Baby in Berlin is the podcast for international families in Germany, where we share information and advice about pregnancy, birth and the early family years. Elodie, the host, has been a maternity concierge in Berlin for many years, assisting expats navigate their way through the germany system. She has helped hundreds of families find a midwife, fill in their Elterngeld application and understand the Kita system.
The podcast is a window into her work, where she shares tips and tricks for families. She also welcomes many pregnancy and birth professionals to discuss specific topics. Enjoy!
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The best way to learn German - interview with André Silva, language teacher at Expath (00:32:47)
The journey to life in Germany is paved with challenges. Finding a job, a flat with Anmeldung, a Kita for the kids, so much so that you might forget about learning the language altogether.
This interview with André Silva, language teacher at Expath, is supposed to motivate you to take this one extra step to enable you to confidently participate in conversations at the Biergarten. And to say something else outside "genau".
Here are the topics we discuss:
- Hope and motivation for you out there
- André's journey from not speaking the language to now training German teachers
- The difference between classroom German and everyday German
- Should you start learning the language before or after moving to Germany?
- Will you learn German intuitively or is it better to have classes?
- Should you learn within an intensive course or as a regular activity?
- Can you get by without speaking German in Germany?
- What might you be missing out on if you don't speak German?
Learn more about Expath's German classes here!
How to get a residence permit in Germany - interview with Tia Robinson, co-founder of Expath (00:25:36)
This episode is an interview with Tia Robinson, co-founder of Expath to discuss everything you need to know about accessing a visa or a residence permit for Germany. As I am an EU citizen and never had to go through this process, Tia joins me to share her experience not only as a US citizen, but also as the co-founder of Expath, a relocation and language course company based in Berlin.
- What's the difference between a visa and a residence permit?
- What are the requirements to obtain a residence permit in Germany?
- What are the different kinds of residence permit in Germany?
- How long does it take to get a residence permit in Germany?
- Tia's tips to prepare for the worst-case scenario of not getting your residence permit on time to start working
- Should the entire family move together or is it better for one parent / spouse to move first and the rest of the family reunifies afterwards?
- What should freelancers have in mind when applying for a residence permit?
- What kind of savings should you plan to have to obtain a residence permit as a freelancer?
- How can Expath help future immigrants to Germany and when should you get in touch with them to prepare your application?
Contact Expath if you need assistance with your residence permit!
Get in touch with Baby in Berlin if you are moving to Germany as a family and need help with family paperwork!
Placenta Encapsulation in Berlin - Interview with Shanay Rocker, Doula and Co-Founder of MamaMuun (00:29:55)
In this episode I am joined by Shanay Rocker, a Doula in Berlin who has been practicing placenta encapsulation for years. Together we look at some of the myths and legends surrounding placenta encapsulation, as well as answering some common questions on how to go about it if you're thinking of having some placenta capsules of your own.
Here are the topics we cover:
- what exactly is placenta encapsulation?
- how does it work from a practical perspective?
- do hospitals allow to take your placenta with you in Germany?
- which precautions do you have to take if you want to keep your placenta?
- what are the benefits of placenta capsules?
Whether you're curious about this process or if you're thinking about it for yourself, have a listen and let us know if you have any further questions on the topic!
Insider's Guide: Finding Childcare in Berlin for Expat Parents - an interview with my client Angela (00:25:49)
In this exclusive podcast episode, we have a special guest who knows the challenges and triumphs of finding a Kita in Berlin as an expat parent firsthand. Join us as we sit down with Angela, a fellow expat and parent and client of mine, to hear her personal journey and invaluable insights into navigating the Berlin childcare landscape. Angela took my online course "How to find a Kita in Berlin" in December 2021 and was offered 4 Kita spots before the summer of 2022.
Angela shares her experiences, tips, and advice on finding reliable and suitable childcare options in the bustling city. From understanding the different types of childcare facilities available to deciphering the application processes, she provides a wealth of information that will empower expat parents in their quest for the perfect childcare solution.
