Where to Give Birth
Your three settings in Germany, side by side.
Your three options
| Setting | Led by | Atmosphere |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital (Krankenhaus) | Midwife on shift, with doctors on site | Clinical, with the full range of medical options available |
| Birth house (Geburtshaus) | Midwife-led | Home-like, one-to-one, calm |
| Home birth (Hausgeburt) | Your own midwife, in your home | Familiar, private, on your terms |
Hospital (Krankenhaus)
Care from the midwife on shift, typically alongside other labouring women. The full range of medical support is in the building if it is needed. Hospitals also vary in their atmosphere, so visit if you can.
Ambulante Geburt: birth at the hospital, then home within hours to recover with your Hebamme. Many families like this option for the comfort of being home in the early days.
Geburtshaus
A freestanding, midwife-led setting that is quieter and more home-like than a hospital. You have one-to-one care from a midwife you have come to know, and you go home a few hours after birth if all is well. Whether this setting is right for you is something to discuss with your Hebamme.
Hausgeburt (home birth)
Legal in Germany and covered by insurance. Your own midwife comes to you in labour; a second joins for the birth itself. Whether home birth is open to you, and how to plan for it, is a conversation to have with a Hausgeburtshebamme early in pregnancy.
How to choose
- What has my Hebamme said about which settings are open to me?
- Where do I imagine myself feeling most at ease?
- How important is it to be in a familiar space?
- What does my partner feel about each setting?
- Have I visited in person?
Registering
- Hospital: Anmeldegespräch at weeks 30 to 34. Bring Mutterpass, insurance card, ID.
- Geburtshaus: register early in pregnancy; places are limited.
- Home birth: arrange your Hausgeburtshebamme in the first trimester.
- Many families also register at a hospital as a backup. This is normal and worth doing.
Your rights, in every setting
You have the right to informed consent before anything is done, the right to ask questions, the right to take time, and the right to a companion of your choice. BRAIN is a useful frame for slowing a conversation down: Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing (what happens if we wait). I use it often in the birth space.