German maternity care is unusual in Europe, and the vocabulary reflects it. A Hebamme is a protected professional title, and German law requires a midwife to be present at every birth, with a doctor called in when complications arise. That structure shapes what a maternity ward sounds like all day.
This guide gives you the 40 words that come up most often, grouped by where they appear in the process. Together they cover the vocabulary built into the Mutterpass, the German maternity record every expectant mother carries from her first appointment.
The People and the Places
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Hebamme | midwife |
| der Entbindungspfleger | male midwife |
| der Frauenarzt, der Gynäkologe | gynaecologist |
| die Stillberaterin | lactation consultant |
| die Wochenbettbetreuung | postnatal care service |
| der Kreißsaal | delivery room |
| das Wochenbettzimmer | postnatal ward room |
| die Neonatologie | neonatal unit |
If you are preparing for German maternity or paediatric work, learn German with clinical vocabulary taught in the order you will actually meet it.
Labour and Birth
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Wehen | contractions |
| die Wehentätigkeit | contraction pattern |
| die Eröffnungsphase | first stage, dilation |
| die Austreibungsphase | second stage, pushing |
| die Presswehen | pushing contractions |
| der Muttermund | cervix |
| die Fruchtblase | amniotic sac |
| der Blasensprung | rupture of membranes |
| die Nachgeburt | afterbirth |
| die Plazenta | placenta |
| die Gebärmutter | uterus |
Monitoring and Interventions
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das CTG | cardiotocography, fetal monitoring |
| die PDA | epidural (Periduralanästhesie) |
| der Wehentropf | contraction drip |
| der Dammschnitt | episiotomy |
| der Dammriss | perineal tear |
| die Saugglocke | ventouse |
| die Zange | forceps |
| der Kaiserschnitt | caesarean section |
| die Einleitung | induction |
| die PDA-Nachgabe | epidural top-up |
The Newborn
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Neugeborene | newborn |
| der Säugling | infant |
| die Nabelschnur | umbilical cord |
| der APGAR | newborn assessment score |
| das Bonding | skin-to-skin contact |
| die U1 und U2 | first and second child screenings |
After the Birth
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Wochenbett | postnatal period |
| der Mutterpass | German maternity record booklet |
| der Milcheinschuss | milk coming in |
| das Kolostrum | colostrum |
| die Rückbildungsgymnastik | postnatal recovery exercises |
| die Nachsorge | follow-up care |
A roughly even spread across the process, which is why a partial vocabulary is not much use on a maternity ward.
The Mutterpass, Explained
The Mutterpass is a small booklet issued at the first antenatal appointment. The mother carries it, brings it to every appointment, and takes it to the hospital when labour begins. It records findings, screenings, risk factors and the birth.
The practical consequence for a non-native midwife or nurse is significant: the Mutterpass is written in a dense German shorthand, and being able to read it is a core skill. Learn its section headings early and you can orient yourself in any German maternity unit.
Twenty Phrases You Will Use
"Wie weit sind die Wehen auseinander?" - How far apart are the contractions?
"Seit wann haben Sie Wehen?" - Since when have you had contractions?
"Die Fruchtblase ist gesprungen." - The waters have broken.
"Der Muttermund ist bei fünf Zentimetern." - The cervix is at five centimetres.
"Bitte pressen Sie jetzt nicht." - Please do not push now.
"Bei der nächsten Wehe pressen Sie mit." - Push with the next contraction.
"Das CTG sieht gut aus." - The CTG looks good.
"Möchten Sie eine PDA?" - Would you like an epidural?
"Die Herztöne sind unauffällig." - The heart tones are normal.
"Ich lege Ihnen das Baby direkt auf die Brust." - I will put the baby straight on your chest.
"Möchten Sie die Nabelschnur durchschneiden lassen?" - Would you like the cord cut?
"Das Baby braucht kurz Unterstützung beim Atmen." - The baby needs brief help breathing.
"Wir rufen die Ärztin dazu." - We are calling the doctor in.
"Wie stark bluten Sie?" - How heavily are you bleeding?
"Bitte entspannen Sie sich zwischen den Wehen." - Please relax between contractions.
"Sie machen das sehr gut." - You are doing very well.
"Können Sie mir die Wehen beschreiben?" - Can you describe the contractions to me?
"Wie fühlt sich das Baby an?" - How does the baby feel?
"Wir wiegen und messen das Baby gleich." - We will weigh and measure the baby shortly.
"Möchten Sie beim Stillen Unterstützung?" - Would you like support with breastfeeding?
What the Kreißsaal Sounds Like
Maternity vocabulary arrives in a rush, because the whole room speaks at once. Being able to follow the standard calls is worth more than holding an extra twenty nouns.
You will hear "Die Fruchtblase ist gesprungen", the waters have broken. "Der Muttermund ist vollständig", the cervix is fully dilated. "Die Herztöne sind unauffällig", the fetal heart rate is normal. "Sie müssen jetzt nicht pressen", do not push now. "Einmal kräftig pressen", push hard once. "Das Köpfchen ist da", the head is out.
Three of those belong to CTG vocabulary, the monitor running through the whole labour: Herztöne for the fetal heart rate and Wehentätigkeit for contractions. If you can read a CTG strip and say what it shows, you can contribute to a maternity handover on your first shift.
Register matters here more than almost anywhere. A woman in labour is addressed with Sie, and instructions are given in the short, clear imperative a midwife uses under pressure: "Atmen Sie langsam. Pressen Sie nicht. Gut so." Long polite sentences do not survive a contraction.
If you want to work in a German Kreißsaal, the fastest route is rehearsing these calls aloud until they become reflexive. That is what it means to learn German for maternity care.
Where to Start
Learn the labour stages first, then monitoring, then postnatal. That is the order in which a shift unfolds, and learning in that order means the vocabulary arrives when you need it.
Want to work confidently in a German Kreißsaal? Learn German with maternity-specific vocabulary and roleplays at languageskills.net.
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