Pregnancy in Hungary

Private and public pregnancy care in Hungary

Once you or your loved one has confirmed the pregnancy, you will have to choose between the public health system or private care for the entirety of the process. Public care is free for everyone with a Hungarian social security card, but the system has been struggling with staff shortages and maternity ward closures, with a consequent drop in quality of care and extension of waiting times. Complaints regarding a lack of air conditioning during summer months, outdated sanitary facilities, and overcrowded 6-to-8-bed recovery rooms are increasingly more commonplace.

The previously common practice of giving gratitude money ("hálapénz", meaning cash payments historically given to doctors for better care) has been strictly criminalized in recent years. As a consequence, you have no way to choose your own care personnel in a public hospital throughout the pregnancy process, and you will be attended to by whoever is on duty when you go into labor, though some hospitals still allow you to contract a specific midwife for a fee to ensure continuous support during labor.

This is a major source of anxiety for those who prefer a continuous relationship with one doctor throughout the pregnancy process. For expats, this also exacerbates the language barrier issues, as English-speaking staff is not guaranteed in public facilities, especially outside Budapest.

To avoid the uncertainties of the public system, many expats opt for private care, which provides English-speaking staff, modern facilities, and the ability to choose your specific doctor and midwife. Packages that include prenatal care and delivery, ensuring a predictable environment that resembles Western European or North American standards.

Complete birth packages in the private sector can range significantly in price, often costing between 1.5 million and 3.5 million HUF, depending on the clinic and the level of doctor seniority chosen.

Regardless of your choice, you will have to register with the district's "védőnő," who is a nurse-midwife assigned to your residential address who monitors the social and physical well-being of the mother and the child. She is the only official authorized to issue your maternity booklet. Without this document, you may be ineligible for state maternity benefits or birth registration.

Pregnancy check-ups in Hungary

Prenatal care in Hungary is medicalized and thorough. You will likely have appointments every four weeks until the 36th week of pregnancy, after which monitoring becomes weekly. Expect four ultrasounds: a confirmation scan, a genetic scan at 12 weeks, an anatomy scan at 18-20 weeks, and a growth scan at 30 or 32 weeks. While the basic 12-week genetic screening is available publicly, many expats pay out-of-pocket for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), such as PrenaTest or Panorama, which are widely available in private centers.

Laboratory tests are frequent and include blood type determination, infection screenings, and a sugar load test between weeks 24 and 28 to screen for gestational diabetes.

Giving birth in Hungary

As a general rule, head to the maternity ward when contractions are regular every 4 to 5 minutes for at least an hour. If your water breaks or you experience heavy bleeding, you should call 112 for an ambulance immediately. Do note that Hungary has one of the highest C-section birth rates at around 40% in total and sometimes exceeding 50% at private clinics. In the public health system, labor is still heavily medicalized, and interventions such as oxytocin induction and episiotomies are more common than in many Western European countries.

Hospital birth in Hungary

You need to prepare in advance for the basic conditions of a public hospital in Hungary. It is standard practice to bring your own supplies, including toilet paper, soap, cutlery, towels, and diapers for the baby. Private rooms are rare and often unavailable even if you are willing to pay extra – another reason why many locals and expats alike opt for private care instead.

Midwives handle the majority of labor management in hospitals. Doulas are permitted to accompany you in most delivery rooms alongside your partner. They provide emotional and physical support but do not perform medical tasks.

Home birth in Hungary

Home birth is legal in Hungary, but only in case of a low-risk pregnancy. It must also be attended by two licensed midwives from an accredited service provider, like A Te Szülésed or Életfa. Public ambulances will transfer you to a hospital if complications arise, but be aware that many mainstream doctors still hold conservative views against home birth, which can be a cause of friction in case a transfer becomes necessary.

Good to know:

Hungary has strict naming laws. If one parent is Hungarian, the child's name must be chosen from an official government-approved list of names. If both parents are foreign citizens, you may register a name that is acceptable in your home country, but this often requires obtaining an official certificate from your consulate.

Postnatal care involves a mandatory six-week postpartum check with the mother's gynecologist. The baby will require regular pediatric visits for weight checks and to follow the strictly enforced vaccination schedule. The district “védőnő” will regularly visit your home early on, serving as the primary liaison for health documentation. Only the védőnő can issue the maternity booklet that tracks the checkups. The pediatrician can sign off on sick leave and provide referrals to specialists.

Abortion in Hungary

Abortion is legal in Hungary up to the twelfth week of pregnancy for social reasons, or until the 24th week in cases of severe genetic disorders or medical necessity, but the process is deliberately made difficult and bureaucratic.

You must undergo a mandatory counseling process first. You will need to first obtain a certificate of pregnancy from a gynecologist and then visit the Family Protection Service twice for consultation, with a mandatory minimum three-day “reflection period” between the visits. A “heartbeat decree” is also in effect, which requires prospective mothers to be presented with the fetus's vital signs before the second counseling session.

The cost for a non-medical abortion is approximately 40-50,000 HUF, or 100-130 EUR in the public system. Elective surgical abortions are not available in private clinics due to legal restrictions – patients are referred to public hospitals for the procedure.

Useful links:

UNHCR - Access to health care in Hungary

U.S. Embassy in Hungary: Medical Assistance and List of Providers in Budapest