The moment you look forward to for months: the birth of your baby! Together we go for the best preparation, so far as possible of course. We want to give you the right expectations about the process of labour. In addition we will always discuss your wishes and we will inform you what the right moment will be to contact us. We will plan an extended appointment around 34-36 weeks of the pregnancy to talk about the delivery.
Birth plan
Birth will not be pronounced, but there are cases you can influence. Do you have an idea where you want to give birth, who will be there to support you, what kind of positions you might want to try and how you want to deal with the pain etc. Together we discuss your wishes and expectations. We will note these good, so we can give you the right and wished care during the delivery.
Where to give birth?
It doesn’t matter for us where you want to give birth. The most important thing is that you will feel comfortable at the place you choose. Of course you can also decide where you want to give birth when the contractions have started or change your first choice.
Home birth
It can be very nice to give birth in a relaxed and familiar environment: at home. Woman experience more control at home and a more relaxed ambiance. Feeling comfortable will help you dealing with the contractions. From research we know that there is less change of medical interventions at home. In the Netherlands a lot of women still choose to deliver their baby at home. Because the midwives are still very experienced and trained well, home birth is a safe option. If the midwife will expect any complications, she will refer you to the hospital. A home birth will always completely be reimbursed by the insurance.
Outpatient birth
You can choose to deliver outpatient in the hospital. This will be the Spaarne Gasthuis (Haarlem-Zuid) or the Rode Kruis Ziekenhuis (Beverwijk). During labour the midwife will decide what the right moment will be to go to the hospital. You still deliver with us as your midwives. There will also be a kraamverzorgster or nurse for assistance. You won’t see anyone from the medical team unless there’s a complication. We try to keep your room as quit and comfortable as possible. If you deliver without any complications, you go home a few hours after you gave birth. Check the policy from your health insurance to see if there will be extra costs to deliver outpatient.
Medical indication
Sometimes there’s a medical indication to deliver your baby in the hospital. This reason can arise because of complications during a previous delivery. We’ll inform you about this during the intake. It’s also possible that we need to refer you during the pregnancy or during labour to the hospital. In these cases the responsible caregiver will be the medical team of the hospital. A hospital birth with a medical indication will be reimbursed.
Waterbirth
Giving birth in a pool can have a lot of benefits. The warm water will have a pain relieving effect for you. For the baby the transition from the amniotic fluid to the outside world is more natural in warm water.
You can hire a birthing pool for at home. When you want to give birth in the Spaarne Gasthuis you can also deliver in a birthing pool. You need to purchase a cover for the pool. Discuss a water birth with us when you’re interested and we can give you more information.
When do you contact us?
Please contact the midwife on call (06-16463000):
- When you’re feeling worried or insecure
- When your expecting your first baby: call us when you have contractions every 3-4 minutes, that last 1 minute, for at least one hour.
- When your expecting your second or next baby: call us when you feel that te contractions get regular and stronger.
- When you lose clear amniotic fluid, contact us on day times. Is the water green/brown/yellow: contact us immediately.
- When you have a maternity pad full of bloodloss
- When you had instructions to call directly when you lose amniotic fluid water because the baby’s head is not completely ‘dropped’ in your pelvic.
- When you get into labour before 37 weeks contact us directly.
Dealing with the contractions
We won’t make it : giving birth hurts. The contractions will cause a pressure on your cervix which causes pain: you will feel this in your belly, back and/or legs.
Luckily your body will make his own painkillers in this natural process. We call these endorfines, a hormone that will help you to relax and take rest in between the contractions. When you have the idea that the endorfines are not helping effective enough you can ask your partner to relieve the pain by giving pressure or massage your back. Changing positions, showering or a hot water bottle might help as well. It’s also possible to rent a TENS-machine, giving birth in the pool or the midwife can place sterile water injections when you have backpain. Research shows that support and coaching from your midwife will help by relieving the pain. That’s why we offer you continuous support from the moment that you have regulair contractions if you want.
When the pain is to much, then pain relieve in the hospital is an option. This can be an epidural or remifentanyl. We will discuss dealing with the pain and options for painrelieve during the pregnancy.
