We, Elinor Abramson and Sophie Bos, are the initiators of Birth in 
Holland. We were drawn together by our wish to provide supportive informative birth services to international parents like ourselves and our shared passion for helping new parents on their journey through pregnancy and birth to becoming a parent.
Martha Montagne qualified as a midwife in 2015 and promptly joined the team, as co-owner, to add her expertise and passion to help the business further grow and expand. Due to the growing demand for more courses, Farola joined our teaching team in 2016 and recently we have two new doula's who have joined up: Laura & Judith.
Our aim is to help international couples have a memorable and empowering birthing experience in the Netherlands and to become confident, happy and connected parents after their baby is born.
Elinor
In 2003 I relocated from England to the NL with my family and have been living, studying and working in Delft since that time.
My professional background in nursing and management in the UK led to my desire to further my medical career in the Netherlands. After learning to speak Dutch fluently, I re-trained at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam where I gained a Bachelor of Midwifery.
I currently work within the Dutch Healthcare system as a caseload midwife, delivering personal, professional maternity care to Dutch families and international parents-to-be throughout pregnancy, birth and into new parenthood.
I support women throughout pregnancy and in birthing their babies at home or in the hospital and provide medical supervision for mother and baby up to six weeks after the birth.
In 2013 I trained with Janet Balaskas at the Active Birth Centre in London and am now a certified Active Birth Teacher. Sophie and I then combined knowledge and experience and created the Confident Birth Course as it is today. I have also trained with Peter Walker to become a certified Developmental Baby Massage teacher. Alongside my medical training I have specialised in paediatric first aid with St. John's Ambulance and the Nederlandse Reanimatieraad and have developed the First Aid for Parents workshop together with our First Aid Team.
Elinor
Sophie
After years of being passionate about having my own catering business I decided to follow my heart and delve into a long time passion of mine, Birth!
I trained as a doula in 2010 and it has been an honour supporting almost 300 women and their partners in my practice Doula Sophie. About 75% of my clients are international and come from all over the world but for various reasons live in The Netherlands. I love the cross cultural aspect of supporting English speaking couples and helping them have a better birthing experience here. In 2013 I trained and certified as a childbirth educator with Childbirth International and put together the first Confident Birth Course. Elinor and I joined forces to create the fabulous course we give today. A complimentary passion to my doula work is birth photography. I love to document my clients' birth stories in the process of supporting them and give it back to them to cherish forever. Because I so believe in doula support and the need for more doula's, I am also a doula trainer for the Dutch training program In Bloei.
Although I am British, I have lived outside my country for over 30 years. We have lived all over the place, including 3 years in America, and we have landed in Capelle aan den IJssel, close to Rotterdam, which has been our home many years now. I married “my Dutch guy" and together we do life with our three grown boys. Two of my children were born in The Netherlands and the youngest in the US so I know what it is to be expecting a baby in a culture other than your own and all the uncertainty and emotions that can bring.
I look forward to meeting you soon,
Sophie
Martha
I have been working since 2015 as a midwife in various practices. I really enjoy working with pregnant women during pregnancy, birth and the post-natal period.
Alongside my role as a midwife I teach the Confident Birth Course and have helped to develop and deliver the First Aid for Parents which I am very passionate about.
I am originally from the UK and speak fluent English. I moved to the Netherlands when I was 12, learned Dutch and finished my education here. I then went on to study midwifery at the Midwifery Academy in Rotterdam.
As a young expat I have personal experience of what it is like to move countries and find your way in a new system. The Netherlands is now my home and very familiar to me and I love providing midwifery care in Dutch as well as English.
I gave birth to our first baby, a son in 2018 and in 2020 we had our second child, a daughter and I am thoroughly enjoying being a busy Mum.
I look forward to meeting you!
Martha
Farola
In 2010 I met Sophie while training to become a doula after working as a drama therapist for 8 years. I started my own practice Doula Farola where I combine all the training and courses I have followed over the years to provide the best possible support for women during pregnancy and birth. About 30% of my clients are international. Besides my doula services it seems especially the private prenatal yoga courses and the pregnancy massages are greatly appreciated among clients.
My love for teaching, sharing knowledge and helping others find their strength has recently led me on a new path to train doulas. In 2016 I proudly launched a new venture training new doulas. Doulaopleiding In Bloei (Doulas in Bloom) is all about training and helping new doulas flourish. Sophie and I have always worked together closely and I am honored to be part of the Birth In Holland team and teach the Confident Birth Course.
I was born and raised here in the Netherlands and live in Rotterdam with my husband and three children. I have a lot of international friends and family and have seen from close-by the challenges of starting a family in a different country than your own. I look forward to supporting you to have the knowledge, confidence and support to have your best birth.
Farola
Laura
Nice to meet you! My name is Laura and I am a doula and birth educator. I was born in The Netherlands, come from a Dutch family but have always been interested in other cultures. I completed my master’s degree in Psychology by studying in USA, Australia, Japan and The Netherlands. During my time in Australia, I also got a certificate in Massage Therapy. I speak Dutch and English fluently and I am learning the Japanese language.
I completed my doula training at the In Bloei Doula Academy in 2021. As a doula I combine my caring and down-to-earth personality, with my fascination for pregnancy, birth and early childhood. This is driven by my goal to help give families the best start in this new phase in their lives and to prevent (postpartum) mental health issues.
I enjoy having a laugh and working together in a relaxed atmosphere. In my free time you can find me playing Taiko (Japanese drums), singing karaoke (make sure to bring your ear plugs,) cooking healthy meals and mindful walking or dancing freely on the beach. People describe me as patient, empathetic, involved and a fun loving type of mom.
The name of my doula practice is Nagomi. Nagomi is a combination of my children’s names and means ‘to be softened’ or ‘to calm down’ in Japanese. Nagomi offers birth doula packages, postpartum care and massage during pregnancy, after birth and for baby!
Laura
Judith
After I completed my degree in marketing and management('13), my husband and I emigrated to New Zealand and in the following year I became a mum for the first time.This was a special and challenging time. Together in a new country, with a healthcare system that was unknown to us. We found an incredibly sweet midwife and followed an extensive course to prepare for the birth and period afterwards. I made friends with fellow pregnant women through the course and stayed in touch with a couple of them to this day. But it was also lonely and very uncertain at times, being away from family. My second daughter was born in the UK, where we were supported by an amazing doula.
The experience of giving birth with the support of a doula was really special and I knew that I wanted to be a doula as well some day! In 2020 we welcomed our 3rd daughter into our family, born at home in the Netherlands.
Giving birth is an experience you carry with you throughout your life and I believe it can be empowering and amazing. My desire is to support expecting couples, I know what you are going through and what it is like to be pregnant and give birth in a foreign country.
I completed my doula training with 'In Bloei' in Rotterdam, where Sophie and I met. I am also trained in babymassage and passionate about bringing mums together and I have loved, and still do, baby wearing.
The people closest to me describe me as warm, open-minded, creative and spontaneous. I am so grateful to be able to take part in a little piece of the amazing adventure you're on!
You can also find me here: Liefdevol begin
Judith