Short Answer
Secure a midwife (Hebamme) immediately and book your first gynecologist appointment for the eighth week of pregnancy.
Waiting for a visible physical change before acting will result in you being locked out of essential postpartum care services.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You waited until your 12th week to start looking for a midwife because you wanted to be "sure" about the pregnancy first. You contacted 40 different providers in Berlin and received 40 rejections because their quotas were filled months ago. You lost the right to 10 free home visits after birth and had to pay €150 per hour for a private consultant because you didn't treat the positive test as an administrative emergency.
What To Do
- Open ammely.de or hebammensuche.de the same day you get a positive test result.
- Call a "Frauenarzt" and state clearly that you are pregnant to get an appointment for the 8th week.
- "Haben Sie Kapazitäten für eine Wochenbettbetreuung?" (Do you have capacity for postpartum care?) — Email this to every midwife in your zip code immediately.
The Truth
The "Hebamme shortage" is a systemic crisis in German cities. If you do not apply for a midwife the moment the test turns positive, you will likely navigate the postpartum period without any professional home support.