pregnancy birth and postpartum care

The Afloat Guide to C

are in Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum

Medical Care in the Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum

A Midwife (Hebamme) is a trained professional who specializes in perinatal care. Midwives in Germany provide prenatal care, offer courses in pregnancy and postpartum, attend births (at home, a birth center, or in the hospital), and visit women* at home as part of postpartum care. Typically, when people talk about their midwife, they are referring to the midwife that they have contracted with to provide postpartum care in their home.

  • Find a midwife near you via the following search engines: HebammenSuche.de / Ammely / GKV Spizenverband or simply by googling Hebamme and looking in your region.

  • Alternatively, ask your obstetrician and/or the hospital where you plan to deliver whether they can recommend you one.

 
what does the german midwife do

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An Obstetrician (Frauenarzt/ärztin) is a doctor who provides prenatal care and follow up if there are medical issues after birth. Obstetricians also attend hospital births, although they are intended to only be on hand if there is a medical issue or if additional assistance in needed.

Tip: It’s also possible to receive prenatal care by both a midwife and an obstetrician. In this case, a woman* may switch off whom she sees, alternating visits between her midwife and obstetrician.

A Pediatrician (Kinderarzt/ärztin) is a doctor specializing in caring for children. It is a good idea to identify and contact a pediatrician in pregnancy so that one is lined up. In many hospitals, the U2 exam (typically done 3-10 days after birth) is done by a hospital pediatrician. Pediatricians may also be able to do house visits in the early weeks.

Other Types of Care in Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum

A Doula provides emotional and physical support to women* in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Whereas midwives are medical professionals, the doula is a non-medical support person who provides a familiar and continous presence during labor and birth.

 
doula in germany

“What is a doula?” click to read!

 


A Postpartum Doula (Mutterpflegerin/Familienpflegerin) is a trained professional who comes into the home to support families in the postpartum period. Postpartum doulas may do light housework, assist with siblings, answer questions, and provide emotional support. Postpartum doula services may be covered by health insurance, particularly in cases following medically difficult births or difficulties in the family.

  • Find a Postpartum Doula in your region via Gesellschaft für Geburtsvorbereitung.

  • Your insurance company may be able to help you with this as well in the event that your provider prescribed postpartum support.

An Osteopath uses gentle manual techniques to address physical discomfort, loss of function, or to improve overall health. Osteopaths treat women* in pregnancy and postpartum and are often recommended for babies and children, particularly for those who experienced a taxing birth and for joint stiffness, excessive crying and colic in the early months.

A Naturopath (Heilpraktiker/in) is a care provider who uses a wide range of holistic treatments to address health and well-being. Naturopaths may use Traditional Chinese Medicine, aromatherapy, elements of chiropractic care, and other treatment modalities to address problems and maintain health. In Germany, naturopaths are able to provide some forms of counseling as well.

Emotional First Aid (Emotionelle Erste Hilfe) might be a good fit for you if you’ve suffered a traumatic birth, have experienced miscarriages and are nervous about going through your pregnancy, or in general need emotional support during the perinatal period. This is a body-oriented counselling approach that supports a loving parent-child relationship already during pregnancy, birth and in the time afterwards. With the help of targeted conversations, touching and perception exercises, Emotional First Aid aims to break the cycle of fear, tension and insecurity at an early stage. The closeness to the child is thus noticeably strengthened. A sensitive and loving dialogue is then more easily possible - even in these difficult moments.