Although first-time parents have a great need for effective support in the first challenging years of child upbringing, there is little research on volunteer-led parenting support programs in the context of the transition to parenthood. Therefore, this qualitative study examined the perceived value and …

Pregnancy and early parenthood mark a transformative period where women become caregivers and assume a new role with new responsibilities. While often portrayed positively, the transition to motherhood can be overwhelming. This is especially true for women living in adverse circumstances, presenting …

This thesis addresses two important issues in midwifery: I) the care and support provided by midwives to women and their families facing vulnerable circumstances during pregnancy and childbirth, and II) the role and tasks of clinical midwives in Dutch hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: Integrated care is seen as an enabling strategy in organising healthcare to improve quality, finances, personnel and sustainability. Developments in the organisation of maternity care follow this trend. The way care is organised should support the general aims and outcomes of healthcare …

Objective This cross-sectional questionnaire study investigates if there a difference in the extent to which health care providers in prenatal Shared Medical Appointments (CenteringPregnancy©) and in prenatal individual appointments support self-management in patient education. It also investigates if …

Background and Aims To analyze outcomes of nationwide local audits of uterine rupture to draw lessons for clinical care. Methods Descriptive cohort study. Critical incident audit sessions within all local perinatal cooperation groups in the Netherlands. Women who sustained uterine rupture between January …

Background Preconception care (PCC) is care prior to conception to optimize parental health, and health of the future child, through biomedical and behavioral changes. Providing PCC to all women with a wish to conceive will improve perinatal health. PCC is especially important for women with a chronic …

Background: Pregnant women have preferences about how they intend to manage labour pain. Unmet intentions can result in negative emotions and/or birth experiences. Objective: To examine the antenatal level of intention for intrapartum pain relief and the factors that might predict this intention. Design: …

Objective To describe characteristics, risk factors and maternal, obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Design Multi-centre prospective population-based cohort study. Setting Nationwide study in the Netherlands. Population Pregnant …

Background: The maternity care system in the Netherlands is well known for its support of community-based midwifery. However, regular midwifery practices typically do not offer caseload midwifery care – one-to-one continuity of care throughout pregnancy and birth. Because we know very little about the …