Get insurance-paid help after birth
Navigating Insurance-Paid Postpartum Help in Germany: A Guide for Expat Parents
Bringing a child into the world is an extraordinary experience, filled with joy and wonder. However, for expat parents settling in a foreign country like Germany, the transition to parenthood can also present unique challenges. One aspect that requires careful consideration is postpartum care, ensuring that both the mother and the newborn receive the necessary support and assistance during this crucial period.
Germany, renowned for its comprehensive healthcare system, offers a range of insurance-covered postpartum services to new parents. You may know that you are entitled to midwife support but in this blog post, we will delve into the essential steps and information that expat parents need to know in order to access insurance-paid postpartum help in Germany in the form of a household helper, post-partum doula or Mütterpflegerin. Their services complement the midwife nicely with logistic help like cooking, tidying up, newborn care advice and general companionship.
Eligibility criteria to benefit from insurance-paid post-partum help
Let’s explore the key eligibility factors that expat parents need to consider when seeking insurance-covered postpartum help in Germany.
- Public health insurance coverage: To access insurance-paid postpartum help, it is important for the mother to have public health insurance in Germany. Private health insurances do not offer this service.
- Inability to care for the household: One eligibility requirement for insurance-covered postpartum help is the mother’s inability to manage household responsibilities (this can be due to a number of factors, like a difficult birth, weakness & fatigue,
- Having a child under 12 at home: The presence of a newborn baby at home, who is under the age of 12, is a significant factor when determining eligibility for insurance-paid postpartum help.
- Lack of household support: In order to qualify for insurance-covered postpartum help, it is crucial for expat parents to have no one available at home who can assist with household tasks.
- Partner’s Employment Status: The eligibility for insurance-paid postpartum help also depends on the employment status of the partner. If the mother’s partner is on Elternzeit (parental leave) or the partner is unemployed, then there is no entitlement to insurance-paid post-partum help.
What is included under household help?
Household help can cover anything from cooking to bringing your older children to Kita, companionship, massages, folding the laundry or even cleaning!
Depending on the person / organisation providing the services, you will be offered a different range of services to choose from.
I advise you to think carefully about what areas you would like to focus on as some service providers don‘t provide cleaning or childcare (see „who provides household help“).
Who provides household help?
Mütterpflegerinnen (mother‘s carers in German) are professionals trained to care for mothers and their families during post-partum. They have received extensive training in breastfeeding, post-partum health, cooking, massages and are great listeners. Mütterpflegerinnen are the top providers you can find and usually focus on the physical and mental health recovery of the mother, and sometimes do not accept taking on cleaning and / or childcare tasks. Check with them individually what their boundaries are to make sure you are on the same page.
Larger organisations provide household help through their employees. Mostly are trained to care for the household itself (cleaning, cooking, maybe some childcare) but are not trained in post-partum specifically but can be called in any situation, if a person broke their leg for example. Sometimes you will not get the same person from one day to the next, so enquire about this in advance.
Post-partum doulas are trained post-partum support people. They provide in general the same services as Mütterpflegerinnen but a lot are not covered by insurance.
How long can I have household help for?
It depends on
- How long your doctor is willing to prescribe
- How long the health insurance is willing to approve
In theory, you can have household help every day of the work week for up to 8 hours / day for months.
In most cases, and what works for most families is an average of 3 hours / day, 3-4 times a week.
Mother and baby need rest and even though the household help is a relief, it‘s also another person in your home. Consider you will also have visits from family and friends, from the midwife, trips to the doctor‘s. Sometimes organizing your schedule if too many people are involved can become difficult.
You can certainly ask for a bit more support in the first 4 weeks and then gradually decrease.
What is included under household help?
Household help can cover anything from cooking to bringing your older children to Kita, companionship, massages, folding the laundry or even cleaning!
Depending on the person / organisation providing the services, you will be offered a different range of services to choose from.
I advise you to think carefully about what areas you would like to focus on as some service providers don‘t provide cleaning or childcare (see „who provides household help“).
Procedure
- Before birth: ask your health insurance for the form “Antrag auf Haushaltshilfe”
- Before birth: check with your gynecologist or regular doctor whether they would be inclined to support your application for household help. If they aren’t, find a doctor who is.
- Before birth: think about what services you would like and find your household help provider. Some will ask you for a deposit / on-call fee.
- After birth: get your doctor to fill in the form, provide the details of the service provider you have chosen and send it to the health insurance
- The health insurance will decide whether they approve your application, change it (reduce the number of hours e.g.) or refuse it
- If the application is refused or changed, consider contacting someone like Franzi who helps with such applications
- Once the application has been approved, the provider can start working with you
- The service provider will then invoice the health insurance directly
Where can I find a household help provider?
Mütterpflegerinnen:
- Trained Mütterpflegerinnen can be found on the website of the Gesellschaft für Geburtsvorbereitung.
- Google „Mütterpflegerin“ or „Familienlotsin“ (another name for the profession) with your town.
Larger organizations:
- Check with larger organizations like AWO or HorizonT
- Google „Familienpflege“ or „Mobile Pflege“ within your town
- Ask your health insurance if they have a list of providers
Post-partum doulas:
- Ask your favorite maternity concierge for recommendations (yes that‘s me!)
Remember, becoming a parent is a transformative experience, and with the right support, it can be a smoother and more fulfilling journey. By embracing the opportunities provided by the German healthcare system and meeting the eligibility criteria, expat parents can access the comprehensive care they need for a healthy and positive postpartum experience. By doing so, you are taking an important stride towards ensuring the well-being of both you and your newborn, as you embark on this beautiful chapter of parenthood in a foreign land.
About Baby in Berlin
Looking for help navigating pregnancy and new parenthood in Germany? Baby in Berlin is your go-to concierge service for international families expecting a baby in Germany. I can assist with organizing paperwork related to birth and baby, and ensure a smooth start into parenthood. Book a consultation with me today to get started!