Midwife Care

Every woman is entitled to midwife care during the time of pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium and breast-feeding.
Midwives offer a comprehensive and holistic care during this time and are competent contact persons until the end of breast-feeding.
To get to know you better and to build a relationship of trust, it is best to contact a midwife as soon as possible, but no later than the second half of pregnancy.

The cost for the midwife services is regulated by the salary agreement for midwives.
Statutory health insurance completely covers these services. Billing takes place directly with the health insurance companies. Many private insurance companies also cover these services. The range of benefits is dependent on the concluded contract. Therefore, it is useful to confirm the assumption of the costs of the health insurance company in writing, before you claim midwife assistance.
The following services are defined in the salary agreement for midwives:

Pregnancy
From the start of the pregnancy, you are entitled to midwife assistant.
Most midwives offer their extensive services in the form of home visits. Some offer their services at a midwife practice, a birthing house, or even a medical practice. It is a big advantage to use the services of a midwife in the scope of a home visit, if reasons exist to avoid physical overexertion (e.g. premature labor).

Midwife services during pregnancy:
Preliminary consultation, care of pregnant women involving documentation in the maternity log, help during pregnancy-related problems, help during high-risk pregnancies, childbirth preparation in a Group, and individual birth preparation (only possible with medical certificate)

Birth
When parents-to-be wonder where they should give birth to their child, a general question arises:
Should the child be born in a hospital? Or should the child be born at home or at a birthing house/midwife practice? There are many good reasons for both options.
Questions in regard to safety, as well as atmosphere, play a fundamental role. In addition, it is important for many parents-to-be to engage their own visions and wishes in regard to the birth and the initial time with the baby.
This means that every birthing mother should keep in mind under which circumstances she feels she is cared for safely and well, and what role medical care plays.
Requirement for a birth outside a hospital is a normal pregnancy and a healthy mother and child.
Risks that speak against a birth outside a hospital, for example, are: multiple pregnancies, breach pregnancies, premature births, or severe metabolic disorders. The evaluation of individual risks and their extent should always be discussed individually and in peace and quiet with your midwife and your physician.

Midwife services for the birth: Obstetrics in a hospital, documented birth, obstetric care in a birth center or midwifery, home birth, and help in case of a miscarriage or stillbirth

Puerperium
After the baby is born, puerperium begins. Puerperium care through a midwife begins independent of the place of birth and the course of the birth.
The puerperal duration of eight weeks is designed for the physical and psychological recovery from the pregnancy and the birth. It serves the transformation and new orientation and signifies the transition to the reality of being a mother and parent.
Puerperal care through the midwife is very helpful for the new family. This is the reason why health insurance providers assume the costs for visits by the midwife for up to twelve weeks after the birth. During the first ten days after the birth, even daily home visits are covered. These services do not depend on where and how the baby was born. Women whose child died before, during, or after birth, are also entitled to puerperal care through a midwife, independent of the reason and week of pregnancy.

Midwife services in puerperium:
Care of mother and child in the hospital or visits at home during the first twelve weeks after the birth. Screening (U1) of the child and postnatal exercises in a Group. guidance and advice regarding the care and nutrition for the baby, guidance and advice while nursing the baby, help with breastfeeding problems, and observation of the puerperal course (which includes retraction of the uterus, navel care, family planning, pelvic floor exercises, etc.)

Breastfeeding
After the postpartum period, you and your child most likely adjusted to breastfeeding. However, during the process of breastfeeding, questions or maybe even problems arise. You might want to know how to manage your work and breastfeeding schedule or when and how your baby should receive the first complementary feeding. The midwife can offer support in case of milk build-up or if the child does not want to eat.
How long you want to breastfeed your child is an individual decision that should be decided by you and your child. The numerous positive aspects in regard to breastfeeding justify a longer breastfeeding period. An active, crawling toddler in particular, while extensively exploring the world, profits from the various antibodies that are contained in breast milk. Advantages for the mother also increase with the duration of the breastfeeding period.
WHO (World Health Organization) recommends to exclusively breastfeed during the first six months and to continue breastfeeding until the end of the second year of life and longer in combination with suitable complementary feedings. For how long you and your child want to breastfeed – we as midwives gladly provide support.

Midwife services during the breastfeeding period:
Several consultations via telephone and home visits until the end of the breastfeeding period.
Birthplaces in Bremerhaven and Bremen
All Bremer birthing centers and Bremerhavener and Bremer hospitals are listed below.
You can find a home birth midwife using the Bremer Midwife List.

Birthing centers (sorted by postal code)
Geburtshaus Schwachhausen
Metzer Straße 3
28205 Bremen
Tel.: (0421) 30 39 330
info@geburtshaus-schwachhausen.de

Geburtshaus Bremen
Sommerstraße 20
28215 Bremen
Tel.: (0421) 34 80 01
kontakt@geburtshaus-bremen.de

Hospitals (sorted by postal code)
Klinikum Bremerhaven Reinkenheide
Postbrookstraße 103
27574 Bremerhaven
www.klinikum-bremerhaven.de

Krankenhaus St. Joseph-Stift Bremen
Schwachhauser Heerstraße 54
28209 Bremen
www.sjs-bremen.de

DIAKO Ev. Diakonie-Krankenhaus
Gröpelinger Heerstraße 406 – 408
28239 Bremen
www.diako-bremen.de

Klinikum Links der Weser
Senator-Weßling-Straße 1
28277 Bremen
www.gesundheitnord.de/krankenhaeuserundzentren/ldw.html

Klinikum Bremen-Nord
Hammersbecker-Straße 228
28755 Bremen
www.gesundheitnord.de/krankenhaeuserundzentren/kbn.html

Formalities

All important information regarding your entitlement to maternity benefits, parental benefits and child benefits is available here
www.familien-wegweiser.de/wegweiser/familie-regional.html

Searching for Midwives

Are you still looking for a midwife?
The Bremer listing for midwifes is updated every two years and can help you to find a suitable midwife close to your home. You get it , in pregnancy consultation offices , clinics or at the gynecologist .
Click here to get to the Midwives-Online-Search.