It’s hard to believe we're 5.5 months into our second stint in the Netherlands, and at last, we’re pretty well integrated into the day-to-day life here in Amsterdam. The change hasn’t been too bad given our familiarity with the country combined with the Netherlands being an ex-pat friendly country, but it’s been an adjustment nonetheless, especially for the girls.

 The number one question I’m asked is what the biggest adjustments are that we face as a family of 4+1 (dog). The answer usually starts – especially if you ask in January – with the weather. 

The dark, wet winter is certainly the most difficult adjustment, especially after moving from Tennessee, where 55 degrees and sunny isn’t out of the ordinary in even the coldest of months. In Amsterdam the weather is more consistent, and, for the most part, much worse. It has rained every day over the past 7 weeks, and 2023 ended as the wettest on record in The Netherlands. The 9 AM sunrises (technically 8:40 but you’d never know as it takes a while for the sun to permeate the clouds) are particularly difficult when it comes to mobilizing the kids for school. We knew Dutch winters were tough, but this year has been another level. This was even more apparent while taking our yearly holiday card photos outside in the rain on a Saturday in November. We tried to look warm...

 
While the weather is tough, our work/life balance is good, and we’ve minimized scheduled activities to free-up time to explore the city, and eventually the rest of Europe, as a family. We are intentional with our weekends, trying not to overextend ourselves and to leave more time for walking the canals, biking through Vondelpark, and grabbing fresh bread on Saturday mornings.  We don’t feel too bad about the relaxed weekends as the weekdays tend to be quite busy – the girls have extracurricular activities on most days and enjoy ballet, “street-dance”, crafts, and language clubs until 5pm. It's a brilliant and convenient way to expose the girls to new activities without schlepping them somewhere after school or on the weekends. 
While we try to get out and explore on the weekend, it’s admittedly not always easy thanks to the aforementioned weather. In addition to the rain, a 35 MPH wind is common, turning our bakfiets into a sailboat which, as Ben likes to point out, can be either really fun, or really terrifying depending on which way the wind is blowing. It takes a lot of motivation to get up out of bed each morning and leave our “gezellig” (comfy, cozy) apartment. Just ask Millie....
 
Reconnecting with Old Friends
 

In returning to The Netherlands, we've had the opportunity to visit a number of Utrecht friends as well as US friends who are now fellow expats. After 3.5 years away, it feels like we haven’t skipped a beat with the wonderful families we came to love during our time in country’s oldest – and, dare we say, best city. The kids also picked-up right where they left off, despite a more pronounced language barrier. As Brooke says, she speaks a little Dutch and they speak a little English so it works :) We had the opportunity to see Brie's friend from her days at Dutch daycare. It took just a bit of time for them to get reacquainted before running off into the enchanted forest as though they’d never been apart.  
 

Utrecht Singeloop

We walk down memory lane each time we step foot in the historic center of Utrecht. From the hustle and bustle of Utrecht Central and Hoog Catherijne (a beautiful new mall that, unlike most, is vibrant, bustling, and fully integrated into the urban fabric of the city) to the historic square at Dom Tower, we can't help but reminisce with the kids as babies and toddlers. The annual 10K Utrecht Singelloop gave us all an excuse to return to our "Holland hometown" this time with Brie taking part in the annual race just like Dad. We were able to visit our first house along with our favorite neighbors who helped us cheer on the thousands of runners. Props to Mirella who was able to spot Ben just in time for me to capture this action shot.

 

Switzerland and the Alps

Our summer vacation went out the window when we soon realized the sticky summer months would be filled with readying ourselves and our home for our move. This made the kids fall break time that much more important (mostly for me) to be able to get away after a very stressful time of moving, starting a new school, new house, unpacking while still trying to work with my US job. Phew! Needless to say, it was well deserved time off for us!

While we originally planned to visit Istanbul, we decided at the last-minute to put the trip on hold and pivot to an Alpine vacation. Ben worked his magic and found a delightful hotel in Austria complete with a full kids club, indoor pools, a spa for me, and full-board. Getting out of the city, seeing the fall leaves in all their glory, and getting some fresh mountain air was the perfect recipe for relaxation and rejuvenation.  The hotel (Frankensteiner Montafon, if you’re curious), was fabulous – like a Four Seasons for families – and allowed us to truly decompress. I never realized how much energy and time goes into planning meals. Much to Ben’s chagrin (“it cost how much??”), I strive to make this setup our new holiday norm.
 
