Friday, September 19, 2014

The kraampakket and Stichting Baby Hope



 One of the most shocking things for me, as a Mexican, was to find out how, culturally, giving birth at home is the norm in The Netherlands. The whole midwifery system in Holland is based on a low-intervention, conservative approach to birth, when possible. But, when an emergency situation arises, the system does not hesitate to provide the best care that modern science can provide nowadays, as we attested personally. I was a bit afraid of all of this, as I find comfort in being surrounded by nurses, doctors and machines. But, it all went well. And yes, if it is not your wish, no one forces you to give birth at home, you can still choose to give birth at a hospital, where most labor wards are led by midwives, but gynaecologists, neonatologists and other specialists are always very close.


 Well, when you find yourself pregnant in The Netherlands, your insurance company will send you a "kraampakket", a box filled with goodies in preparation for the baby's arrival. I was very curious of the contents of this box. As it turns out, it comes with everything you need for a birth at home: a plastic mattress protector, sterile gloves, alcohol, gauze, a clamp for the umbilical cord, a teddy bear seal, pads for the glamorous post-partum period, mesh panties, puppy-pads... It was quite the surprise, how deeply ingrained home-births are. I just can' get my head around that fact, but that is just because modern medicine makes me feel safe.

An important piece of information is that if you give birth at a hospital in The Netherlands, you can choose to donate your 'kraampakket' to Baby Hope, a foundation that collects and delivers medical material for birth in sanitary conditions in different countries. Childbirth is still a matter of life and death in countries where access to universal health care and hygienic conditions are not a given, and so, this organization collects unused material to send it to their projects supporting mothers and their children in countries like Gambia, Guatemala, Senegal, Birma, India, Albania, Ukrania or Tanzania.


 On a related note, did you know that Finland's government also has the tradition of gifting pregnant women with a box?

Except the Finnish's box is full of pretty much everything your baby will need on those immediate first months:  things like a mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping bag/quilt, a snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties, light hooded suit and knitted overalls, socks and mittens,a knitted hat, bodysuits, leggings, a hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash clothes, cloth diaper set and muslin squares, a picture book and teething toy, bra pads and condoms.

Moreover, the box itself is often used as a crib for the baby too? Amazing! I wouldn't mind a box like that one!


Last two images via this BBC article.

6 comments:

  1. Ohhh la baby seal :D Sabía de la caja finlandesa, pero no de la de Holanda, lindo y positivo. ¿No querrán mandarnos unas de esas que les sobran? Bastante falta hace en este país. Abrazos

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    1. Sí, el proyecto no incluye México. Yo doné gran parte de mi caja a la asociación que mencionó, porque básicamente no utilizamos casi nada. (Ni siquiera el protector de colchón, lo pensábamos poner en la semana 35, y Yu salió a las 33 con su sorpresa, y luego de ahí al hospital!) Saludos.

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  2. I'd heard about the boxes from Finland, but had no idea that there was something similar in the Netherlands. It's bloody brilliant.

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    1. Yeah, it is really well thought of... though I did not use a lot of it, except for the pads and I think some impermeable nappy squares.

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  3. guauu son muy afortunadas son las futuras mamas de los paises bajos, la verdad en Italia a pesar de tener un servicio de salud que cubre todo lo que se relaciona al embarazo...de hay no pasa.....por fortuna que e encontrado fundaciones que te dan asistencia a el alactamiento.....estan un poco atrazados respecto a post parto!. genial esa cajita seguro sera muy oractica con tu chiquita. un saluditooo amanda

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    1. La asistencia a la lactancia es invaluable! Infórmate bien a donde puedes acudir, no creo que tengas ningún problema, pero siempre es bueno sabe quien te puede dar consejo. Casi no utilizamos nada, más que las compresas y unos recuadros impermeables, ya que el resto está pensado para tener un parto en casa y yo estuve en el hospital. Pero me encanta que exista esa asociación que recolecta el mateial médico para mandarlo a quien lo necesita, es algo simple, pero salva vidas!

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