Birth Doula Amsterdam
Continuous, holistic birth support for Dutch and expat families — since 2019
I stay. I listen. I trust. I sit with you. I translate the medical language.
I prepare your partner. I advocate.
I walk alongside you.
My role is simple, and it is different from everyone else's in the room.
Your midwife and doctor carry clinical responsibility for you and your baby — that is their expertise and it is not mine.
Your partner carries their own love and their own nerves.
I carry one thing only: you.
Your comfort, your understanding, your voice.
Because I hold nothing else, I can stay entirely with you.
Who this is for
Some women find me because they are expecting their first baby and already sense that the standard maternity system will not be quite enough for the birth they are imagining, they know they want to feel prepared and supported and they want continuity of care. Others find me after a difficult first birth and want this time to feel different. And some find me simply because they are navigating this in a foreign country, without their village, and they need someone who will truly know them before the birth begins.
Whoever you are — you are welcome here.
This is for you if:
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You want someone by your side who knows you — your fears, your wishes, your history — long before labor begins
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You want your partner to feel capable and present rather than helpless
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You want to make informed choices, and be able to drop into your body feeling a sense of trust
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You believe birth is more than a medical event and want your experience to reflect that
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You are planning a VBAC (read here how I support vaginal birth after cesarean), an induction, a high-risk pregnancy or a previous difficult birth
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You are an expat finding your way through the Dutch maternity system without your usual support network
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You simply do not want to do labor alone and want to have a strong support team
I work in English and Italian. I take on a limited number of families each month so that I can be fully present for each one.
★★★★★
"As this was our first baby, we didn't know much yet, but she guided us through every step of the way... When things didn't go as we had expected, she read the situation so well, adapted, and really went above and beyond."
— Mila, first time mom, NICU baby
What working with me looks and feels like
Choosing a birth doula is one of the most personal decisions you will make during pregnancy. Here is what I actually bring — not as a list of features, but as a promise.
Physical Support
Feeling physically and emotionally safe during childbirth is important to ensure the best outcomes (Kozhimannil et al. 2016). Physical support is important because it helps you maintain a sense of control, comfort, and confidence, and can provide relief or distraction from pain. Feeling safe can also calm your nerves and allow your body to stay in a relaxed state, so labor will progress at its best.
★★★★★
"I remember the moment when I was about to give birth, standing barefoot on a tile floor complaining about cold feet. She immediately came and told me to stand on her bare feet. This is just an example emphasising the depth of her dedication, thoughtfulness and partnership she brought with every step by my side. Ombretta made sure to protect my wishes, needs and energy, which created an unforgettable birth experience for me."
— Grit, First baby, born at home
Continuity of care
From our first conversation to the moment you hold your baby, I am your constant. I have no shift change and no other client in labour — so I can stay from the first contraction to after your baby is born. You will never have to explain yourself to a stranger in the hardest moments of your labor — because I will already know you.
Emotional safety
Pregnancy surfaces everything — old fears, past experiences and trauma, things you have not said out loud yet. In our prenatal sessions, I create space for all of it, without judgment, without rush. You can open up fully, knowing that what you share shapes how I support you. My approach is trauma informed and neurodivergent-aware. I offer reassurance, encouragement, I help you see yourself and your situation clearly, enhancing sense of control and confidence.
Partner support
In one landmark study that evaluated the effects of doulas and partners working together (Cochrane Review) , researchers found that combining a supportive partner and a doula significantly lowered the risk of Cesarean compared to just having a supportive partner alone. Some people think that they do not need a doula because their partner will be with them continuously throughout labor. It is true that your birth partner is an essential support person for a birthing person to have by their side. However, the birth partner will need to eat and use the bathroom at times, and they may also need support in their own emotional journey. Also, many partners have limited knowledge about birth, labor positions, medical procedures, or informed on what is happening in a hospital. If you choose my support, your partner is not a bystander in this journey. From our very first session together I include them — helping them understand what labor actually looks and feels like, giving them tools to support you physically and emotionally, so that when the moment comes they feel capable and present rather than helpless and afraid.
★★★★★
"Ombretta supported us every step of the way — before, during, and after the birth of our son — with incredible empathy, professionalism, and knowledge. She always made us feel heard, informed, and confident."
