We got in contact with Truus through friends of ours, and we scheduled an appointment at our home. Truus is a confident professional, with lots of experience. She was exactly what we were looking for. We are both doctors, and Truus tailored this course to fit our needs. She gave it 120%! With clear arguments, humour, and above all, a hunk of experience, it was a fantastic preparation for what’s coming next. Full of confidence, and equipped with useful tips-and-tricks, we’re looking forward to the birth of our son!
Floor Bakker & Frank Schouten, November 2022
Our experience with Truus was very good. My partner and I did the Five-weekly Childbirth Preparation Class in English. The class is very well thought and organised. It gave us the chance to take in the information progressively so we are not overwhelmed. It had everything we were looking for and we met other nice couples going through the same stage in their pregnancy.
It was a great course and I definitely recommend it for new parents. Reine.
Hi Truss,
“Thank you for introducing childbirth and the Dutch system around childbirth to us. It really helped start a conversation between my partner and I regarding the birth we would prefer to have. Even though I had read a lot already, the class allowed us to clarify any doubts and gave us practical exercises for pain management and try out several positions before labour. It also gave clear tools and tips for the partner to be involved. We re-read the slides and re-practice the exercises a few times before birth which really helped.
We decided to go for a home birth for our first baby (even though it is really not in our culture). It was an amazing experience, we were both confident and in control, everything went very smoothly. We were not surprised or chocked by anything as we were well informed (we followed Truss advice and watched more videos and read more articles on top of the course).
I am so glad we did the course. We had the best birth for us. Our baby came to the world very peacefully. How amazing is it to be able to start our parenthood journey on such a high. Thank you, a thousand time! Sophie”
We expected the childbirth class to happen in-person. Because of Covid restrictions, it was organized online by Zoom and our expectations weren’t high. We were absolutely wrong! Truus delivered an exceptional online experience where we were engaged every second and learned a lot. We even kept in touch with some of the couples after the birth class. Highly recommended! – Peter & Valentina, Febr 2021
I wanted to let you know that our little baby girl was born following a 6 and a half hour labour. The labour was straightforward, she was delivered at the Beval centrum West and pain relief wasn’t needed. I would go as far as saying it was a really positive experience. So incredible what the body can do!!
I wanted to say a huge thank you to you Annet for the course you gave, as I really believe it had a huge contributing factor to the labour going so well.
We did the Childbirth 7 hour course with Truus and time flew by! It was informational, practical and fun!! I was concerned because I was 37 weeks pregnant and having many physical discomforts. Truus was very caring and accommodating!! The space had many seating options and there were many activities that entailed transitions from padded chairs, to birth balls, to mats etc. There was even a little couch I could use. Truss Gale is knowledgeable and empowering!! She gives you that extra boost you need, to remember that you can give birth naturally. Besides this, she is really funny and down to earth. We learned a lot about the way things work when giving birth in the Netherlands and went home with great techniques and valuable information. Finally, the snacks and lunch were also very yummy! We highly recommend this course! Worth it all the way!! Thanks Truus!!🙏🏼💖
Yaiza and Joerie
Feb 2020
Truus Gale’s course is a balance between mind and body with some practical guidance and how to get in a mental state of relaxation, without becoming woolly. Truus is a person who has both feet on the ground. She is doing her job with devotion and has about 30 years of experience.
This course is exactly what I was looking for both practical and also mentally preparing on giving birth. Explained in a theoretically very logical way of how and why things happen that helps you in making your choices. This knowledge takes away fear and creates a lot of “aha..”- moments. Kim and Pablo.
ONLINE Classes
Truus is that rare blend of firm, yet kind. Just what I needed as I prepared for the birth of our son and what most people probably appreciate as they approach labour.
I had taken a HynoBirthing course before this one and taking Truus’ class was for me the right combination of information.
Truus is straightforward about the realities of birth and at the same time highly encouraging of everyone in the class – that every one of the women taking her courses can do this. Her support felt motherly, unwavering in her belief in our bodies and birthing abilities, something that rubs off…
We took Truus’ course online and it suited us well – it was convenient with our work schedules and her clear communication style meant we felt we learned as much online as we would have in class.
