English

As you will have noticed, our website is written in Dutch. Of course you can have it translated eg by Google translate, although occasionally this might lead to some strange ‘Dunglish’. On this page we have summarized the main information about the Dutch Obstetric system and our practice in english, to give you a global picture of who we are and how we work. Also, don’t hesitate to call us for more information!

Regular midwifery care in the Netherlands (different from ours)

In the Netherlands midwives play a much larger role in the obstetric system than in almost any other country in the world. They provide care to almost all women with healthy pregnancies and births and during the postnatal period. At the start of pregnancy, almost 80% of women are under midwifery care. Most midwives in the Netherlands work in group practices, usually with around 4-5 midwives. This means you will see a lot of different faces during your pregnancy and have a fair chance of hardly knowing the midwife who will attend your birth.

The consultations last 10 to 15 minutes maximum. In this time all the medical check-ups are done, such as measuring the blood pressure and an examination of the baby’s growth and position. The rest of the time will be spend giving basic information or answering pressing questions.

The larger practices will have up to 30-40 women under their care each month. This means more than one birth per day, but of course not ever so evenly spread out as that. There are usually 24 hour rotations in who’s on call. That midwife will be available for all immediate care that is requested, both prenatal, natal and postnatal. So the care during a birth can sometimes be somewhat fragmented, when other requests for care come in as well. Usually, your midwife will come to your house at the beginning of your birth and depending on your preferences, will send you to the hospital or comes back to your house later in the birth in case of a desired home birth. She will usually not stay with you for the whole of your birth until you are close to the pushing phase.

If the pregnancy or birth needs extra medical attention that the midwife can’t provide, she will then refer you to an obstetrician or hospital midwife. From that moment on her responsability has stopped and in most cases so does the care and attendance.

More information on the Dutch obstetric system you can find on this website or on the Facebookgroup ‘ Amsterdam Mamas 

Our extra care*

In our practice we want to offer more than this regular (basic) midwifery care. Our philosophy is that ‘care’ encompasses more than just medical supervision. Pregnancy and birth set in motion a myriad of new feelings, thoughts and emotions. This process can facilitate personal enrichment and growth. All growth goes hand-in-hand with questions, uncertainty and potential personal triumph. In our practice we provide the opportunity and the time for this process. You can look at it as a form of coaching throughout your entire journey, combined with ‘doula‘ care during your birth as well as midwifery care.

Your own midwife

In our practice you choose your own designated midwife who will offer you one to one care throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Your own midwife is also the first person you refer to with any questions or worries. You can choose your own midwife from our profiles on the pages called ‘ vroedvrouwen ‘. These pages are written in Dutch (as is the rest of our website), but you can have them translated eg by Google translate . It is also possible to have a non-binding acquaintance meeting of 1 hour before committing to our care (free of charge).

A short summary of our care package:

  • One personal (primary) midwife instead of various midwives as seen in a group practice. If your primary midwife is sick or unavailable for some reason, another midwife with the same philosophy will be available to support you. 
  • If it appeals to you and your partner, we can offer a more holistic and natural approach to pregnancy, birth and parenting, including advise about possible alternative health therapies and healthy lifestyle.
  • A non-binding acquaintance meeting of 1 hour before committing to our care (free of charge).
  • We will see each other according to your needs or requirements; in general there will be 12-14 times prenatal appointments during your pregnancy.
  • Each prenatal appointment will be (at least) 60 mins, ensuring more than enough time to pay attention to any emotional, and where desired, spiritual aspects of your pregnancy.
  • A home-visit between 32 and 37 weeks to discuss in detail what your wishes and expectations are for your birth and postpartum period.
  • ‘Doula support’ during labour. This means that we will come to you during labour at any time that you wish for us to be there regardless of where and how your birth develops. In other words, this means that even in the event that your birth becomes medical and the primary (medical) care is transferred to a obstetrician, we will stay with you and give you ‘doula support’.
  • During the first weeks after you have given birth we will visit you a number of times, depending on your particular situation. Each visit will take as long as is necessary.
  • Continuous availability via the telephone for both medical emergencies and any other concerns.

The regular basic midwifery care provided is fully covered by the Dutch (basic) health insurance. We send the invoice for this care directly to your Dutch health insurance, if you have one.

If you have a foreign insurance or no insurance, we send this invoice directly to you. Contact us for the prices for the year you will give birth.

The extra (non-medical) care we provide is an extra cost that is not covered by the Dutch medical insurance.*
Sometimes it is covered by your foreign insurance. If you prefer, we can merge both invoices into one complete invoice if you have a foreign insurance and you think they may cover all costs of our care.

Fee’s extra care* 2019

Acquaintance meeting

free of charge

Complete extra care

€ 1027,00

Full Pregnancy

€ 617,00

Pregnancy consultation   

   (if you start care  late in pregnancy)

€ 45,00

Birth

€ 410,00

 

Travel expenses: 48 eurocent per kilometer **
If there is also a doula present at your birth, we can make an adjustment in the extra fee for the birth.
The invoice you receive for our extra care is based on the fees from the year you booked with us, not the year you will give birth.

* In accordance with the guidelines of the health insurances all clients have the right to basic midwife care in the Netherlands. If you want more information about this, you can always contact us.

** The first 140 kilometers are covered by your health insurance.