If you call your usual tandarts (dentist) outside normal opening hours, a recorded telephone message will usually provide contact details for an on-duty dentist. Often these messages are recorded in Dutch, so it is helpful to have a Dutch speaker available to listen to the message.
I would like to have additional shots for my child or for myself that are not standard in the Netherlands. How can I arrange this?
You will have to contact your huisarts (GP) or visit a specialised vaccinatie bureau (vaccination centre). Please bear in mind that you will probably have to pay for additional shots yourself.
Where can I find help for mental health problems?
If you have mental health problems, you need to discuss this with your huisarts (GP). He/she can provide you with a referral to a psychologist. You will need this referral in order to get the costs covered by your health insurance.
Depending on the severity of your problems there are three options:
- If you have minor issues, your GP or an assistant of the GP specialised in mental health problems can help you
- If your problems are moderate, your GP will refer you to a psychologist for treatment according to the basic Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg – GGZ (mental health care)
- If your problems are very serious or complicated, your GP will refer you to a psychologist specialised in complex mental health care (specialistische GGZ). This usually involves a longer and multidisciplinary treatment
ACCESS offers a Counselling Service Network (CSN) of licensed professionals with practices all over the Netherlands. Counsellors are men and women who are psychologists, mental health counsellors and social workers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. All counsellors have a minimum Master’s level degree with at least two years’ supervised work experience. Every month, two ACCESS counsellors are on-call; they can provide a free referral to a member of the ACCESS CSN who can best assist you. You can find out here which counsellors are on call.
Some insurers have helpdesks which will assist you in finding a registered practitioner who speaks your language or who shares your cultural background. Otherwise you can check the Counselling Service Network (CSN) to find a practitioner in your area.
Which are the options for delivering a baby in the Netherlands?
Low-risk women may choose whether to give birth at home, in a hospital or a birth centre. If you have an increased obstetrical risk, the birth will be supervised by a gynaecologist.
Thuis bevallen (home birth)
If a woman chooses a home birth, her primary care verloskundige (midwife) will attend her birth, aided by a kraamverzorgster (maternity aide). The insurance company usually provides a maternity box and the midwife will bring her own equipment, which always includes a neonatal resuscitation set and oxygen. If complications arise, the midwife will refer the patient to a gynaecologist in a hospital. Every hospital in the Netherlands accepts these referrals from primary care midwives.
Poliklinisch or geboortecentrum bevallen (hospital or birth centre)
The birth is attended by the same primary care midwife who provided care during the pregnancy. The midwife will also provide the postnatal care at home. In case of giving birth at a birth centre your own midwife will assist you. Birth centres are often part of a hospital. Both options are considered outpatient clinics, meaning the mother will usually stay less than 24 hours in the hospital or the birth centre.
Ziekenhuisbevalling (hospital birth with medical necessity)
Women who have an increased obstetrical risk be referred to a hospital and therefore there will not be extra costs. The birth will be supervised by a gynaecologist (in training).
You can find more information about the different places you can give birth (in Dutch only).
Where can I learn more about breastfeeding?
A good place to start is to contact your kraamcentrum (maternity care agency) as many of them have lactation specialists and offer their own breastfeeding courses for expectant mothers. They will also be there to offer support and advice during the first week of your baby’s life. To find your nearest maternity care agency, please look at the list provided on the ‘kraamcentrum’ tab on the official kraamzorg website (in Dutch only).
One of the best ways to look for breastfeeding courses is to find an English-speaking lactation consultant in your area. They specialise in breastfeeding issues, and they often also give group courses or individual sessions. Alternatively, ask your midwife if she/he knows any English-speaking breastfeeding courses in your area.
If you have any questions or problems, you can also visit the website of the Cooperating Breastfeeding Organisations (Samenwerkende Borstvoeding Organisaties – SBA): Borstvoeding.nl (in Dutch only). Here you can find links to the five main organisations involved in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in the Netherlands, as well as a tool to locate breastfeeding cafés near you.
