I amsterdam - Childbirth

Choosing a Practitioner & Birthplace

Women in the Netherlands can choose to have their baby delivered at home by a midwife, or in the hospital by a gynaecologist, a midwife or, less commonly, their family doctor. One third of all births in the Netherlands are home births and time and arrangements are devoted to assure that the birth is natural, but also safe and comfortable with all of the right facilities and tools. However, should you prefer a hospital birth, this is easy to arrange through your Practitioner. A hospital could be as long as ten days - if you have a Caesarean section or require other specialist care - or as short as 25 hours (poliklinische bevalling). The poliklinische bevalling is the most popular choice of hospital births, where one goes to the hospital just for delivery, then returns home for post-natal care.

Home Maternity Care

After the baby is born, most women are cared for at home by a maternity home care aide (kraamverzorgster), who attends every day for up to a week. The kraamverzorgster will check on the health of the mother and baby and will assist with setting up a daily schedule and teach general childcare. In some cases the kraamverzorgster may also assist with some general household chores and/or assist with the care of other small children.
Additional information on pregnancy and giving birth in the Netherlands could be found in the Babies and Toddlers. The Access Guide to Having and Caring for Children in the Netherlands, available from ACCESS.

More Information

ACCESS is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1986 to bridge the gap between the international community and English-speaking services available in The Netherlands. They supply free information from an extensive database, offer publications, courses, events, a professional counselling referral service and run a free helpline. They also provide several fact sheets and booklets covering subjects such as these and offer English-language courses on many childbirth and care-related topics.

Tel: +31 (0)20 423 3217
Website: www.access-nl.org

 

_{Updated 16 July 2007.}