Can I switch from my midwife to an OB-GYN if I'm unhappy with my care?

Not clicking with a midwife practice is common enough, and the assumption that follows is often that the only way out is a hospital consultant. Changing practice and changing the type of care work quite differently here, and treating them as one question is what makes the situation feel stuck.

Answers

You can switch midwife practices freely — if you're not clicking with your current one, register with another verloskundigenpraktijk in your area; there's no referral or approval needed, it's genuinely just a matter of finding one with space and making the call. Switching to a gynaecoloog (OB-GYN) is different: that only happens through a medical indication via the Verloskundige Indicatielijst, not by personal preference, so wanting different care isn't on its own grounds for an OB referral if nothing about your pregnancy meets the criteria. If the issue is quality of care rather than wanting a different type of provider, raise it directly with the practice first — most have a klachtenfunctionaris (complaints officer) or an informal process for exactly this. If that doesn't resolve things, the KNOV (the professional body for Dutch midwives) and the independent geschilleninstantie for verloskundige zorg both handle unresolved complaints. It's worth separating the two issues in your own head before deciding what to do: "I don't like this practice" is solved by switching practices; "I think I need different medical care" is a conversation about whether your situation actually meets a VIL indication, which your current or a new midwife can walk through with you either way.