What do you need to sort out before and after the birth?
What’s coming up for families in Germany around the birth – a short overview.
Before the birth ↓After the birth ↓
As of October 2026
Not everything applies to everyone.
There are different steps and different deadlines, depending on
- where you live,
- how you work – employed, self-employed, as a civil servant or in training,
- how you’re insured,
- whether you get unemployment benefit or money from the Jobcenter,
- what your family looks like – married or not, together or separated, one parent or several, two mums and/or two dads,
- how old your children are,
- where your baby is born – in hospital, in a birth centre or at home,
- whether you’re expecting twins or your baby comes early,
- whether your child has a disability,
- whether you’re adopting a child or taking in a foster child,
- whether you’re moving soon,
- whether your certificates are from abroad.
Before the birth
As soon as you know
Find a midwife (Hebamme)
Many are booked up early. More →
Tell your employer maternity protection (Mutterschutz)
So they can keep to maternity protection. Depending on how you work, different rules apply.
Off-limits during pregnancy
Alcohol, smoking, drugs and some foods.
Help with your baby’s first things
If money is tight, you don’t have to pay for everything yourselves.
During the pregnancy
Where to give birth
Hospital, birth centre or at home – and when to register there.
- If you like
Antenatal class
Often booked up quickly.
- If you like
Pregnancy classes
Exercise in a group.
Vaccinations during pregnancy
Whooping cough, depending on the season also flu – and protection for the people around you.
Not married? acknowledgement, declaration of joint custody
Sort out parenthood and custody – you can do this before the birth. Depending on who you are, the route is different.
Prepare parental allowance (Elterngeld)
Who takes how many months, and when? You can start gathering documents now. Which ones depends on how you work. More →
Tax class (Steuerklasse)
It can affect parental allowance – depending on when you change it.
Give notice of parental leave (Elternzeit)
The new boss can’t talk yet. But has very clear ideas. You tell your employer – with different deadlines depending on when you take it.
Find a daycare place (Kita)
You can start any time. How it works and which deadlines apply is up to your town.
Find a paediatrician
Not every practice takes on new babies straight away. More →
- If you like
First aid for babies
A course – grandparents welcome too.
Shortly before the birth
Maternity pay (Mutterschaftsgeld)
Where you apply depends on how you work and how you’re insured.
Hospital bag
Packed before things get going. More →
A safe place to sleep
What matters for safe baby sleep.
The essentials for the first few days
So nobody has to commute between the changing table and the supermarket.
Care for siblings
Who’s there when things get going – even at night?
After the birth
In the first few days
Register the birth at the registry office (Standesamt) birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde)
A new human. Now official too. There’s a deadline – in hospital, the hospital usually does it. How it works varies from town to town.
Name
First name not decided yet? Can it be a double-barrelled surname? And what happens if you leave it too late? Sometimes the alphabet decides. Really.
U2 check-up
Usually still in hospital. More →
Help with the household
Sadly, the housework doesn’t take baby leave. If you can’t manage alone, there’s help.
If you’re not doing well emotionally
This can happen to any parent. Help is available.
In the first few months
Health insurance for your child
Statutory or private – the steps and deadlines differ.
Apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld)
There’s a deadline – parental allowance is only paid back for a few months.
Child benefit (Kindergeld)
From the Familienkasse, with a deadline. From 2027 it is set to be paid gradually without an application. More →
Check-ups (U-Untersuchungen) and vaccinations
With time windows your health insurance pays for.
Protection against RSV
Depending on the month of birth.
- If you like
Postnatal recovery class
Your health insurance pays for it – with a deadline.
- If you like
Baby classes
With people who know why you’re tired.
When someone is ill
How to protect your baby from catching it.
Childproof your home
Dresser: 0. You: 1. Before your baby starts crawling.
The first purée
It doesn’t necessarily end up in the baby. When you can start.
Pension credits
Raising a child counts towards your state pension – if you apply.
Later
Dentist
The first check-up even before the first birthday.
Starting daycare
With vaccination advice – and, depending on age, proof of measles protection.
Back to work
Back at work. The new boss stays in charge anyway.
Tax return
Parental allowance is tax-free – but not entirely without consequences. Depending on how much parental allowance you get, a tax return can become compulsory.
Your family. Your roadmap
Not every family needs the same applications, and not every deadline applies to everyone. Mitgedacht. shows you what matters for you – and when. And what you can simply forget for now.
Coming soonWe’ve checked everything against official sources: legislation, ministries and authorities. What applies in your case is decided by the responsible office. The linked pages are in German.