Hebamme is the German term for midwife who assist pregnant ladies and care for new mothers and newborns. However, due to a large gap between supply and demand it could be difficult to find Hebammes especially in bigger cities. Therefore, the first thing that is suggested as soon as you confirm your pregnancy through a Gynecologist is to register with a Hebamme. Most likely, your Gynecologist will provide a list of Hebamme in your area or you can request one. There are also online websites such as hebammesuche.de, ammely.de where one can also filter the list based on criteria such as language, postnatal- prenatal care etc.
Who pays for Hebamme service?
Under public insurance 10 postnatal visits are covered. More information on prenatal and postnatal care can be found in website of your insurance. Please find the things covered under TK insurance here:
What are covered during prenatal care?
Midwife generally visit your house and provide non-medical care such as checking baby heart beat during prenatal care, provide some tips regarding types of births available etc. Some of the Hebammes also provide Geburtsvorbereitungskurs (Birth Preparation Classes), Schwangerschaft yoga (Pregnancy yoga) etc some of which are covered under insurance and some not. For example Geburtsvorbereitungskurs is covered under public insurance for pregnant ladies. Please discuss this during your mid wife’s first visit. It is not mandatory to take these courses from the Hebamme with whom you are registered. These services can also be availed through other Hebammes or Hospitals.
What are covered during postnatal care?
Hebammes visit you at your home the following day of your return from the hospital. In the first week she would visit regularly and from second week the frequency would reduce. This will be communicated to you by your Hebamme well in advance.
The following services are generally included in post-natal care but can vary from Hebamme to Hebamme:
Latching
She would check baby’s weight gain in every visit and inform you
Observe your recovery. For ex: by checking status of stitches etc
Check baby’s umbilical cord recovery
Prepare a chart regarding bleeding and inform you if she sees are markers
Some offer Baby bath and massage tutorial
Some teach basic postnatal exercises
Provide information on how to increase breast milk incase applicable
Answer all your questions
Generally, their visit is distributed over 8 weeks.
Other services offered by Hebbammes:
Ruckbildungskurs (Postnatal excercises ), mama fit kurs etc. Most of them are covered in insurances and It is highly recommended to make use of the services provided.
What if I am unable to find Hebamme?
In recent times there are many cases where pregnant women were unable to find a Hebamme due to non availability or in some cases when pregnant women move to a new city in the middle of pregnancy they were unable to find Hebamme in time. In such cases, firstly one needs to approach their insurance company. Your insurance company would contact various Hebamme on your behalf and try to find a Hebamme for you. Insurance company might ask you to submit enough proof to establish that you had indeed contacted Hebamme in time but in spite of your efforts you could not find one. In case the insurance company is unable to find a Hebamme for you and based on the genuinity of the case, the insurance company might sponsor the expenses of parents if they travel to Germany to support you. Though very rare, in genuine cases Insurance companies have sponsored travel expenses of parents.
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