Helen, August 2020
Hi,
I have been planning to write this email for almost 10 months now.
Yes my son has turned 10 months on 25th and papa, momma and Rayirth are going strong.
I am glad that I joined the class. Seeing everyone looking forward to bring their little bundle of joy was a strength in itself. A big thanks to Truus and her team and all of you for preparing me to have the most wonderful experience of my life till date.
We were mentally prepared and knew our options well. The massages helped a lot and the breathing exercise was my savior 🙂 Some surprises which came to me were , I could understand when my water broke and pushing is something that comes automatically in labour. I was so worried what if i do not know how to push!
I wish all of you happy parenting and would love to see some pics of the little ones. Cheers!!!
devajani goswami
Dear Truus,
Thank you for sending us the documents. We enjoyed your class so much. It really helped building confidence. My level of fear for giving birth has incredibly gone down.
Once again, thank you for arranging this wonderful class.
Kind Regards,
Poontharikar (Nan) Thairu
Hello Truus,
Thank you so much for this lovely Info-afternoon. I am so grateful I got to attend yours.
The positive vibe is still with me. Me and my husband feel so prepared now.
Thank you for making it simple and give us the right attitude.
I feel lucky to welcome our child in this beautiful country with a good child-birth system.
Can’t Thank you enough 🙂
Best regards, Tejal and Mayuresh.
Hi Truus,
Thank you so much for last night. I found your approach excellent. Informative, enjoyable and you made it funny at times. I love the Dutch directness and I am, as a person, quite direct myself……Claire
I love the Dutch system
I’m so grateful to have had my pregnancy and delivery in Amsterdam, and I simply love the Dutch system of presenting you with the benefits of doing it “old school” – no hospital environment, natural delivery, movement during birth, etc., plus all the support given by the doula and midwives, to make sure you’re as comfortable as you can be during those long hours. And the fact that the partner is actively involved in supporting you during labor and, last but not least, the fact that Matti never had to leave our room! Oh, and being able to do it all in English, in a foreign country. Having experienced this, I’m outraged of most other developed countries practices of asking you to lay down on a hospital bed, with your partner waiting on the hallway (so you’re all alone surrounded by nurses and from time to time doctors), babies being put together in one big room, so the mother “can rest”, etc.
And I’m grateful for having participated in this class, understanding what’s ahead of us, and meeting Maartje. She made my delivery something to look forward to, and now something to look back to with a big smile an forever gratitude.
Enjoy the reunion and hope to meet your little ones in the park this summer! 🙂
Raluca, Ciprian & Matti ( July 2017)
The mix between scientific/medical background, practical tips, and the supportive attitude of ‘you can do it’ was great!!
Dear Truus,
We wanted to thank you for the outstanding course and also all the useful information you shared.It is really comforting to be supported during this important but stressful period of our lives with expert opinion and caring advice.
We are working on a detailed Birth Plan and continue to remember all the tips & tricks we got on the course !
The class was very useful during the labor, it made us confident during the contractions and pushing stage, as well as an overall expectation of the health system in Holland. Supplementary materials and guides were very valuable as well, as they not only allow us to refresh the material a few days before the due date, but also provided with the very rich network of specialists.
Interactive exercises during the class made the class more practical, so we knew how to do what, and got a chance to practice various techniques even before the birth. We taught about when to call the midwife, how to breath, how to push, and when and how not to push, different birth positions, and we actually tried a few of them during the labor, which without the class we even could not know about, or be ready to ask.
So, if the Dutch health system looks unusual to you, as it was for us, highly recommend this class to understand what, how and why of it, and if not, but almost all the questions answered, so to be prepared to give a birth in the Netherlands, and feel relaxed, as much as possible, confident and calm.
Alex and Iryna
Hi Truss,
“Thank you for introducing childbirth and the Dutch system around childbirth to us. It really helped start a conversation between my partner and I regarding the birth we would prefer to have. Even though I had read a lot already, the class allowed us to clarify any doubts and gave us practical exercises for pain management and try out several positions before labour. It also gave clear tools and tips for the partner to be involved. We re-read the slides and re-practice the exercises a few times before birth which really helped.
