Having A Baby In Germany? Everything You Need To Know

This post may include affiliate links in which we earn a commission, as we are supported by our users. All opinions expressed are always our own and any commissions earned are of no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

If someone had told me 10 years ago that my first child would be born in Munich, Germany, I would have laughed and likely thought they were joking! Because, 10 years ago, never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that Charlie and I would be living abroad (we hadn’t even met yet!), and certainly not having a baby abroad (after a health journey leaving family dreams quite open ended!), but here we are with our nights a bit sleepless and our days full of newborn snuggles living a dream. A dream full of challenges settling into life as a family of three in a culture that’s not our own, but a dream brimming with blessings all the same. Only the Lord could have written a story like this and while it hasn’t always been easy, He has always been good and for that and the things I learned along the way, I want to write (the post I wish I would have had) to share my top tips to know when having a baby in Germany, most specifically Munich. So, you may not be having a baby in Germany, and if not, if you simply are curious as you have been following our expat journey, I hope you enjoy learning about the process! But if you are, most particularly if you are and Germany is not your home culture, I hope that this post might help clear up a few questions, settle a few concerns and give you a bit of encouragement as you take on this new adventure! 

So, You’re Having A Baby! 

When Charlie and I found out we were pregnant, we were not actually even in Munich…we were over 500 miles east near the border of Hungary and Ukraine traveling for Charlie’s work. While excitement rolled over us in waves, I soon also was a bit overwhelmed (and nauseous, though that was the morning sickness!) as I began the research process trying to understand the next steps of having a baby in a different culture. Fixed on the reminder that if the Lord could give us this blessing, He could work out the details, I began to tip toe into learning the similarities and differences between how the States and Munich operate. So, if you too just got those two pink lines and are both totally excited and thoroughly apprehensive to welcome a baby in Germany, let me first say, congratulations!! Start slowly, take it a day at a time and it will be a grand adventure indeed. 

A Bit About Your Pregnancy Team 

Before we get into all the details, one of the biggest differences to discuss between pregnancy care in the US and in Germany is your pregnancy care team. While in the US, you typically have your OBGYN (or midwife) who you see regularly for appointments and who (or someone in their team) likely will deliver the baby at a designated hospital (or birthing center). In Germany, your care team is a bit broader and can comprise three main players: your OBGYN, hospital or birthing center and midwife. Typically, in Munich, you will have an OBGYN who you meet with throughout your pregnancy, a hospital or birthing center team who you meet with regularly in your third trimester (you can choose any hospital or birth center, not only where your OB works) and a midwife for your postpartum period. 

All About Your Mutterpass

Just like in the US, once you have a positive pregnancy test, you should call your OBGYN to schedule your first appointment. For most, this appointment will be scheduled between 6 and 10 weeks to confirm your pregnancy, answer questions and set up your Mutterpass. In Germany, you will be given a small booklet called a Mutterpass (or “mother’s pass”) which you will keep with you (I kept mine in my purse) and which holds the majority of your key information regarding your pregnancy. You will bring this booklet to each appointment and it will hold any necessary information regarding your health, your baby’s health and overall pregnancy details. Since you have so many members within your pregnancy care team, your Mutterpass allows each individual member to have access to your medical history, lab results, recent appointments, ultrasound findings and measurements etc. when looking at it. Each medical professional of your team is also listed with their contact information should additional information need to be given. 

Local Tip! If you are in Munich and are looking for a wonderful OBGYN, my doctor, Dr. Sabine Günther has been delightful and also speaks great English which was a huge blessing as I understand more German than I can confidently speak and therefore prefer to go over medical details in English. 

Finding A Hebamme (Midwife)

As soon as you schedule your first OB appointment, I also recommend beginning your search for a midwife as Germany has a very midwife (or Hebamme as they are called in German) led pregnancy culture. Covered by insurance, most midwives will set up an initial consultation visit in your home before the baby is born and then will visit every day, every other day or once or twice a week (however you prefer) throughout your postpartum period to answer questions, check on you and the baby, ensure the baby is gaining weight properly, assist with breastfeeding etc. Some also provide more prenatal care, birthing classes etc., and most are available at any time for questions or concerns. This service is such a huge blessing, particularly when having your first baby (and even more so abroad!), because you automatically have a professional to ask questions, check in on you, and provide support, especially if far away from family. 

Local Tip! Because having a Hebamme is so helpful, they tend to book out fairly far in advance, so I would recommend finding one as soon as possible. In Munich, Hebammesuche Bayern is a great website to begin your search for a midwife as you can search based on your due date, language preferences, desired service needs etc. HebaVaria is another wonderful option to find a midwife, either long term or temporary (should your normal midwife go on vacation etc.), as well. Recently, my midwife went on vacation and while gone, I developed a bad clogged duct and was able to be visited by another Hebamme until she returned. 

Selecting Your Hospital

Once you have selected your OBGYN and found a midwife, it is important to select your hospital as well. For me, this step took the most research, both online and from the experiences of friends around me as it perhaps is one of the areas most different from the States. 

