Berlin is home to a number of Hospitals and Birth Houses with birthing facilities, link at the end of this post. This particular post focuses on St. Joseph Krankenhaus in Tempelhof. It is not a personal review, just information on the process at this specific hospital. There will be more of these types of overviews to come in the near future.
Entrance to the labour rooms / ward (Kreißsaal) at St. Joseph Krankenhaus, Berlin
St. Joseph Krankenhaus is based in the Berlin neighbourhood of Tempelhof. The hospital's labour ward was newly opened in 2012 and holds seven separate labour rooms.
Here's more useful information for those looking at St. Joseph as a possible place to give birth...
Here's more useful information for those looking at St. Joseph as a possible place to give birth...
Where is St. Joseph Krankenhaus?
Rather frustratingly, the only address I can find for St. Joseph is the main entrance address, so if travelling by car to St. Joseph's labour rooms (Kreißsaal) head to Wintgensstraße, 12101 Berlin and look for the entrance with the word 'Kreißsaal'.
Birthing Rooms & Equipment
Beyond the standard modern medical equipment, rooms are also equipped with a Maya birthing stool, gymnastic ball, wall bars & hanging sling (both to hold on to during labour) and birthing pools (please contact the hospital directly to find out how many birthing pools they have available).
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
St. Joseph homes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Die Neugeborenen-Intensivstation) should complications occur or for those with 'high risk' pregnancies.
Information evenings at the hospital
St. Joseph offer 3 free Info Evenings (Infoabend) per month for those considering giving birth at the hospital to check out the facilities and ask a couple of basic questions. Info evenings at St. Joseph Krankenhaus take place every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Monday of the month (not on public holidays) at 18:00 in the Conference room (Konferenzraum). You don't need to register in advance. If you need information specifically in English, please contact the hospital directly to see if they have an English speaker available to help you.
For further questions
The St. Joseph website recommends to contact them from after your 22nd week of pregnancy to make an appointment for a Pregnancy Consultation (Schwangerenberatung). At this appointment you can discuss matters such as:
Partners are welcome to join for the appointments.
Consultation appointments
(Schwangerenberatung) can be booked via the following phone number 030 7882-2546 and are available for:
Registering to give birth at St. Joseph Krankenhaus
According to the website, here are the contact details for registering for your birth at St. Joseph Krankenhaus:
Registering for birth for those publicly insured (Anmeldung zur Geburt) 030 7882-2546
Registering for birth for those privately insured (Anmeldung zur Geburt) 030 7882-2236
Staying at the hospital after labour
The maternity ward at St. Joseph holds rooms of between 1 and 3 beds. 'Rooming in' is also available for those father's who wish to stay with the mother and newborn after the birth.
Full details on this can be found (in German) here. Please consult with the hospital directly on if there are a limited number of 'Rooming In' rooms available and if there is any charge (it's not mentioned on their website)
Breastfeeding Support from St. Joseph
Their website details that they offer Breastfeeding Consultancy and Support (Stillberatung)
Specific support is offered for the following:
Here are the appropriate contact details
Registration for the breastfeeding meet up
Jesseca Bastiansen (Breastfeeding and lactation support) 030 2749-4633
Breastfeeding Consultant
Bettina Kraus 030 7882-4111 stillen-geburtshilfe@sjk.de
Breastfeeding Consultant for the Children's Clinic
Doreen Johmann 030 7882-2731 stillen-kinderklinik@sjk.de
Full info on St. Joseph's policies on breastfeeding support can be found, in German, here.
A list of other Hospitals and Birth Houses can be found here.
The only ones offering NICU facilities are St Joseph's, Charite Mitte and Vivantes Friedrichshain. However, do not despair if your local hospital doesn't have NICU facilities, if you have problems during birth and need this, then you will be transferred as an emergency case immediately. Do not let this put you off registering at your preferred hospital.
Also, if you are finding it difficult to contact from any of these hospitals, look up when their information evenings are and go and speak to someone face to face. These usually happen around twice a month.
