The postpartum period

The postpartum period encompasses the first 6 weeks after childbirth. The baby is born and a lot comes your way. Both physically and mentally: getting to know the baby, uncertainty, sleep deprivation, postpartum recovery, and feedings. In short, these weeks can be overwhelming. We are here to assist you, along with the maternity nurse, we guide you through.

Within three days after childbirth, the birth of the child must be registered in the municipality where the baby was born. This officially announces the birth. Birth registration is a legal obligation and important for obtaining a Citizen Service Number, the execution of the heel prick, hearing test, and scheduling appointments with the Parent and Child Team (consultation bureau).

In Amsterdam, you can register the birth without an appointment at the nearest City Office. If you have given birth at OLVG, UMC location AMC, or BovenIJ hospital, it is also possible to do the birth registration online.

After the birth, you must enroll the baby with the general practitioner and your health insurance. Registration with the health insurance must be done within a month and can be completed online.

Role of the maternity nurse

During a home birth or policlinical/outpatient delivery, a maternity nurse will be present to assist us as midwives during the childbirth. Additionally, in the first 8 days after delivery, the maternity nurse will visit your home to provide assistance. She takes care of you and the baby and conducts necessary medical checks. She offers advice and guidance on breastfeeding and/or formula feeding. In case of any doubts, she will discuss her concerns or questions with us as midwives. If you need to stay in the hospital for a few days after delivery, the nursing staff on the maternity ward will perform the medical checks. If you return home within a week after delivery, the maternity nurse will continue to visit on the remaining day(s) to assist you.

It is important to enroll in a maternity care agency during pregnancy or register with an independent maternity nurse (self-employed). Maternity care is largely covered by the basic health insurance. With supplementary insurance, the own contribution often lapses. It’s advisable to check the coverage in the health insurance policy to determine the applicable reimbursement in your case.

Role of the midwife

In the first week after delivery, we, as midwives, generally visit you 2 to 3 times. Together with the maternity nurse, we assess your recovery and the baby’s well-being. We discuss your mental well-being but also evaluate the physical recovery. We talk about postpartum bleeding, check if your uterus descends after delivery, and assess the healing of stitches. We discuss how breastfeeding is progressing, your milk production, and how the baby latches onto the breast. The baby will be weighed on days 4 and 7. Initially, babies lose weight after birth, and after day 4 or 5, we often observe a rise in birth weight. We evaluate if the baby has enough full diapers and examine the baby’s skin color. Most babies develop a yellowish tint in the first week after birth. Within 14 days, we expect the baby to return to the birth weight. Through weighing, we monitor that the baby does not lose too much weight, and if this occurs, we can take timely measures to prevent further weight loss.

Role of the Parent and Child Team (PCT)

Between 10 and 14 days after delivery, the youth nurse from your area will contact you for an initial appointment. From that moment on, they take over the care of the baby from us as midwives. They will monitor the health, growth, and development of your baby. Vaccinations for the baby will also be administered by the Parent and Child Team. During the introduction, you will receive a Growth Booklet from the Growth Guide, which contains information about the development, nutritional needs, and (sleep) behavior in the first year of your baby.

Heel Prick and Hearing test

Once the birth has been registered at the municipality, a youth health care worker will visit between days 4 and 8 to perform the heel prick and the hearing test. In the heel prick, blood is drawn from the baby’s heel. A laboratory examines this blood for a number of serious, rare, congenital diseases. These diseases are treatable (not curable) with, for example, medication or a special diet. Timely detection ensures that treatment can start quickly, which is crucial for the baby’s development.
The hearing test measures whether your baby can hear well enough to learn to speak later.

The first 6 weeks and postnatal checkup

During the first 6 weeks, we are still available for you. If you notice a sudden increase in the amount of bleeding, experience severe abdominal pain, or have any issues with stitches, you can contact us. You can also reach out to us with questions about (breast)feeding.

Six weeks after the birth, you can come to us for a postnatal checkup at the practice. The postnatal checkup is primarily focused on you as a mother, but we are, of course, happy if the baby (and your partner) comes along.

During the postnatal checkup, we discuss how you and your baby are doing and how you are experiencing parenthood. We talk about the physical recovery after childbirth, measure your blood pressure, and check if your abdominal muscles have come back together. We also discuss contraception and can prescribe an intrauterine device (IUD) if desired. Vera, Eva, or Roos can place an IUD from 10 weeks after delivery.

Postpartum care for women with a medical indication during pregnancy

Some women are under hospital care throughout their pregnancy and delivery due to a medical indication. After delivery, the hospital transfers the care to a midwifery practice because the hospital does not conduct home visits. You can sign up for postpartum care with us. If desired, a introductory meeting can be scheduled at the practice during pregnancy. You can register for postpartum care via the registration form on the website. It is advisable to inform the hospital that our midwifery practice will conduct home visits during the postpartum week so that the hospital knows to which midwives they can transfer care after delivery.