Tips for Books on Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond
Read, Learn and (try to) Practice
Book Suggestions
Books for pregnancy and birth
- Positive Birth Book – Millie Hill
- Ina May’s Guide to Child Birth – Ina May Gaskin
- Mindful Birth – Nancy Bardacke
- Yoga for Pregnancy – Birth and Beyond – Francoise Freedman
Books for partners
- Men, Love & Birth, geschreven door Mark Harris – een mannelijke verloskundige.
- The Birth Partner – A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and Other Labor Companions – Penny Simkin.
- Positive Birth Book – Millie Hill (pleasant and informative for partners too).
POSTPARTUM TIME
- The Fourth Trimester Kimberly Ann Johnson
- The first forty days– Heng Ou, Amely Greeven
- The Postnatal Depletion Cure – Oscar Serrallach
- The positive Breastfeeding Book – Amy Brown
- What Mothers do, especially when it looks like nothing, Naomi Stadlen
- When Your Baby Cries: 10 Rules for Soothing Fretful Babies (and Their Parents!), Deborah Jackson.
- The Postnatal Depletion Cure – Oscar Serrallach
Books for the new mother
- Moods of Motherhood – Lucy H. Pearce
- Motherhood – Lisa Marchiano
- Matrescence – Lucy Jones
- Maiden to Mother – Sarah Durham Wilson
- Mother Nature – Sarah Blaffer Hrdy
Our Network
HOLISTIC / CASE-LOAD MIDWIVES
Holistic or case-load midwifery provides 1-on-1 customized care. These midwives are often also regularly trained but choose to work independently (rather than in a group practice). Because they take on fewer clients, they have more time for a more complete guidance of the pregnant woman, in which in addition to the physical, there is also attention to the mental and spiritual aspect of being pregnant and giving birth. Moreover, the guidance of a holistic or caseload midwife often offers more space if you have slightly different wishes regarding the delivery or your pregnancy.
Our connections in and around Utrecht:
- Tineke Okma (IJsselstein): Holistisch verloskundige. Meer info
- Jasmijn Blijenbergh-Menereis (Nieuwegein) Holistisch verloskundige. Meer info
- Elke Steinhilber (Utrecht): Holistisch verloskundige. Meer info
Outside Utrecht:
- Jolien Bolhuis Kooijman, Almere
- VIVE vroedvrouwen, Amsterdam, Almere, Weesp
- Danielle Boonen, Amsterdam
- Zeerahjam de Lange, Amsterdam
- Loïs Witmond, Den Haag e.o.
- Dominique De Leon Sanchez, Leiden
- Vroedvrouwen Rotterdam
- Jooske van Rijssel, Arnhem
Small-scale midwife practices
Verloskundigenpraktijk Fam in Utrecht
Verloskundigenpraktijk Dana in Zeist
NATURAL MATERNITY CARE
At Natural Maternity Care, the emphasis is on peace, rhythm and harmony. Natural Maternity Care is based on anthroposophic principles and works from a holistic approach. For us, especially the practical applications are a valuable addition in the care of mother and child. For the baby, attention is paid to warmth care, security and rhythm. The baby is exposed to as few stimuli as possible to minimize the transition from the womb to the outside world. More info.
DOULA BEGELEIDING
A doula is also called a birth coach or childbirth coach. She informs, supports and guides you (in a non-medical way) throughout the pregnancy, the entire delivery and the first time after. The support of a doula can be pleasant for any pregnant person, and extra nice when you do not have a life partner, will give birth under specific circumstances or a previous delivery did not go as you wished. Please be welcome to discuss your needs without obligation with our doula-partners.
HYPNOBIRTHING
Puur Zwanger (Utrecht) – Offers one-day, 5-week courses and personal coaching.
LACTATION CONSULTANT
Breastfeeding Information & Lactation Consultants: When you experience problems with breastfeeding. For example, when it does not start (properly), is painful, you are uncertain, etc. Tip: go as soon as possible if you encounter problems. The best results are achieved in the first 3 weeks after delivery!
- Breastfeeding organisation La Leche Leagueo
- Borstvoeding & meer – Utrecht; Courses & Personal Advise
- Céline Moly – Baby-me.nl
- Dutch Organisation for Lactation Consultants
- From our experience: When short tongue tie is suspected: Staas & Bergmans, Den Bosch. Their consultation for review is warmly recommended, but there is a waiting list!
PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Before, during and after your delivery :
- Niki van Houten, Mamacoach – Culemborg. Meer info
- Studio Zyn – Mama coach, De Betuwe – Meer info
- Lenneke van Kempen – Meer info
- Marjan de Jong – Eerbeek – Meer info
- Gentle Beginnings, Mirjam Heemskerk, regio Amsterdam – Meer info
- Mama Flow – yoga, massage en postpartum care by Larissa, region Haarlem – Meer info
When you get stuck, with somberness, depression, anxiety or mental health symptoms before or after your childbirth or loss birth:
- Postpartum Centrum Nederland (Utrecht): Meer Info
- Esli Jongen, doula (Utrecht en t Gooi) – Esli also offers doula counseling when a pregnancy goes differently due to anxiety, previous trauma, illness in the family or loss birth. As a body-centered trauma therapist and spiritual director, she can assist in the search for peace resilience. Meer info
- Haptotherapist Suze Hoogveld – Utrecht: Meer info (warmly recommended!)
- Mama en Meer – Utrecht : Meer info
- Baby Blues -Utrecht : Meer info
- Matersense – Sophie Albers: Meer info
- Niki van Houten, Mamacoach, geestelijk begeleider – Culemborg. Meer info
- Dorien Yassa – Mom&Mind Psychologenpraktijk (ook online consults!) Meer info
- Doula Meike – Recovery from negative birth experiences and birth trauma Meer info
For more practices working around pregnancy & birth, you can also check:
Pelvic physiotherapy
Utrecht Centre
- Rachel van Gestel-van Westing, Weerdsingel, Utrecht – Meer info.
Zuilen/Ondiep/Overvecht
- Simone Bikker bij Trias sportfysiotherapie, Fysiotherapeut & Bekkenfysiotherapeut, Mississippidreef Utrecht. Meer info.
Utrecht Oost:
- Wouter van de Meerendonk, Fysiotherapeut & bekkenspecialist, Fysiotherapie Utrecht Oost Bloemstraat 65d. Meer info.
- Academie Instituut waar Gijske de bekkenspecialiste is. Adres: Homeruslaan 59A. Meer info.
- Paramedicum Utrecht. This is a multidisciplinary paramedic center that specializes particularly in a number of symptom areas: including pelvic and pelvic floor complaints. Bekkerstraat 118, Wittevrouwen. Meer info.
Rivierenwijk/Hoograven:
- The pelvic physiotherapist from Fysiotherapy practice Balijelaan. Balijelaan 27. Meer info.
- Van Diepen Fysiotherapy – Anne Dijkstra specializes in pelvic (floor) problems in pregnant women. Julianaweg 311. Meer info.
Utrecht e.o.
- Renee Zwetsloot, pelvic physiotherapist, Het Kruispunt, Maarssen.
- Sabine Schoenmaekers, pelvic physiotherapist. She holds a master’s degree in pelvic physical therapy and took pregnancy yoga with us when she was pregnant herself. Utrechtseweg 88, Zeist Meer info & locaties.
ORTHOMANUALTHERAPY
Dr. Tonies, Orthomanueel Arts, Musculoskeletal Medicine in the Stadskliniek Utrecht, Stadspoli Utrecht, Smaragdplein 227, Utrecht. Effective for persistent and structural pelvic and/or back pain before and after childbirth. Meer info
CHIROPRACTOR
For breech presentation of the baby and persistent pelvic complaints, among others. Several ladies from the classes have benefited greatly from a visit to the Flemish chiropractor An Berben who works with the midwife’s practice in Leidsche Rijn. In some ladies, tight ligaments at the bottom of the abdomen are a possible reason why a baby is breech. Loosening those ligaments can create more space, giving the baby more room to turn. Meer info.
CRANIO-SACRAL THERAPY
OSTEOPATHY
Osteopathy for pregnant ladies/babies:
- Bouke Hoekstra, osteopate nro (Practice in City Treatment)
Plompetorengracht 6, 3512 CC Utrecht. Meer info. - Martine Dam-Maertzdorf; specialised in women and women’s issues. Praktijk DOM, Amsterdamsestraatweg 128-134 , Utrecht.
- Eva Ottenhof; Babies, children and their mothers – Culemborg. Meer info
ACUPUNCTURE, NUTRITION AND BALANCE
(o.a. with (sub)fertility, pregnancy, tension, pelvic pain, psychological complaints, etc.)
- Daniëlle Willems / Esther van Dorst / Wendy Booman – Specializing in women’s wellness and health. “With acupuncture, visualization & massage, we awaken your body’s self-healing ability.” Learn more.
- Elisabeth van den Berkmortel – Specializing in women’s wellness and health. Learn more.
- Praktijk voor Acupunctuur & Tuina massagetherapie. Learn more.
- Chinese medical development centre
MESOLOGY / ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE:
(o.a. with subfertility and general health complaints)
- Marit Peters, Utrecht. Learn more.
- Natuurgeneeskunde Claudia van Wezel (Culemborg) Learn more.
- Arvid Dam – Praktijk DOM, Utrecht. Meer info