How do you find your midwife?

How Do Midwives Work?

Not all midwives offer the same level of care. Therefore, we’ve broken down the different types of midwives and their services for you to make it easier to understand:

1. Self-Employed / Freelance Midwives

Most midwives in Germany fall into this group. They offer various types of care:

• Midwives for Pregnancy Care and Postpartum Support/ Breastfeeding Advice: These midwives provide care during pregnancy, postpartum care, as well as breastfeeding support and complementary feeding advice. Important: These midwives do not assist during childbirth.
  
• Midwives Offering Complete Care: These midwives provide full care, including pregnancy care, childbirth assistance, and postpartum care. They can work in both clinical and non-clinical settings, depending on whether they work in a hospital or offer home births/ birthing center births.
  

2. Belegmidwives (Midwives with Hospital Contracts)

Belegmidwives have a cooperation contract with a hospital. It’s important to note that a beleggmidwife can only work in the hospitals with which she has a contract. If you wish to give birth in a specific hospital, make sure to inquire about the available belegmidwives there.

There are two types of belegmidwives:

• Belegmidwives in Shift System: These midwives typically work in smaller hospitals without a children’s clinic and organize themselves independently. Their shifts usually last 12 hours. Unlike in many other hospitals where midwives work as employees, this system helps prevent too much turnover in the birth support.
  
• Belegmidwives with 1:1 Care: These midwives work in close collaboration with a specific clinic and assist during your birth there. The great advantage of 1:1 care is that the same midwife accompanies you throughout the entire labor. However, the disadvantage is that you can’t choose the hospital where you want to give birth, as the midwife can only work at the hospital she has a contract with.
  

What You Should Know About 1:1 Care

For 1:1 care, there are additional costs for on-call availability. These are not fully covered by all health insurance providers and may only be partially reimbursed. The costs cover the midwife’s availability in the weeks leading up to and after your due date, typically from 3 weeks before your estimated due date to 2 weeks after. These costs range from €500 to €2,000, depending on your region. By paying this fee, you are securing the 1:1 care during labor.

Unfortunately, there are now very few belegmidwives, which is a shame. Studies consistently show that 1:1 care during labor is the best support for women. However, the high insurance costs and low compensation, coupled with the high workload, mean that many midwives no longer offer childbirth support.

What About Home Birth Midwives?

Home birth midwives assist women with home births, during pregnancy, and in the postpartum period.

Although it seems like the most natural way, and generations before us gave birth at home, it is no longer easy to find a home birth midwife. The insurance costs, combined with very low salaries, make it very difficult for midwives to continue working in this area.

If you can’t imagine giving birth at home but don’t want to go to a hospital, there’s the option of going to a birthing center. In many larger cities, there are birthing centers, where you can also be assured of receiving 1:1 care during birth.

Postpartum Care – A Crucial Aspect of Pregnancy

Postpartum care is especially important and should always be provided by a midwife. Unfortunately, this phase often receives too little attention. That’s why we’ve put together everything you need to know about postpartum care for you.

How will you find a midwife?

There’s a helpful platform that connects you with midwives called Ammely.

Here, you can enter your care preferences, and you’ll be recommended available midwives with capacity.

You can also always check the website of the hospital that interests you. There, you’ll find both midwives with a contract and employed midwives who offer pregnancy care and postpartum support.

The German Midwifery Association is also a great resource, especially if you encounter any issues during your search.

If you can’t find a midwife, always report it to your health insurance provider so they become aware of the shortage and push for more accessible midwifery care across the country.

Because, just like us at the Babybox Team, we wish for: A midwife for every birth.

However, the best tip is to trust a good friend who has already had competent midwifery care. Midwives are often recommended by others, so you might get a great recommendation straight away.

We wish you the best of luck in your search!