In Germany, it is quite common to attend a birth preparation or antenatal class before your baby is born. In German, this course is called a “Geburtsvorbereitungskurs” and generally takes place in the third trimester of pregnancy. It can be paid for by health insurance.
You can learn more about what to expect from a birth preparation course in this article.
If you would like to do a “Geburtsvorbereitung in München”, we found several in-person prenatal classes in Munich that are held in English. You can find them below:
Pippagina
Pippagina is run by Lynn Darbyshire Msc. RM. RGN. a German registered Hebamme and a British registered midwife. Pippagina offers classes from pregnancy to menopause for Munich's English speakers.
Their pregnancy course for couples currently takes place at Lerchenfeldstrasse 16, 80538, Munich. The fee for the 6-hour-course is 127,27€ (as of 2024).
Pippagina also has some other resources that help you during pregnancy and birth e.g. useful English-German translations.
Doula Darby
Doula Darby hails from the USA and is a mother of 3. She has been a doula since 2016 and has has supported over 80 families during birth. She is certified with Childbirth International and the German Gesellschaft für Geburtsvorbereitung.
At the moment, she offers a recorded class which enables you to learn at your own pace. You can watch it for €20.
You can also attend in-person classes and retreats that provide opportunities to explore, reflect, and connect with other new parents in Munich. Her classes focus specifically on giving birth in Germany, with an emphasis on what you can expect in the Munich birth clinics.
Darby also offers several other services for pregnancy. You can choose between online sessions for €80 per hour or private visits at your home for €200 per hour.
Most insurance companies will not cover doula support (as of November 2024).
Book a free discovery call with Darby to find out more about her fees and offers.
Mamiflow Munich
Mamiflow Munich is maternity studio for birth preparation and doula services for English-speaking parents and parents-to-be. They are located in Munich Schwabing. They offer a wide range of services like birth preparation classes, baby massage courses, 1-1 birth doula support and maternity services.
You can also learn about their classes on Instagram. For birth preparation they offer small and interactive group classes at Studio MAMIFLOW, Belgradstrasse 80 in 80804 Munich.
The classes include understanding labor, challenges and interventions when labor doesn’t go as planned, pain management, partner involvement and postpartum care.
The course costs 197 € per couple and lasts 6 hours.
Sweetpeabumpbirthbeyond
Julie Mason is the owner of Sweet Pea. She is a midwife from the UK but also registered as a midwife in Germany.
Julie offers online and in-person classes with no more than 8 couples.
The courses cover what to expect in labour and the birthing process, breathing and relaxation techniques to help, how birthing partners can support the birthing women, what can make birth easier and more comfortable (movement, breathing, massage, relaxation and the use of water), possible methods of pain relief, breastfeeding, life with a Newborn Baby.
The fee for women is paid directly from your insurance. The fee for the partners is €110. Private classes are also available. They are €50 per hour.
Beratungsstelle für Natürliche Geburt und Elternsein
At Haeberlstr. 17 you find the association Beratungsstelle für Natürliche Geburt und Elternsein e.V. which offers several courses in English and other languages.
You can attend the online event birthing in Munich, where you will get the necessary information to make informed and personal decisions throughout the entire perinatal period.
The course instructor is the midwife Julia Preu. The number of participants is limited to 6 and the fee is €15. Julia will answer your questions about pregnancy, choosing a birth location and returning home after birth.
Their childbirth preparation courses can be joined in person or online. They offer childbirth preparation evenings for couples which include 4 dates or the childbirth preparation weekend for couples. Both courses are led by Ulrike Mann-Drewes. The fee for one of the courses is €274 and you have to check with your insurance if the costs will be covered or reimbursed.
They also have different counseling options for new and future parents.
Bauchraum München
Bauchraum München offers a birth preparation course for English speakers.
This weekend course will provide you with all the information you need before giving birth. It is recommended to attend the course between the 24th and the completed 38th week of pregnancy. This is a two-day course and attendance on both days is required.
The course fee for women is covered by the health insurance company. The partner fee €150 can sometimes be partially reimbursed.
Geburtshaus Pasing
At the Geburtshaus Pasing Doula Johanna offers a 4-week birth preparation class.
In the course you will learn about ways you can nourish and prepare yourself during pregnancy, relevant aspects of the physiology and anatomy of birth, coping and comfort measures that support the physiological birth process, the pros and cons of different interventions, belly birth (cesarean birth) and all the options around that, communication strategies and the importance of informed consent.
The postpartum part of the class helps parents to prepare for the changes that come when a new baby arrives and offers recommendations for the Wochenbett period (the first weeks after birth).
Postpartum mood disorders and baby’s sleep will also be discussed as well as breastfeeding and bottlefeeding, calming a newborn and taking care of yourself and your relationship after becoming parents.
As Johanna is a doula and not a midwife, most insurances will not cover the fee for this course which is €350.
The course comprises 5 Saturday evenings from 5.30 to 8:00 pm. You can book it online.
Schwabinger Kindl
Schwabinger Kindl offers an intensive birthing class for couples that will take place during a weekend for 4 hours each on Saturday and Sunday. The best time to start the class is between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy – it should be completed at least 2 weeks before your due date.
Attend this course with your partner or the person who will accompany you during your birth process. You can book it online.
The fee for the woman will be covered by health insurance. The partner fee is €160 and is sometimes covered by health insurance as well.
At Schwabinger Kindl they also offer an English postpartum workout class.
Haus der Familie
The Haus der Familie offers a monthly birth preparation class in English and Spanish.
The birth preparation course for future parents offers a protected atmosphere among other couples who expect their first child. It aims at supporting you by supplying as much information as possible about the natural process of birth and the first steps into your life as a family. Further, you may find a place for an open exchange among other parents-to-be from all over the world.
The 1-day-course will be led by Daphni Kretschmar at Machtlfinger Str. 5 in Munich. You can choose and book your course online. Please make sure to ask your healthcare provider about the cost coverage of this course. The fee is €68 per person.
Doula Johanna
Doula Johanna does not only offer a course at Geburtshaus Pasing but also some other courses. For example a 3-hour private childbirth and postpartum classes at your home which costs €270.
Online courses in English
For online options, you can check out our list of online birth preparation courses held in English (and tailored to the German system).
German-Language “Geburtsvorbereitungskurse” in Munich
If a German language class is also ok for you, here are two options on how to find one.
If you have already found a midwife (read our article how to find a midwife in Munich) you can ask her first. Many midwives offer different courses on all aspects of childbirth.
Many clinics also offer birth preparation courses. It is best to contact the clinic you wish to come to for the birth. Then you can also combine the course with a tour of the delivery room.
