During the appointments with the midwives, they asked me how I was feeling and whether my baby kicked, they measured my pressure, checked my belly, the baby’s position and his heartbeat. They were always so kind and warm that I began to feel secure, even though I never went to the hospital. I realized this was a totally different approach to the one I know from Chile. Giving birth in my country is a very planned moment. As parents you can decide on the date with your doctor: usually at the weekend because that way all your relatives can visit you. Therefore, over half of births are by caesarean section. If mothers have their babies in the natural way, almost all use an epidural for the pain without question from the doctor.
When my big day came, I still felt very nervous because Dutch people are friendly but not so outgoing and warm, and at that moment I needed to be comfortable. But when the contractions were hard and my baby definitely was arriving, the midwife came to my place. She looked into my eyes, held my hand and helped me to breathe. She was amazing, everything was peaceful and I knew that she could help me. The arrival of Arturo, my son, was a beautiful moment, mainly because she was with us. Maybe Dutch people still don’t seem so open and warm, but the childbirth system is lovely, despite the fact that it is old-fashioned.
Yélica Rudolffi Rojas from Chile, MSc student of International Land and Watermanagement.
Hollandsch baren
Yélica was vier maanden zwanger toen ze naar Nederland kwam. Maar ze schrok van het ouderwetse systeem met vroedvrouwen, haar angstbeeld was een stevige oude vrouw met een witte jas die geen Engels spreekt. In Chili is een geboorte een medische gebeurtenis. Er is altijd een dokter bij betrokken, en ouders plannen de dag, vaak in het weekend. Meer dan de helft gaat via keizersnede. Toch viel het uiteindelijk reuze mee. Yélica beviel thuis met de hulp van een vroedvrouw, ze vond het geweldig gaan.