For the Birth of the Mother. Grow into Motherhood with Birth & Mother.
Pregnancy, Birth
& Motherhood:in a language you understand
Welcome
Grow into motherhoodwith
Hello, I'm Emma.
I'm so glad you found your way here.
If you're pregnant or raising children in Germany, you might have questions about how things work here, where to find the right information, or who to turn to when you need a little help. And if you don't speak or understand German, finding the answers and getting the care and support you need can be that much harder.
I hope you'll find something useful here. Perhaps a clearer understanding of the maternity system, an answer to a question you've been carrying, or words that help you recognise something of your own experience.
Birth & Mother brings together the information I wish I'd had, things I've learned along the way, and thoughts on the parts of motherhood we don't always talk about.
Motherhood is not a straight line. It runs from the first positive test through birth, the postpartum weeks (Wochenbett) and long after, and it keeps changing. I hope that, along the way, you'll find a reminder that being supported through it isn't a luxury. You deserve that, too.
A little about me
I have been a mother for a decade, to three daughters, Ella, Effie and Elise. Ella was born in London, and Effie and Elise here in Potsdam, in my second language, so I know what it is to work out how a system runs while you are also growing a baby.
I trained as a doula with Nurturing Birth, and birth is where Birth & Mother began. What a decade has taught me is that the birth is one day, and becoming a mother takes a great deal longer. I want you to feel supported for that part too.
With love,
Emma
Founder of Birth & Mother
Emma met me where I was. Steady, honest, and quietly there through every appointment, every question, every long night.
A mother in Potsdam
Already know what you're looking for? Write to me.
What you'll find here
A whole seasonof support
Guides in plain English, drawn from my own experience as an international mother in Germany, and the ways we can work together, season by season.
Pregnancy & birth
How maternity care in Germany works, your birth preferences, and support to prepare, in person around Potsdam or by video.
The weeks after
The Wochenbett: your recovery, what you are entitled to, and sessions by video, with a plan for your first forty days.
Motherhood
The years after: one-to-one sessions by video, and a monthly meeting for mothers in Potsdam.
AI illustrationHow I work
You don't need to know what support you needbefore we meet
Start with 30 minutes by video. Tell me where you are and what is on your mind, and we will work out what would actually help.
- We talkThirty minutes by video, complimentary.
- I suggest what would helpSometimes that might be a session with me. Sometimes the right person is someone else, like a midwife, lactation consultant or pelvic floor physio. If we work together, we’ll talk through what would be helpful and agree the details and investment together, before we begin.
- We work togetherWe check in along the way, and change course if what you need changes.
- We close gentlyA final complimentary session to reflect on where you’ve been and what might come next.