Your maternity period
Care at home
The maternity nurse (the so-called ‘kraamzorg’ ) assists us during the delivery and will take care of you at home during the first week after the birth. During this week we keep in close contact with you and your maternity nurse. We visit and talk to you by phone several times and we are available day and night. If you gave birth in the hospital, we are there for you from the moment you are at home again. Six weeks after giving birth, we would like to see you again for the final check-up.
In case you deliver in the hospital with a gynaecologist
Then you need a midwifery practice to provide care for you from the moment you’re back home during the first week after delivery. You can sign up with the button below.
What to expect during your maternity week?
Brusks with pink or blue sprinkles (beschuit met muisjes; a typical Dutch tradition to celebrate the birth of a baby), family visits, many wishcards probably, a pram in the hallway and alas, broken nights. During all of this you can count on our efford to give you all a good start. Below you can read more about the maternity week.
Maternity care
After the birth you are entitled to maternity care. In the first week, the maternity nurse will come to your home to support you in your recovery and in the transition to parenthood. She does check-ups of both mother and baby and provides information about the care of your child. If you want to breastfeed, the maternity nurse is there for you to help you with the latching on and the feeding of your baby.
Checks for mother and baby
After giving birth, your body needs to recover. The maternity nurse checks your pulse and temperature, the height of your uterus, the blood loss and your stitches (if you have them) on a daily basis. After a caesarean section, she checks the wound daily. If indicated, the midwife will check your blood pressure. In the first days, all babies lose some weight. The midwife and the maternity nurse will monitor the weight of your baby and check if he or she is peeing and pooping sufficiently. Your baby’s temperature may fluctuate a bit in the first few days and is therefore also monitored several times each day.
Breastfeeding or formula feeding
After the birth, the umbilical cord is cut and your baby starts drinking on its own. You can choose to breastfeed or to offer formula.
We will talk during pregnancy about these two options of feeding your child, so that you can make a choice that suits you. In the first days, a baby’s stomach is very small and your baby will want to drink every 2 to 3 hours, also at night.
Heel prick test and hearing test for newborn babies
During the maternity week, a Health Care employee will visit you to do the heel prick test and hearing test on your baby. The nurse takes blood from the baby via a heel prick. This blood is used to test for the presence of twenty-six rare disorders, mostly metabolic disorders. You will receive the result of this test as soon as possible.
The hearing test measures whether the hearing ability of your baby is functioning. You receive the result of this test immediately. Sometimes the measurement has to be repeated after a week because the baby has some water or wax in its ear.
Follow-up
Six weeks after the birth we will schedule a follow-up with the midwife who attended your delivery. We discuss your delivery and we do a check up if necessary. We can also discuss the options for good contraception, if needed. After this last follow-up appointment, your general practitioner wil be your first point of contact again. The health care center (Consultatiebureau) has now taken over the check-ups of your baby.
Maternity care partners
These are some of the maternity care agencies we work with in order to give you the best care during the maternity period.