As we delve into their firsthand experiences, Angela addresses common concerns, shares success stories, and offers practical strategies for finding quality childcare in Berlin. From bilingual facilities to cultural integration, we discuss the important factors to consider when making this crucial decision for your children.
Whether you're a new expat parent settling in Berlin or have been navigating the city for some time, this podcast episode is a must-listen. Gain valuable insights, learn from someone who has been through the process, and feel inspired and confident in your childcare search.
Tune in to this illuminating conversation with Angela and get ready to embark on a journey of finding the perfect childcare solution for your family in Berlin.
Jump straight to
2:20 Background story of Angela, when she arrived in Germany, had her baby and how she felt about the baby bureaucracy at first
4:10 How much do we know about this ? Do we need to find out more information ? Was everything we heard
5:00 when Angela watched the online course and when she wishes she would have done it
6:50 how Angela found the course to be organized, what she learned through it vs what she learned through friends, what she learned about Kita options
“you won’t find (this advice) on a website”
12:20 how long it took to watch the course and when she effectively started her search
14:40 how much time Angela dedicated to looking for a Kita and how she went about her search
16:40 how many Kitas and Tagesmüttern did Angela apply to
16:50 the timeline when Angela started the search, was offered a spot, and when the baby is starting Kita
18:40 how did Angela keep track of her search, which tools did she use
21:00 the one simple assumption you should not make when looking for a Kita
22:10 what would Angela do differently if she had to do it all over again
Navigating Female and Pregnancy Health in Germany: Insights from a Gynecologist, with Dr Christine Krämer, OBGYN in Stuttgart (00:33:50)
Join us for an insightful episode of our podcast as we dive into the world of parenting in Germany with Dr Christine Krämer, a renowned gynecologist in Stuttgart and co-founder of Gravidamiga (https://www.gravidamiga.com/) a start-up offering pregnancy and post-partum courses. Designed specifically for expat parents, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and practical advice to navigate the unique challenges and healthcare system in Germany.
Our guest, Dr Christine Krämer, a seasoned gynecologist, shares invaluable insights on a wide range of topics, including prenatal care, birthing options, postpartum support, and newborn care. Discover the differences in the German approach to pregnancy and childbirth, and gain a deeper understanding of the available resources and services tailored to expat parents.
Tune in to our podcast and let's unravel the mysteries and challenges of pregnancy in Germany, together!
Jump directly to:
2:30 the different types of OBGYN in Germany
5:50 the role of an OBGYN at birth in Germany
6:30 female health and regular gynecologic check-ups in Germany
8:30 pregnancy confirmation, defining the due date and the Mutterpass
12:25 regular pregnancy check-ups in Germany
16:00 how does the pregnancy care with the gynecologist work if you also have a midwife
20:00 your birth place options in Germany (including hospital, birthing centers, home births, outpatient birth)
27:30 post-partum care with the gynecologist (including getting a milk-pump from your OBGYN, the post-partum recovery course Rückbildung)
31:00 all courses offered by Dr Christine Krämer and her business partner Kira Neumann at Gravidamiga
Maternal mental health support in Germany: interview with Johanna Tonn-Straavaldsen, co-founder and director of Afloat (00:29:53)
Afloat is a non-profit organization based out of Heidelberg that offers support to international pregnant and new mothers in Germany through the ups and downs of motherhood. They offer support groups, information & resources, as well as educational events, with a special focus on maternal mental health.
I interview in this episode Johanna, their co-founder and director, about the mission of Afloat, what they offer to international mothers in Germany and how they can help in receiving mental health support.
