The baby welcome is carried out by a volunteer who visits you at home. As a mother/father/parent, you will receive a baby welcome card in advance, at the earliest six weeks after the birth of your child, with an announced date for the welcome visit.

During the welcome visit, the volunteers will have an open ear for any questions you may have in this new phase of your life. You will receive the Salzgitter-Sammelmappe, which will accompany you and your child for the next few years. You will also be introduced to the Salzgitter Familien-App, which contains helpful offers and contacts in the city area. You are already in the thick of it!

The baby welcome can also take place in person at the Family Service if you wish.

Time and peace for yourself, your baby and your family, as well as a midwife who will support you in your aftercare.

Formalities also need to be taken care of. Please remember your child's birth certificate, applications for child benefit, parental allowance and the pediatrician's appointment for the U3!

You are also welcome to watch this short film:

A routine may slowly be establishing itself in your everyday life together. Your baby will become more mobile, want attention and feedback, small play sessions, continued security and love.

You can find out more in the following short film:

Your baby is curious and gradually discovers more and more of its environment. It now needs space and movement to try things out and play ...

... and people who also think about its safety.

Babies "see, feel, hear, smell and taste" their environment. Your child needs sensitive guidance to do this.

With the first little teeth, daily dental care also comes into play.

You can find out more in the following short film:

The first latch-on and the first milk are particularly valuable for your baby. Regardless of whether you want to breastfeed for the next few months or not, you can allow your baby to suckle at the breast for the first time.

Breastfeeding is the best and most natural form of feeding and has benefits for you and your baby:

• It creates closeness and makes the bond between you and your baby stronger.
• Breastfeeding is always available and breast milk is at the right temperature and germ-free. Overfeeding is not possible.
• It contains nutrients and antibodies that are extremely important for development, is easy to digest and prevents allergies and asthma.
• Breastfeeding also helps the uterus to regress after birth and reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer.

Crying is a normal and important way for babies to express themselves. It shows that they need something.

Crying can be very stressful for you. If your baby cries for a long time and won't calm down, it doesn't want to annoy you!

Under no circumstances should you shake your baby! This can lead to serious brain injury or even death!

To calm yourself down, you can put your child in its bed and leave the room for a short time. Get help!

Use the nationwide parents' hotline and contact the Family Service for further help.

With the birth of a child, the interests of mothers, fathers and parents often change. If you would like to meet mothers, fathers and parents who have just had a baby, you will find various offers in many parts of Salzgitter.

The Family Service will be happy to provide you with information and advice!

Current information and offers can also be found at the following facilities.

Courses are held throughout the city. Current offers can be found at the Protestant family education center and the Catholic family education center.

The Family Service will be happy to inform you about other offers for mothers, fathers and parents with babies.

Are you looking for a childcare place for your child? In Salzgitter, your child can be looked after in a day care center (crèche/kindergarten) or in a day care center.

Child day care is an individual, family-oriented and flexible form of care in small groups.

To apply for a childcare place in a daycare center, please register in the parent portal (opens in a new tab).

Before the regular childcare hours begin, your child will be slowly introduced to the required amount of childcare hours, first in your presence and then without you. This may take a few weeks. This allows your child to get to know their caregivers/educational staff. You also have the opportunity to get to know this specialist better during this time together and to build up trust.

This is important so that you can leave your child in the care with a good feeling. With you as the first trusted person, the child can settle into the new environment and new people with less stress. The educational staff also benefit from a good settling-in period. This is because they learn a lot about your child from you during this time together.

• There are individual settling-in concepts in every daycare center. Talk to each other about this.
• Settling in can take around four weeks. Talk to the facility or daycare center about the exact dates and procedures.

You can find a pediatrician in the city under the following link of the Ärztekammer Niedersachsen.

Only an experienced pediatrician can assess whether a child's development is actually normal. When the newborn child is discharged from hospital, the mother is given a yellow child examination booklet. All examination results are entered in this booklet. The examination booklet must be kept carefully and presented to the pediatrician at each check-up.

For children from birth to the age of 18, 11 preventive check-ups are currently covered by all health insurance companies: U1 to U9 are entered in the yellow check-up booklet. Some health insurance companies also offer additional examinations (U10, U11, J2).

Early intervention is a service for children between the ages of zero and six with an imminent or manifest disability. Early intervention is holistic and family-oriented. It is individually tailored to your child in order to specifically support and promote your child's development. You will also receive accompanying advice and support.

Where can I get information?

Parental allowance can be applied for after the birth of the child. This is a family benefit for parents during the child's first phase of development. The financial support allows parents to take a break or reduce their working hours. There are various forms of parental allowance.

You can find further advice centers on financial issues here:

With the birth of your baby, you have been entrusted with a valuable task - the well-being of your child. You have probably already imagined your new everyday life and may have certain ideas about the time ahead with your child.

However, life with children is so varied that certain circumstances may mean that life with a child is initially different from what you expected.

If this is the case, you can do the following.

Keep calm. The period of getting to know your child is filled with many experiences and it is normal that you have to get used to your new everyday life and that there are also stressful days.

So that you do not remain alone with your worries, you can turn to one of the contact points listed below.

You can find support services here:

The family service will also be happy to inform you about local family offers.

Is it normal to feel insecure?
It is normal if you feel stressed and insecure and need support. You and your child are just getting to know each other. This takes time. Observe your child and get help if you have any questions - getting help is always a strength!

Is it normal that my child doesn't sleep through the night?
Children need different amounts of sleep and need to learn to sleep through the night. This takes time, patience and is very stressful for you. It can also happen that a child sleeps well one night and then turns night into day again. Use your child's rest periods to recharge your batteries.

If you are feeling stressed, insecure or need someone to listen to you, just get in touch with us:

There is also a special baby consultation hour!

Every person has a right to counseling (§10a SGB VIII). If you have any questions, you can also contact the General Social Service.

Every child is unique! So their sleeping needs are also different. One child needs peace and quiet and longs for their own bed, while another can't get enough closeness. The important thing is that you and your baby feel comfortable.

If this is an issue that concerns you, we are here to help!

The arrival of a sibling can be both wonderful and painful for the older child. They first have to learn to cope with the new feelings and changes within the family. Ask yourself, how can I involve the older child in everyday life with the baby and who can provide support?

You can find all events in our events calendar or as notices in the contact points for families.