Arranging maternity care
It’s best to arrange your maternity care as soon as possible around the time of your intake appointment, which usually takes place around the 11th week of pregnancy—but it can definitely be done earlier. You’re free to choose which organization you’d like to register with—just go with what feels right for you.
We often work with Koru . You can also opt for a private/self-employed maternity nurse (ZZP), which means you’ll know in advance who will be with you during your postpartum week. Keep in mind that self-employed nurses tend to get fully booked quickly, so it’s wise to arrange this early on. You can arrange this through www.kraamzorg1op1.nl.
Other organizations you can register with are for example: Kraamvogel, Kraamkring, Dunya, Mama and Care4u.
Unfortunately, there is currently a significant shortage of maternity nurses. As a result, more and more clients are finding it difficult to get one. That’s why it’s really important to sign up on time.
Help, I don’t have maternity care
If you’ve tried various organizations during your pregnancy and haven’t been able to arrange care, you can sign up for a waiting list. Our assistant can provide more information on how to do this.
After the birth, we will call the organization managing the waiting list, and they will then begin to actively search for maternity care for you. This means they will contact all maternity care providers in the Utrecht area to see if anyone is available.
Usually, you’ll get 3 to 4 hours of care per day. Sometimes someone is available the same day, but in some cases, it may take a few days to find someone. Unfortunately, it’s also possible that no one will be found at all.
What to do without a maternity nurse
- Read and print our document on the postpartum week. Keep track of your fluid balance (a record of feedings, your baby’s pees/poops, and temperature).
- Attend the workshop babyverzorging (only in Dutch) during your pregnancy, given at the Boothstraat.
- Rent (or buy) a baby scale and weigh your baby at the same time every day (without clothes or with a clean diaper). You can rent one from Vegro Thuiszorg or Borstvoeding en Meer.
- Ask friends, family, or neighbors to help with groceries and dinner.
- Watch the various videos we recommend (in Dutch): what to do when you first come home, diaper changes, making the baby’s bed, preparing a hot water bottle, measuring the baby’s temperature en preparing formula.
- Install the Babymanager-app—often reimbursed by insurance.
- On YouTube, check out the channel ‘de Verlosmoeder’, it has lots of helpful videos about the postpartum period.
- If breastfeeding isn’t working out, rent a breast pump from My Pump, Medipoint, Vegro Thuiszorg or Borstvoeding en Meer.
- Put out a call on social media for a maternity nurse—other clients have succeeded in finding a maternity nurse this way.
Don’t worry, we’re here for you
Once you’re home, we’ll visit you the next day to check in and see how you’re doing. We’ll review the fluid balance log you’ve kept. As a new mom, make sure to take your temperature twice a day in the early days. If it’s over 37.5°C (measured rectally), always contact us.
During our visit, we’ll do a medical check-up—such as checking your uterus and the healing of any stitches. We’ll answer your questions and give advice to help you move forward.
However, please note that as midwives, we can’t do two jobs at once. We’re available 24/7 for urgent questions, but we can’t help with things like bathing your baby. If you don’t have a maternity nurse, prepare by watching the videos we shared. And when bathing the baby for the first time, make sure someone is there to assist you—like your mother, mother-in-law, sister, friend, or an experienced neighbor.
And then you get a maternity nurse after all
It’s always a relief when we can tell you that a maternity nurse has been found. What will she do when she comes? She’ll usually help for 3 to 4 hours per day and has several responsibilities:
- Provides postpartum medical care, including check-ups for both you and the baby, and maintains hygiene.
- Identifies if you or your baby need additional medical attention and contacts the midwife if needed.
- Supports your family in adjusting to your new situation, preventing problems, and ensuring your baby is cared for safely and healthily. She also helps you bond with your baby.
- Teaches you and your partner how to care for and feed your baby.
- Provides information and answers questions—for example, about birth registration or insurance.
- Watches out for anything in your home or behavior that might pose a risk to your baby.
No maternity nurse and wanting a home birth
For a safe home birth, we have certain requirements, which you can also read under the home birth section. One of these is that we need assistance during the delivery. Normally, we call your maternity care provider for support.
If you don’t have one, we will still try to find a maternity nurse for the delivery. There is a pool of maternity nurses who assist with births at WKZ and Antonius Hospital, and we can ask them to help at a home birth—provided they are not assisting elsewhere at that time.
If we can’t find a maternity nurse, we’ll ask within our own team if someone is available to assist. This is not always possible, especially during holiday periods or weekends.
If no one is available, and there’s time to move, we’ll ask you to go to a hospital with one of the midwives from Breedstraat. You can choose which hospital to go to, depending on availability.
Tip: If you have no maternity nurse but still want a home birth, ask self-employed maternity nurses if they can be on stand-by just for your delivery. They may have time for this!
Good to know: If your home is in a paid or permit-only parking area, keep in mind that parking fees for the maternity nurse are your responsibility. You can apply for a parking discount from the municipality—be sure to check this in advance!