“After studying 10 European countries— Belgium, Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kin gdom— it is clear that no pregnant woman in Europe needs to ask how or where she will receive care or who will pay for it. In all countries, perinatal care is either free, without means testing, or involves negligible charges that are readily waived in the event of need.”

—C. Arden Miller, M.D., from his study “Maternal Health and Infant Survival: An International Perspective,” 1987

Lise
social worker, Norway

Maternity care is very good in Norway, that’s for sure. All pre-natal care and delivery, everything is free, absolutely free. We have nurse midwives who always deliver the baby unless there’s a complication and then the doctor helps.

There’s no place that I know of in Europe where a pregnant woman can’t get care.