We decided to go for a home birth for our first baby (even though it is really not in our culture). It was an amazing experience, we were both confident and in control, everything went very smoothly. We were not surprised or chocked by anything as we were well informed (we followed Truss advice and watched more videos and read more articles on top of the course).
I am so glad we did the course. We had the best birth for us. Our baby came to the world very peacefully. How amazing is it to be able to start our parenthood journey on such a high. Thank you, a thousand time! Sophie”
Spontaneous reactions from participants during lunch after a morning session of the One Sunday course in April 2016.
We expected the childbirth class to happen in-person. Because of Covid restrictions, it was organized online by Zoom and our expectations weren’t high. We were absolutely wrong! Truus delivered an exceptional online experience where we were engaged every second and learned a lot. We even kept in touch with some of the couples after the birth class. Highly recommended! –
Peter & Valentina
Thank you so much for all the information. This was a very nice course and I learnt a lot from you. Especially I felt that my husband is more involved in the process because of the course. The course was well organized and you provided a lot of extra information in the follow-up emails. My husband and I really appreciate all your effort.
Best,
Xiao (Dec 2020)
Truus is that rare blend of firm, yet kind. Just what I needed as I prepared for the birth of our son and what most people probably appreciate as they approach labour.
I had taken a hynobirthing course before this one and taking Truus’ class was for me the right combination of information.
Truus is straightforward about the realities of birth and at the same time highly encouraging of everyone in the class – that every one of the women taking her courses can do this. Her support felt motherly, unwavering in her belief in our bodies and birthing abilities, something that rubs off…
We took Truus’ course online and it suited us well – it was convenient with our work schedules and her clear communication style meant we felt we learned as much online as we would have in class.
Helen, August 2020
De online cursus in Engels was ook voor mij, als Nederlandse partner van een Brit, erg nuttig. Op deze manier kon hij informatie krijgen in zijn eigen taal, en konden we samen meer te weten komen over wat er allemaal bij komt kijken. De cursus was informatief en stipte veel onderwerpen aan. Het voelt toch erg zinvol om een cursus te doen, ongeacht hoeveel boeken je ook leest. Daarnaast was het ook goed om dit samen te doen en ik hierdoor niet in m’n eentje naar een Nederlandse cursus hoefde.
Groeten Meike July 2020
The most empowering experience of my life
I’m American by origin, and therefore culturally predisposed to certain prerequisites regarding labor and delivery. And so, from the day that I discovered I was pregnant, I was sure of two things: I would deliver in a hospital, and I’d get an epidural. The latter half of my expectations weren’t met and I was destined for a natural, epidural-free delivery.
Never in a million years did I ever imagine that I would deliver this baby without an epidural. In fact, I was the first to shun the Dutch system and its passive-aggressive “acceptance” (but not avid support) of such pain relief. And now, all I can say is that I’m left utterly humbled. Not just by the miracle of childbirth and of how beautifully nature runs its course, but by a strength I evidently had inside of me that I never even fathomed existed.
So, yes, it was painful. More painful than even my wild imagination expected. But in the same breath, it was also the most empowering experience of my life.
We did the Childbirth 7 hour course with Truus and time flew by! It was informational, practical and fun!! I was concerned because I was 37 weeks pregnant and having many physical discomforts. Truus was very caring and accommodating!! The space had many seating options and there were many activities that entailed transitions from padded chairs, to birth balls, to mats etc. There was even a little couch I could use. Truss Gale is knowledgeable and empowering!! She gives you that extra boost you need, to remember that you can give birth naturally. Besides this, she is really funny and down to earth. We learned a lot about the way things work when giving birth in the Netherlands and went home with great techniques and valuable information. Finally, the snacks and lunch were also very yummy! We highly recommend this course! Worth it all the way!! Thanks Truus!!🙏🏼💖
Yaiza and Joerie (Feb 2020)
Hi Truus,
Thank you so, SO MUCH for the wonderful Childbirth Preparation Class! We really appreciate you being flexible and hosting an online Zoom conference call for us amid the COVID-19 crisis. Even though we could not meet in-person, your 3-hour course flowed perfectly and naturally, like you’ve been doing online courses for years! 🙂 It was also very relaxing and enjoyable for us to participate in the comfort of our own home during this time.
