ELLE Midwives

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆'𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲.
Newborns are born with a grasp reflex. Touch their palm and they'll instinctively wrap their tiny fingers around yours.
It's one of the many reflexes that show your baby's nervous system is developing as expected.
One tiny hand.
A lot of information.

Meet Mariana, one of the midwives at ELLE. 🤎
From trusting your intuition to postpartum recovery, these are the conversations she has with parents every single day.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩?
"How quickly mothers (and fathers) intuition kicks in. Society often teaches us to look to experts for every answer, but parents are often amazed by how naturally they actually know what their baby (and their own body) needs once they strip away the noise. Cliché, but listen to that feeling!”

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝?
"That the 'perfect birth' isn't about following a script or a plan, but about how you feel. You are allowed to ask questions, change your mind and set your boundaries. Being truly heard makes all the difference, no matter which way it goes."

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙢?
"Be kind to yourself. Everyone is focussed on the baby, but don't forget to check in with yourself. You just gave birth to a baby, and you were reborn as a mother too. Give yourself time, rest a lot, book that postpartum massage, order sushi. Treat yourself, you so deserve it!”
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𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙚?
"Whitnessing everyday of what the human body can do and being a reminder of how powerful women naturally are. I don't 'deliver' babies, women birth their babies. I'm just there to listen closely and make sure she feels safe enough to let her body do what it was made for."

𝟭-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲

Preparing for birth is more than just knowing what will happen.
It’s about understanding your body, your options, and what helps you feel calm and in control.
In this 5-hour course, you and your partner will be guided through the physical, emotional and mental aspects of birth.

With a combination of theory and hands-on practice, you’ll learn how to navigate each stage of labour with confidence and how to make choices that fit your situation.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
• Understanding how your body works during birth
• Practical tools for pain relief and relaxation
• Techniques like massage, acupressure and positions
• A clear role for your partner
• Preparation for both physiological and medical scenarios
• Space to create your own birth preferences

Whether you’re planning a home birth or hospital birth, this course meets you where you are.
📍 ELLE Midwives Kralingen-Crooswijk
🗓 july 19, august 23, september 13
🕒 12:30 – 17:30
💰 €250 (often reimbursed by insurance)
📩 Register: [email protected]
(Language: English – hosted by Maggie Walker)
Limited spots available.

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𝙂𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙨: 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩? 🤎
During pregnancy, hormones can make it harder for your body to regulate blood sugar. When your body can't produce enough insulin to keep up, gestational diabetes can develop.
Most women don't notice any symptoms, which is why testing is important when indicated.
You may be offered a glucose test if you have one or more risk factors, such as:
• A previous pregnancy with gestational diabetes
• A BMI of 30 or higher
• A close family member with diabetes
• A previous baby weighing over 4.5 kg
• Certain ethnic backgrounds with a higher risk of diabetes
The test is usually performed between 24 and 28 weeks. You'll drink a glucose solution, followed by one or more blood tests to see how your body processes sugar.
The good news? In most cases, gestational diabetes can be managed well with the right support, nutrition, exercise and, if needed, medication, helping you and your baby stay healthy throughout pregnancy.

Every pregnancy is different. That's why care should always be tailored to you. 🤎

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Empowering modern moms'
From bump to baby 🤎

From a positive test to a due date,
there's a rhythm to your check ups, and each one matters.

Early on, we focus on getting to know you and your wishes. Around 10 to 12 weeks, the dating scan confirms your due date.
At 13 and 20 weeks, we do structural ultrasounds. From there, regular check ups continue to monitor you and your baby, heart rate, growth, position, right up to the position scan at 35 weeks.

At almost every appointment, you also get a short 2D ultrasound. Just because we think you deserve to see your baby, every time.
Nothing is rushed. Nothing is skipped. That's the whole point.

💙 or 🩷
Can we find out the gender yet?" One of the most asked questions in our practice.

From 15 to 16 weeks, you can book a gender scan with us, a quick, fun appointment that gives you that answer. Want a 3/4D or photorealistic 6D/8K scan as well? Those are available a little later, between 26 and 28 weeks.

Whether you want to know early, wait for the structural scan at 20 weeks, or not find out at all, that's entirely your call. We're just here to make whichever moment you choose feel special.

We guide a lot of expat families through pregnancy and birth, and it's taught us a great deal.
Every culture brings its own traditions, expectations and questions around pregnancy, birth and postpartum. What's considered completely normal in one country can feel unfamiliar in another. Dutch maternity care, in particular, often looks different from what international clients are used to.
We see it as part of our job to bridge that gap, explaining not just what happens, but why we do things the way we do here, so nothing feels like a surprise.
Because no matter where you're from, you deserve to feel informed and at ease.

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