Kraamzorg — postpartum home care in the days immediately after birth — has no real equivalent in most countries, so new parents here tend to arrange it late or overlook it entirely. Both the hours covered and the booking timeline catch people out, and providers in busier regions fill up long before due dates.
Kraamzorg is the postpartum home-help every new parent in the Netherlands is entitled to — a kraamverzorgende comes to your home in the days after birth to check on mother and baby, support breastfeeding, do basic medical checks, and help around the house while you're recovering. Basisverzekering covers a minimum of 24 hours and up to a maximum of 80 hours, spread across the first 8 days after birth, with the actual number set by an indicatie (needs assessment) based on your specific situation — a first birth, a C-section, or complications typically pushes you toward the higher end. You do pay a per-hour eigen bijdrage (personal contribution) regardless of the total: €5.70 an hour as of 2026, so even the 24-hour minimum runs to roughly €137 out of pocket, and aanvullende insurance sometimes covers part or all of that. If you give birth in a hospital or birth center without a medical indication, there's a separate daily contribution instead, around €45 a day. Arrange your kraamzorg organization by month 4 or 5 of pregnancy — leaving it later risks your first-choice provider being fully booked by your due date, since demand regularly outstrips availability in busier regions.