So far, alles goed here in the Netherlands. We have a few more weeks of winter drudgery before the tulips come out and vacations begin anew, so for now my goal is to fill our cup with the activities, friends, and places that provide the extra energy boost to sustain us until the winter doll-drums have passed.

 
Wishing everyone a Gelukkig nieuwjaar. Proost!
 

Longest. Summer. Ever.

After what seemed like years rather than months, the girls have FINALLY started school - hence my new found time to write in this blog. Needless to say, this was truly the never-ending summer. For context, children in the Netherlands end school in July and start back after Labor Day. With our girls finishing at their US school in late May, this has been a painfully long 3+ month summer.  

 

Upon arriving, our days were a mix of expat paperwork, Ikea deliveries, and daily grocery runs while trying to incorporate some fun and exploration between tasks. Needless to say, it was a juggling act, especially while trying to manage our jobs in parallel. In an effort to preempt the dreaded "what are we going to do today?" we acted like tourists in our new city, checking out all of the museums on rainy days and all the playgrounds on the sunny ones. Thanks to the Museum Card we have access to majority of the museums in Amsterdam and anywhere else in NL for virtually free. It's amazing to see our kids enjoying the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh, and other world class museums in our backyard. We were fortunate that many of the museums had summer programs for kids, each designed to engage rambunctious kiddos with interactive displays and activities. 

 

Late Nights and Even Later Mornings

 

What has taken us by surprise is how late the mornings start compared to the US – perhaps driven by everyone’s desire to enjoy every last-minute of the evening light before the dreaded winter doldrums roll in. No matter how hard we try, bedtime for the girls is almost never earlier than 9pm. Thankfully, school starts at 8:45 AM, so a 7am wakeup call is perfectly adequate. For all the delicious reasons, the kids are content to be pushed out the door with a croissant or bribed with pan au chocolate, making our chaotic mornings a bit less stressful. Ben typically takes the girls to school in the “Bakfiets” (basket bike), where he navigates what must be the heaviest bicycle traffic in the world. Thousands upon thousands of bicycle commuters moving in perfect harmony and with the utmost efficiency. Actually…not really – it’s pure chaos and accidents are reasonably common, as evidenced by the ever-present crutches and arm-slings that can be seen throughout the city. 

 

These late mornings are even more important now that I am working from 3pm - 7pm most days. There is even the occasional 9 or 10pm meeting, resulting in what feels like a never-ending day. To sustain this schedule, our coffee consumption has skyrocketed. Given filter coffee isn't very common here, we have adjusted to a small espresso/Americano cup five or six times throughout the day. That, coupled with fresh bread from a local French bakery, has me running on coffee and carbs with a side of gouda or chocolate for good measure.

 

Filling Up Our Cups:

 

Living just a few blocks from the famous Vondelpark has made all the difference for us in terms of quality of life. Ben and I have easy access to a scenic 2-mile running loop, and the kids have a place to hone their biking skills as they prepare to take-on the wild bike paths of Amsterdam. Millie gets her daily fix of dogs and ducks at the park, and spends the remainder of her day barking at passing cats and delivery men from our balcony. Granted, the first few days here were a bit tough as she grappled with city-life, but she seems to have adjusted to Amsterdam, and has even become a pro at navigating the nearly vertical death-trap that they call stairs over here. 

 

Overall, we are off to a solid start. Millie and the girls are fully settled, while mom and dad are reuniting with old friends while making new ones. 

Here's to filling up our cups with coffee, wine, walks, runs or whatever else it takes to get through the day, and looking forward to writing soon about our upcoming fall break adventures in Istanbul.

And Just Like That...

Here we are with less than a week until we embark on our third adventure abroad. In full transparency, this time around has been far more stressful than our initial move five years ago. Maybe it's because we've gone down this path before (with one kid) and that's all I can compare it to, or maybe it's because as we get older change gets harder. Who knows,  but as we navigate the trials and tribulations of this upcoming move, I am TRYING to keep in mind all of the reasons we decided to uproot our lives once again. I’ve decided to use this blog is to share as well as remember all the things (good and bad) that come with these newfound life chapters. Hopefully you find it entertaining, useful, or some combination thereof.

TIME: Maybe it's because I hit the big 4-0 this year or that Sex and the City celebrated its 25th anniversary that time just seems a bit more precious. Or maybe it's because our seven year old has started resembling a 17 year old. We know we're inching closer to the time in life when family excursions are filled with eye-rolls, shoulder shrugs, and selfies. With that in mind, I’m eager to take advantage of the precious time we have. Living abroad is a reset. A few years where your family is, by necessity, your best friend sharing in the trials and tribulations of starting life anew. 

