Antenatal preparation

What is antenatal preparation?

Antenatal preparation gets you ready, physically and practically, for the birth and the first weeks with your child. In classes, you learn breathing and relaxation techniques, birthing positions and how a birth unfolds. Classes often also cover pain relief, the postnatal period, breastfeeding and caring for a newborn. Many classes take place in groups, some as individual sessions or for couples.

In health insurance, antenatal preparation is a special maternity benefit. Basic health insurance does not cover the full amount, but pays a fixed contribution of CHF 150. You receive the contribution for one of two forms:

1. Class: an antenatal class run by a midwife or a midwives’ organisation, individually or in groups.
2. Counselling session: a session with the midwife about the birth, planning and organising the postnatal period at home and preparing for breastfeeding.

Classes by other providers, such as physiotherapists, yoga teachers or fitness centres, do not fall under this rule. At most, they can be part-financed by supplementary insurance.

Antenatal preparation is one of a series of benefits around pregnancy: seven check-ups in a normal pregnancy, two ultrasound scans, the birth, the midwife’s home visits after the birth and three breastfeeding advice sessions. You pay no co-payment for any of these special benefits.

How it works

You sign up for a class or a counselling session with a midwife or a midwives’ organisation. You do not need a doctor’s prescription for this. After the class, you receive an invoice. You submit it to your insurer, or the midwife bills the contribution directly to the insurer.

The insurer pays CHF 150. Because no deductible or retention fee applies to the special maternity benefits, you receive the full contribution, even with a CHF 2,500 deductible. If the class costs more than CHF 150, you pay the rest yourself. Some supplementary insurance policies pay additional contributions towards antenatal classes; what your product pays is stated in the insurance conditions.

The contribution covers the class or the counselling session, not both together. If your doctor carries out the pregnancy check-ups on her own, she points out to you that a counselling session with a midwife is useful in the second trimester.

Legal basis

• Art. 29 para. 1 and 2 of the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG): In addition to the benefits for illness, basic health insurance covers the special maternity benefits. The details are set out in the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV).
• Art. 14 KLV: Contribution of CHF 150 for antenatal preparation in classes run by a midwife or a midwives’ organisation, individually or in groups (let. a), or for a counselling session with the midwife about the birth, the postnatal period at home and preparing for breastfeeding (let. b).
• Art. 13 let. a no. 1 KLV: If doctors carry out the check-ups on their own, they point out that a counselling session with the midwife under Art. 14 KLV is useful in the second trimester.
• Art. 16 para. 1 let. b KLV: Approved midwives and midwives’ organisations provide the benefits under Art. 14 KLV.
• Art. 64 para. 7 KVG: No co-payment on the special maternity benefits (let. a) and on all benefits for illness from the 13th week of pregnancy until eight weeks after the delivery (let. b).
• Art. 104 of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV): The hospital contribution is CHF 15 a day, not counting the day of discharge (para. 1 and 1bis). Children, young adults in education and women whose co-payment is waived under Art. 64 para. 7 KVG do not pay a contribution (para. 2).

Example: class, birth and premium for the child

Nadia is 33, has a CHF 2,500 deductible and is expecting her first child. In spring 2026, she attends a group class with a midwife that costs CHF 380 (assumption for the example). Her child is born in hospital; she stays four days.

Nadia needs separate basic health insurance for her child. Premiums 2026, municipality of Zurich (region 1), children, with accident cover; source FOPH: with a CHF 0 deductible, the cheapest basic health insurance cost CHF 120.30 a month, the median CHF 146.80 and the most expensive CHF 185.70. With a CHF 600 deductible, the figures were CHF 85.30, CHF 114.90 and CHF 150.70. The median premium therefore falls by CHF 31.90 a month, or CHF 382.80 a year.

What this means for you

Plan your antenatal preparation for the second trimester. These steps will help you:

1. Check who runs the class. Only classes and sessions with midwives or midwives’ organisations receive the basic health insurance contribution.
2. Choose a class or a session. The CHF 150 contribution applies to one or the other. A session is a good fit if you mainly want to plan the postnatal period at home.
3. Check your supplementary insurance. If your class costs more than CHF 150, read the insurance conditions to see whether your supplementary insurance pays a contribution. The profiles of the health insurers show which products an insurer offers.
4. Check the statement. No deductible may appear on the statement of benefits. Keep it, for example in your account.
5. Insure your child. For basic health insurance, you have until three months after the birth; cover applies retroactively from birth. For supplementary insurance, registration before birth is worthwhile. You can compare premiums in the premium calculator or in the children’s premium calculator.

Common mistakes

• Booking a class without a midwife and expecting the contribution. Basic health insurance only pays towards classes run by midwives and midwives’ organisations.
• Wanting to bill a class and a session together. The CHF 150 contribution applies to one or the other.
• Accepting a deductible on the contribution. Antenatal preparation is exempt from co-payment.
• Paying the hospital contribution at the birth. Women whose co-payment is waived because of maternity do not pay a hospital contribution.
• Not submitting the invoice. If the midwife does not bill the insurer directly, you have to send the invoice to the insurer yourself.

We explain how we present premiums and examples under how we calculate.