— Written by the father
Informational Support & Advocacy
Advocacy has become an important conversation within doula care, because birth can be a challenging experience on its own, and because families have experienced trauma, lack of consent, or disagreement with some health care providers about medical decisions. Different doulas have different perspectives on advocacy, at the core of my birth philosophy is that your autonomy and ability to decide for yourself is paramount. You have the right to be informed about what is happening with your labor and birth, understand your rights and options. I can educate you and your family about birth, and assist with communication between you and medical providers about medical decisions or procedures – making sure that you and your birth partner understand medical terms and have your questions answered, and that the medical team understands your preferences. I can help you and your support team to speak up and feel more engaged, I can amplify your voice and advocate for you — which means making sure you are heard, that you have understood what is being offered, and that you have time and space to ask. It does not mean speaking instead of you, and it does not mean standing between you and your care team.
★★★★★
"I have a specific medical history that the Dutch medical system wasn't fully taking into account, but Ombretta advocated for me and helped us find a birth solution that actually fit my needs.
She went above and beyond by connecting us with an incredible gynaecologist/surgeon for my C-section.
On the day of the delivery, she was right there with me in the prep room,
helping me manage my deep fear of surgery."
— Valentina, First time mom, Planned Cesarean
Deep understanding of birth — body and mind
Birth is not only physiological. The beliefs you carry, the fears you have not yet named, the previous experiences still living in your body — all of these shape how labor unfolds. My background in psychology and my training in Ayurveda and somatic practice mean that our work begins long before contractions start — exploring and releasing what stands between you and a birth you can move through with trust.
Inclusion and openness
Every family is welcome here. I wholeheartedly serve heterosexual couples and families, LGBTQ+ couples, co-parenting and multi-adult households, solo and single parents, and families formed through surrogacy or IVF. You will not need to explain or justify your family to me — you will simply be received.
Transparent pricing | Green Bottle Method
No hidden costs, no surprises and a system of Economic Justice Pricing that aims to offer the same quality of care to every woman that chooses to be fully supported. From the moment you sign your contract, everything is clear — what is included, what is not, and how payments are structured. Because trust should extend to the practical details too.
Birth can be unpredictable. Your support should not be.
What a birth doula actually does
A birth doula is not a medical professional — she is your constant. While midwives and obstetricians carry clinical responsibility and rotate through shifts, a birth doula stays. She is there from the first contraction to the first moments after birth, offering steady physical support, emotional grounding and the kind of presence that cannot be scheduled or rushed.
A doula does not replace your midwife, your obstetrician or your partner. She works alongside all of them — filling the space between clinical care and human connection that so many women find missing from their birth experience.
Doulas don't
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perform clinical tasks such as cervical exams or fetal heart monitoring.
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give medical advice or diagnose conditions.
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make decisions for the client (medical or otherwise).
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pressure the birthing person into certain choices just because that’s what they prefer.
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take over the role of the partner.
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catch the baby.
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typically change shifts
I support birthing persons regardless birth location or level of risk: home births, birth centre births and hospital births — unmedicated or medicated births, including VBAC, induction, high-risk pregnancy, water birth and C-section support.
I don't interfere with your choices and I support them unconditionally.
From first call to birth day — how it works
The free intro call
You reach out and we have a first 30-45 minute conversation. We get to know each other, I understand your situation and you get a feel for how I work and who I am. I am open to any question — and if there is a mutual connection we both feel it. I prefer for your partner to be present too so that they can ask questions as well and be supportive of your decisions.
Always your choice
The decision to hire a doula ranges from an instant yes to something that needs a few days to settle, especially if you are interviewing other candidates. Let your decision settle, I will reach out after a few days.
Signing and beginning
Once we confirm your package and availability, you receive a contract within 24 hours — due for signing within 3 business days, followed by a retainer fee to secure your place. From that moment I am yours, I'm available via WhatsApp, phone or emails. You'll receive guidance, information, videos and handouts to consolidate our work together and we will schedule the prenatal visits with you and your partner (when present).
Prenatal visits at your home
We meet for your prenatal visits — we discuss the hormones that regulate the process, the stages of labor, we discuss your preferences, working through any fears or questions and building the foundation of trust that will carry us through labor. We sit together with your partner so that they can be actively part of this process, learn how to support you and themselves during childbirth and the postpartum time. We discuss medical interventions, pain relief options, comfort measures and how I can best offer advocacy and create a safe space.
On call from week 37
From week 37 I am on call for you — day and night. We may talk more often during these weeks, I'm there if things change and when labor begins and you want me by your side, I come.
Continuous Labor Support
I stay without watching the clock. I go through everything with you. Until the first hours after your baby is born.
After birth
A postnatal visit to process your birth experience, support your early recovery and close our work together with care. You can reach out to me via messages, Whats'App or emails and ask for extra support when needed for the first 6 weeks.
Because I offer continuous on-call presence, I take a limited number of birth clients each month. This is the reason it is worth getting in touch early — spring and summer fill first.
