Maartje Bruning

Being known as a 'down to earth doula', I'm being actively promoted by a few gynaecologists and midwives in the Amsterdam area. I've been working as a full time and certified birth doula for over 10 years. I've been honored to attend about 400 deliveries, both at home as in hospital. I'm passionate about what I do, enthusiastic, curious and energetic. But: silent when necessary and positively energetic when I can. Even after all these years, I'm still humbled and honored to witness an expecting woman grow into motherhood and very grateful if I've been able to help a hand.

In 2013 I finished the JJ doula training in Amsterdam and in 2014 I certified as a prenatal yoga teacher at Birthlight (UK). When I went to the USA in 2016, I trained at Pro Doula by attending both their birth doula as postpartum doula educational programs. In the USA specifically I have been taught how to be of extra value during a hospital birth with pain meds (such as epidural analgesia). My aim in the Netherlands is to teach my clients how to facilitate a home birth mindset in a clinical setting. I can be your birth doula, or come over to teach my (own developed) private child birth education class about giving birth in the Netherlands: "Birthing Basics". Your (labour) partner is just as important as you are, and my focus lays on how to get your partner best prepped as possible. He/ she will feel equipped to guide you through final weeks of pregnancy as well as through birth, having lots of massage techniques, breathing exercises and evidence based background info.  

In 2019 de Doula Academie was founded by me and a few fellow senior doula's. We train both birth doula's as well as postpartum doula's. We aim to spread doula knowledge throughout the Netherlands as we feel that the more doula's there are, the more doula's will be asked to attend births! Together we can make a difference in our Dutch birth culture. Contact me timely in your pregnancy, since I do not have much capacity to take on many clients per month.