Whether you give birth at the hospital or at home, those first days with your newborn can be overwhelming. Basic self-care like showering and cooking often give way to the round-the-clock demands of a brand-new little creature. But Holland has the best idea for post-natal care that we've ever heard of: maternity nurses that come to your house... for a week.
That's right, as soon as your baby is born, a certified health-care worker, called kraamverzorgster, will show up at your door every day, like a baby fairy.
Depending on your needs, she will come for as many as eight days and provide up to 49 hours of care if you're breastfeeding, or 45 if you bottle feed.
Her duties include helping take care of your baby and making sure mom and child are happy and healthy. She will weigh and measure the baby, help with feeding, log records, take temperatures, check mom's uterus and keep in touch with the mom's midwife. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, just wait.
This angel in a nurse's uniform also looks after the mom's mental health. She will make tea and breakfast (then bring it to you in bed), do laundry and care for older siblings. And, other than maybe a minimal amount, all this is paid for by health insurance.
(No, we are not joking.)
"I don’t know what I would have done without my kraamverzorgster," wrote Olga Mekking in a post for Babble. "Two of my three children were born in the Netherlands, and I had kraamzorg [Dutch for post-partum care] both times. Needless to say, it was amazing. She was always telling me to rest, taught me how to breastfeed properly, prepared delicious and healthy fruit salads for me, and soon knew which tea I liked best. She took my two older kids for walks and went shopping for me."
All this is to make sure new moms get the rest and care they need. We can't imagine a better baby gift.
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