The Kraam Zorg: A service that actually serves women

Why is disbelief my first reaction to services that are intentionally designed for women? A look at the maternity nurse service in the Netherlands.

2020 has been, among other things, a year of maternity for my community. With many friends around the world being pregnant for the first time, the lockdown has brought them anxiety of not having their parents close-by for the birth.

My grandmother traveled from India to the US to help my parents during my first months in the world. “How would I have been able to do it otherwise,” my mom recalled on the phone last week as I told her that our neighbors here in Amsterdam are expecting their first baby and that their parents haven’t been able to come over. “How will they manage?” she asked.

Then I told her about the kraam zorg.

Here in the Netherlands, new mothers have access to postnatal care for the first 7–10 days after birth. A kraam zorg (maternity nurse) arrives at their home to help with the baby, answer any questions, cook meals, assist with postpartum healing, provide lactation assistance and even attend to guests that may arrive to see the newborn. As I learned about the service, I thought of my friend who recently gave birth in New York — “I felt like I couldn’t ask all the questions I had,” she told me — and had felt rushed out of the hospital, her questions unanswered.

“Really?” my mom said at the mention of the kraam zorg. She couldn’t believe that such a service exists under basic insurance. Then I told her more — the kraam zorg service is very well designed. Mothers have over a week to ask all their questions, instead of having to ask right after delivery (under pressure, tired, and in a daze). They have enough time to try out the different tips from the kraam zorg to see what works for them. They are given postpartum support and someone knowledgeable is looking out for symptoms of depression. Towards the beginning of the week, the kraam zorg assists with a lot more than she does towards the end of the week — slowly weaning mothers off the support they will no longer have. The focus is on care & healing — for the baby and the mother. “Really?” my mom asked once more. “I know,” I responded, “I can’t believe it either.”

Reflecting back on the conversation with my mom, I wondered: why is disbelief my first reaction for the existence of a service that assists humans during a critical moment — which pretty much everyone goes through?

I realized that I have become so used to nothing being intentionally designed for women, that when I do come across something that is — I have to pinch myself to believe it.

I began to wonder and dream about what the world would be like if every new mother or parent had access to a kraam zorg — if my friend would have felt supported leaving the hospital in New York, if there were ways to ease the anxiety of my pregnant friends that won’t have the support of their parents this year — if maternity moments were actually designed intentionally for mothers.

Then, I had to pinch myself again.

What services do you wish were intentionally designed for women?

This post is an excerpt from Unconforming: a newsletter about Design for Women. Unconforming goes out every two weeks and also shares learnings from experts, job and other opportunities, examples and articles — all to make an impact in the women’s space. Sign up here to get it in your inbox!