All about maternity care
During the pregnancy you register with the maternity care center. During the pregnancy, they contact you, maybe visit you once already. But then? What exactly does a maternity nurse do? And when should you call her? We explain everything here.
Why maternity care?
Maternity care is unique in the world. Except for the Netherlands, there is no country in the world where women get a maternity nurse to support them during childbirth and during your maternity week.
The maternity nurse will teach you and your partner how to care for the baby or help you if you want to breastfeed.
During childbirth, the maternity nurse supports the midwife. Together they are a team that guides you through childbirth.
After the birth, the maternity nurse comes to your home until about the first week. She will explain everything about your baby. She teaches you how to care for your baby as well as possible and supports you in breastfeeding if necessary. She also answers all your questions. But more importantly: she is the eyes and ears of the midwife. She does check-ups of mother and child and she consults with the midwife in an accessible way.
A maternity nurse will help you get settled into the world of new parenthood.
How do I choose which maternity care I want?
You’re completely free to register with a maternity care organization that appeals to you. The only requirement is that they are able to visit your home address. Take a look at our maternity care page — it lists several organizations and self-employed professionals we enjoy working with.
When should I sign up for maternity care?
Maternity care organizations are busy and fill up quickly. It is advisable to sign up as soon as possible. That is, as soon as you have had your term ultrasound and your due date has been set.
When do I call the maternity care provider?
If you give birth with one of our midwives, during labor they will call the maternity nurse at the right time to come and assist with the delivery. You don’t have to think about that.
Are you giving birth medically under the direction of the hospital? Then the maternity nurse will not assist, but a nurse from the hospital will assist. In that case you call – when you go home with your little one – the maternity care organization to let them know. The maternity care organization will send a maternity nurse your way as soon as possible.
What does a maternity nurse do in labor and delivery?
The midwife accompanies the delivery together with the maternity nurse. The midwife is responsible.
She can very well help with relaxing, breathing exercises. But you can also think about making warm jugs, getting clothes ready, helping to shower or bathe, drying off, taking notes.
Both the maternity nurse and the midwife are trained in unexpected complications. So you always have a professional team of caregivers at your delivery.
Once your little one is born, she helps with the first feeding and dressing your little one. She also helps mom shower after the birth and changes the bed (in case of a home birth). She tidies everything up again so you can enjoy yourselves.
What does a maternity nurse do during maternity?
The maternity nurse supports you daily in caring for the baby. You can think of changing diapers, washing clothes, but also giving you tips and tricks on how to bathe your baby, dry him off, temperature etc.
In addition, she supports you in your recovery from childbirth and possibly guides the process of breastfeeding, if you wish.
Every day the maternity nurse will check your temperature, the height of your uterus, blood loss and any stitches. With your baby, she will check daily if the feedings are going well, what the temperature is, how the pee and poop diapers look like and she will weigh the baby. If there are any abnormal findings, she will always contact the midwife on duty.
What does maternity care cost?
How many hours of maternity care will I receive?
During the intake with your maternity care organization, the consultant determines how many hours of maternity care you will receive. This is determined using the LIP form (Landelijk Indicatie Protocol Kraamzorg). You are entitled to at least 24 hours of maternity care spread over 7 or 8 days.
Do you end up needing more maternity care than previously indicated? No problem. The maternity caregiver will consult with the midwife on duty whether a reindication is necessary.
I have supplementary insurance
Get in touch with the practice
Still in doubt? Would you like more information? Or would you like to come and meet our midwives? You can contact us without any obligation. We will call you to answer all your questions or to meet soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maternity care is not mandatory, but we strongly recommend it.
The maternity nurse monitors your recovery, checks the baby’s health, teaches you all kinds of things about baby care, and helps with some basic household tasks.
Read this page for more information about the tasks of the maternity care nurse.
The postpartum period lasts six weeks. Maternity care supports you during the first eight days after the birth — this is called the ‘kraamweek’ (maternity week). However, full recovery takes a bit longer, around six weeks!
You need to arrange maternity care yourself. Have a look at the ‘Maternity Care’ section on our website for tips on maternity care organizations and self-employed maternity nurses.