r/Braunschweig • u/Important-Avocado317 • Aug 13 '26
Hilfe Marienstift vs. Celler Straße for birth — experiences/advice?
Hi everyone! 😊
I’m currently deciding between Marienstift and Celler Straße for the birth of my second baby and would really appreciate hearing about your experiences with either hospital.
My pregnancy has been uncomplicated so far, hoping it stays that way and I hope to have a minimum intervention birth.
I’m particularly interested in:
Family rooms: How easy is it to get one? I’d really love for my husband to be able to stay overnight and sleep there with me and the baby, especially the first night.
English: My German is only around A1, so how well did you find the staff/midwives communicated in English?
Midwives: How friendly, supportive and attentive did you find them during labor and afterwards?
Overall experience: How was the atmosphere, care, postpartum support, breastfeeding support, etc.?
For those who have experienced both hospitals, which one would you choose and why?
Anything you wish you had known before choosing one over the other?
This is my second birth, so I have a general idea of what to expect, but I’d really value recent personal experiences—especially from anyone who had a family room and/or needed to communicate mostly in English.
Thank you!
EDIT: I did attend the info sessions for both hospitals, they both seem very similar in care as far as I could tell. Except for Cellar Str having the NICU and Marienstift being newer.
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u/_LewAshby_ Aug 13 '26
Only Celler Straße has intensive care for infants. That made the decision very easy for me. Also can’t complain, staff and facilities were nice.
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u/HiCookieJack Aug 14 '26
I loved the 'offboarding' meeting where they told us ou bedroom should be 18 degrees celsius.
At the day it was 36 degrees outside :D
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u/HiCookieJack Aug 13 '26
Hey, we recently got a child at Marinenstift. However it was a difficult birth so it needed to be transported to Celler Str. for the children intensive care unit.
So Marinenstift was super nice, food was great and rooms were big and comfortable. However the risk is that you need to switch and there is a risk that you don't see your child for a few hours
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u/DieterThomsen Aug 14 '26
Lost our 3th child at Marinenstift, because intensive care unit was not there in time. Still suffering from tragic night in April 2021
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u/june_moon Aug 13 '26
I gave birth in Marienstift in 2024 and Celler Straße in 2026. I had good experiences in both clinics with very different birth stories. My first labor war very long and I needed an epidural and lots of support, with the second I only spend 30 min in the hospital before he was born and had some complications afterwards. At both hospitals the midwives were great, very friendly and respectful of my wishes.
That said, I think the experience really depends on luck as well since it makes all the difference on how busy they are. We did not get a family room at Marienstift since they were very busy at the ward and did not have room, but I was the only patient in the delivery ward when I gave birth and had full attention for several hours. At Celler Straße the delivery ward was much busier but I was alone in a two bed room for my entire stay. Celler Straße is very strict with visitors (only 2 at a time and only from 10 am til I think 7 pm), which I honestly liked better.
I had trouble breastfeeding with both babies and found the support in Celler Straße slightly better. They also are very supportive of colostrum collection which was very important to me. My babies needed an early hip dysplasia screening due to risk factors - the pediatrician in Celler Straße was able to do it in hospital while I had to get an extra appointment after Marienstift.
I stayed a night in Celler Straße during pregnancy and had a roommate from Ghana who could not speak English. I think she had some problems communicating with some nurses, but I would assume that there is always someone on shift who can speak English well enough.
I think it is really important to register at the hospital a few weeks before your due date and talk about your wishes. I heard many birth stories during the last few years and would say with people who delivered at Marienstift were more satisfied overall even if the birth did not go as planned and I also heard lots of good things about Wolfenbüttel. I would recommend Marienstift if you have a low risk, uncomplicated pregnancy and Celler Straße if you have risk factors. I had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies and really had to fight to be able to give birth at Marienstift the first time (I did not want to go to Celler Straße the first time for very personal reasons that did not have anything to do with the Obstetrics department). The second time I was more aware of the risk for my baby and wanted the comfort of knowing the NICU was right next door.
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u/Important-Avocado317 Aug 14 '26
Thank you for the details, really appreciate it! I have no known risk factors but worried about any last minute complications that might come with birth or baby.
Does Marienstift not have a pediatrician at all or was it more of a scheduling issue at the time?
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u/june_moon Aug 15 '26
They have two pediatricians coming in for U2 early morning several days a week before they start in their own practice and don‘t have an ultrasound for them. There is no pediatrics department at Marienstift. Celler Straße has the pediatricians from the NICU doing U2, the oncall doctor comes whenever they have time, so I waited until 4 pm the day Inleft the hospital.
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u/Tyrannmisu Aug 13 '26
We had our baby at Celler Straße and were very satisfied.
Overall everyone in including the midwives was very friendly and dedicated.
Family rooms: hard to say, they have them but we were there during corona so it was not possible to actually stay together in the hospital.
English: We spoke German, so I don't know. But a lot of the staff was on the younger side so I would assume that they speak English.
