INFORMATION EVENING | BIRTH IN POTSDAM

Currently, we do not offer our own course program. Please contact our many colleagues in Potsdam for this.

As part of our information evenings, we are happy to show our rooms, provided they are available. If this is not possible, we refer to our › Online Tour.

We look forward to seeing you from the 36+0 week of pregnancy and when your baby is estimated to weigh at least 2500g. Furthermore, you should not have any serious underlying illnesses and there must be no evidence of any health problems with the baby during the course of pregnancy. Further questionable restrictions can be discussed in person. It is not necessary to be a Christian to give birth in our Catholic hospital. We care for ALL pregnant women and families, regardless of faith. It is also not mandatory to have your baby blessed. The Catholic and Protestant pastors in our house work together, live ecumenism and create a wonderful welcome ritual. If this is desired, we will be happy to include this in the file when registering and forward it to the pastoral care.

Congratulations in a double pack! We are very happy for you, but we will refer you to a clinic with a children's clinic for the birth. There are no births of twins, triplets... at St. Josefs Hospital. It's a shame, but in this case it is not possible to register with us.

Women who have good control of their diabetic metabolic condition with the recommended diet, and whose blood sugar remains within the normal range, are welcome to give birth with us.
However, if you need to inject insulin, even if it's only a very small dose, we must refer you to a maternity hospital with a children's clinic. In that case, you cannot register with us.

This cannot be answered in general terms.
There are coagulation disorders that are only diagnosed but do not require treatment, and others where blood thinners are prescribed or injected. In some cases, there may be potential effects on the child, while in others, this is not expected. Sometimes, certain blood products must be available on-site in case of emergency, meaning that a blood bank must be present in the clinic.
For example, a hospital with a children's clinic is recommended for the birth of a child in cases of "Factor VIII deficiency." If the medication Arixtra must be injected, a larger hospital is also recommended. Heparin (Innohep) or aspirin (ASS), on the other hand, do not pose any problems. Many pregnant women receive information from the medical practice that conducts the diagnostics and prescribes the medication, detailing what to consider regarding the choice of birth location.
Otherwise, it may be that we can only discuss during the registration conversation and birth planning with the doctor, and based on your provided medical records, whether birth with us is possible or if you should go to another facility.
In case the birth is possible with us, we recommend an additional conversation with our anesthesia department about three weeks before the expected delivery date. This ensures everything is well-prepared.

We think it's great that you take your mental health seriously! Whether birth in our delivery room is possible depends on whether you are taking antidepressants/psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and until birth (and afterwards). Then please look for a maternity hospital with a children's clinic. If you only needed your medication partially during your pregnancy (i.e. up to a few weeks before the expected due date) and were then medication-free, please choose a registration date with a medical diagnosis for birth planning and bring the documents you have regarding your illness and treatment. with this. It is possible (we cannot give a general answer at this point) that we can expect the birth of your baby with us. Pregnant women who are provided with therapeutic sessions tailored to their needs and/or whose medication was completed before pregnancy are welcome to come to us. Please do not stop taking your medication yourself!

You are welcome to book an appointment online for the 32nd to 38th week of pregnancy starting from around the 24th week. This pre-consultation will take place directly in our delivery room, and please bring your maternity passport, health insurance card, and any relevant medical records (e.g., fine diagnostics) with you. Plan for approximately 45 minutes for this appointment. Please refrain from bringing children into the delivery room. They are better off playing with friends or, for example, cuddling on Grandma's lap 🙂 An adult companion who is allowed to hear everything and know everything about you is welcome to join.

It is very important for us to know how you imagine the birth of your baby, what is important to you, what you don't want, and what questions you may have. A “birth plan” is a good basis for this. We have developed a pattern that can help you get in the mood for birth. It helps us midwives to accompany you well. Please bring the “birth plan” filled out (if possible) with you when registering your birth. Download: “Birth Plan”

It is advisable to make an appointment in advance at our general reception center (AAZ). All important documents for an epidural are then prepared there, information is provided and questions are answered directly with the anesthesiologist. There is no obligation to have an epidural. We can organize the appointment at the AAZ as part of the birth registration for around 2-3 weeks before the expected date of birth or as part of a medical birth planning if there are special medical conditions.  

You are welcome to inquire about our internal list of midwives and contact the respective midwives personally. A midwife for postpartum care is not automatically provided.

You can call us in advance at any time if you think the contractions are getting worse, if you are unsure, or if your amniotic sac breaks. In any case, you should let us know when you make your way to the delivery room.

There is a parking area on the clinic site, which is currently being expanded. Since capacities are naturally limited, IN URGENT CASES it may be necessary for you to park your car in one of the disabled parking spaces in front of the entrance area. The pregnant woman is admitted to the delivery room, is safe, and you can park the car in a regular parking lot immediately and without worry (sans souci...). In the area surrounding the clinic there are two parking garages (Luisenplatz 250 m, Marktcenter 650 m) and several parking zones.

Of course, this depends on how long your stay with us lasts. Whether “just” for the birth or a few more days pregnant and a few days in the ward. There is no perfect list, but we have collected a few tips here: Kliniktasche

You are welcome to have someone you trust at your side, regardless of the degree of relationship. What is important is that this favorite person radiates calm and creates familiarity that makes it easy for you to let yourself go. Sick people (e.g. feverish, gastrointestinal illness, etc.) are not suitable accompaniment and support in an exceptional situation such as a birth.

We have a very good working relationship with our medical colleagues and value the exchange and cooperation. Just as midwives who work outside of the hospital call a second colleague to give birth, we do the same. In our delivery room, this is usually the doctor on duty. If this is not desired - for whatever reason - we will find a solution that will make you feel well looked after and safe.

