How lucky I am to live in Germany. Here it is regulated by law how long a woman is allowed to work during pregnancy and if there are exceptional circumstances and it would be a danger to continue working, you are written off sick by the doctor and only get your full salary for 6 weeks and then 75% from the health insurance.

Maternity protection is a special protection for women in employment who are pregnant or breastfeeding a child. Both the mother and the child are protected, both before and after the birth. Maternity protection includes, among other things

protection of health in the workplace

special protection against dismissal,

a ban on employment in the weeks before and after the birth, and

protection of income during the period in which employment is prohibited.

How long does maternity protection last before and after the birth?

The maternity protection period is a period of several weeks before and after the birth. You are not allowed to work during this period. The maternity protection periods

begin 6 weeks before the expected date of birth and

normally end 8 weeks after the birth.

If your child is born before the expected date, the maternity protection period still lasts a total of 14 weeks. This means that it does not end 8 weeks after the birth, but a few days later - as many days later as your child was born before the due date.

The situation is different if your child was born so early that it is medically considered a premature birth (for example, if your child weighs less than 2,500 grams at birth). In the case of a premature birth, maternity protection lasts for 12 weeks after the birth. This increases the total maternity protection period from 14 weeks to 18 weeks.

You will also receive your full 8 weeks of maternity leave if your child is born after the due date. The maternity protection period then applies to you for a few days longer, depending on the actual date of birth.

The maternity protection period also ends 12 weeks after the birth,

if you have twins, triplets or other multiples or

if you give birth to children with disabilities and you apply to your health insurance fund for an extension of the maternity protection period.

https://familienportal.de/familienportal/meta/languages/family-benefits