Hospital Services & Registration 

Since you can choose which hospital to give birth at, before committing to one, it can be really helpful to learn of each hospital’s services! Many provide birthing classes (ours did, though it was only available in German but did not require birth registration only at that hospital), prenatal and postpartum yoga, acupuncture and other services. Most hospitals provide open house visits and tours of their facilities to help you learn of their services, how they work, what room types they have available, what their delivery spaces are like (ex. If their delivery rooms are set up for water births and/or active births with swings, exercise balls etc.) and what their registration process looks like. Regardless of the hospital you choose, you will likely need to register your birth at their facility around your second or third trimester, however be sure to check with your particular facility as some can be as early as your first trimester. Once you are registered, you will begin to meet with the hospital team in your third trimester to complete any necessary paperwork and to begin to transfer the frequent appointment care from your OB to the hospital as you approach your due date. 

Room Types

If giving birth at a hospital in the States, your baby will likely be delivered by a doctor and you will probably stay one or two nights after giving birth (assuming all is well) in a private room in which family and friends can visit. 

In Germany however, a standard stay is 2 or 3 nights for a normal delivery (primarily midwife led, with doctors available) and 4 to 6 nights for a c-section. As Germany has socialized health care, with normal insurance, a basic stay commonly accommodates two women with their babies to share a room, both with visiting hours from family (including the baby’s father) and friends. These visits sometimes are able to take place in your room and sometimes in a common space. If you would like a private space, you can reserve and pay extra for a “private room” in which it is just you and your baby, though still with visiting hours for your family (including the dad) and friends. If you would like your partner to be able to stay with you, you can reserve and pay for a “family room” in which all three of you can stay and family and friends can visit your room freely. Both “private rooms” and “family rooms” are first come, first serve basis, so even if you reserve it ahead of time, the rooms are not guaranteed meaning that if they are already taken, you may only be able to enjoy them for part of your stay. 

As I really wanted Charlie to be able to stay with me as much as possible, particularly as his German is far superior to my own, we chose a hospital with a smaller number of births and a higher percentage of family rooms to try to increase our chances of getting the family room we requested. We thankfully were able to get a family room which allowed Charlie to stay overnight and my parents to visit during the day throughout our stay and while we did pay extra for this care, it simply felt like paying for a hotel which I would say was 100% worth it. 

Local Tip! While there are many good hospitals in and around Munich, we had a wonderful experience at Helios Klinikum in Pasing. The midwives and doctors were fabulous and from both our experience and those of our friends who also have given birth there, I most definitely would recommend it. 

Navigating Documentation 

After your baby has arrived, you must make them official! After hours of labor and delivery, you would think it would be official already, but actually the paperwork is just beginning. The first step of course is a birth certificate, followed by getting a passport to make them a legal US citizen. One of our most commonly asked questions was if our baby would have dual citizenship, but like many countries, German citizenship is only granted if at least one parent is German, not just if born in the country. 

Getting A Birth Certificate 

While getting a birth certificate seems like it should be simple, there is quite a bit of paperwork and documentation needed throughout the process. From our experience, after your baby is born, you will fill out the necessary paperwork while at the hospital. For this, the hospital will give you a list of everything to bring, but for us, we needed to provide an apostille marriage license, a translated marriage license and original birth certificates (of both parents). Once the paperwork has been sent off, you must then go online and request the birth certificates (for Munich, they can be requested HERE!) be sent to you which will take about 2 weeks. Similarly in preparation for applying for a passport, you can also request a Geburtsregister (birth registration announcement) at the same time as you request the birth certificate.  

Planning For A Passport 

Following the arrival of the birth certificate, you can begin the process of applying for a passport to make your little one ready to travel! For a US passport, you will need to provide the baby’s birth certificate, the Geburtsregister, a translated / multilingual birth certificate for the baby, and copies of the parents passports. Additional paperwork can be completed and the files submitted online HERE in preparation for a meeting with the consulate. We are still in the process of getting our little one’s passport, but so far it has been a fairly straightforward process! 

A Little Encouragement… 

If you have read all the way until this point, I so hope you are not more overwhelmed about having a baby in Germany than in the beginning and instead have learned an overview of the process and tips for the journey along the way. There will of course be times of overwhelm in not understanding something someone may have said in German, or pregnancy cravings of your mom’s special recipe which is miles away, but overall, the process here can be wonderful and certainly worth the journey once holding that little bundle of joy in your arms! It is such a special time and before you know it, the overwhelming worries you experienced at the beginning will be far far away. Soak it in and gather a community around to help walk through this season and it will be a special one. We especially have felt so cared for and supported with meals and outreaches by our church (Munich International Community Church) which has many other families to connect with and learn from, but Munich in general has a plethora of mom’s groups to become a part of, either of which I definitely recommend to becoming plugged in with to build connection in this new season of life. 

Local Resource Synopsis 

Final Thoughts 

While not perfect, we honestly have been so blessed through our first birthing experience which happened to take place halfway across the world in Munich, Germany. I never would have imagined it this way, however there are many aspects I have cherished and likely will miss next time around in the States (especially our midwife!). Certainly it is hard to not be near family all the time (though our sweet families have visited and are walking our daughter as I type this now!), but having support from our friends, church and midwife has made the adjustment much more possible as we stretch to adapt to this new life as a family of three. Honestly, my biggest tip to know when having a baby in Germany is to take it slow, lean into the Lord and those He has placed in your life and enjoy the ride. It won’t be easy, or perfect, but it will be worth it! 

Happy learning!

Chloe

– Pin For Later –