At the moment (spring/summer 2024), there is a significant shortage of maternity care assistants (in Dutch referred to as “kraamzorg”). Maybe you have already been informed during your pregnancy that you could not register with a maternity care agency. In this case, we advise you to sign up on a waiting list (QR code for waiting list registration). In the last month of your pregnancy, a maternity care agency with availability will be allocated to you. If none of them have availability, your midwife will call the organization behind the waiting list during the delivery, and they will start searching for maternity care for you at that moment. This means they will call all maternity care agencies in Utrecht, hoping that a maternity nurse can manage two families simultaneously or find a freelancer who currently has no clients. Often, this results in 3-4 hours of care per day. Sometimes someone can come the same day, but it might also take up to two days to find a maternity nurse, leaving you alone with your partner and baby for the first two days.

How to get through those days:

  • Take a maternity care booklet with you during one of your check-ups at our practice and keep track of the fluid balance yourself (a chart where you note the time of feeding, whether the baby has peed/pooped, and the temperature).
  • Read the maternity care booklet carefully; it describes how to change a diaper, measure the temperature, prepare a bottle, or what to do if the baby's temperature is too low or high.
  • Rent a baby scale and weigh your baby at the same time each day (naked or with a clean diaper). You can rent one from Vegro Thuiszorg.
  • Ask friends/family/acquaintances to help with grocery shopping and preparing evening meals.
  • Watch the following videos in advance: what to do when you first come home, diaper changing, making up the crib, preparing a hot water bottle, measuring the baby’s temperature, and preparing formula.
  • Install the Baby Manager app, which is covered by insurance.
  • On YouTube, 'De Verlosmoeder' also has very helpful videos about the postpartum period.
  • Rent a breast pump if breastfeeding is not yet successful. You can rent one from My Pump, Vegro Thuiszorg, Borstvoeding en Meer.

Post a call for a maternity nurse via your social media; other clients have succeeded in finding a maternity nurse this way.​

No worries, we are there for you:

When you come home, we will visit the next day to see how things are going. We will check the fluid balance you have been keeping. Make sure to measure your own temperature twice a day in the first days as a postpartum woman. Fever is always a reason to consult with us. During our visit, we will also perform a medical check-up on you, such as the position of the uterus and healing of stitches, etc. We will answer your questions and give advice so that you can continue.

However, it's important to realize that we as midwives cannot perform two jobs. We are available day and night for urgent questions and concerns, but we do not have time to help you with tasks like giving a bath. If there is still no maternity care, you can prepare through the information materials mentioned above. When you bathe the baby for the first time, make sure there is someone with you who can help, such as a mother/mother-in-law/sister/friend/experienced neighbor, etc.

A maternity nurse is found:

It is always a relief when we can inform you by phone that a maternity nurse has been found for you. What does she do when she arrives? Keep in mind that she will be able to help for 3-4 hours a day. The maternity nurse has various responsibilities:

  • She provides medical care after childbirth: performing checks on you and the baby, ensuring hygiene.
  • She identifies whether you or the baby need further medical care. If necessary, the maternity nurse will contact the midwife or a doctor.
  • She supports your family: the nurse helps you, for example, to: adjust to the new family situation - prevent problems - care for your baby safely and healthily - get to know your baby and establish good contact, fostering a strong bond - handle the busyness of the postpartum period
  • She teaches you and your partner how to care for and feed your baby.
  • She provides information and answers questions, including about registering the birth with the municipality or insurance matters.
  • She watches for any risks in your home, situation, or behavior that could endanger your baby.

Additional Information

If parking near your home is only available with payment or a permit, please note that the parking costs incurred by the maternity nurse are your responsibility. Perhaps the municipality offers a reimbursement or a free parking permit for healthcare providers. Check this in advance.