EXPOSURE: This was our primary motive when deciding to move abroad once again. Exposure to a new way of life (for the girls, anyway), a different language, culture, and community. While it may be cliché, change is good. Although it will be difficult at times, we know how much good will come from getting out of our comfort zones, experiencing new things, and more importantly seeing that we live in a BIG, BEAUTIFUL world full of interesting people, places, and cultures.  

BALANCE:  As working parents, our daily lives can be a grind. With work, kids, school, social activities, we get caught in a hamster-wheel of demands. This time away serves as an opportunity for us to reset. Dutch culture is a bit more balanced, with a stronger separation between work and home-life. Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to appreciate the simple niceties in life – a glass of wine, a Saturday morning bike ride to the market, or a loaf of freshly baked bread.

And finally, life is short, and we mustn’t forget that we have only so much time to tackle those bucket list items. As we pack our belongings, reminisce over old photos, question a few past purchases (5 inch heels, I am looking at you), we know that time will fly by and before you know it, our time abroad will have come and gone just like that...

Lessons Learned Living Abroad

We all knew this day would come. While two and a half years have come and gone, it still hasn't fully sunk-in that our time in the Netherlands has come to an end and that we're returning to the States.  While we are sad to leave this wonderful utopia behind, I remind myself that this is not the end but rather just the closing of a chapter. Like those that preceded it, I am grateful for the experiences, lessons, and people that have filled these pages in our lives.

 Needless to say, it's bittersweet. We're happy to return to friends and family but will miss the Dutch (and ex-pat) friends that have become our family and the European way of life we've embraced over the past 29 months. As is always the case, we finally managed to become more "Dutch" just as we pack up to leave. Our time abroad has opened us up to many new perspectives and Dutch ways-of-life that we hope remain with us for years to come. 

All about Balance

 We've embraced the Dutch work/life balance enough to notice that even a small amount of time away from work (like really disconnecting - no laptop or email) allows you to reset. The Dutch are some of the hardest and most efficient workers I've ever met, but when they take vacation, they mean it: no work calls, no emails, nothing. It took a solid year or so but we finally started to act Dutch in our use of vacation days. This summer alone, we managed to fit in Mallorca, Rome and the South of France. When we lived in the US, the last time we took a full week off was for our honeymoon in Hawaii almost SEVEN years ago. I look back and scold my newlywed self for not at least pushing for a two week stay.

Lesson Learned: We'd be more productive if we vacationed a bit more like the Dutch. That and drinking copious amounts of (small) coffee doesn't hurt! (comment from Ben re: vacation: correlation does not equal causation).

Get Back to Basics

We've grown accustomed to our 1 full bath, 1,600 sq. ft Dutch "Mansion" (that is actually what Utrechters call it). You don't need a 5,000 sq. ft McMansion for a comfortable life, just a good layout and a garden to grab some rays on sunny days. Not to mention, more room just means more stuff. As we are in the thick of moving, I am reminded of all the impulse buys and unnecessary items (comment from Ben: it's true, Amy buys tons of stuff). Somehow we've managed to triple the amount of stuff we came with - I'll blame Brooke. 

Lesson Learned: It may be cliché but extra space or stuff doesn't make you happy. I know Ben is going to be quoting these words next time I come home from Target. :P Minimalism isn't just practical or trendy, it makes sense. Surround yourself with what matters to you - whomever and whatever that may be!

  

Be Direct

As someone who is relatively reserved and shy (at times), I initially found the Dutch directness to be a bit shocking especially coming from corporate America. My Dutch team reminded me of this on my last day in the office. But in fact, it's just being real - saying what you think, and not worrying about norms, hierarchies, or anything else holding you back. In a society that isn't litigious like the US and is among the "flatest" in the world with regards to professional relationships - there isn't the fear of being sued for not being PC, or reprisals from your boss.  Unlike the Americans or Brits, the Dutch just cut to the chase.  I continue to take mental notes as my boss or other colleagues just get to the point, "What is this really going to cost me?" "What is your aim?" As uncomfortable as it may be, it benefits everyone in the end. It's still one area I am trying to work on. 

Lesson learned: Say what you think. Just try it -  it's oddly refreshing.

