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Reading & listening
Our favourite books and podcasts: to inform yourselves well, build confidence and find your own way in parenthood.
Our book tips
Pregnancy, birth and the first period with a baby bring many questions. These books can help you inform yourselves well, build confidence and find your own way in parenthood. (Most titles are in Dutch.)
Pregnancy & preparing for birth
- Veilig zwanger — Beatrijs Smulders
A complete reference on pregnancy (in Dutch): what happens in your body, how your baby grows and how to prepare well month by month.
- Veilig bevallen — Beatrijs Smulders
All about the birth itself (in Dutch): the stages of labour, the power of hormones and giving birth with knowledge and confidence.
- Duik in je weeën — Carita Salomé, Juliette de Wit
Teaches you to ride contractions wave by wave with breathing, relaxation and visualisation, moving with them instead of fighting them (in Dutch).
- Relaxed zwanger — Heleen Cool
A down-to-earth, reassuring guide to going through pregnancy without unnecessary stress (in Dutch).
- Mindful zwanger — Tracey Donegan
Mindfulness and meditation during pregnancy: more calm in your head and a conscious preparation for the birth.
- Hypnobirthing – The Mongan Method — Marie F. Mongan
The well-known hypnobirthing method: releasing fear through self-hypnosis, breathing and deep relaxation for a calmer birth.
The first weeks with your baby
- Zachte nachten — Hanne Wils, Anouk van Nuffel
A realistic, warm view of baby sleep (in Dutch): what is normal, why closeness matters and how to make the nights gentler for everyone.
- Het vierde trimester — Kimberley Ann Johnson
About your own recovery after birth: rest, nourishment and physical and emotional healing in the first months.
Understanding your baby & parenthood
- De verborgen taal van je baby — Anja Caers
Teaches you to recognise your baby’s signals and body language, so you understand what your little one is trying to tell you (in Dutch).
- Oei, ik groei! — Frans X. Plooij & Hetty van de Rijt
The ten mental leaps in your baby’s development: what changes with each leap and how to support your child through them.
- Het boek waarvan je wilde dat je ouders het hadden gelezen — Philippa Perry
About the parent–child bond: how your own upbringing echoes through and how to truly connect, even in difficult moments.
- Blij koemelkvrij — Rolinde Demeyer
A practical guide to cow’s milk allergy (in Dutch): recognising symptoms and feeding dairy-free without losing nutritional value.
- Van melk naar meer — Fien Jansens, Nina Geuens
A science-based guide to the transition from milk to solid food, with plenty of practical tips for every stage (in Dutch).
Breastfeeding
- The Art of Breastfeeding — La Leche League International
An extensive, warm breastfeeding guide: from the first latch to weaning, with answers to the most common questions.
When things go differently
- Het rouwt in jou – Regenboog in jou — Berrefonds
Gentle books about grief and loss after saying goodbye to a child, with room for sorrow, remembrance and connection (in Dutch).
Our podcast tips
Sometimes listening is just as valuable (and easier to fit into a busy life) as reading. These podcasts take you into stories, experiences and insights around pregnancy, birth, babies and parenthood. You’ll usually find them on the regular podcast apps such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. (Mostly in Dutch.)
Happybabycoach – De podcast
About the challenges of early parenthood, with a gentle, connecting view of babies and what your child really needs.
Mama Baas Podcast
A relatable podcast for (expectant) parents: personal mum stories and conversations with experts about pregnancy, parenting, sleep and balance.
Buikgewoel
A warm, open podcast about the perinatal period: from wanting a child and pregnancy to birth and parenthood, without taboos.
Mama’s Mindset
Focuses on the mental side of motherhood, with attention to self-care, personal growth and finding more calm and confidence.
De Muttis
Honest conversations about the beautiful, funny and challenging sides of being a mum.