10.07.2024
The law on expanding support for pregnant women and regulating confidential birth (SchwHiAusbauG) is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In 2014, it represented a milestone for the situation of pregnant women seeking help. Since then, women in distress or who wish to keep their pregnancy and motherhood secret have been supported through the option of confidential birth.
In addition, the federal government has established the helpline "Pregnant Women in Distress". For ten years now, it has offered low-threshold access to the counselling system around the clock and in 19 languages under the number 0800 40 40 020.
Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus:
"A pregnant woman in distress must be able to find quick and easily accessible help and support everywhere. If she wants or needs to keep her pregnancy secret, the law expanding support for pregnant women and regulating confidential births has, for the past ten years, offered a way out of this perceived hopelessness. This is only possible through the strong collaboration of many stakeholders: the counselors at the helpline, pregnancy (conflict) counseling centers, midwives, doctors, hospitals, adoption agencies, youth welfare offices, registry offices, and family courts.".
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you. It is only through your dedication that we can support pregnant women in psychosocial distress and protect their children. The "Pregnant Women in Distress" helpline is a vital first point of contact for easily accessible, competent, and confidential assistance. My warmest congratulations on its tenth anniversary!
To mark the anniversary, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) has published a book and a film featuring interviews with those affected and multipliers. The results of the legislative evaluation can also be found here .
Confidential birth as a legally secure alternative
For women who wish to continue concealing their pregnancy and motherhood even after thorough psychosocial counseling, the law offers the option of confidential birth. This means that the delivery is protected and medically supervised, and the mothers are guaranteed anonymity for 16 years.
In cases of confidential births, the counselors also support women after the birth, assisting them in resolving conflicts and showing them options for reclaiming their child. If the woman decides to permanently relinquish the child, it is placed for adoption. The rights of the children involved are protected: From the age of 16, they can inquire about their origins – an aspect that is enormously important for their own identity formation.
With confidential birth, the German government has created a legally regulated option for those affected, thereby providing legal certainty for pregnant women, counseling centers, hospitals, and authorities. The reasons for choosing a confidential birth are varied. Since the introduction of the confidential birth regulation, it has been used more than 1,200 times as of May 2024.
Helpline “Pregnant women in distress”
The nationwide helpline "Pregnant Women in Distress" was established on May 1, 2014, at the Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society in Cologne. It offers anonymous and free help and support around the clock for pregnant women and their families who find themselves in crisis situations. Trained counselors are available at all times as trusted contacts to provide psychosocial support. The service is accessible and multilingual.
Counseling is available by phone, chat, or email via the dedicated website hilfetelefon-schwangere.de. Since the helpline was established, 139,117 contacts have been made, resulting in a total of 52,400 counseling sessions. In addition to initial advice on all questions related to pregnancy and childbirth, referrals to a local pregnancy (conflict) counseling center are provided if needed. A confidential birth can also be arranged within this framework.
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Press release “Ten years of support for pregnant women in emergency situations” , 05.07.2024