The ACCESS Guide "Having a Baby in the Netherlands" has been developed for the International Community to help answer some of the questions that arise when having a baby in the Netherlands: choosing a midwife, delivery, hospitals, pain relief, childbirth and baby courses, administration…
 
Many Dutch terms are used throughout this booklet, usually with the English equivalent beside them.  

Giving birth in the Netherlands

When you are an expat living away from home, having a baby can be an overwhelming experience, but it need not be a stressful one. It is important you carefully research all your options. You will need to make good decisions ahead of time to insure that you get the kind of birth that you will be comfortable with.

You will find that the health care system in the Netherlands provides well-organized care. However, many practices here may differ from what is usually done in your home country. For instance, more than 60% of Dutch women get pregnant, have a baby and go home without seeing a gynaecologist once. Home births and using only a midwife to assist are also fairly common practices here - although the numbers are declining.

In general, there is a natural, non-interventionist approach to medical and maternity care in theNetherlands. It is also known that doctors tend to provide less information to their patients about their conditions, and there is far less preventative screening than in many other western countries.