With input from Ester van der Ark, 20+ years maternity carer, spokesperson and board member of the NBvK
The first days at home with your baby are intense, beautiful and often a little overwhelming. At the Kraamzorg Festival we met Ester van der Ark. She has worked in Dutch maternity care (kraamzorg) for more than twenty years and is spokesperson and board member of the NBvK, the Dutch professional association for maternity care. We asked her what really helps during your kraamtijd, the first weeks after giving birth. Her four best tips: protect your rest by postponing visitors, care for sore nipples and engorged breasts with healing wool and good support, gently shake out your breasts in the shower, and don't buy everything in advance. Below you'll also find how maternity care works in the Netherlands, what to arrange during pregnancy and what a typical kraamweek looks like.
Tip 1: Rest first, visitors later
"Your body has just done something huge," says Ester. "Give yourself permission to postpone the maternity visits. Everyone wants to meet your baby, but they can easily wait a week or two."
Rest doesn't mean doing everything alone. Telling your birth story helps you process it. Choose one or two people you feel safe with, like a good friend, your sister, your mother or your maternity carer, and tell them how it went and how you feel. A conversation like that often gives you more energy than a room full of visitors.
Practical tip: let your partner plan the visits and keep them short. A message in the family group chat ("We're enjoying our first days together, we'll let you know when you're welcome") saves a lot of explaining.
Tip 2: Sore nipples or breasts? Healing wool and good support
In the first days of breastfeeding, sore nipples are very common. Esther recommends healing wool: untreated sheep's wool containing natural lanolin. Place a small piece on your nipple after feeding. The wool lets air reach your skin, and the lanolin keeps your nipples supple and moisturised. That gives them the chance to recover.
What is engorgement?
Somewhere between day two and five after birth, your milk production gets going. Your breasts can suddenly feel full, firm, warm and tender. This is called engorgement (stuwing in Dutch). It's a sign your body is getting started, and it usually eases within a day or two.
What helps:
- Feed often and on demand, so the milk can flow.
- Wear a bra that gives firm, even support without pressing or cutting in anywhere.
That last point matters. Your breasts can change size quickly during this phase, so a bra that fit yesterday can feel too tight today. The Feelou® nursing bra grows 2-3 cup sizes and 10cm+ in the band, from first trimester to final feed. That way it keeps supporting you without pinching. Made from soft TENCEL™ Modal and developed in collaboration with mothers and lactation consultants.
Tip 3: Gently shake out your breasts in the shower
One of Ester's favourite tips. Under a warm shower, lean forward slightly and gently shake your breasts loosely from side to side. "Lots of mothers love it," she says. "Your breasts often feel a bit softer and less tense afterwards." Do it gently, and only for as long as it feels good. We don't recommend firm massage or vigorous shaking, especially when your breasts are engorged or sore.
Tip 4: You don't need to arrange everything in advance
"Many mothers-to-be want everything in the house before the baby arrives," says Ester. "But lots of things can easily wait." A good example is a breast pump. Whether you need one, and which type, usually only becomes clear once breastfeeding is up and running. Your maternity carer or lactation consultant can advise you. Need one quickly? Many pharmacies and home care shops in the Netherlands rent them out.
How does maternity care (kraamzorg) work in the Netherlands?
In the Netherlands, almost every new family receives kraamzorg: a maternity carer (kraamverzorgende) who visits you at home during the first eight to ten days after birth. She keeps an eye on you and your baby, supports you with feeding and helps you find your own rhythm.
Kraamzorg is covered by Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering), with a statutory personal contribution per hour. The number of hours you receive is determined using the national indication protocol (Landelijk Indicatieprotocol Kraamzorg). Most families receive around 49 hours. This can be more or less depending on your situation, for example after a caesarean section or with twins.
What do you need to arrange for kraamzorg?
- Register early. Sign up with a kraamzorg organisation as soon as you know you're pregnant, ideally in your first trimester. Many insurers work with a list of preferred providers, so check your policy.
- Plan the intake. In your third trimester, the organisation will contact you for an intake to discuss your wishes and situation.
- Order your maternity package. Most insurers provide a free kraampakket with essentials like maternity pads and a mattress protector.
- Home birth? Arrange bed raisers and ask your midwife what else you need at home.
- Have your nursing basics ready. A comfortable nursing bra, healing wool and nursing pads, so you don't need to go shopping in your first days.
What does a kraamweek look like?
Every kraamweek is different, but this is roughly what you can expect:
- Day 1: The maternity carer arrives, sometimes already during birth (partusassistentie). She checks on you and your baby and helps with the first feeds.
- Day 2 to 3: Your body recovers and feeding gets going. Your baby is weighed, and the maternity carer checks things like your temperature, blood loss and stitches or scar.
- Day 3 to 5: Milk production increases, so engorgement may come up. Many women also feel more emotional around these days (often called the baby blues). Completely normal, and good to talk about.
- Day 4 to 7: Your baby has the heel prick test. Also remember to register the birth with your municipality within three working days.
- Day 8 to 10: The maternity carer gradually hands over to you. After the kraamweek, the child health clinic (consultatiebureau) takes over your baby's care, and your midwife schedules a final check-up around six weeks after birth.
Forget the picture-perfect version
The kraamtijd on Instagram: a glowing mother, a sleeping baby, a beautifully laid table for visitors. The real kraamtijd: engorged breasts, tears on day three, cold coffee and a baby who wakes up the moment you close your eyes.
Ester has seen it for twenty years: mothers who make things far too hard for themselves. While the secret is actually simple. Keep the visitors out a little longer. Say what you feel to someone you trust. Leave that breast pump in the shop for now. And wear something that lets your breasts do what they need to do, without anything pinching.
Your kraamtijd doesn't have to be pretty. It just has to be yours.
Read more: [When do you buy a nursing bra?] | [Mothers' experiences with the Feelou® bra]
