How to Find a Midwife in Berlin & Your Plan B If You Don't Have One!

Finding a midwife (Hebamme) in Berlin for your pregnancy/birth/ postpartum can be a stressful task...

In this article I explain to you how the system works, channels to find a midwife and options to have a fallback plan if you can't find one!

More tips on organisation and admin for birth in Berlin in my free guide

What is The Role of the Midwife in Berlin (Hebamme)

In Germany, the midwife is central to your prenatal and postnatal care. They are medical professionals who undergo rigorous clinical training.

They check your vitals, monitor your baby’s growth, perform physical checkups, give you informations and provide medical care for you and your baby, support you with breastfeeding, coming to your home to check on you and baby...

Types of midwives in Berlin

To help you narrow down what kind of midwife support you need, let’s look at the different types of midwives available in Berlin: 

• Freelance midwives (Freiberufliche Hebamme)

  Freelance midwives offer prenatal and postnatal care either in their practice or at your home. Your midwife will usually do prenatal and postnatal care for you. (Vorsorge, Nachsorge/Wochenbett). But sometimes only prenatal or only postnatal care based on availability, so always clarify what they are available for.

  
  

• Hospital midwives

  Hospital midwives are employed by the hospital to assist with births. When you go into labour, you’ll be supported by the midwife on duty at that time. There is no need to arrange anything in advance with a specific midwife. Just register for birth at a clinic

  
  

• Attending midwives (Beleghebammen)

  It is also possible to find a midwife that would accompany you also at birth: a continuous medical support prenatally, during birth, and postnatally. This is called a Beleghebamme.

  They are affiliated with specific hospitals and will be on-call for you during the last few weeks of pregnancy. They provide one-to-one care during your birth. Usually, they will also be your midwife during your pregnancy and the postnatal period. You will need to pay an extra fee for the on-call service. This is an amazing service... so if you try and find your Beleghebamme as soon as you have a positive test !

  
  

• Home birth and birth centre midwives (Hausgeburthebammen / Gebursthaushebamen)

Home birth and birth centre midwives specialise in supporting births at your house or in a birthing centre (Geburtshaus). Often, they also provide care during your pregnancy and in the postnatal period. You will need to pay an extra fee for the on-call service.

If you plan a hospital birth, your regular midwife won’t attend your delivery in the hospital. Instead, when you go into labor, you’ll be cared for by the hospital midwives on shift at your chosen birth setting. You probably will not have met them before.

However, you will still want to "hire" a freelance midwife to have her dedicated, 1-1 medical support at home during your pregnancy, and especially afterward during the postpartum period (Wochenbett). The best part? These home visits and consultations are fully covered by your statutory public health insurance!

Curious to understand how a midwife is different from a doula? Check this article.

How to Find a Midwife in Berlin: Step By Step Guide

#1 START EARLY! Finding a midwife in Berlin is not an easy task. Start as soon as possible when you discover the pregnancy, if you haven't found one don't loose hope and try again and again during pregnancy.

#2 DIVERSIFY YOUR SEARCH CHANNELS

To maximise your chances, don't just rely on one website...

• Ammely.de: The official platform supported by the German Midwives Association. It allows you to search for available midwives in your specific Berlin area based on your due date. Available in English!

• Midiaid.de: Search engine with a nice UI where you can filter by location, services, and languages spoken.

• Ask your Gynecologist, family doctor (Hausartz), talk to the team of the clinic you are registering at for a list of contacts, recommendations (including Beleghebamme that the clinics works with etc).

• Your health insurance: some insurers have their own platforms for finding a midwife, for example if you are with TK you can use their app "TK-BabyZeit" to find a midwife. They also have a very nice english speaking hotline for questions,

• Facebook & Telegram Groups: On active local groups like "Hebammenvermittlung Berlin"  you can post about your request and get replies from local midwives.

• Google Search & Maps: Look on maps for a midwife near you (midwives usually work on a district level) and contact them directly; try the key word Hebamme (for midwife). If you can't fid some one maps, try a simple Google search with Hebamme + district

• Physically walk into a Hebammenpraxis (midwife practice) or Hebammenladen near you and ask in person. Sometimes a face-to-face chat opens doors that emails can't. Google Hebammenpraxis /Hebammenladen + your district

• Lean on Community: Find your local Familienzentrum (Family Center) + your district (e.g., Familienzentrum Kreuzberg). These neighbourhood centres offer incredible support, networks, and advice for expecting parents, sometimes in English, and often have direct contacts for local midwives.

• Ask other parents, colleagues, friends for contacts and recommendations.

  
  

Mastering the Official Berlin Registry (Step-by-Step)

One of the most centralized tools you have is this official registry, the Berliner Hebammenvermittlung.

