Nowadays, a mother and her newly born child can hardly fall back on protection and care from an intact extended family or friend-network. She and the child need a time for rest and recovering after birth. The birth, the adjustment to the newborn, breastfeeding, hormonal changes, are energy-consuming adaption processes.
Exhaustion and a sort of work-overload can quickly occur if help is not organized with foresight.
Shortly after the birth the midwife can prescribe 1 week in-house-support for the mother, max. 8 hours per day. According to German law in SGB V § 24 c and h, every woman is entitled to get assistance in case of illness during pregnancy and puerperium, if no family help is available. This help can be useful if there are other small siblings.
Assistance has to be requested from the health insurance company in good time. Download forms from your own health insurance company's homepage under " Haushaltshilfe". Professional nursing services bill directly with the health insurance company. Extension of the puerperium assistance must be ordered by a doctor.
Help to organize your-self the time after birth /puerperal you will find here: Caritas, Diakonie- und Sozialstation, Dorfhelferinnenwerk Baden-Württemberg und Niedersachsen, other independent providers. Smokers do not have to be accepted by you. There is the profession of freelance maternal nurse (not yet available everywhere). Lists of maternity nurses are currently being drawn up. They will soon be available again.
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