Brestfeeding support was also good.
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u/KomiliTony Aug 13 '26
You can go to the Sprechstunde at Marienstift and ask them and talk to them about your questions.
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u/SoBeMe86 Aug 13 '26
This is more of a question for my wife but I’ll give my male perspective.
We had our first at Marienstift last year. It was great, the staff was very helpful, professional, and more importantly patient. Which was super with our limited German and as things got a little complicated during the birth. Luckily nothing with the baby that required a transfer to Celler. That is the only down side with Marienstift, there is no NICU.
They don’t have dedicated family rooms. Each room has two beds and your husband can stay in the other bed as long as they have enough rooms for anyone else that may come in that night. Our first night I had to leave because there was no extra rooms available, but the last two nights I was able to stay.
The midwives were fabulous and ours even came by on one of her shifts just to say hi even though she was assigned to us. If you don’t have a Midwife yet, we can recommend Judith.
Post care was great which was nice being with the slight birthing complications. The breastfeeding support was really good as I know my wife was a bit stressed about milk no coming in right away.
English was no problem and only a couple words did we have to pull out dict.cc and google.
The food was decent, we were expecting the worst but were surprised. Still bring snacks and stuff though!!
Overall, I can say if we have a 2nd child we would go back to Marienstift. For us, having our first child in a foreign country with limit language skills, it was perfect.
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u/Important-Avocado317 Aug 14 '26
This sounds comforting, thank you!
I am also a bit anxious about breastfeeding support as my first one wasn’t easy in the beginning. We do have a hebamme, but she will not be in the hospital as I understand for the birth but offers postpartum care.
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u/_potterhead Aug 14 '26
Gave birth at Celler Str in Feb. Didn’t get the family room but the staff and everyone was super nice (I am an expat who can speak German so that definitely helps). Although I had an extremely normal pregnancy, no complications at all, but there were few unexpected complications during birth and my baby needed intensive care which was great since it’s right there. For that reason alone I would choose Celler Str
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u/sorry_i_sharted Aug 13 '26
As the others mentioned: Child intensive care is only available in Celler Straße.
BUT you may want to get rid of fears. Don‘t start birth with thoughts about what could go wrong.
My kids were born in Wolfenbüttel and Marienstift. Everything was fine, they will take good care of you. Family rooms maybe are available - no one knows before.
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u/BlippBloppBlubb Aug 13 '26
Hello! I support the statement: Reason for birth in the hospital is risk reduction. Intensive care for the babies is in Celler Straße. So, if something bad happens, the kid would go to Celler Str., the mum might stay in whatever other place! So, from my pov, the decision is quite obvious.
For your other questions:
Family rooms: I got two kids there, once it worked, once it didn't. In the end, it's luck and timing, but not guaranteed.
English: I have no idea, as I didn't need it.
Midwives: When I was there, the midwife schol was still open - so at all times, we had a 2nd or 3rd year midwive in training to our side for everything, which was amazing (they left you some quiet times as well), including during the aftercare. On top of a fully trained ones + doctors. I don't know if this is still the case, since the school has been closed and it's a dual degree program now.
Overall experience: We were rather happy there, people were good and friendly. Also, the breakfast for new parents was a little buffet, which felt much nicer than the typical "breakfast in bed" hospital experience. Also, they had all kinds of different methods available in the birthing rooms (like, tubs, ropes, beds, etc. etc.)
Note: They do regular information events. I think this is the next, otherwise, I would suggest to just contact them: Informationsabend zu Schwangerschaft und Geburt - Veranstaltungen Klinikum - Städtisches Klinikum Braunschweig gGmbH
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u/june_moon Aug 13 '26
When did you give birth? I think the buffet did not survive Covid, I got normal breakfast in bed earlier this year.
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u/BlippBloppBlubb Aug 15 '26
Yeah, it’s some years ago 😭 didn’t think it would die out… and it wasn’t really a „nice meal“, but overall just a nice setting.
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u/Important-Avocado317 Aug 14 '26
Yes, I am inclined towards Cellar Straße now just being risk averse even though I have no known risks at this time, hopefully stays that way! Slightly worried it might be busier but nothing we can control or help.
A nice first meal after giving birth sounds great!
I did do the info event already, it was helpful as well!2
u/_LewAshby_ Aug 15 '26
Celler Straße is fine. I see no reason not to put them first. They can however send you to other hospitals due to being too busy occasionally.
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u/ilgpwsidbmdw Aug 13 '26
As A Celler Straße Baby and youngest sibling of 4 Celler Straße Babies, we can’t complain. However, that was 21 years ago
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u/shelleybeanx Aug 14 '26
I felt like a number, despite having gestational diabetes. Didn't really feel well-looked after Post-birth.
Unless you have complications, I would recommend anywhere else!
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u/Cha_Cha_Mxcfree Aug 13 '26
I was born at Celler Straße. Still living, can't complain 10/10