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If you are pregnant there are several practical things to organise such as maternity care assistance, acknowledgement of the baby and childcare.
Maturnaty care
Maternity care assistance: The maternity care assistant visits you after birth until the eighth day to do observations on you and your baby. If you give birth at home, the maternity care assistant will assist the midwife. In the Netherlands, you only stay in hospital for a short time after a hospital birth. In other countries, women often stay in hospital for a few days but then there is no maternity care assistance. The maternity care assistants often have a lot of experience and really help you to make a good start during the first week. They help with feeding the baby, the daily observations and they have a lot of advice for you. If you have to stay longer in hospital, these days will be deducted from the maternity care assistance but of course in that case you will receive assistance in hospital. Maternity care assistance organisations that we frequently collaborate with are: natuurlijke kraamzorg en kraamzorg 1 op 1.
Acknowledgement of the baby
If you are not married, it is important to arrange the acknowledgement of the baby by your partner before the birth. You need to make an appointment for this at one of the council offices. Of course the partner needs the approval of you for this. If the baby will not have your surname, you have to come to the appointment as well for the first baby. For second or more babies you can give approval in writing and your partner can attend the appointment without her. You will receive a form with the beautiful title ‘Acknowledgement of the unborn child’. At the acknowledgement, the surname of the child is registered too. For more information and to make an appointment: stadsloket Amsterdam.
Child care:
Think about what you want after your maternity leave in time: would you like child care or can you make arrangements among yourselves and with the help of parents so that child care is not needed? Would you like a childminder or a child care centre? It is good to make enquiries in time because sometimes there are waiting lists for the place where you want to register.
Whooping cough vaccination
The whooping cough vaccination can be done from 22 weeks. It will protect your baby the first months against the whooping cough, see here for more information
Leave
Your pregnancy leave can start from 34 weeks to 36 weeks due. You arrange this with your employer. see here.
