What and when
Two specialists you must find before your baby is born: a Hebamme (midwife) and a Kinderarzt (pediatrician). Both are in short supply — and most parents start looking too late.
Under § 24d SGB V you have a right to midwife care during the first 8–12 weeks after birth, and your Krankenkasse covers the cost fully. No individual midwife is obliged to take you on, however — which is why you search early.
The Kinderarzt sees your baby for the first U2 examination as early as day 3–10 of life.
What you need to do
Hebamme — right after the positive test:
Search on hebammensuche.de, enter your postal code. Write to several midwives at the same time — briefly, with your due date:
“Ich suche eine Hebamme für die Wochenbettbetreuung. Mein voraussichtlicher Geburtstermin ist [date]. Haben Sie noch Kapazitäten?”
Ask your OB/GYN — they usually have personal contacts. Join local parent groups: up-to-date midwife contacts often circulate there.
Birthing clinic — before week 20:
Choose a hospital or Geburtshaus and make the Kreißsaal-Anmeldung. Many clinics hold an open day (“Tag der offenen Tür”) where you can tour the facilities and register.
Kinderarzt — 2–3 months before due date:
Search within 2–3 km of your home. Call rather than write:
“Wir erwarten im [month] unser Kind und suchen einen Kinderarzt. Nehmen Sie neue Patienten an?”