Birth preparation and postnatal care

Starting around the 25th week of pregnancy, it’s time to attend a childbirth preparation class. Your midwife will guide you through breathing and relaxation exercises and answer any questions you may have. You'll also have the chance to meet other expectant parents and share your experiences and challenges during this exciting time.

We cover the costs of childbirth preparation classes provided by midwives and support you in finding a suitable course. All contractual services during and after pregnancy are billed directly to us by your midwife. Simply present your SBK healthcare card at your first meeting with the midwife.

Are you already familiar with the keleya app? Here you have the opportunity to participate in an online childbirth preparation course digitally.

You’ve decided to give birth in a hospital? Then it's important to ensure that you and your baby receive the best possible medical care. In fact, complications during or after birth are often best treated in a hospital setting.

An alternative to a standard hospital birth is the so-called attending midwife birth (Beleggeburt). Some hospitals have agreements with midwives who manage the entire birth process. While the birth takes place in a hospital, you still benefit from having full medical equipment available in the background. This means the birth can occur in a setting that feels almost as personal as a birthing center.

Would you like your personal midwife to be present during the birth? In that case, arrange for on-call midwife services shortly before your due date.

If your pregnancy is progressing without complications, many women consider a home birth.

For this, you’ll need a midwife who will support you during the birth. It’s important to contact a midwife early, as not all midwives attend home births. When choosing a midwife, it's essential that you have complete trust in them.

Also, keep in mind that in case of any unexpected complications, you should be able to transfer to a hospital quickly.

Would you like your personal midwife by your side? Then it’s best to arrange on-call midwife services shortly before the birth.

As an alternative to giving birth at home or in a hospital, you can have your baby in a birthing center. In birthing centers, self-employed midwives work together to offer parents the opportunity to give birth in a more home-like, family-oriented environment. If complications arise during the birth, a transfer to a hospital may be necessary.

Trust your midwife in this situation as well, and be sure to arrange on-call midwifery support with her shortly before the birth.

Our SBK Family Health Telephone will be happy to answer any further questions you may have about the different birth options.

After the birth of your baby, you will receive comprehensive care from your doctor’s practice. In addition, your midwife remains your primary point of contact for any questions, for caring for your baby, and of course for support with the changes in your body after childbirth. Alternatively, you can of course contact your doctor’s practice directly.

The first medical check-up for the mother usually takes place six weeks after delivery. Regular medical check-ups are also important for your baby to monitor and support their development. These check-ups are known as U-examinations. You can find more information about them on our page about U-examinations.

For most women, gestational diabetes disappears after childbirth. However, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later remains significantly increased. Therefore, a blood sugar check should be performed about six to twelve weeks after delivery. Afterwards, it is recommended to have the values checked every one to three years. Special attention is required during a subsequent pregnancy. In this case, a test for gestational diabetes should already be conducted in the first trimester.

Good to know: A healthy lifestyle also helps during postpartum care after gestational diabetes. This includes a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and whole grains, and minimal sugar and processed foods. If you would like support, we are happy to assist you through nutritional counseling. Once physical activity is possible after childbirth, affected women should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Maintaining a normal body weight also reduces the risk. Breastfeeding has an additional positive effect: it decreases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later, both for the mother and the child.

In the first few weeks after the birth, we cover the costs of postpartum care provided by your trusted companion – your midwife. She or he will visit you at home and support you with your baby’s umbilical cord care, proper feeding, and any other questions you may have about caring for your newborn.

Your midwife is, of course, also there for you as a mother – to treat any birth-related injuries and to support your recovery with specific postnatal exercises.

You don’t need to worry about a thing: all midwives who have a contract with us bill the costs for postpartum care directly to SBK.

Our tip: Before scheduling your first appointment, ask your midwife whether they can bill SBK directly as a contracted midwife. If direct billing is not available, please contact your personal SBK consultant before making your first appointment.

You can find more information about midwifery services and on-call midwife availability on our Midwife Support page.

To help you strengthen your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles after giving birth, we cover the cost of up to ten hours of postnatal exercise classes with a midwife. The only requirement is that you complete the course by the end of the ninth month after the birth, as this is when the exercises are most effective.

These costs can also be billed directly to SBK by contracted midwives. In certain cases, it may be medically appropriate for a physiotherapist to lead the postnatal training. Please discuss this with your doctor, who can issue a referral so the sessions can be carried out as physiotherapy.

Alternatively, you can use the keleya app to take a digital postnatal or pelvic floor course.