I had thought that I had already done a lot of preparation and research on my own prior to taking your class; however you provided so much MORE insight, valuable information, and tips that I had not heard or thought of, and I really appreciate that. My husband loved the class, as well, and now we feel more prepared than ever for our little one’s arrival next month.
Thank you again, and take care. Gina & Brad 4 April 2020
Goedemorgen Truus,
Vorige week maandag na 41 weken en 5 dagen in de buik is onze zoon Joseph Pieter Visser-Borgmann geboren.
Wij willen je hartelijk bedanken voor jouw hulp en duidelijke informatie over de bevalling!
De zwangerschap en bevalling is de meest krachtige belevenis van mijn leven. Hij heeft zichzelf nog net op tijd laten horen en is natuurlijk geboren.
Ik heb niet stil kunnen zitten tijdens de bevalling en ik ben door het huis: in en uit het bad: geklommen, gelopen en gekropen en heb alle denkbare posities geprobeerd. De tijd vloog voorbij. Mijn vriend is de perfecte steun geweest tijdens dit proces. 🙂
Dit allemaal mede dankzij jouw workshop!
Joe is een gezonde jongen en we zijn vollop van hem aan het genieten!
All the best en nogmaals dank,
Derrick en Avna
Definely, I found it very useful. Also the way you do it make us (parents to be) to feel more capable, confident, comfortable and secure to the journey that is about to start.
Congrats for a such beautiful work and thanks to make me believe that I can do it. (December 2015)
I discovered what I’m capable of…
To tell you the truth, you will never know how thankful I am for everything you taught me and how happy I feel that I had my baby in the Netherlands, it enabled me to discover myself and what I’m capable of.
It’s funny how things change; since my delivery, every expat friend asks me how was I able to do it the Dutch way. Now when I tell my story, I discover myself being the number one supporter of the ideology of birth that I have learned in this country. If my story can help anyone understand it, I’m really happy to share it. Ana
The truth is that I’m very thankful to the course. My idea about delivery changed completely after it and I faced it much better. I have to be thankful to the massages and to the dog breathing. I hardly had any damage in the perineum due I was prevent. Thanks for your inset and for the nice hosting last Saturday. Wishing you all the best!
The mix between scientific/medical background, practical tips, and the supportive attitude of ‘you can do it’ was great!!
We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the excellent support through the parental class and information you shared. We found it incredibly useful. You are a fantastic coach!
I have been wanting to write since April when my son was born to thank you for your participation in what was the perfect home birth. You were a fundamental piece in my puzzle because you provided all the information I needed to really trust in the Netherland’s system. So, thank you for making this possible.
I wish you o lot of happiness and success in your life.
Earlier I had a feeling that my body cannot handle it. Now I am even thinking of home delivery!
I would like to thank you for filling confidence in me with your teaching. You are an amazing teacher, I must admit. I consider myself lucky for having attended your class. While living in a foreign country, away from the family, I guess your course will help a lot.
Before joining the course, I was very anxious about the delivery of the child. I had almost decided that I will have an epidural. The words you frequently say during the class (i.e., trust your brain, body and hormones) appealed to me the most. Now I have decided that I will try my best to go natural. I have begun to trust my body. Earlier I had a feeling that my body cannot handle it. Now I am even thinking of home delivery! RB is also very happy with my confidence.
My mother will be here with me for the delivery. With the help of her and RB I hope I will be able to do it.
RB also liked the course a lot, he says. He liked your scientific approach and the way you explained everything. He told me to thank you on his behalf also.
Thank you very much once again and see you on the reunion day!
This is Koyel. I am glad to inform you that both me and my baby boy are doing good. I had a 9 n 1/2 hrs of labor and the breathing exercises helped a lot. It was a vaginal delivery and no C section. I did not take any pain killers or epidural so all the doctors and midwives were really proud and supported my strength.
I am also happy that am recovering very fast. Finally all went well and thank you for all the teachings.
Thank you for the great workshop, we found it very helpful.
