Preparing for your maternity period
The maternity period
Your entire pregnancy period is basically one big preparation for what is to come. Your body changes and your baby grows. In addition, there are practical matters that you and your partner can do to prepare you well for the childbirth and maternity period.
The intake appointment
Between weeks 30 and 34 of your pregnancy, an intake appointment is scheduled which done by phone or at your home. An intake interview is meant to prepare you for what you can expect during your maternity period and to discuss your wishes. You will receive information about maternity care and about the number of care hours you can get. Based on this conversation, we will make sure that your maternity care matches your needs as closely as possible.
Needs list
You will need to have certain things ready at home to ensure a good childbirth and maternity period. Whether you plan to have a home birth or hospital birth, it is recommended that you have certain things organised and ready at home around the 37th week. Your bed should have a height of about 70 cm during the delivery and the maternity period. This is a requirement established in the health and safety legislation for midwives and maternity nurses. You can rent bed raisers for this from your 36th week at www.medipoint.nl.
You can download the needs list here.
Maternity pack
Most insurers offer a maternity pack containing at least the basic requirements. Maternity packs are also available from home care shops and drugstores.
Classes and information evenings
To prepare you well for the birth of your baby, maternal period, and breastfeeding, we recommend that you attend one of our pregnancy classes or an informative evening session. These are also offered at the Birth Centre. You can follow any of the prenatal and postnatal classes given by specially selected instructors at our dedicated course centre. Apart from these classes, you can also attend an informative afternoon or evening session about childbirth and breastfeeding.
More information about our classes and information sessions can be found here.
The first 24 hours with your baby
The first 24 hours with your baby often raises lots of questions. From ‘how much should my baby drink?’ to ‘how can my baby sleep safely?’. This video gives you tips on what to do when your baby has just been born. Naturally, the maternity nurse will also explain everything when she comes to your home.