Description
Welcome to our fun, informative and interactive English birth course. This course is taught by one of our fantastic 
midwife and doula teams. Our birth course is a full day, practical course supported by online theory modules to help you prepare together and refer back to.
Our unique combination of medical, psychological and practical knowledge provides a complete birth preparation package for you and your partner. Between us we have in-depth local experience of all of the hospitals and birthing centres across The Hague, Leiden, Zoetermeer, Delft and Rotterdam.
We know that pregnant couples giving birth away from their home country have a lot of questions about giving birth in Holland, and are often far from friends and family. Our courses are a wonderful mix of couples from all over the world and will give you a really good opportunity to get to know other parents-to-be in the area. Together you will be able to discuss and learn from each other and our experienced teachers about the joys and difficulties of becoming a new family far from home.
Consider joining a course in a different city if the dates suit you better. Make a day of it and spend a weekend or a relaxing evening out with dinner in historic Delft or amazing Rotterdam.
You will receive access to the online theory modules prior to the live course so you can prepare together at home before the course day. The better prepared you are, the more you will get out of the course so we advise you to go through as much of the material as possible before our session. We look forward to meeting you and your birth partner for a full day of fun and interactive learning together, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
Covid-19 proofing
Our in-person sessions are designed to keep you safe while learning essential hands-on techniques to help you during your birth. We will run small groups of 6 couples with adequate spacing to allow you to safely learn while keeping adequate distance. We will provide a hygienic environment, adhering to the RIVM regulations. Before the practice session we will require all participants to confirm they have no symptoms.
Come join us!
Course dates and locations
The FULL DAY live course will be given again in August from 10.00-16.30.
- Sunday 1 August 2021 - Delft
- Sunday 29 August 2021 - Rotterdam
- Sunday 3 October 2021 - Delft
- Sunday 7 November 2021 - Delft
- Sunday 12 December 2021 - Rotterdam
Huijun –
This course is highly recommended. My main concern was that my husband learn about birth with me. I can read birth books myself and understand it because of the natural and strong connection I have with the baby. But when that time comes and I am laying on the bed and busy with the pain, he is the only one I can depend on besides the midwife and doctors. Him having the basic and correct knowledge is very important to me so that he will not be in a panic in that moment. Giving him a book is not as useful as giving him a systematic course. It was also a sweet thing to involve him in the process and do this together.
Yuliya –
Me and my partner really enjoyed the 2 Sundays of the confident birth course from Birth in Holland. I wasn’t too keen on the idea at the beginning feeling like I’m prepared already but my partner convinced me to go together and I didn’t regret it. Besides the informative side, I found the experience to be very personal with a small group of international couples and a midwife and a doula sharing stories, practical advice and delicious potluck lunch 🙂 I also found out much more about the stages of labour, hormones involved and all the rules around birth in the Netherlands and my husband felt a lot more empowered and happy about how much he can do to help and be a part of the birthing process.
Laura and Daniël ten Bloemendal –
I recommend this course to all my friends, because it supports the combination of being intellectually informed and emotionally ready for birth. I knew a lot going into the course, but still learned two key skills that ended up being essential on the day – one about communicating through medical decisions, another about natural pain relief and oxytocin. Understanding what was going on helped my husband and I have a beautiful birth experience, even through a complication that was so rare I hadn’t learned about its possibility. Feeling informed, in control, and able to communicate was a result of our lessons learned, and we wish that for every couple going into this process.
Eszter –
The Birth in Holland course was just what me and my partner needed. It was helpful to discuss the stages of labor and when to call a midwife. Since we are fairly new in the Netherlands, we apprciated learning about the Dutch approach to birth was. It was also lovely to meet other expecting couples and the hospitable and professional course leaders.
Alexandra Harmata Tomic (verified owner) –
Great experience highly recommended to everyone expecting their first baby in Netherlands. Me and my husband are now feeling confident and prepared for a labor. We met such a lovely people people from all around the world- to share tips and tricks during preganancy also arranged few playdates already! Sophie and Farola are amazing and well experienced/educated doulas able to answer all your questions and give you reassurance you need.
