Maternity care

Immediately Post-Birth

The first period of 6 weeks after your birth is called the postpartum period. It is an intense time and known as a “transition period”. It is a period of physical changes, altering from being pregnant to your regular pre-birth self as well as the transition of your child from being a fetus into a baby. These changes will influence your emotional wellbeing (due to the changing hormone levels). These changes, along with lack of sleep, contribute to make this period so intense.
However, it is also a magical time of new beginnings and getting to learn to know each other. Feelings of happiness and being uncertain will alternate and can give new mothers an emotional rollercoaster ride. It is hugely advantageous to have a doula/maternity nurse who can guide you, pamper you and teach you throughout this unsettled period.

Doula Joyce Maternity care: Natural Care
Doula Joyce provides maternity care! What does that mean? Here in the Netherlands, we have maternity care for the first 8 days after the birth. Maternity care provides care and support along with offering sound instructions and information. The maternity nurse is there to create the optimal environment for the recovery of the new mum and to promote the integration of the baby into the family. I also assist the maternity nurse and/or the midwife during the birth.

How to Arrange Maternity Care?
Please contact me as soon as possible when you know you are pregnant. We can arrange an appointment to get acquainted. Once you have signed the application form you have made a reservation for maternity care. Please check your insurance company maternity policy prior to our meeting.

I will contact you for an intake around the 30th week of your pregnancy. This meeting will last around an hour. In this meeting, we will create your care file in which we describe the care you need and wishes. We will also conduct a work conditions check and discuss procedures.

Holistic and Natural Maternity Care
When you are with your midwife, I will assist her during your birth. When you are under the care of the hospital you can contact me when you go home (24/7 availability).

My experience of being a doula has encouraged me to take natural approaches when possible and I prefer to work with natural products. I adjust my methods to your family, because it’s important for me that you experience a good maternity period.
During the 8 days of maternity care, I will provide:
1) Medical checkups of mother and baby,
2) Assistance with (breast) feeding,
3) Provide education, instructions and assist the integration of your baby into your family,
4) Passing on information and wishes to the midwife,
5) Hygiene advice & care.

Post Partum Doula Services and Rituals

Sitting Moon – Zuo Yue Zi

Giving birth means also a new beginning as a mom. The first 40 days is called the golden period (Zuo Yue Zi or Sitting a Moon cycle). It’s a golden period to get to know your baby, to feed and to love your baby. And also a golden period for you to rest, reset and heal. Through giving this unique start you also give time to yourself, your baby and family. This gives golden opportunities to reset and to take care of yourself.
Doula Joyce offers services to support this reset and selfcare. These services are for instance: feet massage, breastfeeding stimulation massages, relaxing massages, moxa reset treatment, belly bindings, belly wrappers, yoni pads&steam baths, warming and healing meals&tea, cupping massages, baby massages and beautiful rituals like the welcome baby ritual, the rebozo closing ritual or reset ritual after a miscarriage. These services are available next to the maternity care and will be calculated separatly from the “kraamzorg” (the maternity care).

Rituals

Welcome Baby Ritual:
When your due date is past, it can be welcome to invite your baby with a natural approach to start the birth. A relaxing massage is combined with acupressure, a relaxing cupping massage and a feet massage. Next to the fact that you probably sleep very well, it helps release the right hormones and it invites the baby to be born in a friendly way. The ritual takes approx. 2 hours.

Rebozo Closing Ritual (40 days after birth):
A rebozo closing ritual is usually given 40 days after you have given birth. The rebozo is the large piece of cloth a doula uses before and during labour for different massage-techniques. With this ritual you close your body and your mind and free yourself of any possible negative thoughts or feelings surrounding your birth. It will help you open up to the future and embrace your new life with more energy. The ritual takes approx. 2,5 hours.

Reset Ritual after a Miscarriage:
After a miscarriage it can be helpful to give your body a reset boost. By giving you a moxa treatment I help you to give your recovering a kickstart. This in combination with a cleansing yoni steam bath is very beneficial. The ritual takes approx. 1,5 hours.

Maternity care when things goes differently then expected

Incubator aftercare:
Maternity care ends after 8-10 days in the Netherlands. When your baby is born premature there is a chance your baby goes home after that period. To help you and the baby settle into your home ‘incubator aftercare’ is provided by Doula Joyce Kraamzorg. You learn to integrate your baby into your family with lots of information, help and care while you build the confidence to take full care of your baby yourself. Please check your insurance, in some cases they reimburse this services.

Extra support postpartum:
The doula services postpartum and infant starts when the maternity care ends. After the maternity care, the doula postpartum and infant care can then take over while you build the confidence to take full care of your baby yourself. The doula services postpartum and infant care are offered in a package of (minimal) 3 hours a day.

Care after still birth:
It can be very supportive & helpful to have maternity care (kraamzorg), if you lose your baby (before, during or directly after birth). Certainly when you have other children to take care of. Such a situation is overwhelming while you really need to recover from the pregnancy and birth. It is good to know that you can have someone who takes care of you while you can arrange everything around your baby. Several insurances pay for this maternity care from 24 weeks of pregnancy for the 8 days directly after birth.