Tips and tricks for finding a midwife

You are pregnant and looking for a midwife? Whether – in times of acute midwife shortages, it is unfortunately often not that easy to find a midwife. Therefore, in this article, you will find tips on how to best proceed with your search for a midwife. A little advance notice: the earlier you start, the better!

What does a midwife do, and do I really need one?

Midwives are specialists (or -men) in pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding. A midwife can perform all , including the recommended blood tests, from the very beginning. Only the three scheduled and any additional prenatal diagnostics must be carried out by a gynecologist.

Your midwife can also support you with childbirth preparation and provide birth care at home, in the birth center, or in the hospital with a midwife on call. In Germany, by the way, a midwife must be present at every birth – a doctor, however, not necessarily. Once your baby is born, your midwife will accompany you through the and will make home visits for up to 12 weeks, during which she will check on you and your little explorer, answer your questions, and, for example, provide breastfeeding advice. Many midwives also offer courses in postpartum exercises. Not every midwife offers every service, but what all midwives have in common is that they are your point of contact during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for concerns, fears, and problems.

In addition to their services, midwives also differ in whether they are employed full-time, freelance, or working as on-call midwives. Full-time employed midwives are employed in shift work at the hospital, where they accompany births and new mothers. It is therefore possible that several midwives will care for you throughout the duration of the birth, because one shift ends and the next begins. Since multiple women give birth at the hospital simultaneously, the midwives are often responsible for several births in parallel, so the care may not be as intensive as with a dedicated midwife who is only there for you. However, you automatically have the support of the full-time midwives if you have your baby in the clinic, and you don't have to worry about it yourself. Freelance midwives either have their own midwifery practice or accompany births at home or in the birth center. They only take over obstetric care in the hospital if they have a contract as a Certified Midwife have. They "rent" a room and the hospital's infrastructure for the birth, but are still working independently. With a self-employed or on-call midwife, you can be sure to have familiar support by your side throughout the entire birth.

By the way, not only women work as midwives: Although they are still significantly outnumbered by their female colleagues, more and more men are training to become midwives. The official male job title is Birthing Assistant . In the LILLYDOO articles, we only use the term Midwives for the designation of all practitioners of this profession – also because the term Birthing Assistant does not quite do justice to the comprehensive scope of activities before and after birth. Just like female midwives, their male colleagues support mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and during breastfeeding.

Every pregnant woman is legally entitled to care by a midwife. According to § 24d of the Social Code, every insured person during pregnancy Right to medical care and midwifery assistance for prenatal care, during and after childbirth, and throughout postpartum care up to 12 weeks after birth. These services are usually covered by your health insurance. If you choose a contracted midwife, whether in a hospital, birthing center, or home birth, you will need to cover the costs for your midwife's on-call availability privately. Many midwives offer additional services beyond statutory benefits, such as pregnancy gymnastics, Yoga or massages. You also have to pay for these privately if you use them. It's best to check directly with your health insurance company to find out what benefits you are entitled to.

Whether and to what extent you choose to be cared for by a midwife is entirely up to you. You can, for example, combine prenatal care by a midwife with that of your gynecologist. You also have the option to find a midwife only for postpartum care at home, even if the prenatal care was previously with a doctor and the birth took place in a hospital.

Where can I find a midwife and when should I start the search?

If you would like to have a midwife by your side during pregnancy, you should start your search as early as possible – especially if you wish for a home birth or a birth with a midwife on call. LILLYDOO Midwife Sissi recommends starting the search with the . Don't worry that it might be too early during the first, critical trimester. In case of an early miscarriage, your midwife will be there for you and will stand by your side. You should also not delay too long in searching for a dedicated postpartum midwife. Home postpartum care requires a lot of effort, which is why midwives have limited capacity. If you decide in the hospital to make use of home postpartum care, the hospital staff or the midwives there can assist you in finding a midwife for the coming weeks.

After the "When?" comes the question of "Where?". An official list of midwives can be found on the . Many cities and municipalities also maintain regional lists of midwives. Alternatively, you can also ask your gynecologist or obstetrician for information or get personal recommendations from other parents in your friends and acquaintances circle.

How do I proceed with the search?

Before contacting every midwife in your area, it's worth taking some time to think about your Wishes and Ideas to do. Questions you can ask yourself include:

• What do I value and what do I not want?

• What kind of birth do I wish for?

• Which midwifery services would I like to use?

In the next step, you will gather (for example, with the help of the internet) an overview of which midwives in your area are accepting pregnant women. Most midwives have a limited catchment area so they can adequately care for all their women and be able to respond quickly in an emergency. If the individual services of a midwife match your expectations, you can contact her by phone or email. You can also tell her a little about yourself, for example, when your is, which number child you are expecting, and exactly where you live. This gives the midwife an initial impression of you and allows her to assess more quickly whether she is suitable for your care.

Since finding the right midwife can be quite challenging, it's worth contacting more than one directly. To keep track, it is helpful to create an overview list with the current status of your inquiries. LILLYDOO Midwife Sissi's tip also is: be persistent! From her own experience, Sissi knows that a request can sometimes get lost in the busy midwife's daily routine. If you don't receive a response, feel free to follow up politely once again.

You have reached your desired midwife and she is available? Then the next step is a personal preliminary discussion , which takes place either at your home, in the midwife's practice, or at the birth center. Your health insurance usually covers the costs for an initial consultation, and if you are planning a birth outside of a hospital, it even covers two. Conversely, this means that you will have to cover the costs for all subsequent consultations yourself if you want to meet multiple midwives.

During the first meeting, you and the midwife will get to know each other initially. She may want to learn more about the course of your pregnancy so far or previous pregnancies, as well as your expectations and wishes. At the same time, of course, you also have the opportunity to ask her questions. These could include, for example:

• How long has she been a midwife?

• What is your opinion on topics that are important to you (breastfeeding, homeopathy, elective cesarean section…)?

• How does the care process work with her?

• Does she do home visits? If so, how often and for how long?

• Is she also reachable by phone or email in case of questions in between?

• Does she have a representative for emergencies?

In some cases, your partner may be present during the preliminary discussion; it is best to inquire beforehand whether this is possible or even desired.

Your midwife meets many or even all of your expectations? Congratulations! However, more important than any checklist is your gut feeling when making the decision. The right midwife for you is not necessarily the one with the most qualifications or the biggest offering. The best midwife for you is the one you feel comfortable with, trust, and can relax around.

Our LILLYDOO midwife Sissi has some additional tips for finding a midwife based on her daily experience, which she would like to share with you in the video:

Certainly, you have probably already heard or even experienced yourself that finding a midwife can be challenging. Many hospitals are facing staff shortages, so the midwives working there often have to care for multiple births simultaneously. Freelance midwives also frequently receive so many inquiries that they have to turn women away or have less time for each pregnant woman. Since midwives provide valuable and irreplaceable work, it is important to highlight the shortage. If you haven't found a midwife, you can and help gather data on the midwife shortage in Germany.

Even if finding a suitable midwife isn't always easy: don't give up hope. We wish you that you find exactly the right midwife for you. :)