Should I follow a prenatal course?
Prenatal courses are organised to educate expectant women and their partners in the preparation for labour, offering you tools to manage your labour pain, optimal positions for birth, tips for recovery after birth and how to be a new mother. They usually last between four to eight weeks and are often followed by a postnatal session. It is recommended to register by week 16, as the classes can often fill up quickly.
A prenatal course provides the opportunity to meet other expectant mothers or couples, but the class you choose and how helpful it is once labour starts may depend on your knowledge of the language (courses will be available mainly in Dutch but also in English). Therefore, it is important to choose a prenatal course carefully.
In larger Dutch cities, you can find prenatal courses offered especially for internationals. ACCESS offers childbirth preparation courses in various cities. These courses are tailored specifically to the international community and are conducted in English. The courses provide an informative practical insight into pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding and explain how the Dutch healthcare system works. The courses also have the added advantage that you are able to meet other international couples.
If you want to take part in the course, you need to be in your third trimester, i.e. be at least 26 weeks pregnant. More information about the ACCESS-run childbirth preparation courses is available via this link. Alternatively, if you wish to find a prenatal course in your area, you can ask the Helpdesk to locate one nearest to you.
Which prenatal tests are usually carried out in the Netherlands?
In the case of a low-risk pregnancy, you will be offered two ultrasound scans: one in the first term or trimester (0-13 weeks) to determine a due date and one anomaly scan at twenty weeks. Both scans are covered by your health insurance. Some midwives perform an additional scan at 30 and/or 36 weeks, but this is not done in all cases. Usually there needs to be a medical reason to have additional ultrasound scans. The scans are sometimes made by the midwife herself in her own practice; otherwise, you will be referred to a primary care ultrasound centre.
As a pregnant woman living in the Netherlands, you have the option of having your child tested before birth. In this way, you can opt for e.g. tests that screen for Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes. It is worth noting that not all pregnant women opt for screening tests, but all will be offered them.
If you decide to have your child tested for Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes, you can choose to have:
- a blood test before the thirteenth week of pregnancy
- an ultrasound scan in the thirteenth week of pregnancy.
- a test for chromosomal abnormalities (previously called NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing)): a blood test that can be performed in the eleventh week of pregnancy or later.
Parents who are expecting a child can have their unborn baby tested for spina bifida or other genetic disorders. The ultrasound is performed between the 18th and 21nd weeks of pregnancy.
For more information about the coverage of these tests by your health insurance, we suggest to contact your health insurance company.
How can I find a native English-speaking midwife?
Most midwives in the Netherlands have a good command of the English language. Your huisarts (GP) should be able to refer you to an English-speaking midwife, so please do not hesitate to ask him/her for a referral or recommendation. We also suggest that you visit the English pages of the Royal Netherlands Organisation of Midwives website.
Can you please tell me what services I can expect from a midwife?
In the Netherlands, maternity care is organised in a so-called ‘primary, secondary and tertiary care model’. Primary care, for low-risk women, is usually performed by verloskundigen (midwives) and huisarten (GPs). GPs are responsible for only about 0.5% of all births. Secondary care consists of gynaecologists in hospitals.
Midwives in the Netherlands are the lead medical professionals for providing care to women with ‘normal’ or uncomplicated pregnancies. They are independent practitioners (like GPs) who can work independently in a private midwifery practice or as part of a group.
After registering with a midwife, you will initially receive a check-up once a month. As the pregnancy progresses, the midwife will want to see you more frequently. In case of complications or an increased risk of complications during pregnancy, labour or in the postpartum period, the midwife will refer her client to a gynaecologist who will take over responsibility.
