Petra Hoffmann is in her early 50s and pregnant. She is not carrying her own child though, but that of her daughter. Midwife Lena Lorenz has been looking after mother and daughter for a while and the pregnancy has been unproblematic thus far, but shortly before the birth the family starts to break apart.
After the death of her mother Gesa also wants to learn the profession of midwife, But because the city midwife rejects her she has to apprentice to Professor Kilian in the city's birthing house. However, he abuses the unmarried pregnant women housed there for his studies.