Postnatal help in Drechterland

Kraamzorg is postnatal care in your own home during the first days after birth, and it is close to unique to the Netherlands. A trained maternity nurse (kraamverzorgende) checks you and your baby, helps with feeding, watches for complications and takes on part of the household. It is not a luxury service: in that first week the kraamverzorgende is very often the first person to notice that something is wrong — with you or with your baby — and the one who calls in the midwife. If you have moved here from a country without this system, it is worth knowing it is standard, insured, and yours by right.

A diëtist is an allied health professional trained to use nutrition in recovery and illness. After birth the focus is mostly on replenishing: iron after blood loss, vitamin B12 and D, iodine and calcium while breastfeeding, and enough protein to repair tissue. "Diëtist" is a protected educational title in the Netherlands — a voedingscoach (nutrition coach) or orthomolecular therapist is something else entirely, and does not fall under the same training requirements, registration or reimbursement.