For many expats, kraamzorg is a pleasant surprise. In most countries you go home from hospital and figure it out yourselves. In the Netherlands, a maternity nurse (kraamverzorgende) comes to your home for several hours a day in the first week after birth.
What a maternity nurse does
- Checks on you and your baby: temperature, weight, colour, your recovery and blood loss.
- Helps with breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
- Shows you how to bathe, dress and care for your baby.
- Makes sure you rest, and keeps visitors in check if needed.
- Does light household tasks.
- Keeps your midwife informed, and assists her during a home birth.
When to book
As early as possible, ideally in your first trimester and in any case before your fourth month. Kraamzorg organisations get busy, especially around the summer. You book through your health insurer or directly with an organisation that has a contract with your insurer. Later in your pregnancy you'll have an intake, often at home.
How many hours you get
The number of hours is set with a national protocol and depends on your situation: whether it's your first baby, how feeding goes, how you recover and how much support you have around you. Care usually runs for about a week, and the hours can be adjusted after the birth.
What it costs
Kraamzorg is covered by Dutch basic health insurance. You pay a personal contribution per hour, set by the government. Some supplementary policies reimburse it, so check yours.
What kraamzorg doesn't cover
- Nights. The maternity nurse comes during the day. At night you're on your own.
- The weeks after. After about a week, care moves to the child health clinic (consultatiebureau), and your midwife does a final check around six weeks.
- Preparation and the birth itself. Kraamzorg focuses on practical care after the birth.
- Family. Nobody who cooks for you for weeks or holds your baby while you sleep. For expats, that's often the gap that hurts most.
Kraamzorg and a doula
They have different roles. Your maternity nurse takes care of the practical side in the first week. As a doula, I'm there during pregnancy and birth, and I help you plan the weeks after: who can help, what you need, and how to avoid ending up alone. Read more in English-speaking doula in The Hague.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an English-speaking maternity nurse?
Ask when you book. Many organisations try to take it into account, but it can't always be guaranteed.
What if I'm late booking?
Contact an organisation anyway. They'll do their best, but you may get fewer hours or more changes of nurse.
Curious whether a doula would work for you? Have a look at my doula services or book a free introductory call.