As an independent practitioner, a midwife can legally practice obstetrics without the supervision of a medical doctor. He/she is the sole healthcare provider during pregnancy, labour, delivery and the initial postpartum (postnatal) period. In short, he/she will help ensure that you and your baby are safe during pregnancy and through to delivery. Among other things, you can expect a midwife to:
- Record you and your partner’s medical history, as well as that of your extended family
- Monitor your weight and blood pressure, the foetal growth, position and heart beat
- Check your blood iron levels
- Discuss your plans about delivery, i.e. whether you plan to give birth at home or in an outpatient clinic (hospital or birth centre)
- Assist you during labour, delivery and the initial post-partum period. You can talk to your huisarts (GP) – he/she will be able to help you finding one in your local area.
It is reassuring to know that you can always change your midwife during your pregnancy if it does not click, or you feel that your birth plan cannot be carried out as you want.
If there are medical reasons for it, the midwife will refer you to the gynaecologist who will supervise all phases of care and the delivery will take place in a hospital.
Will my Dutch health insurance cover childbirth costs if I am already pregnant when I move to the Netherlands?
Maternity care is covered by basic insurance, and pregnancy is covered even if it is a pre-existing condition.
If you have just moved to the Netherlands and have applied for health insurance, it might take some time before you are insured. In that case, it is still possible to see a midwife. You will probably have to pay for the visit. If the appointment is on or after the starting date of your insurance, the costs will be reimbursed as soon as you receive your insurance number.
If a hospital birth is for a medical reason (i.e. you have been referred to secondary care), your health insurance company will normally cover the total costs. Choosing a hospital birth when there is no medical reason is not covered by the basic health insurance. Some additional insurance policies cover these costs or a part of it – check your own health insurance to establish exactly which costs are covered. For more information please click here
Can I get mental health treatments reimbursed?
If you need psychological help, the costs are covered by your basic insurance. Keep in mind that if your basic insurance is of natura (in kind) policy, you will only be covered if you go to a psychologist who is contracted by your insurance. It is suggested to contact your insurance company to find out which psychologists are contracted.
In certain cases, you may have to pay your eigen risico (deductible) first.
Sometimes the health care professional at the GP’s practice can help you. This counts as a treatment from the GP and is exempted from your eigen risico.
You get only reimbursed if your mental health provider is recognised in the Netherlands. This means he/she needs to have a so-called BIG (Beroepen in de Gezondheidszorg , Professions in Healthcare) registration.
If you don’t get reimbursed because your mental health provider is not BIG registered, you may be able to deduct the costs from your taxes (depending on your income). Please check with your tax advisor if you qualify for this.
Please note that some treatments are not covered such as:
- Treatment for problems related to work, school or relationship
- Intelligence tests
- Treatment for dyslexia
- Coaching, training, courses
- Educational assessments
- Treatment for obesity and eating disorders
- Physical examination for e.g. driving license, sports
I am pregnant and will be giving birth in the Netherlands. What practical preparations do I need to make?
The Dutch philosophy is that childbirth is a natural, physical process, not a medical condition. Prenatal care is usually provided by a verloskundige (midwife). The role of the doctor or gynaecologist in a normal pregnancy in the Netherlands is minor, and in most cases they do not get involved at all, unless there are complications. Therefore, the first priority is to find a midwife. It is best to register with your midwife by week 8-10 or as soon as you arrive in the Netherlands.
You can talk to your huisarts (GP) – he/she will be able to point you in the right direction.
There are a few other things that you should consider:
- Make sure you know what your health insurance coverage covers for you.
- Register yourself with a kraamzorg (postnatal maternity care) agency, preferably before week 12 of your pregnancy. Your midwife can direct you to organisations that they partner with, and your health insurance provider must be contacted to ensure your chosen maternity care agency or ‘so-called’ kraamcentrum is approved by them.
- Decide where you want your baby delivered. The Dutch are big believers in home births, so make it clear if you want to give birth in a hospital. You have the flexibility of changing your mind at the last minute if you decide to go for a home birth.
In addition to midwife visits, it may also be advisable for you to consider attending a childbirth preparation course. ACCESS offers this course in The Hague, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Visit the ACCESS website for further information.
