If the parents are not married to each other, the natural father of a child is not automatically also the legally recognized father. Recognition with all rights and obligations only takes place through the public certification of a declaration by the father. The mother must agree to the declaration.

The birth of a child must be reported to the registry office responsible for the place of birth.

If you gave birth to your child at home or were present at a home birth, you must report the birth to the registry office.

If your child was stillborn and it is a miscarriage, you can report the birth to the registry office in whose jurisdiction the miscarriage occurred. The registry office will issue a certificate on request.

You can obtain the birth certificate for your child from the registry office in the place of birth.

If you have a child, you can apply for child benefit.

If you as parents are not married to each other at the time of your child's birth, you can obtain joint custody by both making declarations of custody.

These services are aimed at all (expectant) parents with their children and especially at families in stressful situations. They serve to provide early support.

During the maternity protection periods, (expectant) mothers are under special legal protection. Before and after the birth, they are not allowed to work for a certain period of time. The Maternity Protection Act ensures that mothers do not suffer any financial disadvantage during this time. Employees receive up to 100 percent of their previous net income, consisting of maternity pay and an employer allowance.

In Germany, motherhood is clearly regulated: Mother of a child is the woman who gave birth to the child.

This regulation does not apply to all countries. If the mother is not married, according to the law of some states, a relationship between mother and child only arises when the mother makes a declaration in which she acknowledges the child.

(Expectant) mothers who have statutory health insurance are entitled to the support of a midwife before, during and after the birth. The costs are covered by health insurance.

When the birth of triplets or more multiples is announced, parents soon face special challenges. In addition: Especially at the beginning, the expenses increase by leaps and bounds, because the purchases for the baby equipment multiply. This is where the payment of multiple birth benefits aims to provide special support for large families.

If you look after your child after the birth, the parental allowance compensates for part of the loss of income.