Home Birth in Germany
If you’re planning a home birth in Germany — or even just considering it — you’ll quickly discover that the system works differently from what you might expect. The right to give birth at home is legally protected, health insurance covers it, and midwives are qualified to attend births independently. But actually making it happen requires knowing where to look and when to start looking.
This hub covers the practical side: your legal rights, what your Krankenkasse pays for, how to find a Hausgeburtshebamme, and what the bureaucratic landscape looks like before and after birth.
If you’re an English speaker living in Germany, you’re in the right place — almost none of this information exists in English elsewhere.
Your legal right
Home birth is a legally protected right in Germany. No one — not your doctor, not your hospital, not your insurance company — can prevent you from giving birth at home. The Hebammengesetz guarantees that midwives can attend births independently, and your Krankenkasse is required to cover the cost.
That said, the practical reality can feel more complicated than the legal right suggests. Midwife availability is limited in some regions, and not every health professional will be supportive. Knowing your rights helps you navigate those conversations with confidence.
→ Your legal right to home birth in Germany
Finding a midwife
Start early — ideally before the end of your first trimester. Home birth midwives (Hausgeburtshebammen) are in high demand and limited supply, especially in major cities. The search can take persistence, but there are specific strategies that improve your chances.
Your midwife is your primary care provider during a home birth. She monitors you and your baby, manages the birth, handles any complications that arise, and provides postnatal care (Nachsorge) for weeks afterwards. Choosing the right midwife matters more than almost any other decision in this process.
→ Finding a home birth midwife in Germany
Insurance and costs
Your statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) covers the midwife’s fee for a home birth — the same way it would cover a hospital birth. What it typically doesn’t cover is the Rufbereitschaftspauschale: the on-call fee your midwife charges for being available around your due date, usually €300–600. Some insurers reimburse part of this. Supplementary insurance can help, but it needs to be arranged before pregnancy.
The birthpool rental is a separate cost, not covered by insurance.
→ Health insurance and home birth — what’s covered
After the birth
Germany has a strong system of postnatal support. Your midwife visits you at home in the days and weeks after birth (Nachsorge), helping with breastfeeding, checking your recovery, and monitoring your baby. The U1 examination happens immediately after birth; the U2 within days. Birth registration at the Standesamt needs to happen within a week.