Sometimes it’s not just the pregnant parent who’s new to the Netherlands and its language. It’s both of you. Other times it’s the reverse: you’re Dutch yourself and know the system perfectly well, but your partner doesn’t speak Dutch, and you don’t want your own birth to turn into a running translation job. Either way, preparation is something you can genuinely do together rather than one of you carrying the language gap alone.
When You’re the Dutch-Speaking One, and Your Partner Isn’t
This situation is at least as common as the reverse: you grew up here, your Dutch is obviously fine, and you know exactly how the system works, but your partner doesn’t speak the language, and every appointment risks turning into you translating in real time, including during labour itself, which is exactly when you have every reason not to be doing anyone else’s job but your own. An English-speaking doula solves a specific part of this: someone who can talk directly with your partner, explain what’s happening as it happens, and make sure he’s genuinely following along rather than nodding through a language he doesn’t speak, so the translating doesn’t fall entirely on you, especially not while you’re in labour.
The Dutch System Expects Your Partner to Be Closely Involved
Compared to some other countries, Dutch maternity care actively expects partners to be present, at check-ups, at preparation conversations, and throughout the birth itself, whichever setting you choose. That’s a good thing for a couple navigating this together, but it also means your partner needs the same basic orientation you do: who the verloskundige (midwife) is, what a kraamverzorgende does, and what to actually expect during labour. Building Your Birth Team as a Newcomer is a good shared starting point for both of you.
Confirm English Support Early, Rather Than Assuming It
Most verloskundige practices in and around larger Dutch cities work in English without issue, and hospitals generally have English-speaking staff, but this isn’t guaranteed everywhere, and it’s worth confirming directly with your own practice rather than assuming. Kraamzorg (postpartum home-care) organisations vary more in this respect. When you register, it’s worth asking specifically whether an English-speaking kraamverzorgende can be arranged, since this isn’t always the default.
A Few Practical Things Worth Preparing Together
A short list of Dutch words worth both of you knowing in advance, such as weeën (contractions), vliezen breken (waters breaking) and ontsluiting (dilation), can make a real difference in a moment when things are moving fast and everyone around you is speaking Dutch by default. It’s also worth agreeing in advance on the basics: when to call your verloskundige versus when to call 112 for genuine emergencies, and who’s responsible for which practical tasks (contacting kraamzorg, notifying work, telling family back home) once labour starts, so neither of you is figuring it out in the moment.
A Doula Supports Both of You, Not Just the Pregnant Partner
This is a role many couples in this exact situation find particularly useful: I work with both of you, not just the pregnant partner, including guiding your partner in practical ways to help during labour, and making sure important information doesn’t get lost between a Dutch-speaking professional and two people who are both still learning the language. From our first contact, I set up a shared WhatsApp group with you and your partner, so you’re both hearing the same thing at the same time, in English. For a couple where neither of you grew up with this system, that shared point of continuity often matters even more. More on how this works in What Is a Doula, and Why Expat Parents Need One Even More.
You’re Building a Team, Not Managing It Alone
It’s worth remembering that a language gap somewhere in your household, whether that’s both of you or just your partner, is a starting point, not a disadvantage that has to be solved entirely alone. Between an English-speaking (or English-confirmed) verloskundige, a doula who bridges language and system knowledge, and the wider support network covered in No Family Nearby? Building a Support Network During Pregnancy in the Netherlands, the language gap is a logistics problem to plan around together, not something either of you has to carry alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my partner’s Dutch is basic but not fluent?
That’s a very normal in-between situation. Mention it to your verloskundige practice and kraamzorg organisation directly so they can match communication accordingly, rather than assuming either full fluency or none at all.
Is it unusual for both partners to not speak Dutch?
Not in this situation. Many of the couples I work with are in exactly this position, which is part of why continuous, English-language support matters so much throughout.
What if I’m Dutch myself, and only my partner doesn’t speak the language?
Also very common, and a completely valid reason to look for English-speaking support. It means you’re not stuck translating everything for your partner during pregnancy and, especially, during the birth itself.
Can my partner ask questions directly, or does it all go through me?
Your partner is very much treated as an equal part of the process by your verloskundige, kraamzorg and doula. Direct questions from either of you are completely normal and encouraged. On my side specifically, I create a shared WhatsApp group with you and your partner right from our first contact, so both of you can ask questions directly and stay equally informed, rather than everything passing through one of you.
If this sounds like your situation, get in touch. We can have the first conversation in English, together.