I'm Raising My Child In The Netherlands, And This Is Something I Never Expected

"For a time, the thought of having kids brought on so much anxiety that I kept putting it off."

When you think of the Netherlands, canals, tulips and biking everywhere may come to mind — and those are among the reasons Americans are drawn to the country. Over 31,000 Americans live in the Netherlands, representing around 6% of the country’s total immigrants, and that number has increased over the years.

I was lured by the scenic charm — which the Netherlands certainly delivered. What I couldn’t have imagined was the peace this country would give me in a decision that wasn’t easy for me to make: having children.

For a time, the thought of having kids brought on so much anxiety that I kept putting it off, and instead focused on my career and building a business. I didn’t expect how much this small country would make parenting feel so natural. Here are some unexpected things I learned about raising my child here.

Biking At 30 Weeks Pregnant

You can imagine the look on my face when I showed up for my first midwife appointment and saw a line of parked bikes with pregnant women hopping off them, bellies much bigger than mine. When I thought about pregnancy, I imagined morning sickness, resting at home and counting down the weeks until week 40, but that was not my experience here. Instead, I joined the crew who biked to every midwife appointment until I couldn’t anymore.