Nothing is permanent

I often forget that the good and the bad is temporary. Every passing year, every extra birthday candle or gray hair,  I can't help but keep this in mind. Whether it is the sleepless nights of newborn (now toddler) or stressful chaos of moving all your belongings across the Atlantic.  I try to step back and take a deep breath. Being an expat abroad makes you focus on living in the moment. Knowing that this experience is temporary, I can say we did everything we could (given the circumstances of having a second kiddo in the process) to embrace our new home and take advantage of living in close proximity to many wonderful destinations.  

Lesson Learned:  Make the most of everyday, regardless of being an expat or not.


Life is about choices

At our wedding, my father shared a few wise words during his toast, "Life is about choices, remember to choose well."  It was especially relevant in the choosing of a life partner and now as an expat. The choices and chances we take can lead us down incredible paths. The decision to move abroad wasn't simple or easy (as I am now reminded as we embark on our 9 hour flight across the pond with two kids) but it was indeed worth it. Because of it, the Netherlands, Dutch culture and its people have left an indelible mark on our hearts.

Lesson Learned: Take a chance. Embrace the change. Jump in head first. You may not know it yet but you'll be glad you did.

Sounds like an American

I never much noticed my own accent until living abroad. Having grown up in the Midwest, I always felt lucky to have a "neutral" accent. From Minneapolis to Boston, Dallas to Nashville, my accent has evolved a bit after each city. My old roommate in Minneapolis would giggle every time the Minnesota "oh" would come out (Minne-sOH-ta) after I had wine. I can still pull out "ya'll" complete with a little Southern drawl from our time in Texas. My Chicago "a" will never disappear, just ask me to say "bag". Thankfully - and no offense to our Beantown friends - but I never adopted the Boston "r" - or lack thereof - as in "pahk the cah". If you need a good reminder of a classic Boston accent, just watch Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.

Our oldest daughter has a hybrid Dutch, American and British accent. We can't help but laugh when she mixes British terms or Dutch with her English. "Mom, I need a plaster (band-aid)." "Are we going to the seaside?"  "Mag ik fruit?" (May I have fruit?). This is largely due to watching Cbeebies on the BBC, Peppa the Pig and Dutch cartoons. We've reached an age where  she can differentiate between English (Engles) and Dutch (Nederlands). When we ask her to sing a song for us, she'll often respond "I can't sing for you because I don’t know it in English." She sneezed the other day and I responded with "Bless you" to which she responded "No, it's gesundheit". I live with a constant reminder that my Dutch is sub-par. Ben and I are convinced that both kids will be conspiring against us in Dutch in a matter of months as our language skills are evolving at a comparatively glacial pace. 

Since moving abroad, I have become more aware and at times self-conscious of my accent. We're constantly asked if we're German based on our last name, and when we travel some think we're Dutch - though we're not nearly tall enough. But uttering a single word makes it obvious that we are American, and in the age of Donald Trump, that's not always welcome news. I can't help but notice the more negative reactions and associations it has nowadays. In a recent work call, I received (to my surprise) a disgusted response once I started speaking. "Oh you're American. I thought this was a Dutch company, is that not the case?" "Is this an American product?" she inquired.  At a recent European Cancer Advocacy conference in Budapest, I sat among 70+ people, all of whom were European, as the token American. "How does an American find herself here, working for a Dutch company?"

Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be an American. But that pride continues to be tarnished by the recent violence and toxic rhetoric that plagues the United States. The all too familiar sound of CNN's "Breaking News" makes us cringe as we've come to expect the report of another mass shooting taking place somewhere back home. When deciding to move abroad as a family in 2017, we discussed the terror incidents that rocked the cities of Paris, Berlin and Nice.  It never occurred to us that the risk of terror in the U.S. would far outpace Europe a mere 2-years later.

 

As a mom, you never stop worrying. But instead of bruised knees, I worry about what awaits us when we eventually return home. Will we be able to take our kids to public events? How am I going to explain this environment to them when they've only known the relative Utopia that is Utrecht?  I think about Nashville, a city experiencing tremendous growth thanks in part to its popular downtown scene. Will we ever feel comfortable going out on Broadway knowing the risks associated with such popular destinations? 

I recently came across a quote that reminded me that I have to take my anger, frustration and actually do something.