★★★★★
"Initially, I wasn't sure what to expect when deciding to hire a doula...
but it truly was the best decision I could have made for myself and my husband."
— Martina, 41 weeks and 5 days
The Packages
Every birth is a threshold. Even if you have crossed it before.
No two births are the same — the body is different, the baby is different, the fears and the hopes and the unknowns are different. What remains constant is the need for someone who truly knows you before you get there.
Choose the level of support that fits where you are — knowing that every package begins with the same foundation: continuous, devoted presence from the moment we meet to the first moments after your baby is born.
The Bridge · €1,500 — Last-minute birth support, from week 37
The Threshold · €2,200 — Full birth doula support from mid-pregnancy
The Illuminated Threshold · €2,600 — The Threshold plus three private childbirth education sessions
The Continuum Plus · €3,500 — Birth support, three Ayurvedic postpartum visits, ten flexible doula hours
The Continuum · €3,700 — Birth support plus five Ayurvedic postpartum home visits across the 40 days
All packages available on the Green Bottle sliding scale.
The Threshold
Continuous birth doula support — for every birth, every family, every crossing
Birth is a threshold you may cross more than once in your lifetime. Each time it will ask something different of you — a different body, a different baby, a different set of unknowns. The Threshold is the foundation of everything I offer — continuous, devoted presence from pregnancy through labor and into the first moments after your baby is born.
Whether this is your first birth or your fourth, whether you are planning a home birth or a hospital birth, navigating a VBAC or an induction, healing from a previous experience or simply stepping into the unknown for the first time — this package was shaped with you in mind.
What is included:
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Free intro call before you hire me
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4 prenatal visits — birth preferences, partner preparation, comfort measures and interventions, fear exploration, evidence-based resources on interventions, processing previous birth experience, exploring the Dutch maternity system and planning your postpartum
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One month's free-access to the Mamamoon App
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Free use of a Tens machine and a rebozo (handled at one of the prenatal appointments)
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Accompany you (and your partner) to one midwife/OBGYN appointment
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Prenatal intake form, workbook and resources
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Unlimited online availability from the moment you hire me until 6 weeks postpartum (WhatsApp/mail/phone)
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On-call from week 37 until baby is born
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24/7 availability during the on-call period
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Continuous labor and birth support — from the moment you want me by your side
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Immediate postpartum presence — up to 2 hours after birth
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1 postnatal visit — birth story, early recovery, closing our work with care
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Back up doula — a qualified back up doula is arranged in advance
Available for home birth, birth centre, hospital birth, VBAC, induction, C-section support and water birth.
Green Bottle Tier Investment
Full rate €2,200
Middle rate €1,870
Community rate €1,430
incl. 21% VAT, excl. travel and parking costs
The Illuminated Threshold
Private childbirth education + birth doula support — knowledge and presence, from the very beginning
The Illuminated Threshold begins before labor. It begins with understanding.
Three private childbirth education sessions — evidence-based, Ayurvedic and psychologically informed — tailored entirely to you, your questions and your specific birth journey. By the time labor begins, you are not just accompanied. You arrive at the threshold having already examined your fears, nourished your body in the Ayurvedic tradition, equipped your partner with real tools and understood your choices with genuine clarity.
And then I stay. Because I already know you — your history, your hopes, your worries and your wishes — from the very first session we sat together.
The Illuminated Threshold is The Threshold, illuminated from within.
What is included:
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Everything in The Threshold
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3 x 90-minute private childbirth education sessions covering:
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Evidence-based birth curriculum — stages of labor, pain management, interventions and informed decision-making
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Ayurvedic third trimester preparation — nourishment, rest, nervous system regulation and Ojas-building before birth
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Psychological preparation — fear release, beliefs about birth and what your body is designed to do
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Partner preparation — physical support techniques, emotional presence and communication skills
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Course materials and resources to keep
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6 video classes covering: yoga and yoga therapy, Hypnobirthing intro, Spinning Babies daily activities, Rebozo practices, Postpartum basics
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WhatsApp access between education sessions for questions that cannot wait
The childbirth education sessions sit alongside — not instead of — the four prenatal doula visits. Together they create the most comprehensive pre-birth preparation available.
Green Bottle Tier Investment
Full rate €2,600
Middle rate €2,210
Community rate €1,690
incl. 21% VAT, excl. travel and parking costs
★★★★★
"The best investment we made. Ombretta helped us feel prepared and supported us wonderfully."
