The GuidesPregnancy, birth & motherhood in Germany,in English
8 min read · Last updated September 2026 · Kept current by Emma, Birth & Mother
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The LibraryWhat arethe guides
Pregnancy, birth, the Wochenbett and the years after: everything I have written about motherhood in Germany, in English, open to every woman here and kept up to date as care here changes.
I started because, pregnant with my second daughter in Potsdam, I often left appointments with more questions than answers. As my own motherhood changes, I will keep writing about its more intimate parts too.
If this is your first pregnancy here, start with Birth in Germany, or Step by Step to see where you are. The Glossary has the German words in plain English.
Season onePregnancy& birth
GuideWhere to Give BirthHospital, birth house, or home.
GuideIn LabourThe stages, what helps with the pain, and what to say.
GuideWhen Birth Changes CourseA caesarean, breech, or VBAC, and the decisions that are yours to make.
GuideWhere to give birth in PotsdamThe three Potsdam birth spaces side by side: births a year, care levels, registration, water birth, and pain relief.
GuideQuestions for your birth spaceWhat to ask when you visit a hospital or birth house, so you leave knowing it is right for you.
GuidePast your due dateWhat week 40 and beyond looks like, the monitoring, and the choices you can make.
GuideBirth preferencesWhy preferences rather than a plan: your priorities, labour, interventions, the first hour, and your rights.
GuideWhat your insurance coversMidwife care, scans, classes, and the recovery course: what the Krankenkasse pays for, the few things you pay for yourself, and how to ask.
GuideWorking while pregnantYour rights at work: maternity protection, when to apply for leave, being signed off, and your protection from dismissal.
Where else to turn
- Find a midwife, anywhere in Germany (Ammely) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The national midwife search, run by the German midwives' association (Deutscher Hebammenverband). Search by your due date and postcode, wherever you live. Start this early.ammely.de
- The German Midwives' Association (Hebammenverband) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The national body for midwives, with a chapter in every region. What a midwife does, your right to their care, and how it is paid for.hebammenverband.de
- Pregnancy and birth, explained (familienplanung.de) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The federal health-education portal: calm, ad-free guidance on pregnancy, preparing for birth, and the Wochenbett. In German, but thorough and trustworthy.familienplanung.de
- Keleya: birth prep on your phone (paid app) (opens an outside site in a new tab)A German pregnancy and birth-prep app with week-by-week content and an English course. There is a fee, though many Krankenkassen reimburse it, so it is worth asking yours first.keleya.de
- Online birth classes in English (Kinderheldin) (opens an outside site in a new tab)Video birth preparation and a midwife chat, in English, anywhere in Germany. Often free up to a year after birth through partnered Krankenkassen, so check yours first.kinderheldin.de
- How health insurance works, in English (gesund.bund.de) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The Health Ministry's plain explainer of statutory and private cover, and how to join or switch. Reassuring news: funds cannot turn you away, and almost all of their benefits are fixed by law.gesund.bund.de
- Compare insurers, impartially (Krankenkassenliste) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The official list of every statutory fund and its extra contribution (Zusatzbeitrag), the one figure that really varies. No commission, no comparison-site spin. German only, so it pairs well with the English explainer above.gkv-spitzenverband.de
- Free pregnancy counselling near you (opens an outside site in a new tab)One finder for every free, confidential pregnancy counselling centre in Germany: pro familia, Donum Vitae, Caritas, Diakonie, and AWO. Search by postcode.familienplanung.de
- Pregnant and worried? A helpline (0800 40 40 020) (opens an outside site in a new tab)Free, confidential, around the clock, in English among nineteen languages. For any worry in pregnancy, including the path to a confidential birth.hilfetelefon-schwangere.de
- Independent patient and insurance guidance (UPD) (opens an outside site in a new tab)Free, confidential guidance on your rights and insurance questions, from an independent foundation. Phone 0800 011 77 22.patientenberatung.de
Season twoTheWochenbett
GuideThe WochenbettRecovery in the weeks after the birth.
GuideHelp at home after birthDoula, Mütterpflegerin, and insurer-paid Haushaltshilfe: what each one does, how they work hand in hand, and how to ask your Krankenkasse well.
Where else to turn
- Low or anxious after birth? You are not alone (opens an outside site in a new tab)A national network for the hard feelings that can follow birth: low mood, anxiety, intrusive thoughts. Peer support and a directory of counsellors.schatten-und-licht.de
- If your baby cries and cries: help near you (opens an outside site in a new tab)The national directory of calm, free clinics for crying, sleep, and feeding worries in the early weeks. Find one in your area.elternsein.info
Season threeMotherhoodand matrescence
GuideThe First YearRecovery, matrescence, and becoming a mother, across the first year.
GuideRegistering your babyThe register office and the birth certificate, what the certificate unlocks, and which office to ask for what.
GuideBenefits and entitlementsMutterschutz, Elternzeit, Elterngeld and Kindergeld: what each one is, the deadlines that matter, and who will help you with the forms.
GuideThe well-baby checks (U-Untersuchungen)The series from the birth to the year before school, the yellow booklet that holds it, and how to find a paediatrician who speaks English.
Where else to turn
- Registering your baby: the federal guide (Familienportal) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The government family portal, available in English. The Standesamt, the birth certificate, the Steuer-ID, and a checklist in the order to do it all.familienportal.de
- Check what you can claim (Infotool Familie) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The government's own benefits checker: a few questions to see what your family is entitled to, from Elterngeld to Kindergeld. Plain-English overviews on the same portal.familienportal.de
- English-speaking parent support (Afloat) (opens an outside site in a new tab)A volunteer network for international parents in Germany: peer groups and a postpartum warmline, all in English.afloatgermany.org
- A line for parents (0800 111 0550) (opens an outside site in a new tab)Free, anonymous phone support for any worry about family life, big or small, from a national charity.nummergegenkummer.de
- Your baby's health, explained (kindergesundheit-info.de) (opens an outside site in a new tab)The federal portal on caring for a newborn: feeding, sleep, the U check-ups, and development. Ad-free and trustworthy, in German.kindergesundheit-info.de
A note on these guides
Your gynaecologist and midwife (Hebamme) lead your clinical care. These guides are information that sits alongside them.
To keep with you
The PrintableLibrary
A little collection, gathered as a gift, to save and print and keep close: in your Mutterpass, your birth bag, or on the fridge.
Booklet 1 of 3
Before the Birth
pregnancy
for your MutterpassBooklet 2 of 3
The Birth
the day itself
for your MutterpassBooklet 3 of 3
The Weeks After
the Wochenbett
for your Mutterpass
All the care I offer is in Doula Care.