Giving birth in the Netherlands

Now that you are nearing the end of your pregnancy, what can you expect when you give birth in the Netherlands? What are your options regarding the delivery? Where can you give birth in the Netherlands?

You have several options when it comes to giving birth in the Netherlands. If you haven’t experienced any medical complications during your pregnancy, you can give birth at home, in a birth centre or at a hospital. If you experienced complications during your pregnancy, your midwife or obstetrician will most likely advise you to give birth at a hospital.

Options for giving birth in the Netherlands

You have three options when it comes to giving birth in the Netherlands. You can: 

• Have a home birth
• Go to a birth centre
• Give birth in a hospital

Each has its own pros and cons. Which is right for you will depend on your own personal preferences, your health, and the advice of your doctor or midwife. 

Home births in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a reputation for being a country where home births are a particularly popular option. This was certainly true in the years that followed WWII, when 80 percent of all pregnant women delivered their baby at home.

However, the number of women that choose to have a home birth has been declining ever since. In the 1990s, 35 percent delivered their baby at home, and in 2010 the percentage of home births was 25 percent. Note that pain relief, such as epidurals or nitrous oxide, is not available for home births.

Birth centres in the Netherlands

When it’s not medically necessary to give birth in a hospital, but you don’t want to give birth at home either, you can go to a birth centre instead. Your own midwife or obstetrician will oversee the birth.

Birth centres in the Netherlands:

• Have a homely feel and are similar to a hotel.
• Often offer forms of pain relief medication, such as nitrous oxide.
• Take your personal wishes into account.

Please note, not all Dutch health insurers in the Netherlands will cover all the costs you will incur when giving birth in a birth centre. So, be sure to ask your insurer about this.

Birth centres have the advantage of usually being close to or part of a hospital, meaning that if there are any medical complications, a doctor is usually close at hand.

After giving birth at a hospital, you can usually stay for up to eight days and receive advice and support from the staff on caring for your new baby. For instance, they can support you with breastfeeding. 

Hospital births in the Netherlands

There are two types of hospital births in the Netherlands; you can give birth as an outpatient (poliklinisch) or an inpatient.

Outpatient

If you are an outpatient at a hospital, your own midwife or obstetrician will oversee the birth. A gynaecologist will not be present.

Inpatient

You are considered an inpatient when you have to give birth in a hospital for medical reasons, such as complications during labour.

Birth plan

In the Netherlands, it is common to come up with a birth plan with your partner and care provider. This plan will be part of your medical record and will describe your wishes concerning the birth. Of course, you will need to keep in mind that, in the case of an emergency, things may go a little differently than planned.

When you go into labour, your birth plan will tell you what to do. You might need to call your midwife or hospital to let them know you're coming in, or ask them to come to you (if you are having a home birth). If you are going to a hospital or birth centre, make sure you have packed a bag with some essentials like clothes for you and the baby, toiletries and important documents. 

Postnatal care in the Netherlands

Once your baby has been born, you can benefit from the Netherlands' unique postnatal care system called kraamzorg. And make sure to register the birth of your baby at your local municipality.