Being one of the first in your parent group to be raising children abroad in Germany can be a scary thing. It is natural to make a lot of mistakes from a lack of experience and guidance and sometimes, unavoidable specially as first-time parents. However, when it comes to navigating these resources available and figuring out how to gain access to them, there are things we can get started with early in order to maximize our chances for gaining access to all resources available to us as foreigners in Germany.

In reflecting back to my pre and post partum experience as a first-time Mom abroad, I thought I had it all together with planning. After months of research and talking to other experienced parents, I felt confident about embarking on my own parenting journey abroad in Germany. I now had The Ultimate Childbirth in Germany Checklist, a great support group of new expecting expats in place and I felt so ready for this next stage.

This checklist was the most helpful tool I had and it surely made the preparation process a lot easier. While I completed many things from my master list, sent a multitude of emails, and made phone calls to get my resources in order, I later learned that there were a few things on the list that were extremely time-sensitive that I should have started tackling earlier on in the process.

To help first-time expat parents living abroad or moving to Germany, here are three things I learned were time sensitive that I recommend getting started on as soon as you find out you are expecting:

Build your Medical Support Team (Gynocologist, Hebamme/Doula, Pediatrician)

For new expecting expats or those considering moving and starting a family abroad in Germany, finding good Doctors is a top priority. We are lucky that Germany has a great healthcare system, covering a lot of the medical costs specially when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. I paid almost nothing during my pregnancy and labor – aside from extra tests I wanted to do during pregnancy that were not covered by my public insurance. Otherwise, almost everything is free.

When I found out I was expecting my first child, I consulted with my General Doctor (Hausarzt) here in Germany to get a referral for a Gynocologist (Gynäkologe) in the area. She ended up being a wonderful Doctor, bilingual, and only a 10-minute walk from my home. It was helpful that she was bilingual and spoke both German and English and that she was close to our home as I could easily stop by her office if I had any questions or concerns. Other important medical professionals to confirm as soon as possible are a Pediatrician and Midwife (Hebamme). In this case, you are securing a Midwife that can come to your home after labor to help assist you and the baby. A resource typically fully covered by insurance (for public and private). This is not to be confused with the Midwife that assist with labor at a hospital.

I found our Pediatrician in our area by reading Google reviews and the Midwife by connecting with other expats for referrals. As soon as you find out you are expecting, these are three resources you will want to start searching for right away. It will involve making a lot of phone calls, sending emails and connecting with other people to get referrals as these resources are very limited due to capacity.

Register for Birth (Hospital/Birth Center)

Similar to finding a Doctor or Midwife, starting to research your birth options once you find out you are expecting is important for preparing for a positive birth experience. By starting the search early, you can thoughtfully explore your options, tour the facilities beforehand, and collect feedback from others about their experience. I found my hospital by researching what my options were in my area (filtering by hospitals that were no more than a 10-15 minute drive from my home). I also connected with other parents and birth professionals in my labor prep classes to gain insights and feedback on my different hospital options. While my labor did not go exactly as planned (I ended up getting an emergency c-section due to my daughter’s heart rate dropping), I had an overall amazing birth experience mainly due to the support from the doctors and midwives at the hospital. Looking into my options early allowed me the chance to tour the hospital before making a final decision – and my gut feeling was definitely right about the hospital I ended up choosing.

I cannot emphasize how important this step is. While pregnant, start to explore the areas where you would consider sending your child to Nursery School (Kitas). Remember that, some Kitas would prioritize giving a spot to families who live in the area vs. those living outside of it. While you can still select some Kitas that may not be in your neighborhood, it is good practice to add a few Kitas in your area to the list. Once you have compiled a list of potential KItas and your child is born, start the application process immediately. Even if you are considering sending your child to Kita in a few months time, the process of securing a spot is very difficult (also due to limited capacity caused by larger systemic issues). The process for applying varies city-by-city. However, usually following similar steps such as completing an official registration (in Frankfurt, you do this via Kindernet).

Germany is a great place to raise children and is filled with resources for foreigners. Download and print The Ultimate Checklist to help you get started. Learn from my mistakes: As you check things off this list, remember to pay close attention to the time-sensitive tasks reviewed above including securing your doctors, registering your birth, and applying for Kitas. Time is of the essence when it comes to getting access to such resources and you are now ahead of the game by knowing what you need to focus on from the start!