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Booklet 3 of 3

The weeks after: the Wochenbett

Booklet 3 of 3. Wochenbett means “week-bed”: the first weeks after birth are yours to recover in. Keep this in your Mutterpass.

These weeks are for rest

  • Near your bed for the first week, in the house for the first two or three. Warm food, warm clothes, sleep when the baby sleeps.
  • Bleeding (Wochenfluss) carries on for a few weeks while you heal. The housework can wait, and so can the visitors.

Your midwife comes to you

  • A postpartum midwife (Nachsorge) visits you at home, covered by insurance: often daily at first, then less as you find your feet.
  • Ask her anything, about you or the baby. Feeding often takes a while to settle, and a consultation (Stillberatung) is covered too.

How you are feeling

  • Teary, up-and-down days in the first week (the Baby Blues) are very common, and they usually pass.
  • If low feelings stay, or get heavier, that can be postnatal depression (Wochenbettdepression). Tell your midwife or GP: it is common, and treatable.
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Your voice in the Wochenbett

Words for the weeks after

Say them, or hand this page over and point.

Could you take the baby for a while? I need to sleep.
“Kannst du das Baby eine Weile nehmen? Ich muss schlafen.”
Not today, but soon. I am still resting.
“Heute nicht, aber bald. Ich ruhe mich noch aus.”
Could we keep visits short today?
“Können wir die Besuche heute kurz halten?”
Please bring food, not gifts.
“Bringt bitte Essen mit, keine Geschenke.”
Could you cook something and leave it, so I can rest?
“Könntest du etwas kochen und dalassen, damit ich mich ausruhen kann?”
Can my midwife come this week?
“Kann meine Hebamme diese Woche kommen?”
I would like some help with feeding.
“Ich hätte gerne Hilfe beim Stillen.”
Could you show me how to bath the baby?
“Könnten Sie mir zeigen, wie ich das Baby bade?”
I have a question about the bleeding and my stitches.
“Ich habe eine Frage zum Wochenfluss und zu meinen Nähten.”
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.”
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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.

The paperwork of the first weeks

  • 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.comOctober 2026
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