— Jake and Nina, second baby
The Bridge
Transfer of care — Last Minute | Continuous birth support bookable from week 37 until labor
Sometimes circumstances change. A situation shifts unexpectedly late in pregnancy after one of the checks with your midwife and what you have envisioned in your birth plan is no longer an option. Or simply you reach week 37 (or beyond) and realise — with clarity and urgency — that you do not want to do this alone: that you wished you had a doula that has been in the room multiple times, to hold you and your birth partner.
The Bridge is designed for exactly this moment.
What is included:
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Free intro call before you hire me
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1 extended prenatal visit — tailored on your needs
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Unlimited online availability from the moment you hire me until 6 weeks postpartum (WhatsApp/mail/phone)
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On-call from when you hire me until baby is born
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24/7 availability during the on-call period
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Continuous labor and birth support — from the moment you want me by your side
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Immediate postpartum presence — up to 2 hours after birth
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1 postnatal visit — birth story, early recovery, closing our work with care
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Back up doula — a qualified back up doula is arranged for priceless reassurance
The Bridge is a special circumstance offering. It sits outside the Green Bottle Model and is not an entry point to standard packages — it is a response to the unexpected.
Investment
€1,500
incl. 21% VAT, excl. travel and parking costs
The Continuum
Birth doula support + Ayurvedic postpartum home visits — held from pregnancy through postpartum
Birth is not the end of the journey. It is the threshold into one of the most significant recoveries of a woman's life.
The Continuum holds you through both — the birth and what comes after. Five Ayurvedic postpartum home visits in the first weeks following birth, woven into a continuous relationship that began in pregnancy and does not end when the cord is cut.
You will not need to explain yourself to anyone new. You will not need to start again with a stranger. The person who knew you before your baby arrived is the same person who comes to your door, to your own bed, to restore you in the days and weeks that follow.
What is included:
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Everything in The Threshold
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Postpartum planning session during pregnancy — building your support structure before your baby arrives
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5 Ayurvedic postpartum home visits — Marma therapy massage, belly binding, womb Moxa, birth story integration, castor oil packs, yoni steaming, sitz bath, shiro pichu. Each visit approximately 3 hours — tailored entirely to where you are on that day
Available for all birth types including C-section recovery. The Continuum goes deepest into Ayurvedic physical restoration — five dedicated visits across the 40-day window.
Green Bottle Tier Investment
Full rate €3,700
Middle rate €3,145
Community rate €2,405
incl. 21% VAT, excl. travel and parking costs
The Continuum Plus
Birth doula support + Ayurvedic postpartum visits + postpartum doula hours — the full village
The Continuum Plus is for the family who wants both depth and breadth in their postpartum support — the specialist body work of Ayurvedic care and the flexible, adaptive presence of postpartum doula hours, working alongside each other across the fourth trimester.
Three Ayurvedic home visits tend to your physical recovery at the root — your womb, your tissues, your nervous system, your birth story. Ten postpartum doula hours flex around your daily life — the feeding, the household, the emotional landscape, the practical questions that cannot wait.
These are not the same thing. They serve different needs and visit on different days. Together they form something close to the traditional village that new mothers have always deserved — and that most women in Amsterdam are navigating without.
What is included:
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Everything in The Threshold
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Postpartum planning session during pregnancy
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3 Ayurvedic postpartum home visits — Marma therapy, belly binding, womb Moxa, yoni steaming, sitz bath, shiro pichu and birth story integration
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10 postpartum doula hours — flexible across 2–3 visits for emotional support, newborn care guidance, feeding support, rest facilitation and light household help
Available for all birth types including C-section recovery.
Green Bottle Tier Investment
Full rate €3,500
Middle rate €2,975
Community rate €2,275
incl. 21% VAT, excl. travel and parking costs
Choose The Continuum if you want the deepest Ayurvedic physical recovery — five specialist visits across the full 40 days.
Choose The Continuum Plus if you want both physical restoration and flexible daily presence — three Ayurvedic visits plus ten postpartum doula hours.
A note on pricing
The Threshold, The Illuminated Threshold, The Continuum and The Continuum Plus are all offered using the Green Bottle Method — an economic justice pricing model that makes this support accessible to women at different financial points, without compromising the quality or depth of the work.
The three tiers are based on your own clear assessment of your financial reality. No documentation, no verification — simply your own reading of where you are.
A limited number of community rate spaces are available each quarter.
Payment
Standard
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50% retainer at contract signing — secures your place
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50% balance by week 37 of pregnancy
Payment plans available if the standard structure presents a challenge — please raise this in the intro call.
Birth doula services are not covered by basic Dutch health insurance — some aanvullende policies reimburse part of doula or childbirth-education costs.
