Tue, 9 February 2010
Health & Fitness
Healthcare
Kraamzorg – Postnatal Care in the Netherlands (page 2)
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Picture a cross between the Fairy Godmother and Mary Poppins and the result might just be a kraamverzorgster, a trained health care professional that helps new mothers in the first few days after a birth. By Amanda van Mulligen• support to integrate the newborn into the family
2. Minimum Care (Minimumzorgpakket)
When: this is the legal minimum kraamzorg that every woman is entitled to, regardless of her situation. This leanest of levels allows for a maximum of three hours care a day spread over the first eight days after the birth, but excludes any time involved in the birth itself.
What: the focus is on care and health checks of the mother and baby, advice and instruction, observation and signalling of any problems to the midwife.
3. Flexible Package (Kraamzorg op Maat)
When: the number of hours may be increased to take account of special circumstances up to a maximum of eighty hours, distributed over the first ten days after the birth.
Circumstances that warrant a higher level of kraamzorg include the number of children already in the family, existence of mental illness or communication barriers, an instable family situation, the birth of twins (or more) or problems with (breast)feeding.
What: in addition to the tasks included in the basic package, this package may include the care of other members of the household (e.g. other children) and additional household tasks not directly associated with the mother and newborn.
The kraamzorg company determines the level of care applicable to you through questions at an intake meeting around the six month of pregnancy. The maternity care assistant reassesses your needs at the time of the birth, and again around the third or fourth day of the kraamperiode.
Choosing a Kraamzorg Provider
It is recommended that you choose your kraamzorg within the first three or four months of your pregnancy and in some of the bigger towns even within the first eight weeks, as there are shortages in some regions.
Your midwife can usually advise on a kraamzorg provider and your health insurance company will almost certainly have preferred suppliers and contracts with selected companies. Contacting your medical insurance company for a list prior to registering with any one organisation will ensure that they will reimburse the associated costs, and approve your choice of kraamzorg. Some health insurers even take care of kraamzorg provision for you.
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