Vertrauliche Geburt

If you are in a psychosocial emergency as a pregnant woman or mother of a newborn, want to remain anonymous and do not know whether you should decide in favor of the child and what help options are available, contact a pregnancy or pregnancy conflict counseling center. They will advise you in a two-stage procedure.

1. Stage: Conducting an open-ended discussion that focuses on the pregnant woman's/mother's point of view; looking for ways out and discovering alternative courses of action (if necessary, the woman decides to disclose her identity to the child or to keep the child).
2. Stage: counseling on confidential birth (procedure, rights of the child and the father, meaning and legal consequences of adoption, etc.)

Identity card or other document establishing identity.

You have the desire to keep your pregnancy or maternity a secret and at the same time want to receive professional advice and medical care.

There are no fees or other costs for the woman.

• the woman, in order to preserve her anonymity, chooses a pseudonym consisting of a first and family name
• the woman chooses, if she wishes, also female and male first names for the child
• the counseling center takes the woman's personal data confidentially and seals it in an envelope (proof of origin)
• the woman is referred to a maternity clinic or a midwife by the counseling center using her pseudonym
• the counseling center informs the responsible youth welfare office about the pseudonym and the expected date of birth
• Birth is medically attended and documented under the pseudonym
• The birth clinic or midwife informs the counseling center about the date and place of birth of the child.
• The counseling center writes this information and also the mother's pseudonym on the above-mentioned envelope and forwards it to the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society Tasks (BAFzA) for safekeeping
• furthermore, while preserving the mother's anonymity, the registry office is informed so that a birth certificate can be issued; the registry office also informs the BAFzA of the child's certified name
• on reaching the age of 16, the child born in confidence has the right to inspect the certificate of origin.
• The mother can assert any concerns that stand in the way of this right of inspection at a counseling center.
• the counseling center shows the mother the help available and discusses measures with her to avert the feared dangers
• The child can assert his or her right of access in court if necessary; the interests of the mother are also taken into account in the proceedings.

If you wish to take the child back later, this can only be done until the adoption proceedings have been completed. This takes about one year.

The mother's parental care is suspended after the confidential birth. However, she can still decide to live with the child after the child is given up by giving up her anonymity to the family court before the adoption proceedings are concluded and the child's welfare is not endangered.

• Your birth clinic or
• your midwife
• A free help line is available around the clock on 0800 40 40 020 .