"The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails." - William A Ward

Until now, I have been sitting back hoping, praying, wishing that change would happen. While we may be living across the pond, I remind myself that we're not helpless or hopeless. We can still exercise our right to hold our congress and representatives accountable, which is exactly what I plan to do (and if they think they can ignore us because we're 4,000 miles away....well, we'll be home soon enough). So here's to change, and to pushing beyond our comfort zone. Here's to opening ourselves to new experiences, languages, and even laws, recognizing that we can learn from other cultures - some of whom seem to have these things figured out a little better than we do. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go practice my Dutch. Tot zo!

The Glitz and Glamour of Southern France with Kids

At this stage of parenthood, I am inclined to stick my head in the sand and wait until the kids are a little older before trying to attempt a "vacation". In reality, there will never be a perfect time. Traveling with two kids is hard no matter what stage. While many of us (cough, cough, my husband) like to share the highlight reel of our trips on social media, I'd rather capture the behind the scenes bloopers that encompass the reality of traveling with tots. One of my best friends recently said that there needs to be a new word for "vacation" when you have kids. I couldn't agree more.

At three months postpartum, we ventured out of the house to Germany's Rhine Valley. Between breastfeeding and naps we were left with little time to see much of anything. We somehow managed to lose our stroller - but thankfully not the baby - after stopping at Christmas market in Dusseldorf (and by "we" I mean my husband). The upside is that I am now the proud owner of a fancy European stroller.  A day later, as Brie was in full meltdown after learning that "Elsa's Castle" (Elsa of Frozen fame), Ben managed to take off the side mirror and dented the car backing out of a parking garage. Are we having fun yet? Talk about a few extra expenses we didn't expect to incur.

Our spring break trip to Italy, by comparison, was far better. We crammed a lot of sightseeing, pizza and gelato into our four days in Rome and Florence. Brie now yells "pizza" and "isjie" whenever we say the word Italy.  We were spoiled with multiple date nights complete with a wine flight experience where we offended them after determining that we really aren't fans of the Chianti grape. Aside from a few tantrums about smoothies, a pee'd bed in the middle of the night, and being surrounded by just one too many Americans to get the authentic Italian experience, it really went off without a hitch.




 As glamorous as the South of France sounds, it is far less exotic with kids. The Provence region was BEAUTIFUL. The weather was a perfect 78 and sunny. We hit the VRBO jackpot with a gorgeous traditional Provencal rental that comfortably fit two families including four kids and our au pair.  Having two kids in your room with a 9 month old going through another dreaded sleep regression/growth spurt (do they always time these things during vacations?) left us with newborn deje 'vu. Our days of getting rowdy and staying up until the wee hours of the morning seem like a million years ago. Instead we were sipping our wine and falling sleep only an hour after the kids went down. Sad!

Our beautiful picturesque town of St. Remy was filled with quaint shops and restaurants. None of which we were able to frequent as we found that most of the restaurants don't serve dinner until 7pm. How the heck am I supposed to feed kids? Ordering pizza was our dinner option while grabbing a few crepes to tide us over for fear that "hangry" children would strike. Moreover, the town square was adorable with a farmer's market filled with savory cheeses, lush fruits and local spices. Of course what did the kids want to do? Carousel. Carousel. Carousel. I swear we spent $18 just trying to delay the inevitable meltdown that would follow upon leaving.

For the latter half of our trip we headed north towards Lyon. Upon our departure we made a side trip to the town of Avignon known for it's historic Palace of the Popes. As soon as we stepped foot in the city center, Brie was transfixed on the tiny train tour. We figured a quick, scenic tour of the city wouldn't be a bad way to start our day. Little did we know that as we wove through the cobblestone streets with Brooke sucking down her mid-morning bottle that a stomach bug was lurking. We were greeted with projectile vomit 3/4ths of the way through the tour. Ugh! Luckily, the seat in front was vacant, and the other passengers just looked on in horror. As I sat there half covered in formula vomit, I had to shrug it off. This couldn't be the first time this has happened here, right?

To add to the fun, we failed to realize that this was a holiday weekend and EVERYONE would be driving home on Sunday. What should have been a 3 hour drive to our next destination turned out to be a 5.5 hour ordeal with a sick baby to boot. After 2.5 hours in slow down, speed up and tail gate traffic (the French are not great drivers - it's no wonder there were multiple accidents) the kids were fidgety and fussy. I was crankiest of them all and demanded we get off at the next exit. As we drove through the back roads we happend upon a KFC with a kids outdoor playground (you know the ones we used to have at McDonalds back in the 1990's - jackpot!) I can't tell you the last time I was at KFC but I've never been happier to see one. Wait a minute, are we really dining at a KFC in France? Oh wait, yes and I guess we do whatever it takes for our kids like climb up the jungle gym to rescue them too.