What is Afloat and what is its mission (03:30)
What can mothers expect from Afloat’s maternal mental health warmline? (08:00)
Can the volunteers at Afloat explain the procedure to get insurance-paid mental health support? (09:30)
Afloat’s support groups: what they are, what to expect (14:40)
What is the profile of the attendees of the support groups? (19:00)
What is Afloat developing towards, what is the future of Afloat? (22:00)
Links to resources we discussed:
Afloat’s website: https://www.afloatheidelberg.de
Blog post from Afloat: Navigating the maternal mental health system in Germany
https://www.afloatheidelberg.de/blog/navigating-the-maternal-mental-health-system-in-germany
Getting help in receiving maternal mental health: Schatten und Licht
https://schatten-und-licht.de/?lang=en
Is coworking with childcare for you? Interview with Anne Rübsam-Rivierre, founder of Work'n'Kid in Berlin (00:29:47)
Is coworking with childcare for you? Interview with Anne Rübsam-Rivierre, founder of Work’n’Kid in Berlin
Anne is the founder of Work’n’Kid, a new type of coworking office. Long gone are the days of the cold open space office with hundreds of software entrepreneurs pouncing on their laptops, here comes the cozy coworking mixing and matching work with soft-play.
Anne’s story (02:45)
I asked Anne why she founded a coworking space with childcare in the first place, what motivated her and what makes her her best own client.
What is the concept of a coworking space with childcare? (06:40)
Many of you (I know that was the case for me!) might imagine a coworking space with childcare like a nightmare, trying to get a presentation done while children are running around the office. But listen in, you will be surprised…
What are the rooms like? (11:20)
How many desks are there? Is there a kitchen? Can I rent the place for events? What if I have a meeting? Let’s hear what the coworking space has to offer.
What’s the typical profile of coworking parents? (13:40)
For me it would be important to know I am surrounded by like-minded people or at least people I can along with. Anne reflects on what makes the coworking place also a community in the long run.
How much does a coworking space cost? (16:10)
Anne talks us through the various financial options if you want to use the coworking space, with and without the childcare.
Can I get the childcare costs reimbursed? (22:30)
Anne will explain if and how you can some of the childcare costs reimbursed.
How will my child be cared for in the coworking space? (26:00)
If you wonder who will be taking care of your children whilst you finish your presentation, listen until the end as Anne tells us what is offered at Work’n’Kid.
Update from November 2022: Work’n’Kid will sadly soon lose their premises in Friedrichshain. But they are looking to reopen somewhere new soon. We will keep you posted on here as soon as it happens.
Another coworking with children we love at Baby in Berlin is JuggleHub in Prenzlauer Berg. So if you need a place to get that work done whilst knowing your little one is cared for, head over to Christburger Straße!
How do birth preparation classes in English work in Berlin, with midwife Katrin O’Malley (00:47:58)
In this interview the midwife Katrin O’Maley gives us insider knowledge on how birth preparation classes in English work in Berlin.
Katrin O’Maley is a Hebamme (midwife) in Berlin. She works out of a gynecologist’s practice in Potsdamer Platz and offers birth preparation classes for first-time parents, rerun birth preparation classes for parents who already have children as well as birth preparation classes for parents with a planned c-section.
Some of the topics we discussed are:
03:30 – What is covered in a birth preparation class in Germany? What is the structure and the length of the class?
15:30 – When should one attend a birth preparation class? What is the ideal time to register for a birth preparation class?
19:00 – What is the difference and pros and cons of an online birth preparation class vs a in-person birth preparation course?
23:20 – What is the advantage of a birth preparation class for second-time parents?
29:20 – Why you should consider attending a birth preparation class if you planned a c-section?
36:40 – Options to attend a birth preparation class when you’re a single mother expecting
38:10 – What is the cost of a birth preparation class in English in Berlin?
40:30 – Katrin’s recommendations
If you want to attend one of Katrin’s classes, you can check her website: www.midwifeinberlin.com
Please note this episode was recorded early 2021.
Resources shared by Katrin:
Mindful Birthing from Nancy Bardacke
Jesper Juul
Osteopath Kerstin Sachse
Baby in Berlin is a concierge service for expecting international families in Germany who need assistance with the organization of their pregnancy and the paperwork related to baby and birth. I have helped hundreds of families organizing their life as a family in Berlin and all over Germany. Follow me on social media for more tips and resources!
