Midwife speaking

Iedere maand vertelt verloskundige Dieuwke Ottens over wat ze meemaakt in haar praktijk als verloskundige. In deze nieuwsbrief praat ze over een van haar kinderwensconsulten. Op deze consulten komen stellen praten die graag gezond aan de zwangerschap willen beginnen.

Linda and Paul (not their real names) had been together for 5 years. After their studies and the start of their career, they moved from an apartment to a house. Because of their desire to have children. They had been trying to conceive for 5 months now, but they hadn't succeeded yet.

During a child wish consultation I go through a whole list of questions

For example, we look together whether they can change anything to increase the chance of a pregnancy. I also provide additional information on various topics. Such as about lifestyle, the menstrual cycle and also about obstetric care in the Netherlands. Friends of Linda and Paul had also had such a consultation with a colleague midwife in another practice. They were satisfied with that. They had received tips that they did not know yet.

The consultation is going very well

It turns out that Linda and Paul are actually very healthy. They have no diseases that are important for the pregnancy. Do not use medication and exercise regularly. Linda had already stopped drinking alcohol. She had once read that if you do not drink alcohol, the chance of pregnancy increases. Their age should not be a barrier to pregnancy either.

Paul is also healthy and regularly sports with a group of friends. This is always very pleasant. They cycle through the dunes and play squash together. These evenings often end with a round of drinks in the bar of the sports club. Or in a cozy cafe nearby. Social contact is insanely important and once a drink is of course not an issue. But when I inquired further, it turned out that Paul also drinks a few beers on 2 evenings during the weekend. Especially now in the summer.

We know that taking alcohol before pregnancy also has a negative effect on men (Trimbos Institute)

In men, alcohol consumption in the period before conception can lead to reduced sperm quality in three areas. This reduced quality can in turn lead to reduced fertility:

• Less fertile sperm
• Fewer sperm cells per ejaculation
• More abnormal sperm cells

That is why the advice is that the man does not drink alcohol when he wants to become pregnant. The chance of a pregnancy then increases.

Paul didn't know this. He immediately indicated that less alcohol would also make him a bit fitter. A friend of his never drinks alcohol either. And nowadays there are many non-alcoholic alternatives in every cafe. They went home in good spirits.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from them: we are pregnant!

It can suddenly go that fast. They are coming for intake next week. Then we make a healthy start to the pregnancy together.

Dieuwke has been a full-time midwife for 20 years. She guides pregnant women and their partners. During pregnancy, childbirth and also after childbirth. She has assisted more than 1,300 deliveries. As a result, she has a lot of experience. There is hardly a question that she has not yet heard.

And since 2015 she is a sexual health consultant (NVVS) at the Dutch Society for Sexology. She answers all kinds of questions about sexuality. For example, questions about pain during sex. Or that partners both have different sexual desires during or after pregnancy. And men with erection problems also come to talk to her.