As we settled into our hotel, I realized that would fall victim to Brooke's tummy bug. The following day, our au pair Kini faced a similar fate. Majority of us couldn't bear to move from our rooms. All except for Ben and Brie who thankfully came out unscathed.

Traveling is always an adventure and these stories just add to the memories. In the end, I have to remind myself that we get the opportunity to witness the world through the innocent eyes of our kiddos. Even without a common language, they communicate through sharing snacks, smiles and toys in the universal pastime of play. Watching Brie interact with children from all over the world with no concept of race, religion, or nationality. We are all more alike than we are different. Sometimes we need to look to our little ones for the important life lessons. Here's to acting more like kids.

It's not Good or Bad, It's Just Different

At 37 weeks pregnant, I am often asked how I feel about giving birth abroad. Am I nervous? Do I wish I was back home for my delivery? Am I ready for a Dutch birth? What occurred to me is that many of us have a misconception that anything other than what we are accustomed to must be bad or inferior. This goes beyond birthing a baby abroad to many aspects of life.

Living abroad the past year has allowed me to dispel many of these misconceptions and biases, though in some cases it has reaffirmed stereotypes. Ever heard the phrase "Going Dutch?" Well it really makes sense to me in light of the Dutch, umm, frugality that Ben and I regularly experience. While I've embraced it as a "cultural difference", I still can't quite understand the lack of ceiling fans, garbage disposals or why M&Ms don't taste the same (lack of delicious chemicals, I suppose).

I can only hope that I am not a walking American stereotype in my  daily interactions. We're not all gun toting, Big Mac eating, culturally insensitive folk.  But do I have a penchant for shopping, sales, and snap your fingers convenience? Absolutely! Oh Amazon Prime and Target, how I miss thee!

There are a few Dutch and American differences that stuck out recently. During a heat wave that topped 99 degrees, we found ourselves struggling to cope without air conditioning.  It's an uncommon amenity in a country that typically sees 70 - 75 degree summers. I played the hot, angry pregnant woman card so we ended up staying in a hotel for a few days to escape the insufferable heat. At least the heatwave gave us the excuse to overindulge in lots of ijsje (ice cream).

As soon as I found out Baby #2 was on the way, I was anxious to learn about the Dutch labor and delivery process. My belief that all Dutch women birth at home with no pain support or epidurals has since been debunked. Although this is the most common route, it is thankfully not the only one available. During the maternity tour at the local hospital, I learned that epidurals are available 24/7 (Phew!) in a labor and delivery room that resembles that of any hospital in the States. While I don't have a dedicated OB, my experience with a midwife has been mostly the same with the exception that I am not stuck in the waiting room for 20-30 minutes for each appointment.

However, the Dutch pregnancy protocol is far different than that of the States in that many of the tests that   are required in the US are optional in the Netherlands. I had to inquire about the dreaded glucose (orange drink) and Group B Strep tests only to find that it is only given to "at risk" patients. Being a Type A  "educated patient", I at least had little push back in getting these tests as long as I was willing to cover the additional costs.  

So once baby arrives, most moms stay in the hospital for 2-4 hours after the birth. Yes, you read that right. If mom and baby are healthy then it's back home in a matter of a few hours.  Here is why:  You go home directly to your Kraamzorg, an at home baby nurse dedicated to assist you from the minute you get home and for the following 8-10 days post delivery. All of this is covered by insurance. Makes sense, right? Might as well be sleeping in your own bed and using your own baby items with professional help to take care of you, baby and the rest of your family. I must admit I'm the most curious about this aspect of Dutch maternity care. Given the Kraamzorg's responsibilities include preparing meals, caring for baby, and giving mom time for herself, I couldn't be more excited! To sum up my pregnancy experience thus far, the Dutch maternity/pregnancy approach is incredibly practical while cost effective. USA take note! Now don't even get me started on Dutch vs. U.S. maternity leave...

If there is one thing I've learned over the past year it is that the Dutch directness is a necessity for getting (and at times demanding) what you want. Sitting back expecting someone else to take initiative isn't going to get you far in the Netherlands. I've embraced the Dutch directness and will continue to be transparent as we embark on our next adventure as a soon to be family of five (Brie, new baby, Maddie, Ben, and I). As the Dutch say, Success! (Good Luck!)

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