Especially with your first pregnancy, there is a lot on your mind. You may be curious about what to expect. So we give you a quick overview of what you can expect during your pregnancy at our practice. And in advance, some practical points that may be of interest to you.

Practical

These are useful things to know as you move forward with us:

We have a practice space in Maastricht and additional consultation location in Cadier en Keer. Echoes can be made at both locations.
In addition to morning consultation hours, we also have afternoon and evening consultation hours
Births in the bath, on the birthing stool and in other positions are no problem for us
We rent out a birthing pool from the practice. Ask about the possibilities if you are interested in this.

Your pregnancy, labour and maternity

During your pregnancy, you will come for check-ups about 12 times on average. In the first period every 4 weeks, from 24 weeks every 3 weeks, from 30 weeks every 2 weeks and after 36 weeks you will come for a weekly check-up. The first appointment takes place between 6 and 8 weeks of pregnancy. Depending on various causes, you may be scheduled more often - if desired or necessary.

During these appointments, we go through all sorts of things. We take ultrasounds of your baby, go through all kinds of questions around health, medical tests and choices you need to make. We keep track of how you are doing and how your baby is doing.

We aim to schedule you alternately with the different midwives so that you get to know both of us. We think this is important for building a bond of trust with all of us and because we alternate shifts.

To best prepare you for childbirth, we schedule an appointment in the weeks before the due date to discuss the upcoming birth with you. This way, we can answer any questions you may have and (together with your partner) reflect on your wishes and expectations for the birth. You can also make a birth plan in preparation.

Childbirth

And then the time has come! Your baby announces itself, labour begins!

We see pregnancy and birth as very natural processes. When you and your baby are healthy and when you are in your power, we believe that every woman can give birth to a child well, healthily and safely. Relaxation and trust in your own body, your own strength, your baby and those around you are key to a beautiful birth.

Normally, babies are born between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy. If you and your baby are healthy and there are no known risks of complications beforehand, you can give birth with one of our midwives throughout that period. You may also then decide where you want to give birth. Choose the place where you feel safe and where you can relax best. Studies show that giving birth at home is just as safe as giving birth on an outpatient basis. If you choose hospital, bear in mind that your health insurer will require you to pay a co-payment. If there is a medical reason to give birth on an outpatient basis, the costs will be reimbursed.

You often have an idea about the position you want to give birth in. With us, anything is possible. Think, for instance, about giving birth on the bar stool or a water birth. You can usually rent a birthing pool 3 weeks in advance. Sometimes you can also give birth in your own tub. Our practice also has its own birthing pool. Ask us for more information if you would like to rent one. The midwife always takes a birthing stool with her. It is nice, for instance, to use the birthing stool in the shower to handle your contractions, but you can also use it during the birth phase. On the bed, it is also possible to give birth on your side or on your hands and knees. In practice, you will often find out for yourself what is the best way for you.

Most deliveries start at home. When you call us, we will ask a number of questions on the phone to assess whether it has really started and how far along you are in labour. Together with you, we will then agree on when the midwife on duty will visit you to see how you and the baby are doing and how labour is progressing.

If you want to give birth at home, we always take our delivery bag and our emergency bag. These bags contain everything necessary to ensure a safe and proper delivery, also in case of unforeseen complications (we also take oxygen, infusions and medication, for instance). We always keep these bags, together with the birthing stool, in the car.

If you would like to give birth on an outpatient basis, i.e. in hospital, this is of course also possible. The start is then the same. When you call us, we first come to your home to see how things are going and how the labour is progressing. When your dilation is about 5-6 cm (or earlier if we expect a very fast delivery), we will go to the hospital together. There, the midwife on duty from our practice will then supervise your labour. If everything went well, you will go home together with your little one about 2 hours after the birth.

Until the last minute, you can decide where you want to give birth. If you previously opted for outpatient but would prefer to stay at home, this is no problem, the same applies the other way round.

In both situations, a maternity assistant from the maternity bureau you registered with will assist us during the birth. For a home birth, she will also take care of changing your bed and cleaning and washing up after the birth. After an outpatient birth, the maternity assistant goes home with you to start caring for you and the baby.

The maternity period

In the week after giving birth, the maternity nurse will come and take care of you and the baby for a few hours every day. She will do some daily checks on you and the baby, help you with baby care and assist with feeding your baby. She will also make sure your household keeps running and receive your visitors, for whom she will of course happily spread crumpets and pour coffee! She can often answer many of your questions, but when she doesn't know something or is worried about something, she will contact the midwife on duty.

For maternity care, you need to register with one of the maternity centres in the region. You will receive more information about this during the intake interview.

The choice of breast or bottle feeding is entirely up to you. We will inform you about the pros and cons of both choices. It is already possible during pregnancy to attend a breastfeeding information evening or make an appointment with a lactation expert to discuss all your questions.

Let's continue together

We look forward to meeting you! Please inform quickly to see if we still have a spot for you.