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Booklet 3 of 3

The weeks after: the Wochenbett

Booklet 3 of 3. What to expect once your baby is here, and how to ask for what you need. Keep it in your Mutterpass.

Your recovery

  • Bleeding (Wochenfluss) lasts a few weeks. Rest as much as you can; the housework can wait.
  • A recovery course (Rückbildung) for your pelvic floor comes later, once your midwife says you are ready.

Feeding & your midwife at home

  • Your milk comes in (Milcheinschuss) a few days after birth. Feeding can be hard at first; a consultation (Stillberatung) helps.
  • A postpartum midwife (Nachsorge) visits you at home, covered by insurance: often daily at first, then less as you find your feet.

Your mental health

  • Teary, up-and-down days in the first week (the Baby Blues) are very common.
  • If low feelings last, or feel heavier, that can be postnatal depression (Wochenbettdepression). Tell your midwife or GP. It is common and treatable, and never a fuss.
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Your voice in the Wochenbett

Words for the weeks after

Asking for help is part of it, not a failure. Keep these where you can reach them on a hard day.

I need to rest. Could you take the baby for a while?
“Ich muss mich ausruhen. Kannst du das Baby eine Weile nehmen?”
Feeding is hard. I would like a breastfeeding consultation.
“Das Stillen ist schwer. Ich möchte eine Stillberatung.”
I don't feel like myself. I would like to talk to someone.
“Ich fühle mich nicht wie ich selbst. Ich möchte mit jemandem sprechen.”
Could we keep visits short today?
“Können wir die Besuche heute kurz halten?”
Can my midwife visit this week?
“Kann meine Hebamme diese Woche vorbeikommen?”
I have a question about the bleeding and my stitches.
“Ich habe eine Frage zum Wochenfluss und zu meinen Nähten.”
Is this amount of bleeding normal?
“Ist diese Menge an Blutung normal?”
Could you show me how to bath the baby?
“Könnten Sie mir zeigen, wie ich das Baby bade?”
Could you cook something and leave it, so I can rest?
“Könntest du etwas kochen und dalassen, damit ich mich ausruhen kann?”
Please bring food, not gifts.
“Bringt bitte Essen mit, keine Geschenke.”
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The words you will hear · the weeks after

The weeks after (Wochenbett)

WochenbettThe postpartum recovery period.
WochenflussPostpartum bleeding (lochia).
NachsorgePostpartum midwife care at home.
NachuntersuchungSix-week postnatal check-up.
RückbildungskursPostnatal recovery course.
StillenBreastfeeding.
StillberatungBreastfeeding consultation.
Kolostrum / VormilchColostrum, the rich first milk.
HaushaltshilfeHome help, sometimes covered by insurance.
WochenbettbetreuerinPostpartum doula or caregiver.
Kinderarzt / KinderärztinPaediatrician.
WochenflussThe bleeding in the weeks after birth.
MilcheinschussWhen your milk comes in, a few days after birth.
Baby BluesTeary, up-and-down days in the first week. Very common.
WochenbettdepressionPostnatal depression. Tell your midwife or GP; it is treatable.
BeckenbodenPelvic floor.
NeugeborenengelbsuchtNewborn jaundice. Common, and usually mild.
NabelpflegeCaring for the umbilical cord stump.
KaiserschnittnarbeThe scar from a caesarean.
KolikenColic: long bouts of crying in a small baby.
BlähungenWind or gas that unsettles the baby.
PuckenSwaddling, wrapping the baby snugly.
GewichtskontrolleWeighing the baby to check they are thriving.
WochenbettbesuchHome visits from your midwife after the birth.
StillkissenA nursing pillow.
TragetuchA sling or wrap for carrying your baby.
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After the birth · the paperwork

The words on the forms

StandesamtRegistry office, where you register the birth.
GeburtsurkundeBirth certificate.
NamenserklärungDeclaring your baby's surname.
VaterschaftsanerkennungFormally acknowledging fatherhood.
ElterngeldantragThe application for Elterngeld (parental benefit).
KindergeldMonthly child benefit, paid by the Familienkasse.
KinderzuschlagExtra support for families on a low income.
U-UntersuchungRoutine paediatric check-ups (U1 to U9).
Steuer-IDYour baby's tax ID, posted out after you register.
Krankenversicherung des BabysAdding your baby to your health insurance.
Anmeldung (Baby)Registering your baby's address at the Bürgeramt.
KinderreisepassA passport for your baby, if you will travel.
Kita / KitaplatzDaycare, and the place you apply for early.

In the first weeks, you will sort

  • Registering the birth at the Standesamt (the hospital or birth house will tell you how), and claiming Elterngeld and Kindergeld from their own offices.
  • Your baby's first check-ups (U2, U3) with a paediatrician, and your own six-week check.
  • Adding your baby to your health insurance, and applying for Elterngeld within the first three months so you do not lose any.
birthandmother.comhello@birthandmother.comSeptember 2026
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