When you fill out this form, it sends an inquiry to all registered, available midwives in the city who match your criteria. 

Here is exactly what the form means and what you can tick:

• Termin (Dates): Enter your due date in the Geburtstermin box. Select errechneter Geburtstermin if it's your estimated due date (before birth), or Geburtstag des Kindes if your baby has already been born.

• Wobei wünschst du dir Begleitung...? (Services):

  • Schwangerschaft: Beratung / Information / Vorsorgeuntersuchungen if you want a midwife for prenatal care. (This isn't a necessity if you have a gynecologist, but can also be a great complement, or even your main medical care provider during pregnancy.)

  • Wochenbett: Do not skip this! This is to state you are looking for a postpartum midwife who will come to your house daily after birth to check on you and the baby. Wochenbett literally translates as a “week bed”. Traditionally, women rested in bed for several weeks after giving birth. This period of about six to eight weeks after the birth is sacred in Germany. During this time, you are invited to (bed)rest, heal, eat and bond with your baby. Throughout these weeks, your midwife will visit regularly to check that both you and your baby are healthy. 

  • Beleggeburt in der Klinik: This is for a Beleghebamme (the rare midwife who attends your actual birth in a partner clinic where she works). They are covered by insurance, though you pay an extra on-call fee. This is an amazing service if you have the opportunity to find one! Continous care via a midwife before, during and after birth.

  • Hausgeburt: tick this if you plan to give birth in your own home, strictly under the care of a specialized home-birth midwife. This engine will helpo you find a mdiwfe specialized for this.

  • Geburtshausgeburt: tick this if you plan to give birth at a Geburtshaus, a cozy, midwife-led facility outside of a hospital setting, with 1-1 care and of course, the security of being transferred to a clinic may you need interventions.

  
  

  Options Kleine Geburt/Stillgeburt correspond to looking for a midwife to proviude care for pregnancy loss, stillbirths.

  
  

• In welcher Sprache...? (Languages): Scroll down and make sure to tick Englisch or your preferred language.

• Gib bitte deinen Wohnort an (Address): Enter your street, house number, and postal code (PLZ). Midwives operate strictly by radius.

• Deine E-Mail-Adresse: Enter your email, check the Datenschutz (privacy policy) box, and hit the big red Anfrage absenden (Send Inquiry) button.

How the Midwife-Search Listing works?

Once you sent your form, the midwife registry transmits your request anonymously to the midwives who match your information.

These midwives can subsequently send you their contact details.

This process may take a few days. As soon as a midwife responds, you have 48 hours to get in touch with her.

The registry does not make any binding appointment commitments. Arrangements are always made directly between you and the midwife. Typically, you will arrange an initial introductory meeting, where you will decide together whether you can imagine working together.

If your request does not match any profile, your information will remain on our waiting list. Every two weeks, you will receive the opportunity to extend your request. You can remove your request from the waiting list at any time via the corresponding link in your confirmation email.

#3 Keep Looking!

If you are at week 20, 30, or even getting close to your due date without a midwife, please don't despair, and keep looking ! Occasionally, a family’s plans changes, freeing up their midwife’s calendar! So follow up with contacts you already have or send a new enquiry.

What If You Can’t Find a Midwife? Some Plan Bs

It is really unfortunate to not find a midwife, and I can understand your frustration. The reality is just that there are not enough midwives, and their work conditions are not fair.

Here are possible alternatives to still feel supported:

For Care Before Birth (Prenatal) and Preparation to Birth

If you don't have a midwife for prenatal care, your routine medical checkups will be handled entirely by your gynecologist (Frauenarzt).

If you want to talk to a midwife you can also look for a Hebammensprechstunde; that is a consultation where you can see a midwife to ask your pregnancy related questions. Look for Hebammensprechstunde+ area on Google. Example here

For the emotional, physical, and informational preparation that a midwife usually helps with in pregnancy, you may consider hiring a doula.

Also, do not forget to register and attend a birth preparation course (Geburtsvorbereitungskurse) these are very very useful (for you and your partner), and hosted by midwives. Usually covered by health insurance. List of english-speaking courses here.

For Care During Birth

You do not need to have "hired"a midwife in order to give birth in a clinic or birth centre.

When you check into a Berlin clinic (Klinik) in labor, the hospital’s on-duty midwives will manage your clinical care. Unless you give birth in a birth Centre (Geburtshaus), a midwife-led birth ward (Hebammenkreissaal) or have a Beleghebamme you will get 1-1 care from your midwife.

If you want guaranteed 1-1 emotional and practical support from a familiar person that you trust and can support you advocating for yourself, with comfort measures etc, consider hiring a doula. Doulas are paid privately and are not medical professionals.