See my page for further useful information for those who are pregnant in Berlin.
Rather frustratingly, the only address I can find for St. Joseph is the main entrance address, so if travelling by car to St. Joseph's labour rooms (Kreißsaal) head to Wintgensstraße, 12101 Berlin and look for the entrance with the word 'Kreißsaal'.
Birthing Rooms & Equipment
Beyond the standard modern medical equipment, rooms are also equipped with a Maya birthing stool, gymnastic ball, wall bars & hanging sling (both to hold on to during labour) and birthing pools (please contact the hospital directly to find out how many birthing pools they have available).
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
St. Joseph homes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Die Neugeborenen-Intensivstation) should complications occur or for those with 'high risk' pregnancies.
Information evenings at the hospital
St. Joseph offer 3 free Info Evenings (Infoabend) per month for those considering giving birth at the hospital to check out the facilities and ask a couple of basic questions. Info evenings at St. Joseph Krankenhaus take place every 1st, 2nd and 3rd Monday of the month (not on public holidays) at 18:00 in the Conference room (Konferenzraum). You don't need to register in advance. If you need information specifically in English, please contact the hospital directly to see if they have an English speaker available to help you.
For further questions
The St. Joseph website recommends to contact them from after your 22nd week of pregnancy to make an appointment for a Pregnancy Consultation (Schwangerenberatung). At this appointment you can discuss matters such as:
- organisational questions
- personal wishes for the birth
- how things run at the hospital during births
Partners are welcome to join for the appointments.
Consultation appointments
(Schwangerenberatung) can be booked via the following phone number 030 7882-2546 and are available for:
- every first and second Monday in the month between 13:00 to 17:00
- every third and fourth Monday in the month between 11:00 to 18:00
- every Thursday from 08:00 to 15:00
Registering to give birth at St. Joseph Krankenhaus
According to the website, here are the contact details for registering for your birth at St. Joseph Krankenhaus:
Registering for birth for those publicly insured (Anmeldung zur Geburt) 030 7882-2546
Registering for birth for those privately insured (Anmeldung zur Geburt) 030 7882-2236
Staying at the hospital after labour
The maternity ward at St. Joseph holds rooms of between 1 and 3 beds. 'Rooming in' is also available for those father's who wish to stay with the mother and newborn after the birth.
Full details on this can be found (in German) here. Please consult with the hospital directly on if there are a limited number of 'Rooming In' rooms available and if there is any charge (it's not mentioned on their website)
Breastfeeding Support from St. Joseph
Their website details that they offer Breastfeeding Consultancy and Support (Stillberatung)
Specific support is offered for the following:
- Breastfeeding support before birth for mothers with diabetes
- Breastfeeding support in the post-labour ward and in the children's clinic
- Telephone breastfeeding support
- Breastfeeding meetings (with registration)
- Breastfeeding out-patient support (with registration per telephone to make an appointment) also in English
- Support with solid feeding
- Support during weaning
- Support for healthy feeding of children
- Allergy prevention support
Here are the appropriate contact details
Registration for the breastfeeding meet up
Jesseca Bastiansen (Breastfeeding and lactation support) 030 2749-4633
Breastfeeding Consultant
Bettina Kraus 030 7882-4111 stillen-geburtshilfe@sjk.de
Breastfeeding Consultant for the Children's Clinic
Doreen Johmann 030 7882-2731 stillen-kinderklinik@sjk.de
Full info on St. Joseph's policies on breastfeeding support can be found, in German, here.
A list of other Hospitals and Birth Houses can be found here.
The only ones offering NICU facilities are St Joseph's, Charite Mitte and Vivantes Friedrichshain. However, do not despair if your local hospital doesn't have NICU facilities, if you have problems during birth and need this, then you will be transferred as an emergency case immediately. Do not let this put you off registering at your preferred hospital.
Also, if you are finding it difficult to contact from any of these hospitals, look up when their information evenings are and go and speak to someone face to face. These usually happen around twice a month.
See my page for further useful information for those who are pregnant in Berlin.
