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More about pregnancy and birth

Rachel from Friends puffing during labour, with Ross and the doctor beside her

September 28, 2026

Puffing or breathing? What your breathing does to your nervous system during labour

How your breathing puts your nervous system into relaxation mode during labour, what research from 2026 shows, and how to start practising today.

A parent leans over an incubator, reaching through the openings with both hands to touch their newborn

August 20, 2026

Parents of very premature babies carry it for a long time

New Dutch research shows that over a third of mothers and almost one in six fathers of very premature babies experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Seen from behind, a woman walks with a pram along a path beside a hedge

August 18, 2026

Matrescence: there's a word for what's happening to you

Your baby is six weeks old and everyone asks how your little one is doing. What you skip is that you look at yourself in the mirror and think: who are you, actually. There's a word for that.

Black and white photo of a man holding a newborn baby wrapped in a towel against him

July 15, 2026

What birth does to your partner

More than half of partners thought at some point that something was going seriously wrong. Why your birth partner joins our course as a participant.

A pregnant woman leans back against her partner on a sofa with her eyes closed during a course evening

July 9, 2026

Nonviolent Communication in maternity care

What really happens during birth, and why naming needs like trust and relaxation carries more power than correcting what you say.

Sabrina Leidelmeijer sits on the floor explaining in front of a projection, with participants in the foreground

June 17, 2026

Nearly 100,000 births later: what we now know about hypnobirthing

The insights behind hypnobirthing have been around for ninety years. Since May 2026 they have also been studied at scale: nearly a hundred thousand births.

A ceremony table with tealights burning on a silver tray, cards with wishes and a small wooden statue of a mother

May 21, 2026

Why a doula is really a ceremony guide

Birth is more than a medical event. It is a transition. Why that perspective changes everything about how birth can be supported.

Illustration Deciding with B.R.A.I.N.S. with six questions about tests, treatments and interventions around birth

April 14, 2026

BRAINS: making informed choices together during birth

Offered an intervention during labor? This simple acronym helps you and your partner make a genuinely informed choice.

A man rocks a seated woman's hips with a rebozo cloth during a workshop

March 26, 2026

The fourth trimester: preparing for postpartum starts during pregnancy

The first twelve weeks after birth matter just as much as pregnancy itself, and deserve just as much preparation.

Illustration of two circles: the accelerator with fear, tension and pain, and the brake with trust, relaxation and comfort

February 11, 2026

The two circles: gas pedal and brake pedal during birth

Your body has two states during birth: the gas pedal and the brake pedal. Neither is wrong, and you can still influence which one is active.

A pregnant belly seen from the side, with both parents' hands resting against it

January 22, 2026

What your baby already feels before birth

Birth consultant Anna Verwaal has spent decades researching how conception, pregnancy, and birth leave a lasting imprint. Her work deeply inspires ours.

A mother holds her sleeping newborn baby against her chest

December 10, 2025

Postpartum care capacity is under pressure: what you can already do

Waiting lists for postpartum home care (kraamzorg) remain a nationwide concern in the Netherlands, making good preparation during pregnancy even more valuable.