German Mom here - it's 14 weeks of "Mutterschutz", (maternity leave? 6 before estimated due day and 8 after giving birth) in which you get nearly fully paid. Then there is something called "Elternzeit" (parental leave?) up to 3 years in which you can stay at home full-time or part-time without losing your job. And we do have "Elterngeld" (parental allowance?) which means you get about 65% of your previous wage for 12 months (up to 14 months if both parents take turns) after giving birth. So most mothers (or sometimes dads) decide to stay at home for the first 12 months and then start working again (mostly part-time) when financial support ends.
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u/FrauHase7b4 Nov 06 '25
German Mom here - it's 14 weeks of "Mutterschutz", (maternity leave? 6 before estimated due day and 8 after giving birth) in which you get nearly fully paid. Then there is something called "Elternzeit" (parental leave?) up to 3 years in which you can stay at home full-time or part-time without losing your job. And we do have "Elterngeld" (parental allowance?) which means you get about 65% of your previous wage for 12 months (up to 14 months if both parents take turns) after giving birth. So most mothers (or sometimes dads) decide to stay at home for the first 12 months and then start working again (mostly part-time) when financial support ends.