Finding out you’re pregnant in a country that isn’t yours comes with its own particular scramble. It’s not just the excitement and the nerves, it’s figuring out who to call first, what’s actually covered, and why every Dutch friend keeps mentioning a verloskundige before you’ve even said the word “doctor.” Here’s how the system actually works, piece by piece.
Your First Call Is a Midwife, Not a Doctor
In a lot of countries, pregnancy care starts with an obstetrician. In the Netherlands, it usually starts with a verloskundige, a midwife who manages most pregnancies from the first booking appointment right through to birth, unless something comes up that needs a specialist. This isn’t a budget option or a stopgap before “real” care. It’s the default, and most Dutch mothers never see an obstetrician at all.
Register with a midwifery practice as soon as you get a positive test, good practices fill their intake slots weeks in advance, especially in the bigger cities. You’ll also want a huisarts (GP) registered for anything outside pregnancy care, since Dutch healthcare runs on GPs as the first point of contact for almost everything.
Health Insurance Isn’t Optional
Basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is mandatory for anyone living or working in the Netherlands, and it covers midwife care, hospital birth if it’s medically needed, and standard maternity care. If you’ve just moved and haven’t sorted insurance yet, do it now rather than later, you generally need to be covered within four months of arrival, and pregnancy is exactly the moment you don’t want a gap.
Compare providers before you commit. The basics are the same everywhere because they’re government-mandated, but supplementary packages vary, and some cover extra kraamzorg hours or things like a birth pool rental.
Kraamzorg: The Bit Nobody Explains Properly
This is the part that surprises almost every non-Dutch parent. After you give birth, a kraamverzorgster (maternity nurse) comes to your home for several hours a day, for about a week. She checks on you and the baby, helps with feeding, teaches you the basics nobody hands you a manual for, and does a bit of light household work so you’re not trying to cook dinner three days after labour.
Register for kraamzorg while you’re still pregnant, not after the baby arrives, agencies get booked up, particularly around popular due-date months. Ask your midwife for recommendations if you’re not sure where to start.
Where You’ll Actually Give Birth
Hospital, birth centre (geboortecentrum), or home, all three are genuinely on the table, and which one makes sense depends on your health and your midwife’s risk assessment as the pregnancy progresses. Home births are far more common here than in most countries, because Dutch maternity care starts from the assumption that birth is a normal event, not a medical one, until it isn’t.
If you’d rather be in a hospital setting regardless of risk level, say so early, you can usually choose that even without a medical indication, though it may affect what’s reimbursed depending on your policy.
Parental Leave and UWV
Maternity leave for mothers and partner leave for the other parent both exist, administered through the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). Rules and durations get updated periodically, so check the UWV website directly for what applies to your situation rather than relying on secondhand numbers, your employer’s HR team should also be able to walk you through it.
After the Birth: Registration and Paperwork
- Register within three working days. You must report the birth to your local gemeente (municipality) within three working days to get a geboorteakte (birth certificate).
- Decide on the name. You’ll register the name at the same appointment, so it’s worth settling this before the deadline creeps up on you.
- Check your child benefit. Kinderbijslag is a quarterly payment from the SVB to help with the cost of raising a child, and most residents are automatically registered once the birth is recorded, check your SVB account to confirm.
Setting Up Ongoing Care
Routine check-ups for your baby happen at the consultatiebureau, the local well-baby clinic, which tracks growth, development, and the national vaccination schedule (Rijksvaccinatieprogramma). A kinderarts (paediatrician) only comes into the picture if something needs specialist attention, it’s not who you see for routine care, which trips a lot of people up.
Childcare is worth researching early too, since good daycares (kinderdagverblijf) and childminders often have waiting lists that start well before the birth. Learning some Dutch, even slowly, also makes the whole system easier to navigate, from parent evenings later on to reading letters from the gemeente.
Find Your People
None of this needs to happen alone. Local parent groups and expat networks make a genuine difference once the baby’s here, in Amsterdam West, the Labour Department runs workshops, courses, and a shop built around exactly this stage of life. Beyond that, browse kid-friendly places and upcoming events across the Netherlands to start building your own map of the country before the baby arrives, and our newsletter is a low-effort way to keep track of what’s on. If you’re also navigating fertility before this stage, we’ve written separately about emotional support for women navigating fertility and motherhood, and once the baby’s here, our guides section covers a lot of the practical next steps.
FAQ
Do I need a referral to see a midwife?
No. You can contact a midwifery practice directly and book your own intake appointment, no GP referral required.
Can I have a home birth as a first-time mother?
Yes, if your pregnancy is assessed as low-risk. Your midwife monitors this throughout and will let you know if circumstances change and a hospital setting becomes safer.
What if I don’t speak Dutch?
Most midwifery practices, hospitals, and consultatiebureaus in and around the bigger cities work in English without issue. It’s still worth asking your practice directly when you register, particularly outside the Randstad.
When exactly should I arrange kraamzorg?
As early as you can, many parents sort this in the second trimester. Your midwife can point you toward agencies with availability around your due date.
