German word of the day: Wochenbett

Local Germany

19-05-2025

Why do I need to know
Wochenbett
?
Pregnancy in Germany comes with its own set of very specific terminology - and
Wochenbett
is no exception. Though the concept may seem alien to people from foreign countries, it can tell you a lot about new motherhood in Germany, and why health insurance and maternity leave works the way it does.
What does it mean?
Das Wochenbett
(pronounced
like this
) is, quite literally, a number of weeks in bed. In maternity care, it refers to a period of 6-8 weeks after the birth of a new child in which the mother recovers physically and both parents adapt psychologically to their new life situation. In other words, a postpartum rest period.
The popular rule of thumb generally cited by German midwives is:
"Eine Woche im Bett, eine Woche am Bett und eine Woche ums Bett herum".
(One week in bed, one week by the bed, and one week around the bed.)
That means that new mothers are expected to spend a full week convalescing in bed, a second week chilling either in bed or in the bedroom, and a third week gradually expanding their horizons - but still not straying far from the home.
If a child is born is hospital, women may be moved to the
Wochenbettstation
(postpartum ward) for two to five days, before being released to rest at home. If the new mother goes home immediately, a midwife (or
Hebamme
in German) will generally conduct at least one house visit per day for the first ten days to offer support and guidance.
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People who come from countries with limited maternity leave or much looser workplace regulations may find this concept strange. For workers in the US who don't have any guaranteed time off after pregnancy - let alone paid leave - or in the UK, where only two weeks of time off is mandated by law, the culture seems to insist that new parents simply brush themselves off and get on with it.
READ ALSO:
Everything you need to know about parental leave in Germany
In Germany, however, compulsory maternity leave spans six weeks before the birth and eight weeks afterwards, accounting for at least two months of
Wochenbett.
During this time, women fall under what's known as
Mutterschutz
, which literally translates as "mother's protection" but is also the term for maternity leave. That means they are generally forbidden from working, unless they explicitly opt out of this protection.
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A mother's net salary is generally covered by their health insurer and employer for the full duration of
Mutterschutz
.
Currently, freelancers don't have a universal legal right to maternity benefits, though the new black-red coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD is hoping to change that in the future.
READ ALSO:
The big changes for families in Germany in 2025
Use it like this:
Die Hebamme hat sie regelmäßig während des Wochenbetts besucht.
The midwife visited her regularly during her postpartum recovery.
Das Wochenbett ist eine schöne - aber sehr anstrengende - Zeit für neue Eltern.
The weeks after birth after a wonderful - but very stressful - time for new parents.