Pregnant in Germany

[Charlielilu]

Hi all! First pregnancy and only 6 weeks along. Just wondering if anyone is/has been pregnant in Germany and what your experience has been like? I'm originally from the UK and been here for 3 years :) I find the culture so different to back home, so I'm interested to know people's experiences being pregnant here!

My daughter had her first there and is now expecting her second. Care was excellent and seemed to involve a lot more ante natal appointments and scans than you would get in the UK. She had a home water birth and is anticipating the same for number 2. Congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy.

Hello and congratulations! I have had two children in Germany and had very positive experiences both times from start to finish.
As PP has said you get a lot more ante natal appointments here and I had a scan at every appointment. With my first I had private health insurance and the second I was back in the state insurance but apart from having a consultant for some of my later scans in my first pregnancy I would not say there was any difference in my experience!
I would suggest finding a midwife (Hebamme) ASAP after your 12 week scan as they get booked up very quickly and I found mine a huge help after birth. They will visit you at home, weigh your baby, help with feeding, your recovery and give all sorts of advice.
Also research the hospitals in your area well as some tend to be more eager for intervention/CS whereas others will push for VB so it’s important to find somewhere you feel comfortable with.
What an exciting time! Feel free to ask any specific questions you may have x

Thank you both!
What about pain relief? 🤣 I am jumping the gun a little bit, but I did read gas and air isn't used here

Oh good point! Yes unfortunately gas and air is not widely available although my gynaecologist told me I would be able to request it in advance at the hospital I was going to, but it’s basically strong painkillers or PDA. I had nothing (twice!) because it all happened too fast...but hopefully someone else will have better info on that for you.

I had my first baby in England and second and 3rd in Germany. I had planned caesareans due to my history with DC1's birth, so can't help you on the pain relief for labour question, but can say that my experience in Germany was vastly, vastly better than my NHS experience in every way, except that with my first and beginning of my second pregnancies I rather enjoyed the cosy, friendly, informal nature of midwife appointments. Here it was all more clinical.

I only had ob/gyne antenatal care here, which was good and thorough and despite "only" having state health insurance put the medical standard of NHS care to shame. If'd have been pregnant here without a toddler/ toddlers in tow I'd have taken more advantage of the midwife system and the pregnancy exercise courses and post natal rehabilitation courses etc. which even state insurance pays for.

You can engage your own Hebamme to see along side your Frauenartz - I'd do that in your shoes as a first timer, and go to the exercise classes etc. to build up your new mum network which can be invaluable on maternity leave. Take advantage of everything on offer after the birth including the exercise classes and go to the family centers and breast feeding cafes. There is a huge amount available which it is only possible to use with DC1 as you are never allowed to bring a toddler, only your newborn, so with DC2 it is only possible if you have an absolutely huge age gap, or child care (Oma or a paid childcarerer or DH on long parental leave) for your DC1. Build your network of mum/ parent friends over the next 12 months!

Congratulations! You have probably already booked in with your Frauenarzt and you will have lots of antenatal checks and scans.
Around 20 weeks you will have a very thorough scan (Feindiagnostik), both of mine were in hospital.

Look around possible hospitals or Geburtshaus (midwife led) to give birth in, they should offer regular tours. After dc1 I was in a private room with en suite, which was great. After dc2 I had to share with 2 other women, also with an en suite. That was fine, too.
German hospitals also don’t have visiting times - visitors can come any time between 9am and 9pm or thereabouts.

Although I wanted the safety net of giving birth in a hospital I did my birth course (Geburtsvorbereitungskurs) in a Geburtshaus and it was lovely. I also went there for postnatal gymnastics (Rückbildungsgymnastik) and a midwife from there did my home visits (Geburtsnachsorge).

Your employer has to give you time off for all your antenatal appointments including the Geburtsvorbereitungskurs.

I had my son in Germany over 18 years ago and care was excellent. Scan at every appointment, choose your own midwife, breastfeeding support, visit from midwife at home afterwards for several weeks (if required). I don't know anything about pain relief as had an emergency section. I was in hospital for 7 days after section which was great as lots of advice on how to bath baby, breastfeeding support and had stitches out (staples, actually) before I was discharged. A longer stay may not appeal to everyone but i felt pretty good when i was discharged.

This will sound like jumping the gun a bit, but depending on where you live you might want to put your name down for a Kinderkrippe or Kindergarten space!

Acopyofacopy state kindergartens don't have that kind of waiting lists, you can't put your child's name down 3 years in advance - private extortionate and less well regulated Krippe maybe!

My dcs went on the waiting list when I was pregnant! Will be different depending on where in the country you are.

Acopyofacopy very true - the only constant in Germany is that things are utterly different state to state, and even within states rural and urban are utterly different.

We wanted to look around the nearest kindergarten when dc1 was 2 and assuming all was well put her down for a place, but were looked at as if we'd tried to secure her a university place and informed that there was no saving of spaces and we must wait for The Letter inviting us to come in which would automatically be sent out to all children of the appropriate age at the appropriate time...

We received our letter the June before she turned 3, and she and all her cohort schnuppered (that's a real Denglisch Word ) in July and started in September. It's a bloody good kindergarten - all my 3 kids went there for 3 years each in the end. They weren't remotely interested in talking to or having contact with anyone more than a couple of months before their child turned 3 though!

If you’re in an area using the Littlebird online system for Kinderkrippe and Kindergarten you can apply up to three years in advance and before your baby is born. It’s definitely necessary where I live as Krippe is heavily subsidised by the local authority and very cheap and therefore oversubscribed.

I also loved the fact that you stay in hospital for a few days after birth. It really gave me a chance to just focus on the baby and also rest properly.

I forgot about the genuinely lovely stay in hospital after giving birth.
Reading the horror stories on mn I am so glad I didn’t give birth here.
You do get bags of leaflets and testers in hospital, handed over by a nurse or midwife and they also take a (blurry) picture of your baby which they put in a card with name, time of birth and weight.