Today I am 10 weeks pregnant! This means I only have 2 more weeks until I reach the HOLY number of 12! I thought this would be a good time to explain how the Dutch health system works. I am no expert but here is what I have discovered so far...
The Dutch are big believers in everything natural. They favour home births and discourage pain relief. The Dutch have one of the biggest midwifery programs in the world so the only time you ever really see a Gynaecologist is if your midwife or GP feels that there are enough risks that warrant the expert advice of a specialist. I have a "high risk" pregnancy due to my asthma. This means I cannot give birth at home (thank goodness).
You do however have the choice to give birth in a "polyclinic" with a midwife. Most of my expat friends opt for this. Depending on your midwife, you may have to be fairly persistent about wanting any pain relief (epidural). I have already told my Gynae that I want an epidural and I'll make sure that they continue to get that message loud and clear!
The best part of the Dutch system is called "kraamzorg". This is the aftercare program. Once mother and baby have arrived back home, there is a period of 5-7 days where a "kraamzorgster" or midwife will come over and help with everything including feeding, changing, cooking and sometimes even cleaning! I think this is fantastic!
During your pregnancy you are usually offered 2 echo-scans: one at about 10 weeks and another around 20 weeks. I have been lucky and already had 3 scans due to the nature of my pregnancy. I have another one in about 4 weeks. I will post pics!
In conclusion, I think that the Dutch system is certainly different to what I would expect in South Africa. There are positives and negatives to both sides but I feel confident that having our first child in Holland is going to be fine!
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