Amsterdam midwives striking on Tuesday night

Almost all the midwife practices in Amsterdam will be on strike and protesting between 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and 3:00 a.m. On Wednesday. They are protesting against Health Minister Edith Schippers' plan to get midwives and gynecologists working more closely together by paying all birth care from one pot next year, Het Parool reports. According to the midwives, Schippers' plan will come at the expense of women's freedom to choose how they want to give birth. Midwives and supporters will gather on the Museumplein at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday and march through the city with torches. The march will end at the former midwife school on Camperstraat. Pregnant women who start getting contractions between 10:30 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. can still call the emergency number and should be able to reach their midwife by phone. But no home births will be done during the protest time. Women will be sent to the Deliverey Center West, VUmc or AMC hospitals. "We want to show what will happen if Minister Edith Schippers' plans go ahead", midwife Marijke Sibie said to the newspaper.