Giving birth

HOW DO YOU PREPARE?

When a birth goes satisfactorily, it has a positive effect on both mother and baby in the short and long term. It gives you confidence in your own abilities, also for a next birth, and it strengthens the bond between mother and child, among other things. Good preparation for your birth is therefore important. Around 30 weeks of pregnancy, we take plenty of time during your check-up to talk about the birth. This includes when to call, what you can expect, ways of giving birth and ways to cope with pain.

You can find important information about the course of labour in the following leaflet (in Dutch).

HOW YOUR PARTNER CAN HELP

Partners are very important to us and play a huge role throughout the whole process.
There is also a fun online course especially for men: MANKIND.

Tips we like to share:

• You are the best coach for your girlfriend/wife; you know her best, so trust that!
• Positive coaching during the difficult moments, for example at the peak of a contraction, is always motivating during the process
• Remind her to change position regularly to help labour progress
• Take good care of yourself! Eating and drinking regularly makes you the best possible support

BIRTH PLAN

We know that women who are well informed about what can and will happen during the birth, and who feel involved in their care, look back more positively on this momentous event.

For some pregnant women it is enough to discuss their wishes and expectations with us; others prefer to write them down. This can take the form of a birth plan. In a birth plan you describe your wishes for the birth. It is intended to let the midwife and other care providers know what is important to you. See it as good preparation for the birth, and a way of getting the most important things clear for yourself too.

Discuss your birth plan with us. We will do our best to take your wishes into account as much as possible, but the medical condition of mother and baby is always decisive. Keep it simple and use key words, so that every care provider can see at a glance what really matters to you.

To help you write your birth plan, you can use this document (in Dutch) or the following document (EN).

WHERE TO GIVE BIRTH

In the Netherlands you can choose where you want to give birth. If there is a medical indication, you must give birth in hospital under the care of a gynaecologist. If there is no medical indication, you can also give birth in hospital, but under the care of your own midwife. This is called an outpatient birth (poliklinische bevalling) or a relocated home birth. You rent a delivery room for a few hours and, if the birth goes without complications, you can go home a few hours afterwards.

The idea is that during your pregnancy you and your partner decide where the best place for you to give birth is. Giving birth at home is absolutely safe, and we bring everything we need to respond to any unexpected situation. For example, you can also choose a water birth . Whatever you choose, what matters most to us is that you feel comfortable and safe where you give birth. You can still make or change the decision about where to give birth during labour.