Episode 6: Moving to Berlin, Germany as a family with Emily Archer, relocation expert (00:48:11)
Emily Archer is my guest today. Emily is a relocation consultant and has been assisting expats moving to Berlin since 2015. Originally from Australia, she founded Archer Relocation to use her first-hand experience and professional skills to assist fellow expats moving to Berlin. Before founding her relocation agency, Emily was a professional ballet dancer and an occupational therapist, so she’s used to working really hard and listening to people’s needs and empathize with them. Which is, in my opinion, rare enough in this world to be mentioned.
Emily’s going to talk to us today about moving to Germany, more specifically to Berlin, as a family. Berlin has become increasingly popular the last decade and Germany can be very bureaucratic. If you don’t know what to expect in advance, you may end up in a tricky situation unable to find either a school or a kindergarten or even a home. Emily will share her tips for moving to Berlin as a family.
Some of the topics we discuss include:
What is the Anmeldung? How can you get an Anmeldung before finding a home / moving permanently to Germany?What are the various accommodation possibilities when first moving to Berlin and before you settle in a long-term apartment?
How difficult is it to find a home? What kind of budget should you expect to pay as a family? What kind of paperwork will you be expected to have to constitute your application? What are the particularities of the Berlin housing market?
What are the things you should avoid (scams)?What is the best strategy for finding a school for your school-aged children (6 and older) whilst looking for permanent accommodation? Do the authorities speak English?
How easy is it to find childcare for children under 6? What areas are the worst in terms of chances of finding a spot for childcare?
What is the Kita voucher and how do you get one?And finally what is it like to live in Berlin as a family?
Join us as we cover all this and more tips from Emily for moving to Berlin as a family!
You can find Emily and her range of services on: https://www.archer-relocation.com/
Episode 5: Everything you ever wanted to know about doulas in Germany, with Gem Kocher (00:55:29)
I had the great pleasure and privilege to interview Gem Kocher (previously Annie) for this episode.
Gem Kocher is a white non-binary queer feminist doula based in Berlin, Germany. Birth work called them shortly after graduating from Brown University in 2014, and they’ve been a full-time birth and postpartum doula since, caring for families in English & German. In 2020, Gem began offering gender transition doula care.
Gem’s mission as a doula is to create meaningful change in people’s lives through inclusion, information liberation, and grassroots care work. Gem is on Earth to hold space for a more radical, more just, more healed world to be born.
We discuss many topics with Gem, our goal was to answer a lot of the initial questions that parents and people in general have about doulas. We wanted to make it a go-to resource for everyone who just heard about doulas and wondered whether it was something they wanted for their families.
Here is a sample of the questions we answer in this episode:
What is a doula?
What is the difference between a doula and a midwife?
How are doulas viewed in general and in particular by the medical staff in Germany? How well accepted is it to bring a doula to a birth in Germany?
Does it make sens to have a doula if the partner is present?
What is the role of a doula at birth with regards to advocating for the parents vs translating?
Is a doula only for natural births?
What has been Gem's experience of accompanying birthing mothers during Covid in Germany? How can a birth doula support the parents with the current restrictions?
How can I find a doula? When should I look for a doula? How much does a doula cost in Germany? are also questions we cover.
I really hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did, it covers so much ground and will be such a useful resource for the international families in Germany. Gem has also such a calming voice, pop your earphones on and enjoy!
Some resources Gem shared (clickable links below)
Evidence on doulas
Facebook group to find a midwife in Berlin
Chiropractor Florence Joulian
Ep 4- Interview with Jessica Strickmann Beleghebamme at Sankt Joseph hospital in Berlin - part 2 (00:49:25)
In this episode I talk to Jessica Strickmann, an on-call midwife, a Beleghebamme, working in Berlin Sankt Joseph hospital. She is the founder of the Erdmutter Kollektiv, a collective of on-call midwives offering prenatal care, birth care and postpartum care to families all over Berlin. She lives in Berlin with her three children. I was really excited to have Jessica agree to this interview, because she is nothing less than a rockstar in the pregnancy and birth world in Berlin.