I am a birth doula in Berlin providing support and guidance through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. View my services here, and book a free call here. Doulas also get booked up fast... so make sure you look for one early (1-2 trimester for a more relaxed process!)

For Care After Birth (Wochenbett)

The postpartum period is a special time where you are healing, recovering and learning a completely new job and new routines... If you do not have a midwife coming to your home, use these vital alternatives:

• Find a outpatient postpartum consultation.

  • Many hospitals in Berlin (such as DRK Westend, Charite, some Vivantes clinics etc.) run these outpatient postpartum consultation where you can meet a midwife and get care and advice for you and your baby. Ask the clinic where you gave birth if they provide this service.

  • Some midwives collective offer this as well. You can book an appointment, go in, and have an on-duty midwife check your recovery, support your breastfeeding, and weigh the baby. Look for Hebammensprechstunde / Wochenbett Ambulanz + area on Google.

  • You can also send an enquiry via the registry and tick "Akute Fragen im Wochenbett (kurzfristige Begleitung z.B. in einer Hebammensprechstunde)" to look for a one-off support session for acute questions during the postpartum period (short-term support, e.g., in a midwife consultation hour)

  
  

• If you urgently need to see a medical professional because you are worried about your health, or your babys you have options: call 112 for absolute emergenices.

  If you need care out of hours or are unsure if this is an emergency, call 116 117 to explain your concern and be dispatched to available care, heard to an emergency department of a local hospital (Notaufnahme) or head to a Kinderrettungstelle if you are worried about an emergency for your baby. I encourage you to gather contacts and infos during the pregnancy to be prepared to know where to go in case of emergency. Make a contact list and stick it on your fridge before baby is here.

•  If you need to see a medical professional because you are worried about your health, or your baby's but it is not urgent: for yourself, talk to your gynecologist (Frauenartz) or GP (Hausartz), for your baby: talk to your paediatrician (Kinderartz). I encourage you to find a paediatrician before your baby is born already! Find doctors near you and amail them to ask if you can register in advance. My list of contacts here

  
  

• Breastfeeding support. After you leave the clinic, you may wish for support around breastfeeding, This is typically a service your midwife would do, but if you dont'have one, what options to you have?

  • Some clinics offer drop-in sessions where you can come to a group setting and get advice on your probelmatic around breastfeeding. Ask the clinic where you gave birth if they offer this, it is called Stillberatung/ Stillgruppe/Stillcafe or even Stillambulanz . It is also possible to attend these sessions at an other clinic that the one you gave birth, you may need to pay a fee for this. I know that Maria Heimsuchung in Pankow and Vivantes Friedrischain, DRK Westend in Charlottenburg, Charite Mitte etc. offer these. I encourage you to informa and prepare yourself for breastfeeding before the birth, especially so if you do not have a midwife!

  • You may also hire a private lactation consultant. This is a privately paid professional who comes for a 1-2 hours consultation and assessment at your home and helps you with your breastfeeding. challenges. Look on google for Stillberatung + area . You can look for an IBCLC professional that is, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. The highest accredited health care professionals specializing in lactation. I recommend Gal, who is an IBCLC consultant, english speaking and travels across Berlin to rescue you ;)

• Postpartum Doula Support: A postpartum doula provides emotional support, processing of your birth story, hands-on help, restorative care, and guidance on newborn care, newborn safe sleep and breastfeeding basics. This is a private service. Doulas are not medical professionals.

Last but not least:

• Support with a baby who cries intensely.  If you find yourself with a baby who cries inconsolably for hours, you might be facing what is known in german as a Schreibaby. This is very challenging. There is a wonderful, specialised resource designed just to help you and your baby (midwives, nurses, paediatricians, psychologists, ergotherapists. etc).

  A Schreibaby-Ambulanz (Crying Baby Clinic) is an outpatient crisis counselling center specifically set up to support exhausted parents.  In Berlin, these services are heavily subsidized or completely free of charge. The site https://www.schreibabyambulanz.info/ provides a list of places but for some reasons it does not seem to work... type Schreibabyambulanz+ district on Google to find local services (e.g. Schreibabyambulanz Prenzlauerberg)

  
  

• If you are worried about your mental health and feel like you may have postpartum depression, read on here. And talk to your doctor!

• After a traumatic birth, resource and guidance.

Anne Matei is a birth and postpartum doula based in Berlin, supporting French-, English-, and German-speaking families. She accompanies births in hospitals, birth centers, and home births alongside midwives. Read what families say about working with her in client testimonials. Feel free to get in touch to schedule a non-binding introductory call.