It prepared us a bit more for what to expect and feel more confident about upcoming time. I especially liked the part dedicated to fathers, because as mom to be all the ladies are probably reading all kind of books and info’s, while men do not have that urgency yet. I liked the way course covers that part and keep fathers updated as well. The second thing, the course insured me in things I already thought I knew, and also gave some new advises I find helpful. It also ensured me to trust in Dutch kraamzorg system.
I would recommend the workshop to any of my friends, we also saw a delivery presentation in Lucas centre, that was also very good.
Your classes…created a great community
I can’t tell you how wonderful your class was – as a group we still email one another and now we’re going to start meeting once or twice a week for coffee or to take walks. It created a great community for those of us who needed one…
Truus’s course completely changed my partner’s and my attitude about the baby coming. The information and practicing positions made us feel informed and empowered. After the course, we were able to get excited about the baby coming.
M E G A N A L T E R
PHOTOGRAPHY
dear Truus, I want to let you know that Elyes, our baby boy, was born on 9 july. As wanted, I had a natural birth delivery at home. Everything went very well and the delivery was quite fast for a first baby.
Thanks a lot for all your precious advice, it really helped me during the whole delivery process and I think that I coped with the contraction pain very easily. The hardest part for me was the pushing but when you know that your baby is coming soon, I’ve just gathered my whole energy to help the baby to go out.
Thank you also for giving me confidence to trust my body and go with the delivery at home. I really liked the experience and I think it was the main reason why I didn’t feel much pain as I was able to walk around the apartment and take a bath and shower which helped me to feel relaxed.
Unfortunately, we had to go to the hospital after the delivery because my baby was born 4.6 kilos so the midwife wanted to check that everything was fine with him but all the medical checks were good. It is also comforting to know that we were 10 minutes away from hospital in case there is any problem. Happy that we only had to go there after the delivery.
Z.B.G
Being well informed…made a difference
Being well informed about my options, being positive and trusting my own power made the whole difference. I feel very successful and proud.
The other thing that I was thankful for was the tip from Truus’ class about Sabine, the acupuncture contact. I did her 4-week birth preparation treatment and I believe this helped.
The midwife arrived at 3.30 a.m. and I was already 9 cm dilated so no time to make it to the hospital! It was an incredible experience – the breathing exercises were SO valuable in both managing the pain and at the end with pushing Poppy out and not tearing. My mum arrived from Australia at 6.30 a.m. So Niels still made it to Schiphol to pick her up!
After seeing my son…the pain disappeared
Chris was a very good coach. He was doing the breathing exercises with me to motivate me to relax in between contractions. It was hard. But in the end, I was so proud to do it without any pain relief. Especially after seeing my son, the pain disappeared quickly. The grunt turns to laughter and smile.
What an incomparable happiness that is!
Vacuum and endorphins
The delivery went more or less ok although finally vacuum was required to help the baby out. I did not have an epidural, thanks to all the breathing exercises I learnt from you I could handle the contractions very well.
And the endorphins really work.
The truth is that I’m very thankful to the course. My idea about delivery changed completely after it and I faced it much better. I have to be thankful to the massages and to the dog breathing. I hardly had any damage in the perineum due I was prevent. Thanks for your inset and for the nice hosting last Saturday.Irene Oct 2015
We would like to thank Annet you for the course! We like that information was well-structured, the way you explain things, with good examples, so it was very easy to follow and the knowledge we’ve got is very helpful for us. We also appreciate that you raised some questions that we could think about and the answers should help us during delivery (I wouldn’t think about some of the things/questions myself). We have never regretted that we’d decided to take this course and we will recommend the course to our friends in the future. I don’t think we have any feedback on what can be improved or added since it’s going to be our first baby and it’s difficult to say at the moment what we could have probably missed in the course. So for us it was very knowledgeable, many thanks!
Thank you! Olga & Konstantin
Thank you Truus,
for your pleasant lessons and life learning. Your “it’s all going to be okay” attitude was contagious. He is here now our son and even though it was anything but an easy birth, we both felt well prepared thanks to your nice lessons and advice taken from life. Leah and Miguel Jan 2023