What is 'maternity leave'?

Mothers (and their babies) are to be protected in a special way. These statutory protection rights are precisely regulated in the Maternity Protection Act. Maternity leave" is the term commonly used to describe the period before and after the birth of the child during which the mother is subject to a statutory ban on employment with simultaneous net wage compensation.

How long does maternity leave last?

The exact duration of the protection periods depends on your individual situation. Maternity leave begins 6 weeks before the expected date of delivery and ends 8 weeks after the birth, so it lasts at least 14 weeks. In the event of a multiple birth, if your child is premature (birth weight below 2,500 g or undeveloped signs of maturity) or – on application – if your child has a disability, the period after birth is extended to 12 weeks (18 weeks in total). Since June 1, 2025, maternity protection also applies after a miscarriage: 2 weeks from the 13th, 6 weeks from the 17th and 8 weeks from the 20th week of pregnancy. In the event of a multiple birth or if your child is premature (birth weight of 2,500g or undeveloped signs of maturity), maternity leave is extended by 4 weeks to a total of 18 weeks.

How is maternity leave calculated?

Maternity leave is calculated based on the calculated date of delivery, the actual date of birth, and whether the birth is multiple or premature.

Calculators & planner · Maternity protection

Maternity leave calculator

By Felix Böhme, Dipl.-Finanzwirt (FH), graduate in public finance Legal status checked on 2 Oct 2026

During the maternity leave periods you will receive Maternity leave payment according to the Maternity Leave Act. With our maternity leave calculator, you can quickly and easily determine the duration of your protection periods before and after the birth.

In short: Maternity protection (Mutterschutz) begins 6 weeks before the expected due date and normally ends 8 weeks after the birth, or 12 weeks after a premature or multiple birth. If your baby arrives early, the period after the birth is extended by the days that were missed before it. As of October 2026.

Calculate maternity protection now

Expected date of birth:

Actual date of birth:

Only if your child has already been born.

Is it a medical premature birth*/multiple infant/infant with disabilities?

Miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy

Explanation

*A "premature birth" in this sense exists if the birth weight is below 2,500 g and/or a doctor certifies that signs of maturity are not yet (fully) developed.

At a glance: Maternity protection calculator

Calculates: Start and end of the protection periods before and after the birth, also for an early or late birth; as a calendar file if you like.
For whom: Pregnant employees; longer period after premature and multiple births, protection periods after a miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy.
Legal basis: Maternity Protection Act section 3, protection periods after a miscarriage since 1 June 2025 · As of October 2026
Cost: free of charge, no registration
In our software: The allowance planner of the parental allowance software takes maternity benefits into account when splitting your parental allowance months – one-off €24.95.

Tip:

Would you like to calculate your exact parental leave dates? Use our Parental leave calculator, which also takes into account your protection periods.

With our Parental allowance calculator you can quickly and easily calculate your parental allowance entitlement and plan your reference period.

How our maternity leave calculator works

First, enter the expected date of delivery in the field provided. You can then directly calculate when maternity leave will begin at the latest.

Does the actual date of birth of your child differ from the calculated date? Then this will affect the calculation of your maternity leave. To determine your maternity leave period in this case, enter the actual date of birth next to the calculated date.

Of course, our maternity leave calculator also calculates the extended maternity leave periods after multiple births, after the delivery of premature babies or if your child was born with a disability. For this purpose, tick the corresponding box.

Elterngeldberatung Einfach Elterngeld - Individuelle Beratung vereinbaren.

We have answers to your questions.

The regulations on parental allowance can be very complicated. Get professional advice.

Parental allowance consulting

To print: Maternity protection planner – enter the start and end of your protection periods yourself, special cases, what to send to whom and your money during maternity protection (PDF, 2 pages).

Maternity protection planner (PDF)

FAQ

What is 'maternity leave'?: Mothers (and their babies) are to be protected in a special way. These statutory protection rights are precisely regulated in the Maternity Protection Act. Maternity leave” is the term commonly used to describe the period before and after the birth of the child during which the mother is subject to a statutory ban on employment with simultaneous net wage compensation.
How long does maternity leave last?: The exact duration of the protection periods depends on your individual situation. Maternity leave begins 6 weeks before the expected date of delivery and ends 8 weeks after the birth, so it lasts at least 14 weeks. In the event of a multiple birth, if your child is premature (birth weight below 2,500 g or undeveloped signs of maturity) or – on application – if your child has a disability, the period after birth is extended to 12 weeks (18 weeks in total). Since June 1, 2025, maternity protection also applies after a miscarriage: 2 weeks from the 13th, 6 weeks from the 17th and 8 weeks from the 20th week of pregnancy. In the event of a multiple birth or if your child is premature (birth weight of 2,500g or undeveloped signs of maturity), maternity leave is extended by 4 weeks to a total of 18 weeks.
How is maternity leave calculated?: Maternity leave is calculated based on the calculated date of delivery, the actual date of birth, and whether the birth is multiple or premature.

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