I just finished up a weekend course covered by public health insurance that was offered by Jutta Wohlrab and highly recommend looking into it in the months before you give birth. It's offered in English and separate dates in German. A friend in the US who is a doula recommended to me a few months ago to take a birthing class that is entirely separate from the hospital where you anticipate giving birth in order to have a fresh opinion that is independent of the routine that a hospital operates.
My thoughts: i feel a lot more confident in giving birth here knowing not only what I can expect during labor and delivery personally, but what's common in Germany and what I can probably request at any hospital in terms of treatment. While I know it's important to be mentally ready for any hiccups in a birth, I feel like I have been given the tools to prepare in the months ahead for a birth closer to what I want. The class included exercises, Q&As, simple explanations of how different hormones work during labor and delivery, slideshows of births, short movies and ample breaks to stay refreshed. My partner who is German but still didn't know anything about labor found the course beneficial as well. Highly recommended to all.
If you are an expat looking for a pregnancy or prenatal class in Berlin - this one is highly recommended on the expats Facebook group too. read more