Postnatal recovery & support

Although becoming a new parent – or a parent new to Belgium – can be an exciting time, it can also be daunting as so many things are new to you. Research shows that mums, dads, and babies have an easier time with this transition if a good support team is in place. Below you can find some of the main contacts that can provide support, advice and a general listening ear.

Photo by Khoa Pham on Unsplash

In this section you’ll find out more about:

Postnatal support from an independent midwife 

Whether or not you saw an independent midwife during your pregnancy, and irrespective of whether you gave birth in hospital or at home, you can visit an independent midwife for a variety of postnatal issues, including:

  • postnatal care for mother and baby
  • advice on baby care
  • breastfeeding support – some midwives are also registered lactation consultants, which mean they have followed additional training in supporting breastfeeding mothers
  • postnatal exercise and pelvic floor re-education
  • family planning/contraception
  • psychological support

Read more about finding an independent midwife.

Postnatal support from a doula, maternity nurse or other supporter

A postpartum doula, maternity nurse or other dedicated postnatal supporter can help ‘mother the mother’ when the baby is already born, and throughout the first six weeks after birth, sometimes even much longer. 

Some of the duties include:

  • Help with the emotional and physical recovery after birth
  • Light housekeeping so that mum does not feel so overwhelmed
  • Running errands
  • Assistance with newborn care such as diapering, bathing, feeding and comforting
  • Light meal preparation
  • Baby soothing techniques
  • Sibling care
  • Referrals to local resources such as parenting classes, paediatricians, lactation support and support groups
  • Postnatal supporters also often offer nighttime service to help the family transition more smoothly into the challenges of nighttime parenting. 

A trained postpartum doula or maternity nurse can also typically provides evidenced-based information on things such as infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, mother-baby bonding, infant soothing, and basic newborn care.

How to find …?

  • maternity nurse – the Dutch-speaking family support network Familiehulp (page in Dutch).

    You can request maternity care from Familiehulp as of the sixth month of your pregnancy, and care can be provided up to 3 months after delivery. In unforeseen emergencies, they can also typically send a maternity nurse at short notice. It’s usually possible to request an English-speaking nurse.

    Note that various organisations and services (health insurance funds, insurance companies, companies, governments, etc.) contribute to the costs of having a maternity nurse.

Breastfeeding support

Breastfeeding may be the most natural way to feel your baby, but it definitely doesn’t always come naturally! And remember that each mum-baby breastfeeding relationship is different, so some mums may find that history doesn’t repeat itself – whether for better or worse!

Getting the right advice and support early on can make all the difference, so that the choice of if, and how long to breastfeed for is entirely up to you (and your baby).

For assistance with breastfeeding you can contact:

You can find other lactation consultants in Belgium here (external link in French). 

  • an independent midwife who offers breastfeeding support – read more about finding a midwife
  • if you are a BCT member, you can contact English-speaking BCT breastfeeding counsellors – volunteer BCT members, who have been trained to give mother-to-mother support 

The website Kellymom also offers a wealth of evidence-based information on breastfeeding.

Mental health support

The Community Help Service (CHS) has been operating in Belgium for over 40 years, and provides information, support, assistance and mental health services in English to anyone in Belgium who needs help, regardless of nationality and circumstances. It is a non-profit association.

CHS runs:

  • a 24/7 confidential information and crisis telephone service, staffed by a team of trained volunteers under the supervision of professional therapists; and
  • a Mental Health Service Centre, which has a professional staff of psychologists, psychiatrists and educational specialists – consultations are available in English and various other languages.

There are many private psychotherapy and counselling services available in Belgium, including English-speaking psychiatrists and therapists.

The website of the Belgian Commission of Psychologists provides a comprehensive search tool, allowing you to find practitioners close to you, speaking a particular language.

Family support associations

  • The Brussels Childbirth Trust (BCT) is Belgium’s biggest English-language non-profit association for families, with over 1200 members from over 70 nationalities.

    As well as various family activities, the BCT also offers a range of postnatal of support services to its members, including:
    • Early Days Supporters – parent-to-parent support before or after the birth of your baby
    • breastfeeding counsellors
    • bottle-feeding supporters
    • information on cloth nappies
    • Experiences Register – a network of parents offering a personal support on topics they have experienced