Maternity care reduction proposed for second-time parents due to labor shortages

Parents having a second child may receive fewer hours of maternity care for their first child, provided family situations allow. This proposed plan comes from the employers' organization Bo Geboortezorg, which cites labor market shortages as the primary reason, NOS reported.

Currently, the Netherlands faces a shortage of approximately 1,500 maternity nurses, and of the current 9,500 maternity nurses, 10 percent have long-term illnesses. This places more pressure on the remaining workforce, particularly in major cities where some maternity caregivers assist three families daily. "The situation has been dire for the past two years, but it's now getting out of hand," stated Feli Escarabajal of the FNV trade union to NOS.

Families with newborns typically receive 42 hours of maternity care, but shortages in some areas reduce this to as little as 24 hours or less. To address these gaps, online calls and rotating caregivers among families are being considered, with Bo Geboortezorg also proposing using trainee staff.

Due to staff shortages, maternity nurses are stretched thin, focusing only on essential tasks like check-ups, weighing, and measuring. This has increased the workload for midwives, who now handle more administrative duties and make frequent home visits. Consequently, there is less support for monitoring breastfeeding or household chores. “And that comes at the expense of the parents' sleep and rest,” said Martine de Ridder of the Westerkade midwife practice in Utrecht

The industry association recognizes these challenges and has a plan for more tailored care by 2025. First-time mothers will receive more maternity hours than those with a second child unless health issues arise, such as postnatal depression or mental disabilities. This aims for a better distribution of care hours. Additionally, longer hospital stays will no longer reduce maternity care hours, a current practice.

Esther van der Ark from the Dutch Professional Association for Maternity Nurses suggested using online maternity care to combat staff shortages, emphasizing its importance as an additional service.

However, many professionals, including Lieneke van den Brink, an obstetrician, expressed skepticism about the digitalization of the profession. They argue that in-person support is crucial, especially for families facing challenges like language barriers, lack of family support, or mental disabilities.