Postnatal help in Midden-Delfland

An IBCLC lactation consultant specialises in breastfeeding and has passed the international IBCLC examination. That is different from a breastfeeding counsellor or a volunteer from a breastfeeding organisation — both can be valuable, but IBCLC is the only internationally examined qualification, with recertification every five years. A lactation consultant looks at the whole picture: your baby’s anatomy, your breasts, feeding position, and anything medical that may be playing a part.

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.