Finding out you are pregnant in a new country brings a wave of unfamiliar words and a healthcare model that may not match home. The Dutch system is midwife-led and calm about it. Here is how prenatal care and screening work.
The verloskundige leads the way
In the Netherlands, a healthy pregnancy is looked after by a verloskundige (midwife), not automatically a gynaecologist. You register with a midwife practice early, usually around 8 weeks, and they handle your checkups (controles), arrange your scans, and support you to the birth. You only see a gynaecoloog in hospital if there is a medical reason. This connects to the wider role of your Dutch verloskundige, and it is a real shift for anyone used to doctor-led pregnancy care. The midwives’ organisation KNOV (De Verloskundige) explains the model.
First steps when you find out
- Take foliumzuur (folic acid), ideally from before conception through the first weeks.
- Contact a verloskundigenpraktijk to register early; popular practices fill up.
- Tell your employer when you are ready, which links to your pregnancy and maternity leave rights.
The screening, part by part
Prenatal screening (prenatale screening) is optional. You choose what you want after a counselling talk. As the RIVM and patient site Thuisarts.nl describe, it has these parts:
| Dutch | English | When |
|---|---|---|
| counselingsgesprek | counselling conversation about your choices | early |
| de NIPT | blood test for chromosomal conditions | 9-14 weeks |
| de 13-wekenecho | first screening ultrasound | ~13 weeks |
| de 20-wekenecho (SEO) | detailed anomaly scan | ~20 weeks |
The NIPT (niet-invasieve prenatale test) is a simple blood draw that screens for conditions such as Down syndrome. The 20-wekenecho, or structureel echoscopisch onderzoek (SEO), checks the baby’s development in detail.
What it costs: covered, since 2023
Good news for your budget: since 1 April 2023, the NIPT has had no co-payment, and the 13- and 20-wekenecho plus counselling are fully covered by the basisverzekering, with no eigen bijdrage and no eigen risico, for every pregnant person regardless of age. You need a referral from your midwife, GP or gynaecologist, and the provider must hold a WBO-licence. Insurer overviews and the government’s prenatal screening pages confirm the coverage.
Words you will hear a lot
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| zwanger | pregnant |
| de verloskundige | midwife |
| de controle | checkup |
| de echo | ultrasound scan |
| de uitslag | the result |
| de bevalling | the birth |
| uitgerekende datum | due date |
Where it connects
Prenatal care sits with the rest of Dutch healthcare for women: the cervical screening invite, contraception at the huisarts beforehand, and later the consultatiebureau for your baby. Understanding eigen risico and eigen bijdrage helps you read any related bill.
The bottom line
Dutch pregnancy care is led by a verloskundige; register early and take foliumzuur. Optional prenatale screening offers a counselling talk, the NIPT (9-14 weeks), and the 13- and 20-wekenecho, and since April 2023 all of it is fully covered by the basic insurance for everyone, with a referral and a WBO-licensed provider. Learn zwanger, verloskundige, echo and uitslag, and the appointments make sense.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the pregnancy and screening vocabulary you meet with the midwife, verloskundige, NIPT, de echo, uitslag, in five-minute lessons built on real appointments, so a big life moment is not lost in translation.
Frequently asked questions
Who looks after my pregnancy in the Netherlands?
For a healthy, low-risk pregnancy, your care is led by a verloskundige (midwife), not a gynaecologist. You register with a midwife practice early, around 8 weeks, and they do your checkups, arrange the echos, and guide you to the birth. You are referred to a gynaecologist (gynaecoloog) in a hospital only if there is a medical reason. This midwife-led model surprises many newcomers used to seeing a doctor throughout.
What prenatal screening is offered in the Netherlands?
Prenatale screening is optional and has several parts: a counselling conversation (counselingsgesprek) explaining your choices, the NIPT (a blood test at 9 to 14 weeks that screens for chromosomal conditions like Down syndrome), the 13-weken echo, and the 20-weken echo (the SEO, a detailed anomaly scan). You decide which parts you want; nothing is compulsory. Your midwife arranges referrals where needed.
Is the NIPT and the 20-week scan free in the Netherlands?
Yes. Since 1 April 2023 the NIPT has no co-payment, and the 13-week echo, 20-week echo and counselling are fully covered by the basic insurance (basisverzekering) with no eigen bijdrage and no eigen risico, for every pregnant person regardless of age. You do need a referral from your midwife, GP or gynaecologist, and the provider must have a WBO licence for the screening to be reimbursed.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for pregnancy and midwife appointments?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the pregnancy vocabulary you actually use, verloskundige, zwanger, de echo, NIPT, uitslag, controle, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so midwife appointments and screening conversations are clear during an emotional, important time.
