''Kraamzorg'' is a service in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

where postnatal care is provided to a new mother and her baby in the initial eight to 10 days immediately after birth. This support comes in the form of a qualified maternity nurse or

health care professional A health professional, healthcare professional, or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a nurse, physician (su ...

, ''kraamverzorgster'', who comes to the home in order to provide care and instruction for the newborn. ''Kraamzorg'' care is included in standard

health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

packages in the Netherlands; though, depending on specific policy, a small contribution for each hour of care is expected.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of the ''kraamverzorgster'' is to ensure that the mother's recovery is quick and efficient, and that the baby develops appropriately. Tasks usually adopted by the ''kraamverzorgster'' include, but are not limited to: flagging any issues that may arise between the new mother and

midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

, ensuring the area in which the mother and the baby are in is clean and hygienic, ensuring that the mother is healing well after the birth, supporting the mother with feeding issues (whether this be

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and secret ...

bottle feeding A baby bottle, nursing bottle, or feeding bottle is a bottle with an attached ''teat'' (also called a ''nipple'' in the US) on the top opening, on which can be suckled, and from thereby drunk directly. It is typically used by infants and young ...

). It typically lasts eight days after coming home from hospital, or twice that for special cases such as

multiple birth A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...

s. Historically, professional

monthly nurse A monthly nurse is a woman who looks after a mother and her baby during the postpartum period, postpartum or postnatal period. The phrase is now largely obsolete, but the job continues under other names and various conditions around the world. ...

s served a similar function in the UK. Interaction with the ''kraamzorg'' organisation of choice begins in the thirty-fourth week of

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

. At this point, a chosen representative will visit the home and discuss what type of support is available, depending on whether the mother is planning a

home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

birth. The hours of care each mother is entitled to vary, and can even change after birth. There are three levels of care: basic, minimal, and flexible, that translate into a specific number of daily hours of service depending on the mother and the family's personal situation. Factors that can affect which level of care a mother is entitled to include: number of children already in the family, an unstable home situation, problems with breastfeeding, and illness in the family. The ''kraamzorg'' organisation provides a list of items that should be in the home in order to prepare for the arrival of the child, and the company issues a file where mothers can track the day-to-day progress of their babies, as well as their own recovery. Families and mothers are encouraged to ask as many questions as possible in preparation for their first meeting with a representative from the ''kraamzorg'' organisation. A similar service, Kraamzorg UK, was launched in Manchester in 2013.

External links

kraamzorg.info

References

{{Reflist Medical treatments Medical and health organisations based in the Netherlands Child care occupations Women's health Cleaning and maintenance occupations Neth

Responsibilities

See also

External links

References