Our story

Three years after moving to Amsterdam from California, I found out I was pregnant while visiting Champagne, France. Yes, I know, talk about totally missing out on the fruits of your vacay. Feeling excited for what was to come I returned to Amsterdam not knowing where to start… Do I call my GP? Do I randomly pick a midwife? Where do I even find a list of midwives to choose from? Someone. Please. Send. Help.

Already overwhelmed with step one, and I assure you there were MANY more of these moments to come, I struggled to find any reliable and comprehensive resource to guide me through the process of being pregnant in The Netherlands. And by struggled, I mean googled to hell and back looking for anything (guides, classes, professionals, blogs) that would inform me of ALL the possibilities and choices available to me while pregnant explained in a way that was easy to understand.

As you might know, there are tons and tons and TONS of resources for pregnancy and birth out there. Books, classes, blogs, online courses and more came up page after page on Google. Great, right? Well… not so great if you don’t want to spend hours sifting through to find what’s right for you.

It seemed like every website, blog or online resource had a shtick to their approach and advice. Mindfulness, hypnobirthing, super obscure and detailed anatomical explanations, and so on. I wanted just the important information I needed to know, discussed in a way that I could understand.

So I continued on my hunt for a thorough resource that was unbiased, not based in mindfulness or hypnobirthing, not purely pro-natural or pro-medical. Just a neutral, reliable guide that could tell me about all the options available to me (and let me decide if things like hypnobirthing or mindfulness were a good match for me) and if ANYTHING worked the same as back home… or if I was starting from scratch (that last part is a fun dimension to pregnancy you may be familiar with if you are living as an expat in a foreign healthcare system).

I went to a variety of hospital tours. I took online courses. I spent way too much money on pregnancy books. Augh, that one still gets me. Yet I always found myself still searching for clearer answers because it’s good to have a sure thing when it comes to facts, information and choices when you’re pregnant.

After spending 10 months (yes, It’s Really 10 Months- also the title of a great pregnancy book) stumbling through the process, I decided when I finished this whole pregnancy… labor… delivery… fourth trimester thing… I was going to create a series of resources and classes that would ensure other women didn’t have to also struggle.

Learning about pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum is a never-ending process with new studies, methods and worldwide topics (I see you Covid) that affect and constantly change the birth world. I take every opportunity possible to further my education, training and knowledge. The following are trainings and workshops I have participated in:

Qualifications/Trainings/Workshops:

·Lamaze International Certified Childbirth Educator ·BiA Doula (NL) ·Paramanadoula with Michel Odent & Liliana Lammers (UK) ·SBD Doula Bereavement Certificate (USA) ·Various Lamaze International & Evidence Based Birth Seminars

Planning For Baby was created and launched as your go-to resource for all the options available to you during pregnancy and birth in The Netherlands. Use our classes and digital products as the resource you need to educate yourself about ALL possibilities, and then make choices based on what’s best for you and your growing family.

My experience in the Dutch healthcare system

Before I tell you my birth story, I should probably start with the birth plan…

The best way for me to describe my birth plan is to say I had a “Pinterest perfect” birth plan outlined and 100% thought most things would go according to that plan.

My birth plan was complete with (but not limited to) a Spotify playlist of 6 hours (because who active labors longer than that). A super plush comfy robe (for my grand exit from the birth pool). A rebozo scarf. Check. Check. The coveted and extremely hard to find liquid yoga room spray (if you find it in stock you better act fast). Update: Please do not go hunting for liquid yoga anymore as they have updated the ingredients and it is no longer safe for use during pregnancy.

Spoiler alert: NONE of those things made an appearance during my birth. In my case, running that birth plan through a paper shredder, then burning whatever remained would have done more good (and been more fun!) than trying to rely on it as an actual plan. Little did I know, this plan would provide value, just not in the way I thought it would.

I studied hypnobirthing for months, read every pregnancy book under the sun (ok, ok maybe not every book), had meditation methods coming out my ears, and took a deep dive into all things positive and calming. Truth be told- those things did not help me.

Sidebar* [this is 100% not the case for everyone. I know women who got their Pinterest perfect birth and it was everything you and I can imagine and more. So aim high, Mama, and read more birth stories on our blog to hear about other experiences that went a bit more according to plan.]

So what did help me?

Not being afraid to be my own health advocate. It’s a fine line to walk especially when navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system. You must consider the advice of doctors, but you also know more than anyone in the room about what is happening in your body. YOU can feel your body, your baby, your progress and ultimately must also articulate that perspective to the doctors or midwives.

You know what else helped me during labor…?