Having grown up in the United States, I can see the many benefits of giving birth abroad in Germany vs. back home. The most common benefits of giving birth abroad in Germany that we often read about include generous paid parental leave, low to no costs for childbirth, free education, and affordable activities for families and kids. However, there are also other resources parents can take advantage of.

1. DM/Rossman’s “Baby Club”: Sign up for DM/Rossman’s to receive free baby items such as skin care products, baby bottles, toys etc. Along with the free gifts, you often receive coupons for future purchases. It’s an easy and free resource to sign up for!
2. Spa cure with the Maternal Recovery Agency: This is my favorite hidden gem in Germany for families! Germany offers spa retreats for parents and caregivers who have reached burn out and exhaustion from everyday responsibilities in the home. So how do you qualify for a 3-week spa rehabilitation experience? First, start by taking the “Cure Test” or Kurtest provided by the Mother’s Recovery Work organization or Müttergenesungswerk. The test includes a series of questions which will help determine if you have reached burn-out from parenting/caretaking. Should the results show that you have reached high levels of stress and are in need of support, you can contact your Healthcare provider or Hausarzt/Hausärztin as well as sign up for a counseling session with the Counseling Center to help prepare and enroll you in a 3-week spa retreat. Here, you will receive support and learn about ways to take care of your health (both physically and mentally). There are also different program structures based on your needs such as Mother-Child-Recovery, Mother’s-Recovery, Father-Child-Recovery and Caregiver Recovery. Most importantly, this is completely free of charge and covered by your health insurance!
3. Health Insurance Resources: We often forget about the resources available to us from our healthcare insurance. Most health insurances include a section on their website where they provide a list of services covered by the provider. Here is an example of the services offered by public health insurance, Energie BKK. Visit your health insurance site and find more information about services provided for children and families.

The resources are out there, we just have to know where to search. Know of any other special resources available to parents in Germany not listed here that I can add? Reach out to me and share your ideas and let’s work together to spread awareness to other families!

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