Peter Pankovics (verified owner) –
*for husbands/partners: I was pretty sure that it will be a boring course that will take my whole weekend… it turned out to be the opposite. It was fun, educational and interesting. Great advises about what is going on really with the mum and how you can support the delivery; what are your possibilities and about the dutch system in general. Thank you Farola & Sophie.
Jana –
Great course, I highly recommend it to everyone. I thought I was already prepared, but I’ve learned so much during the weekend. It is a great help to understand the Dutch system. My ideas about birth are much more clear afterwards. Also it’s a great help for
the partner so he’ll be an active part of the birth not just a “spectator”.
We really enjoyed the weekend!
Natalie (verified owner) –
In a nutshell, if you’re an expat that is pregnant in the Netherlands, you MUST take this course. I cannot praise the confident birth team enough in this two-day bootcamp style birthing course. English being my native language, it was nearly impossible to find the information I needed when it came to what birthing practices were standard in the Netherlands. This being my first baby, I wanted to know what to expect and each time I searched in English, I never really received the proper information as it related to the Dutch birthing style. This course provided ALL of the answers to my never-ending questions in a fun, welcoming and engaging environment. Prior to taking this Rotterdam birthing class I had read about 6 pregnancy and birthing books and performed endless research to learn all aspects of what to expect. Even with all of that preparation, the two doulas kept blowing my mind with information that no one tells you about. One of my favorite exercises was when they took us through ALL stages of the birthing process; explaining everything in great detail and even acting out what each stage would look like. Because of these two brilliant women, my husband now feels incredibly confident in knowing what he can do to help coach me through my Dutch birth. This class is appropriately named because these birthing experts gave me such confidence and eliminated all of my fears of the unknown. I truly cannot thank them enough.
As if the course information provided wasn’t enough, they also brought a sense of community to us foreigners. I loved meeting other pregnant women like myself that moved to the Netherlands for love or work. In the two short days together we really built a unique camaraderie and it felt so nice to meet and discuss how pregnancy could be difficult in a foreign country. These women were able to understand how I felt that my entire family back home was going to miss the birth of my child and they made me feel less alone. Really, I cannot praise this birthing course enough.
We are so thankful to have found this workshop.
Sasha Fomina (verified owner) –
The confident birth course was such a valuable and even indispensable addition to our journey, I would recommend it to everyone! The combination of knowledge and emotional support during the course, combined with the fun of being able to share so much with other couples, made it a vital part in our experience. Also, for me, as a woman, I can honestly say that, after this course, I am so much looking forward to this wonderful process of bringing new life into the world. The contents of the course are designed to give in-depth understanding of the process, fysiological, emotional and medical. Sophie, Elinor and Farola will answer any question you might have. And believe me, we as a couple read and learned a lot before the course and we both feel that it still gave us a much better understanding of everything we are going through and all to come. I could write 10 pages on all the great things about this course… But it’s better if you experience this yourself! Thank you very much Elinor, Sophie and Farola! You truly already made a difference.
Elin (verified owner) –
Me and my partner went to the two day birthing class and it was great! So professional and well planned, with a lot of useful information and facts, but also with a lot of room to ask questions, have open discussions and get to know other parents to be. Even though I had read up on birthing beforehand, I still learned new things and my partner now feel more up-to-date on birthing, we are more in this together now and feel as prepared as we can be. Really recommend it as a bonding experience as a couple!
Mathilde (verified owner) –
My partner and I followed the 2-day “confident birth course” in January 2019. We both enjoyed the course very much. It gives a very good understanding of the physiological process behind giving birth, of what to expect and how to prepare for it with a lot of pratical tips. Options for different kind of delivery (physiological, medical, different kind of pain relief) were explained, emphazing on the fact that every delivery is different and unique. No judgment was formulated and an atmosphere was created where people would be feel comfortable and at ease to ask questions and share there experience/fears/feelings. Sophie and Martha were very open and very sweet and we’d like to thank them. We learnt a lot, also about how to let go, and we feel, as a couple, really prepared for this unique experience. Thanks again! Highly recommended !
Alexandra Melzer (verified owner) –
The Birth Course was really, really good. We learned a lot of useful things, it gave me and my partner a lot of confidence, we met other nice parents and the trainers Sophie and Faroula were really amazing. Can only recommend!!
