The Netherlands boasts one of the best maternity and neonatal care systems in the world. However, the support and care given to young women through pregnancy and giving birth, may be quite different from what you are used to in your home country.
Confusion
Many internationals are confused about the Dutch approach. The midwife (‘verloskundige’) plays an important role during pregnancy in the Netherlands, but who is she? In many countries the midwife is a friendly lady from the village, who gladly helps out, but has no medical education. And how about giving birth at home and no pain relief?
H4i information platform
Healthcare for internationals has launched a site that aims to provide internationals with all the information they need about Dutch Healthcare and health insurance.
There you can find all the answers about pregnancy and giving birth in The Netherlands, the medical qualifications of the midwife, choice of home and hospital delivery, pain relief, maternity care and youth healthcare.