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Midwifery Care in the Netherlands during the pregnancy

Prenatal check-ups

In the beginning of the pregnancy we will talk about midwifery care in the Netherlands and what you can expect from us. During your pregnancy the midwife will meet you about 8-12 times at the practice. We will measure your blood pressure and check on the growth of the baby. There is enough time to ask questions and discuss any concerns. You can read the Pregant! folder to learn more.

What do you need when the gynaecologist is your primary caregiver during your pregnancy and birth?

In this case you also need midwifery care after you’ve been discharged after the delivery. You can apply for this during the pregnancy. Feel free to contact us if you want to meet us in advance.

Ultrasounds

Around 9 weeks after the first day of your last period we will perform the first ultrasound. It is helpful to have a full bladder for this ultrasound. We will assess your general health and identify potential risk factors. Around 11 weeks we will perform an ultrasound to set the due date. If you would like non-medical ultrasounds, for example to find out the sex of the baby, you can also contact us to schedule a (paid) ultrasound. Read more and see prices

Prenatal Screening of your baby

During pregnancy you can choose for additional screening of the baby. The costs of these screening tests are covered by your health insurance. For  screening of Down-, Edwards- and Patau syndrome, you can opt for  the NIPT test. Around 13 and 18-20 weeks you can opt for the ultrasound to screen the baby for congenital anomalies.

Information about prenatal testing for Down syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome (NIPT) in different languages.

Information about the screening for congenital anomaly with the 13 and 20 week ultrasound in different languages.

Delivery

Most of the pregnancies are low-risk. This means that you and the baby are healthy and there are no additional risk factors such as hypertension or diabetes. In this case it is safe to deliver the baby at home with your midwife and specialized nurse (kraamverzorgende). You can also choose for a delivery in the hospital (poliklinisch). The midwife and specialized nurse will assist you in both the home delivery and the delivery in the hospital. Unless you are additionally insured, you will have to pay a fee (eigen bijdrage poliklinische bevalling) for a non-medical delivery at the hospital.

Post natal period

Midwifery care

After birth the midwife will check on you and the baby. Usually we visit 2-3 times in the first 10-12 days. When you are worried about yourself or the baby, you can always contact your midwife.

Kraamverzorgende

”Een kraamverzorgende” is a specialized nurse assisting during delivery and the first week after birth.  The nurse will support you and your partner at home during the 8 days after delivery with a minimum of 3 hours per day. She contacts the midwife if necessary. You have to apply for Kraamzorg before the 16th week of your pregnancy.

Geboorteaangifte – Registration of birth

Within 3 working days after delivery the partner needs to register the birth of the baby in the municipality where the baby was born. If you’re not married, you and your partner need to visit the municipality during the pregnancy (before 20-22 weeks) to declare that the partner is the father. Then the partner will be allowed to register the baby after birth without the mother being present. In Enschede it’s also possible to register the baby online. You and your partner need to log in with Dig-iD. More information

Screening of the newborn baby

After 5-6 days a nurse will assess the hearing of the baby (gehoorscreening) during a home visit. They can also take a small amount of blood to screen for serious congenital diseases (de hielprik) that need treatment quickly. More information about screening of the newborn baby in different languages.