Expecting multiples: what does that mean for your maternity care?

More hours, but no fixed number

The Landelijk Indicatieprotocol Kraamzorg leaves room for extra hours with a multiple pregnancy — logical, since caring for two or more babies at once takes more time than one. However, there's no fixed, nationally uniform number that applies to every multiple pregnancy: the exact number of extra hours varies by situation and is determined, just as with a single baby, during the intake interview and finalised after the birth. So don't take any assumption as a given fact — discuss this actively with your maternity care organisation.

Why multiples need more care

• Feeding, changing and checking two (or more) babies at once simply takes more time than with one baby, especially in the first, still unfamiliar days.
• Multiples are more often born early than a single baby — an earlier birth can mean the babies (or you yourself) need to stay in hospital longer. As with a caesarean section: hospital days count toward the total number of indicated hours, so the longer the hospital stay, the fewer hours in principle remain for at home.
• Your own recovery can also be more intensive with a multiple pregnancy and birth, which likewise factors into the indication.

Practical tips

• Discuss your situation early — not just at the birth, but already during the intake interview, so the maternity care organisation can think along with the planning.
• Arrange extra help from your own network where possible — indicated hours are never unlimited, and with multiples the need for help is usually greater than with one child.
• Turning out to be heavier than expected at home? Then, just as with a single baby, a re-assessment can be requested — see How many hours of maternity care do you get? for how that works.

In short

• There's room for extra hours with multiples, but no fixed, nationally uniform number — discuss this during the intake interview.
• Multiples are more often born early, which can affect the hospital stay (and therefore the hours that remain for at home).
• Arrange additional help from your own network where possible.
• If it turns out to be heavier than expected, a re-assessment is an option.

Also read How many hours of maternity care do you get? The indication protocol in plain language