In their first year of life, children need special care and nurturing. If they receive both to a sufficient extent, nothing stands in the way of their healthy further development. Sometimes, however, parents find themselves in situations where they are unable to care for their baby as they would like. Sometimes there are bureaucratic hurdles that make it difficult to grow into everyday family life. This can include, for example, applying for parental allowance or housing benefit. Or the appointments that can be triggered by a sick baby. It doesn't matter what is bothering the young mum. The help of the family midwife can be utilised free of charge in any case.
You may have heard the term "family midwife" before. What distinguishes them from a "normal" midwife? And what does a family midwife actually do? I would like to inform you about this here.
The work of "normal" midwives is usually orientated towards the services that the statutory health insurance companies want to pay for. The contact options and time available from the health insurance companies are very limited.
Midwives take care of pregnant women and help with complaints, they are at the birth, make postpartum visits and also visits during the infant period.
What health insurance companies pay for as services at these appointments is precisely regulated in their supply contract with the midwives.
If pregnant women or parents have a need that goes beyond these "health insurance benefits" because they are in a particularly stressful situation, the family midwife will take on the additional need for help. She can provide counselling and support until the child's first birthday.
Most family midwives are also trained midwives. However, they are paid by the local authorities. Their time is not restricted by health insurance budgets. Together, midwives and family midwives can provide customised midwifery support for special needs.
Family midwives, like all midwives, are happy to help. But only if a family wants it, of course.
The work of a family midwife is also about promoting the health of mother and baby and strengthening the relationship between parents and child. Sometimes, however, the circumstances of families are such that they find it difficult to cope with everyday life with a baby and its challenges. With the help of a family midwife, they simply manage better. And then, at some point, they manage just fine on their own. This is called "helping people to help themselves". That is the goal that family midwives want to achieve.
Family midwives are part of the network of so-called Early help. This term is used to summarise a wide range of support services in a municipality. They are aimed at (expectant) mothers, parents and families with children up to the age of three in difficult life phases and situations. The services are free of charge for users. This means that the costs of employing a family midwife are usually covered by the local authority and sometimes by other organisations.
However, the range of early help services does not only include support from a family midwife. It also includes, for example, regular visits from family mentors or counselling services on various problems such as pregnancy, addiction or money issues. You can find out more here Early help read on my blog.
The work of a family midwife therefore goes beyond the scope of normal midwifery work, both in terms of expertise and time. This means that the period of support can also begin during pregnancy, but extends at most until the child's first birthday. In addition, this colleague also visits "her" family more frequently than the traditional midwife would. She supports the whole family with tips, advice and active support for the care, nutrition, development and support of the baby. A family midwife also teaches parents how to better recognise and understand their child and its needs. Their tasks also include providing support and motivation for self-help in coping with everyday life. In addition, a family midwife can also accompany the family on visits to the doctor or authorities if required.
Family midwives are also aware of other local support services - both those that make home visits like themselves and those that parents can go to. The family midwife can arrange contacts throughout the network, for example to a family counselling centre, a counselling centre for addiction issues, a crying clinic, further medical or psychological help or a parent-child group. Even if the support of a family midwife ends after the child's first birthday, she can arrange subsequent help as soon as a family needs further support.
You may now be wondering whether a family midwife can also care for parents and child as a "traditional" midwife at the same time. This is regulated differently in the individual municipalities. In some places this would be possible, in others not. In any case, the family midwife would have to work as an independent midwife at the same time.
How do I get a family midwife?
As mentioned at the beginning, family midwives support pregnant women and mothers or families in special or stressful life situations. This can mean, for example, that a mother is still very young, that parents feel very overwhelmed, that they cannot cope with their baby, that family conflicts or even domestic violence play a role, that a mental illness or addiction is putting a strain on parenthood or that a crisis or financial difficulties are overshadowing everyday life. A family midwife also provides support if a migration background becomes a social barrier or if the baby was born prematurely, is ill or disabled or has died.
Family midwives are employed by the local authority, church organisations or independent providers. Some family midwives also work on a freelance basis, but are integrated into the early help network.
If you would like the support of a family midwife, you can find out more from these organisations, for example:
- with your midwife,
- at your municipality/municipality (e.g. health department, youth welfare office),
- in every pregnancy counselling centre,
- in every family and educational counselling centre,
- at your gynaecologist's and paediatrician's practice,
- associations (e.g. the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, the Kinderschutzbund),
- in your cherry parish (Caritas, Diakonie).
Unfortunately, there is (still) no standardised nationwide regulation on where or how you can get a family midwife. However, you have the right to be accompanied by one. So don't be afraid to ask who is responsible for family midwives in your area.
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