Dam Parenting

April is International Cesarean Awareness Month — and I can think of no better time to bring back one of our most-loved episodes.
In the Netherlands, the cultural weight around birth can make a cesarean feel like a deviation from the "right" path. But what if a C-section could still be a deeply empowering, connected, and beautiful birth experience? Dr. Koen Deurloo, OB-GYN at Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, is proof that it absolutely can.
Dr. Deurloo is the pioneer of the mother-assisted cesarean — a practice he developed in 2017 in which the birthing parent plays an active, physical role in their own surgical birth. Since then, he has performed around 400 mother-assisted births, published his book Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog, and is now training gynecologists across the Netherlands to bring this option to more hospitals.
In this episode, together with Dr. Deurloo we explore:
What a mother-assisted cesarean actually looks like — and why it's just 4 extra minutes
How the Dutch medical system approaches maternal agency in the operating theater
Skin-to-skin contact, postpartum recovery, and bonding after a cesarean
How to advocate for your birth preferences — even when the system pushes back
Why cesarean births deserve to be honored, not minimized
Whether you're planning a C-section, want to be prepared for every birth path, or simply believe that mothers deserve to feel empowered in every delivery room — this episode is for you.
Find Dr. Deurloo:📱 Instagram: @kldloo💻 Expert at Ouders van Nu & How About Mom

I thought I’d feel better by now.
The days are longer. The light is back.
But instead of feeling energised… many parents feel exhausted, heavy, and behind.
In this episode, I’m sharing what it really feels like to come out of winter in motherhood—
the emotional backlog, the pressure to re-engage, and why spring isn’t always a fresh start.
If this is where you are right now, this episode is for you.

Cancer as an expat in the Netherlands hits differently.
In this episode of DAM Parenting, we speak with Katherine, founder of Cancer Support Netherlands — a Dutch non-profit offering English-language, community-based support for internationals navigating cancer.
Being diagnosed with cancer can turn life upside down.
But for those living far from home — expats, immigrants, international families — the experience can feel even more isolating.
Navigating treatment in a different language, without your usual support systems, while trying to process the emotional weight of illness… can be overwhelming.
Cancer Support Netherlands was created to bridge this gap.
In this episode, we explore:
• What it means to face cancer while living abroad
• Language barriers in the Dutch healthcare system
• The emotional reality of illness without family nearby
• Support for partners, caregivers, and families
• The importance of English-language peer support
• How community spaces can change the experience of cancer
Cancer Support Netherlands offers:
• Confidential peer support groups
• English-language community spaces
• Events, workshops, and expert-led sessions
• Support for patients, survivors, and caregivers
• Flexible ways to connect — privately or in community
They welcome:
• Expats and internationals
• Migrants and immigrants
• Refugees
• Binational families
• Long-term residents
• Anyone who feels most comfortable expressing themselves in English
This episode is released in recognition of Daffodil Day — a national day of cancer awareness in Ireland.
Because cancer awareness isn’t just one day a year.
And for those living abroad, the need for support doesn’t follow a calendar.
If you are navigating cancer, supporting someone who is, or part of an international community in the Netherlands — this episode is for you.
No one should face cancer alone.
And language should never be a barrier to support.

Links for suport:
Public Page (Friends & Supporters)
Follow our work, events, advocacy and Hive Network updates:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bm2VGKr5b/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

Facebook Private Support Group (confidential space)
For emotional support, connection, and sharing with others affected by cancer:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DBabL8fWr/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cancer_support_netherlands 

LinkedIn
https://nl.linkedin.com/company/cancer-support-netherlands

You've just received an autism diagnosis for your child — and suddenly someone tells you to stop speaking your home language. For international families in the Netherlands, that advice doesn't just feel wrong. It feels like losing a piece of who you are.
In this episode, Eva sits down with linguist and multilingualism specialist Mimi Potvin to talk about what the research actually says about raising autistic children in multilingual families — and why so much of the advice parents receive is simply not supported by science.
After listening, you'll know why bilingualism does not cause additional language delays in autistic children, what actually happens when families are told to drop their home language, and how to build a flexible, child-led language approach that supports both development and belonging.
New episodes every week. Subscribe wherever you listen.

Becoming a mother is a total biological and psychological transformation, yet society often expects us to "bounce back" as if nothing happened. In this archive favorite, Eva continues the conversation on matrescence with Amsterdam-based doula Ilena Standring, focusing on the deeply personal topic of body image. We move past the superficial to have a warm, honest, and direct conversation about why so many women feel like strangers in their own skin after pregnancy.
We explore how patriarchal beauty standards and diet culture complicate the postpartum experience, and why shifting your focus from body perfection to body functionality can be life-changing. Please note: this episode touches on sensitive topics, including trauma and sexual abuse. This is a journey toward learning to inhabit yourself again—not as the person you were before, but as the woman you are now. Your body adapted, healed, and sustained life; it’s time to offer it the compassion it deserves.