About Maartje

About Maartje

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be either a midwife, sing on stage, or work with floral fabrics. I eventually took over the family business designing and selling shoes and handbags, which I happily did for many years. After giving birth to my two daughters in 2007 and 2011, it became clear that the perfect combination of travelling, seasonal peaks and having a healthy family life was not easily obtained.
Having experienced two induced hospital births myself with the explicit coaching that went along with that, I asked myself what I could do to contribute to a healthy and pleasant birthing culture in the Netherlands. In addition to my training at JJ doula which I followed in 2013, I’ve also chosen to study at Birthlight yoga in 2014 in order to become a prenatal yoga teacher, which diploma I received in 2015. The combination of both professions give me the best opportunity to support each woman in every stage of her pregnancy. More information about Birthlight and it’s unique teaching method: www.birthlight.com.

In 2014 I’ve also become a member of the NBvD, Nederlandse Beroeps Vereniging voor Doula’s, that is responsible for a code of conduct for all doula’s in the Netherlands, and makes sure that all doula’s follow the same standards and are being trained every year to keep their knowledge up to date. More information can be found on: www.nbvd.nl.

Working as a full time doula for several years has led to the launch in the beginning of 2015 of the partner workshop Birthing Basics, that is held in both English and Dutch. Other languages are available in private sessions. In this workshop you’ll be taught in a day what it means to give birth in the Netherlands, how you and your partner can cope with the intensity of the birth of your baby as well as gaining indept knowledge about pain medication in either home- or hospital setting. For more information, please follow the ‘workshop’.

I’ve already guided over 375 women during their pregnancy and labour and I feel blessed and fulfilled to be able to do so. I work closely together with many midwifery practices, but also when you only go to hospital check-ups, I’d be happy to hear from you! I’m experienced with VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean), medical indications and induced labour, breech birth, twin birth, premature birth, planned and emergency (gentle) caesareans, traumatic histories (for example sexual abuse victims), water birth and births with ór without synthetic pain medication. Even if your condition or story is not mentioned here, I’m more than happy to learn more about your specific case and help you find your optimal birth situation.

Since January 2020, de Doula Academie has been launched by me in co-operation with other colleagues. This extensive and in-depth doula training offers aspiring doula’s and senior doula’s the chance of further professionalizing themselves in the obstetric field. This is done mainly by learning how to best communicate with midwifes, gynaecologists and other care professionals in both home birth and hospital settings as well as learning how to build a sustainable doula business. The Doula Academie trains Birth Doula’s as well as Post Partum Doula’s. More info on this Dutch spoken doula training is to be found at http://www.doulaacademie.nl

Back up and duo doula Belle van Zutphen

Belle van Zutphen is working as the regular back up doula of Mother Me. You can meet her at least once during a prenatal meeting or you will only meet her via a zoom call if you like that better. It’s up to you. Maartje will be your doula on call but if she teaches a Doula Academie class, is attending a birth or is otherwise unavailable, Belle will be attending your birth. You will know who is on call for you and when.

Belle lives in Amsterdam, together with her boyfriend. She speaks Dutch and English fluently. Belle has been certified since 2022 at the Doula Academie as both birth- and postpartum doula. Next to being a back up doula for Mother Me doula services, she is also a pregnancy massage specialist and offers postpartum doula services. She has studied media management and works as a barista part-time.

During holiday periods Belle works as the regular duo doula of Mother Me. The delivery will be either attended by Maartje or Belle, depending who is on call. This duo doula ship is offered when Maartje is on a holiday or otherwise away for a longer amount of time than just a few hours. They go on call together and sync their holiday dates so there is always a doula available for you. Clients always know when a duo doula period starts and who is on call for their delivery; Maartje or Belle. Prices of the Mother Me packages do not change: you basically get 2 doula’s for the price of 1! You will meet Belle an equal amount of times during the prenatal sessions as Maartje. The get together zoom call will be with Maartje and Belle together, so you get to connect with them both should your due date fall within a duo doula time frame.

More info about her is to be found at www.doulabelleamsterdam.nl