Jeniffer Heemann (verified owner) –
I strongly recommend this course! Both my partner and I feel much more confident about the labour and look forward to living this moment! The course was not only informative and educational (there was so much new and interesting information!) but it also made us reflect and plan the birth experience. In the course, we’ve learned relevant methods and techniques to use during birth. Again, I strongly recommend it!
Martin (verified owner) –
Me and my partner learned a lot from the 2-day course, May 2019. Over these two days you learn what course late pregnancy and the birth itself will take, what to expect and what to prepare for.
Francesco and Mariana –
We really enjoyed the two-day course. We learned much useful information. We know now what can happen and we feel more confident about the delivery.
We found the course very well structured and we liked the dynamics, the explanations and the group activities. Elinor and Sophie are very passionate and nice coaches. We do recommend the course
Yoana (verified owner) –
Me and my partner both found the course very, very good and we are super happy we signed up! We feel much more prepared and confident for the journey of our baby’s birth! Absolutely recommended to anyone who wants to be an active participant and inform themselves with the different possibilities and scenarios. And therefore make an informed decision about their birth preferences. Thank you Sophie and Elinor!
Nina (verified owner) –
Thanks a lot for this weekend, both my partner and I really enjoyed it, it was super informative and nice to meet everyone. We feel way more confident about the whole process and prepared for all that can happen! I would definitely recommend doing this course!
Cathy (verified owner) –
Highly recommend this course. I ended up going into labour at 36 weeks so it was all very unexpected and to be honest a bit of a shock. But the things we learned on your course helped massively. I could remember all of the advice about breathing down the baby, different positions to try and the importance of groaning! Most significantly the preparation on the course helped me feel completely in control and informed about what was happening to my body. You might not realise it at the time but the information soaks in and comes back to you clearly during the birth. So glad we booked.
Natália de Paula Vidal (verified owner) –
I highly recommend the course. It was a special weekend for me and my partner. We understood the complex and beautiful journey of childbirth and we were provided with tools to deal with the unexpected. Sophie and Farola are reliable and you can see that they have experience and like what they do. It was really cool to meet other couples in the same situation as ours, thrilled with the arrival of their son. The course is dynamic and interactive, no just sitting around listening, so it helps a lot in the involvement and learning of information..
Anonymous –
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this course. We both learnt a lot and it was nice to interact with other international couples. Generally, the course was well-designed, clear and organized. It encouraged a lot of interaction and the role of the birthing partner/husband was strongly emphasised (which we both greatly appreciated). We would’ve loved to learn more about some of the main differences between the Dutch healthcare system and international systems (a least some more concrete information regarding the difference in the medical approach here when it comes to giving birth and childcare). We felt this information was far too implicit and could’ve been made much more explicit to help couples who have just arrived here or even those who have been here for a while. Moreover, having been accustomed to Dutch ways, we believe shorter lunch breaks (allowing for a shorter day) would’ve been much better (especially for women who are further along in their pregnancies and who feel tired more easily). Added to this, we believe that the first day was much more valuable than the second day. Overall, the course is well-worth the money for two full days.
Mel –
This course has helped us prepare for birth. Information is presented clearly and with a good pace. Exercises are interactive and to the point. Thank you, also for the follow up email.
Neera –
We thoroughly enjoyed this course, which was online due to Covid19. We did have some internet issues (which were completely due to our own connection issues) so that unfortunately didn’t allow us to interact as much as we would have liked. We found the first day much more informative. I think it would be useful to ask couples what type of birth they are having (for example, I will be induced and would have liked more information on the pros and cons of that, what labour looks like for induced patients). That being said, the information provided on the second day is still useful! Definitely recommend this course.
Elinor Abramson –
Thank you for your review, we’re so glad you joined us and enjoyed the course. We will take note of your feedback and try and incorporate it into our future sessions. Best wishes for the rest of the pregnancy and birth and we’ll wait for a birth story! Warm regards, Elinor Abramson
Lizanne (verified owner) –
Great course! We found the online component with the supplementary face-to-face workshop really worthwhile. Both were super informative and really helped us form a deeper understanding of what we can come to expect from giving birth here in the Netherlands. We did, however, feel that the digital component could have had more in-depth information about the pros and cons of each pain relief method. But other than that, we would definitely recommend this course to any expat expecting their first child.
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