carried out in small groups at Central Ostrobothnian Central Hospital after approximately 35 weeks of pregnancy.

Soite’s family centre services offer family coaching in cooperation with various other family centre services in the Central Ostrobothnia region. Enrol in:

I am becoming a mother

Breastfeeding

Early interaction

Baby care

Information about life as a family with children

The Voimaperheet model is implemented at the child health clinics in the Soite region. All parents are asked to fill out the Voimaperheet maternity and child health clinic questionnaire before their child’s health examination at 4 years of age. The questionnaire is be mailed home to families during the month before the child’s birthday. If you have not received the questionnaire, you will receive it from your public health nurse during the visit to the child health clinic.

The questionnaire will be used to identify families who would benefit from a parental guidance programme produced over the internet and by phone. The programme aims to increase the parents’ positive parenting skills and life management under the guidance of a family coach. The programme aims to reach the families whose child has behavioural problems. Parental guidance is carried out by the Voimaperheet team at the University of Turku.

You can also get more information by contacting: voimaperheet@utu.fi

Soite is a participant in a study called Yhdessä vahvaksi, which examines the prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy and examines the effects of a treatment regimen delivered over the internet and by phone on the health of the pregnant woman and the child.

Depressive symptoms during pregnancy are screened using an EPDS form (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), which is given together with a consent form to the pregnant woman on the first visit to the maternity health clinic. The family is asked to complete the forms that are filled in at home and to bring them to the next visit to the maternity clinic. The study will include the mothers who have signs of depressive symptoms based on the form and who have given their permission to use their data for research purposes.

During the study, mothers are offered help in accordance with research-based treatment methods for depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Half of the mothers participating in the study receive a program based on a behaviour therapy treatment model during the pregnancy and the other half receives a digital information package about well-being and self-care during pregnancy. The efficacy of the treatment is assessed after the end of the treatment programme. The intention is to use the data from the study in the development of identification and treatment of depression during pregnancy.

 The study is carried out by the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry at the University of Turku.

Kela supports families with children when the child is born and when the child grows up. Parents are entitled to family leave and various benefits paid by Kela.