Birth Doula Support can be gifted. If someone you love is expecting — and you want to give something that truly matters — The Village Gift voucher is available. Contact me directly to arrange. [Request a gift voucher →]
★★★★★
"On the very day I was giving birth, my chosen doula cancelled at the very last moment...
I had never met Ombretta before. She didn't know me, my personality, my preferences
or what kind of support I needed... By the time Ombretta arrived, I was in so much pain
that I could barely speak. From the very first seconds, Ombretta somehow felt me...
She gave me strength when I felt I had none left...
I will remember your presence and your hand holding me on that day forever."
— Daria, first time mom, induction of labour
Frequently Asked Questions
I am not sure which package is right for me. Where do I start? Start with The Threshold. It is the foundation of everything — continuous, devoted birth support from pregnancy through to the first days after your baby arrives. If you feel drawn to more, the other packages add specific layers on top of that foundation. The intro call is the right place to explore this together — by the end of it, we will usually know which direction makes sense.
What is the difference between The Threshold and The Illuminated Threshold? The Threshold gives you a devoted birth doula by your side. The Illuminated Threshold adds three private childbirth education sessions before labor begins — so you arrive at the threshold having already examined your fears, understood your choices and prepared your body and your partner. If knowledge and preparation feel as important to you as presence — The Illuminated Threshold is right for you.
What is the difference between The Continuum and The Continuum Plus? Both include birth doula support and postpartum care — but they serve different postpartum needs. The Continuum offers five Ayurvedic home visits — deep, specialist physical restoration across the full 40-day window. The Continuum Plus offers three Ayurvedic visits plus ten postpartum doula hours — broader support that combines physical restoration with flexible daily presence. If you want the deepest Ayurvedic recovery, choose The Continuum. If you want both physical restoration and someone to be there for the daily reality of the fourth trimester, choose The Continuum Plus.
I am a second-time mother. Is The Threshold still right for me? Yes — and perhaps especially so. Every birth is a threshold crossed for the first time, because no two births are the same. A second birth carries its own particular unknowns — the weight of the first experience, the logistics of an older child, the different body. The Threshold was not designed for first-time mothers only. It was designed for every woman who deserves continuous, devoted support through the unique crossing that is her birth.
I had a difficult first birth. Which package would support me most? This depends on what feels most important to you. If you want to understand and prepare deeply — particularly around the fears and beliefs that a previous difficult birth may have left — The Illuminated Threshold is worth considering, because the psychological preparation component is specifically designed for this. If you want the longest postpartum support given that your recovery may need more care — The Continuum is right. Bring this to the intro call and we will work it out together.
I am planning a home birth. Are all packages available? Yes — all packages are available for home birth, birth centre and hospital birth. My experience spans all three settings.
Can I upgrade my package after signing? Yes — you can upgrade at any point during pregnancy. If you sign The Threshold and later decide you want to add childbirth education or postpartum care, we simply adjust the contract. If I still have capacity in my schedule, you pay the difference and the additional services begin.
When should I contact you? As early as you feel ready — ideally between 12 and 20 weeks so that you can receive all the support and guidance that you deserve. However, some women discover quite well into their second or third trimester that they would benefit from having a doula and I had clients reaching out as early as 5 weeks — if this is you, I invite you to reach out.
What if my birth happens very quickly? I come as soon as you call, I will be by your side within an hour at most, based on where you live in Amsterdam. If your baby arrives before I do — rare but possible in case of precipitous birth — I join you as soon as I can and remain longer through the immediate postpartum period to provide support. If you have an history of precipitous birth we will agree the ideal moment for me to come to you during one of our prenatal visits.
Can I have a doula if I am planning a hospital birth? Absolutely. Many of the families I work with birth in hospital, with or without medical interventions. I am experienced in navigating hospital environments, building respectful relationships with medical teams and advocating clearly for your preferences.
Do you support high-risk pregnancies? Yes — I also support induction, VBAC and planned C-section. Please mention your situation in the intro call so I can confirm whether my support is the right fit.
What happens if there is a scheduling conflict on my birth day? I plan my holidays ahead and a qualified back up doula is arranged in advance in the rare event of emergency or illness — as per contract.
Do you work with same-sex couples, single parents and non-traditional family structures? Wholeheartedly and without reservation.
Is the intro call really free? Yes. Always.
If you are curious about what working together could look and feel like — for you, for your birth, for your family — I would love to have that conversation.
Serving Amsterdam and surrounding areas since 2019
Home birth · Birth centre · Hospital birth · VBAC · Induction
English and Italian · Dutch and expat families welcome