I had to cut this interview in two parts as we had so many topics to discuss. In this second episode, listen as Jessica explains what a transfer from a home birth to hospital really look like and how she makes sure she’s always available when on call. Jessica will talk us through the details of her work like when should a couple get in touch to secure a spot with her, how much her services cost and what can you do to have the best care if you cannot get a Beleghebamme. Finally, she will reveal to us what she really thinks about doulas and how one can get involved politically to ensure as many parents as possible receive 1-to-1 care at birth.
Trigger warning Midwife care around miscarriages
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39:11 What does a transfer from home to hospital really look like?
50:27 How does a Beleghebamme make sure she’s available when she’s on call?
56:52 When should a couple arrange for a Beleghebamme? When should you start looking for one?
59:57 until 1:04:25 Trigger warning Midwife care around miscarriages
01:05:00 How much does a Beleghebamme cost?
01:06:42 What can you if you are too late to get a Beleghebamme? What does Jessica think about doulas?
01:12:04 Why is there a lack of midwife and how can you politically engage to protect their status as well as empower the parents’ rights?
If you want to check if Jessica and her team to care for you during your pregnancy and birth, you need to call them as soon as you get a positive pregnancy test, send them an sms to:
If you want to get involved in or learn more about the work of Motherhood e.V.: https://www.mother-hood.de
Resources and tips that Jessica mentioned:
Ina May Gaskin: http://inamay.com
Get help with paperwork: www.babyinberlin.com
Doulas: https://www.facebook.com/groups/146721342710225
Placenta encapsulation: https://www.shanaythedoula.com/placenta-encapulation
Ep3 - Interview with Jessica Strickmann, Beleghebamme at Sankt Joseph hospital in Berlin (00:41:50)
In this episode I talk to Jessica Strickmann, an on-call midwife, a Beleghebamme, working in Berlin Sankt Joseph hospital. She is the founder of the Erdmutter Kollektiv, a collective of on-call midwives offering prenatal care, birth care and postpartum care to families all over Berlin. She lives in Berlin with her three children. I was really excited to have Jessica agree to this interview, because she is nothing less than a rockstar in the pregnancy and birth world in Berlin.
I had to cut this interview in two parts as we had so many topics to discuss. In this first episode, listen as Jessica explains the difference between a Beleghebamme and a “normal” midwife. She will also talk us through the pregnancy care the midwives offer as well as the relationship between midwives and gynecologists during pregnancy, and what you can do if they don’t get along. Jessica will explain the various options in terms of birth places when you have a Beleghebamme and how Covid changed the way parents want to give birth.
04:00 Presentation of the Erdmutter Kollektiv
08:40 What is the difference between a “normal” midwife and an on-call midwife?
13:24 What is included in the pregnancy care from the Beleghebamme?
15:40 The relationship between gynecologist and Beleghebamme. And what to do if they don’t get along!
23:35 Where can women give birth with a Beleghebamme?
28:00 How Covid changed were parents want to give birth
30:40 Risk conditions where you should not consider a home birth and what you can do to replicate the comfort of a home birth if you have to go to the hospital
Ep2 - The first steps of your pregnancy in Germany (00:32:05)
Are you an expat in Germany and just found out you are pregnant? Are you excited but a bit lost as to what to do now? Listen in…
In this episode I go through topics like:
confirming your pregnancy
finding a midwife in Germany
what type of care do midwives offer
the various types of midwives in Germany
finding a gynecologist in Germany
where to give birth in Germany and how to register
what you may think you need to do but you don’t
what to do if your work is too taxing during pregnancy
Trailer Baby in Berlin podcast (00:07:21)
Hello and welcome to the Baby in Berlin podcast, the podcast for all international families in Germany!
In this very first episode, I am sharing a little bit about who I am, how I landed in Germany and the goal of the podcast. A few years ago I started my business also called Baby in Berlin, to assist international families make sense of the german system of pregnancy, birth and the early family years. I have helped hundreds of families since with things like finding a midwife, filling in their Elterngeld application or organising notary appointments.
I want the podcast to be a window of the work I do, a place where families can get some information and advice about having a baby in Germany and where pregnancy, birth and infant professionals can explain the services they offer.
I hope you'll enjoy it!
Elodie
