Midwife assistance contract improvement? Hardly!
Headlines are overflowing: "More money for midwives," after improvements in the Midwifery Services Agreement, titles Tagesschau. Sounds like a victory, doesn't it? But we at MORE MIDWIVES find: This borders on deception. If you look at the details by April 1, 2026, it quickly becomes clear that this is an attempt to sell a success with big words, which hardly reaches us at the grassroots level.
From the ministries' perspective, it's understandable that a PR and political "success" is needed – but that doesn't help us midwives. Especially for the heavily affected self-employed midwives, these improvements are minimal. It feels more like a band-aid taped over our mouths, hoping that we will now keep quiet.
The reality behind the PR
What is being labeled here as "Midwifery Services Agreement Improvement" upon closer inspection looks more like pragmatic damage control. It completely misses the main criticisms of freelance midwives. In many areas, the work is simply no longer worthwhile:
- Unrealistic course regulations. Postpartum recovery courses are massively decreasing.
- 5-minute increments for home visits. No more remuneration for short home visits?
- Lack of adequate remuneration for consultations via messenger and co + documentation madness.
- The inability to compensate even marginally for the financial losses of approx. 30% that many self-employed midwives have to cope with.
Many activities remain unremunerated even after the "improvements in the Midwifery Services Agreement"!
The sentiment in the community is clear:
"Perhaps they didn't listen?" – The problems largely remain. Only minor changes have been made, while the structural hurdles remain untouched.
"Fooled and mocked" – This is how many colleagues feel. It seems as if they want to accuse us of "never being satisfied," even though the "improvements" are simply not enough.
"Definitely too late" – Further changes are only expected after the contract expires on December 31, 2027. Who is supposed to endure until then under these conditions?
No credit to the institutions
The fact that improvements are being made at all is no coincidence and no benevolent gift from above. It is the result of midwives and supporters who have not accepted that the outcome is "no longer changeable."
They took to the streets, drafted and signed petitions. They wrote letters to the Chancellor, were present on site, and tirelessly raised awareness on social media. These minimal corrections are not the achievement of those who urged us to remain silent. They are the success of those who stayed vocal and showed that change can be forced.
What remains?
The central question remains: Why do regulations even have to be "repaired" retrospectively? We don't need cosmetic corrections, but a genuine appreciation of our work. We at MORE MIDWIVES continue to fight for visibility and real rights – for us and for Good Midwifery Care.
Change doesn't happen by waiting. It happens when we don't stop demanding it.
