Understand how health insurance works during pregnancy in Belgium. This guide explains prenatal care reimbursements, ultrasounds, hospital birth coverage, and extra maternity benefits offered by mutualités.

Wondering how prenatal care works in Belgium? This guide breaks down the full timeline, key tests, and what to expect during each trimester as an expat.

Daycare places in Belgium can be competitive. Learn when parents typically register during pregnancy and how to secure childcare for your baby.

After your baby is born in Belgium, one of the first administrative steps is registering them with your health insurance fund (mutuelle / ziekenfonds). This guide explains how expat parents can complete the process to ensure their newborn is covered for pediatric care, vaccinations, and hospital services.

After birth in Belgium, midwives may visit families at home to check the baby’s health, support breastfeeding, and monitor maternal recovery.

Pregnancy care in Belgium isn’t completely free, but most costs are heavily subsidised through the public healthcare system. Learn what insurance covers and what to do if you’re uninsured.

Wondering how much it costs to give birth in Belgium? Learn how health insurance reimburses maternity care and how hospital room choices affect the final bill.

A practical guide to pregnancy administration in Belgium for expats. Learn how to apply for the birth allowance, arrange maternity leave, and complete essential paperwork before your baby arrives.

In 2026, Belgium is launching the first phase of the "Family Credit" system, a major reform designed to unify previously fragmented forms of parental and time-credit leave into a single, cohesive framework.. Here’s an overview of the key changes.

Finding daycare for your baby in Belgium begins before your baby is born - a daunting task and not one you thought you would need to consider early in your pregnancy. Check out our guide to finding daycare that sets you up to make the best choice for you and your baby.

Maternity Leave in Belgium is currently 15 weeks - barely enough time to adjust to parenthood, recover from the birth, establish breastfeeding.

Petition to the Belgian Parliament to get it increased.

Check out the interview about me, Katherine Ellwood in Tervuren+ News where I share my passion for supporting pregnant and new expat parents in Belgium and why I set up this website!

Here, Jane Piot, a British born, Brussels-based doula and breastfeeding counsellor shares 6 key reasons why hiring a doula can positively impact your birth experience supporting you prenatally, on through labour and birth and beyond.

Putting together a plan for the birth of your baby can seem daunting but knowing and understanding your options, relating them to you and your baby’s specific needs and discussing your preferences with your caregivers and birth partner puts you at the centre of your birth experience and gives you agency.

As moms, we wear so many hats—caretaker, problem solver, cook, planner, chauffeur, emotional support, and more. It’s a role that comes with immense joy but also with immense pressure. A pressure often exacerbated when you live in a country that is not your own. Somewhere in the whirlwind of caring for others, we often forget the one person who needs just as much attention: ourselves.

Writing a birth plan is a process that starts by understanding the available choices and ends with you communicating your preferences for labour, birth, and postnatal care to your caregivers. It can seem daunting especially when you are outside of your home country.

So, to get you started here are five key things to consider when formulating your birth plan

Krammzorg: a Dutch term that highlights the importance of human connection and the role of affectionate, non-medical care in promoting well-being and recovery.

Read on to find out how kraamzorg care (postnatal care) can support you on your postnatal journey.

Brussels-based mum of teenage boys, Jane Piot is an experienced birth doula, certified breastfeeding specialist, La Leche League Leader and infant massage instructor.  Here she explains the importance of preparing for your breastfeeding journey before the arrival of your baby.

www.thevillage.be closed on the 1st October 2024 - a huge loss to the expat community in Belgium.  So, to fill the vacuum and ensure expat expectant and new parents in Belgium can access the information they need to navigate the Belgian maternity services with confidence I have created ‘Pregnant In Belgium’.