I was barely 8 years old when my youngest aunt gave birth to her daughter. The first part of the delivery took place in my older aunt's attic room, and in my memory there were at least three other women there. My mother, another aunt and 1 or 2 friends. I was allowed to attend as the oldest niece and was given a stopwatch and a notepad to time the contractions. Quite an honor. It felt like I was allowed to be part of something very special. I understood little of it, but was enormously intrigued. And how sorry I was that I had to wait outside for the last bit. I didn't know it then, but I think that experience was the start of the love I later developed for this profession. 

I was born and raised in Rotterdam and was myself born in the Ikazia Hospital. My mother was "overdue"-really overdue, as it was still possible back then-and I had decided I wanted to get acquainted with the world with my feet. Otherwise, it was an uncomplicated and beautiful birth, the story of which my mother often told me. She was also the one who always knew I would become a midwife, "because I had hands to be a 'vroedvrouw' (dutch word for midwife)" she said. I was a teenager and thought the word vroedvrouw was dirty. But years later I learned more about the meaning and found out it had nothing to do with rooting, as I thought. In Old Dutch, "vroed" means "wys, sensible, learned, handsome, competent, ervare, able and bedrewe. This meaning is much closer to how I understand my own role than that of "verloskundige" - an expert in delivering. The idea that, as a birthing person, you need another person to "deliver" you gives the impression that your role is a passive one, while you have the lead. My role is to support you from that skill, experience and knowledge.

At the training I was often looking for more; more information, more alternatives, views. I had a strong feeling that there was so much more than what I had been taught and I have been very fortunate with the people who came my way in that search. I did doula training, spinning babies training, and numerous lectures and workshops to satisfy that hunger for more. This has given me a broad base of knowledge and expertise and still I am never done learning. 

In my free time, I like to read, spend hours in the kitchen making something delicious for a table of friends, watch movies, or knit.

I would love to meet you!