We in our team are “service midwives”. In order to come to the birth with your desired midwife, who is on call for you, you would have to look for an "accompanying midwife" early on. In our house this is Christina Dümchen. Please contact them personally to inquire about available capacities and to discuss any costs incurred. Midwives without a contract with the St. Josefs Hospital are not allowed to attend births here. Christina Dümchen 0331 704 86 40

Of course yes and at any time! Planned when appropriate medically indicated, as well as at any time during the birth process if it becomes necessary. Our gynecologist, anesthesiologist and surgical team are available around the clock. We recommend partial anesthesia, in which the pregnant woman remains awake but is pain-free. It is then possible for someone to accompany you to the operating room. At the request of the parents, we offer a so-called “empress birth”. This means that the surgical drape, which ensures sterile operating conditions, can be lowered. This way, mother and companion can see the baby being born. After the abdominal birth, bonding can be enjoyed in the operating room if mom and baby are well. After the operation is over, everyone goes back to the delivery room for further monitoring and breastfeeding assistance until they are transferred to the St. Anna ward.

First of all, it can be assumed that everything is OK. Some babies come earlier, others later... just like adults :-). Your baby knows absolutely nothing about this date in the maternity record. From the calculated date onwards, preventive examinations are carried out more closely, either in the gynecologist's practice, with/with the supervising midwife or in our delivery room - depending on your wishes and arrangements. If you would like us to carry out the examinations, please call to make an appointment. We check the baby's heartbeat, measure your blood pressure, and the doctor uses ultrasound to measure the amount of amniotic fluid. If everything is satisfactory, we will see each other every 1-3 days depending on the results of the examination and can also discuss at each appointment whether, when and which measures to promote labor at home are sensible and possible. From 41+3 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 10 days after that ominous maternity passport date) or if there are criteria that make this seem sensible, we have to discuss inducing labor in our clinic. Questions are expressly welcome!

You can deliver your baby on an outpatient basis and go home after four to six hours. In this case, it is absolutely recommended that you have a midwife at home for the metabolic test and the postpartum period and a pediatrician for the U2. Or you can stay in our St. Anna maternity ward for around three days and can go home after taking the U2. After a cesarean section, women and their children usually stay with us for around 4 days.

Ideally, you are well informed on the topic from birth preparation and through discussions with your midwife. But as it is with theory and practice... practice makes the dancing couple. You are welcome to continue the bonding from birth in the delivery room at the St. Anna ward, as extensively as you like. Enjoy skin-to-skin contact that stimulates the senses (and breastfeeding hormones), and take every opportunity to practice latching baby to the breast. We have midwives helping in the delivery room and pediatric nurses, some IBCLC, in the maternity ward. Just as you sometimes step on your feet in the first dance lessons, things can also be a little bumpy at first when breastfeeding. Patience. And feel free to ask again and again and ask for support. If necessary, there are also aids that can make starting breastfeeding a little easier. We do not provide routine supplementary feeding. There is also no giving of tea, water or glucose solution - this is simply unnecessary and not useful for mature, healthy newborns. We are happy to encourage women with gestational diabetes (only diet-controlled in our house!) to collect colostrum in the last weeks of pregnancy and, if necessary, provide advice on this when registering. Then you'll also get the starter set to take home with you.

In a family room, both parents can be accommodated together with the baby. Siblings cannot be accommodated. There is a daily co-payment of €90 for board and lodging (just set up a piggy bank for this at the baby shower…). Unfortunately, family rooms cannot be booked in advance as you would with hotel rooms, as no one knows when the baby will be born. The capacity is limited to four family rooms, and you can only check on the day of delivery if one of these rooms is available. We are happy to note your request in the file during registration.

Our house cooperates with the pediatricians from the Havellandklinik Nauen. They come to the postpartum ward on weekdays to carry out U2 examinations, for example.

The examinations that are recommended by the Federal Association of Pediatricians for all newborns in the first days of life can of course also be carried out with us. These include the U1 (midwife in the delivery room), the U2 (pediatrician, after 48 hours at the earliest), administration of vitamin K, hearing screening, blood tests for congenital metabolic diseases. There is also advice on administering vitamin D at home and, if necessary, early hip ultrasound and fluoride administration. Please inform yourself about these measures during your pregnancy so that you can make an informed decision and we can accompany you according to your wishes.

Pediatricians from the Ernst von Bergmann Clinic are called in to provide acute care after birth, if needed.

Yes. The pediatric nurses examine each baby several times a day for the (usually normal) yellowing of the skin. This will also be discussed during the pediatrician's visit. If there is a suspicion that the baby is developing "hyperbilirubinemia", the blood will be examined and, if necessary, the child's metabolism will be supported using phototherapy. The baby lies under blue light with as much bare skin as possible and does not have to be transferred to a children's hospital. Depending on the arrangement, the treatment takes place either in the mother's room or with the pediatric nurse.

The birth notification will be filled out by you in the delivery room together with the birth midwife and sent directly from the clinic to the town hall. You are welcome to bring the necessary documents to the delivery room, and we will send them, along with the notification, to the registry office on the next working day. The completed birth certificates will then be sent to your home by the office. In the case of foreign citizenship, this process is unfortunately not always so straightforward, and a personal appearance at the registry office may be required. Registry office - information sheet

In principle, yes, if you are not expected to need a children's hospital. You have an experienced midwife who will accompany you during your out-of-hospital birth (you find this yourself). If they recommend transfer to the hospital, they will also assess whether our delivery room is suitable for your situation. If you are brought to us, we ask that your midwife calls us before the transfer to see whether we have capacity to take you on and to write a short transfer report. You will also bring this completed form with you: Questionnaire for admission to the clinic