During your stay in Malta, you may go through important life events such as pregnancy. As a future mother, you can rely on Malta's solid healthcare system. From the initial test to prenatal care and childbirth, this article will guide you through what to expect during your pregnancy journey in Malta.
Good to know:
Malta remains a conservative country regarding pregnancy. In the case of an unwanted pregnancy, keep in mind that聽abortion is still prohibited in Malta (except in cases where the pregnant woman's life is in danger), but there are solutions.
Pregnancy test in Malta
If you think you might be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test, which can initially be done at home. These tests are accurate and available in all pharmacies and even some supermarkets. Some tests can indicate how many weeks pregnant you are.
If the test is positive, confirm the result with a blood test by visiting your general practitioner or gynecologist. If the home pregnancy test is negative but you still have symptoms, take another test, then a blood test.
The morning-after pill in Malta
The morning-after pill is an emergency contraception used when regular contraception has failed or in the case of unprotected intercourse. The sooner you take it, the more likely you are to prevent a pregnancy.
In Malta, for ethical reasons (as the country is conservative regarding pregnancy), each pharmacy can choose whether or not to distribute it. It is common for the pharmacist to ask a few questions before providing a morning-after pill. Here is the .
Important:
The morning-after pill is not an abortive pill. It is a hormonal contraceptive. If you take it while already pregnant, it will not harm your pregnancy or cause a miscarriage.
What to do if you are pregnant in Malta?
If your pregnancy test is positive, contact your family doctor or general practitioner for an initial examination. Then choose a gynecologist or obstetrician, as these two specialists usually work in clinics or hospitals, either private or public.
The prohibition of abortion in Malta
As mentioned above, abortion is prohibited in Malta, a conservative country where Catholicism is the state religion. The Maltese penal code states that women who terminate their pregnancies are liable to fines and imprisonment from eighteen months to three years.
Unfortunately, this law applies even in cases of severe fetal anomaly, pregnancies resulting from rape, or if the physical or mental health of the pregnant person, or even their life, is at risk. An exception was introduced in 2023. The only case in which abortion is permitted is when the pregnant woman suffers from a medical complication likely to pose an immediate threat to her life or represents a serious danger to her health that could lead to death. The goal is to "save the life and protect the health" of the pregnant woman. However, public debate on this issue is evolving: more and more people are speaking out against the abortion ban in Malta.
So if you become pregnant during your stay in Malta and wish to end your pregnancy, you must travel abroad, as Maltese women currently do. Among the countries in Europe where such procedures are allowed are France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Before planning your abortion abroad, you need to find out about the cases in which abortion is permitted, the conditions, and the timeframes.
Keep in mind that abortion abroad is at your own expense. However, the can assist and support you if you need it.
Pregnancy follow-up in Malta
For your pregnancy聽follow-up in Malta, you must choose between the public hospital and the private system. The latter option, of course, is more expensive. If you opt for a private hospital, ensure you have taken out private health insurance, as Maltese social security does not cover this type of healthcare expense.
Here are some of the main hospitals and clinics in Malta offering maternity and obstetric services: Mater Dei Hospital (public), Gozo General Hospital (public), and Saint James Hospital (private). You will find them in the "Useful links" section at the end of this article. Some hospitals also offer infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
During your pregnancy in Malta, you will need to undergo regular check-ups and tests over the nine months. The first appointment takes place between 8 and 12 weeks of pregnancy, during the first trimester. You will learn the estimated delivery date. In private hospitals and clinics, screenings for trisomy, structural abnormalities, growth issues later in the pregnancy, and high blood pressure risk can also be performed.
After the 12th week of pregnancy, at the beginning of the second trimester, you can have a nuchal translucency scan. Urine tests and ultrasounds are regularly performed by the gynecologist or obstetrician. Between the 19th and 24th week, an anomaly scan (or morphology scan) is recommended.
You can choose to have 4D ultrasounds between the 27th and 29th week of pregnancy. It is strongly recommended to have a growth ultrasound between the 32nd and 36th week.
This follow-up, along with the advice and guidance of your practitioner, will also help you with common pregnancy-related issues, such as morning sickness and chronic back pain. Your gynecologist or obstetrician will assist you with issues such as miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and the loss of a baby.
Prenatal classes in Malta
During your pregnancy in Malta, you have the option to attend prenatal classes: birth preparation, breastfeeding, Pilates, exercise sessions, etc.
At Mater Dei Hospital, the offers online classes for pregnant women/couples and new parents. Classes start from the tenth week of pregnancy, and some are in English.
Giving birth in Malta
Make sure you have prepared your birth plan by choosing the hospital and packing your bag and the baby's, as well as the pain relief you will take. It's worth noting that:
- More than half of women give birth without assistance;
- Cesarean section is the second most common type of delivery;
- Followed by operative vaginal delivery (forceps, vacuum, or breech delivery).
Childbirth in Malta
Parents must register the newborn in Malta and then notify the public registry within 15 days of the birth. To register, you can:
- Go to the offices of Identity Malta Agency (Msida), the public registry (Marsa), or the Gozo public registry (Victoria, Gozo);
- Apply online at ;
- Send an email to localnotifications.pubreg.identita@gov.mt.
Once the birth declaration is made, you must request a birth certificate online within 10 working days on the government website.
Useful links:
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
