a close up of a blanket that has been folded

YOUR KNITTING BIRTHKEEPER AND DOULA | MAIKE

Protection and Privacy for Your Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum

The art of doula care, the knowledge of midwifery, the experience of motherhood, and a lifelong love for slow craft and the homemade.

I chose the term birthkeeper because I am a guardian of physiological birth. Modern systems treat birth as an event to be managed, but I view it as an ancient, instinctual reality rooted in nature and its physiology. If you are looking for an authentic doula in Utrecht, my role is not to coach you, direct you, or manage your labor. I am here to weave a quiet and safe space around your family, protecting your environment and privacy so your body can do exactly what it already knows how to do.
The knitting part comes from my great love for it and has a connection with the past. Dr. Michel Odent often spoke of midwives who would knit while waiting for the baby to be born, then knit again while waiting for the placenta. There was something in that quiet, busy stillness that told the laboring woman: everything is unfolding exactly as it should. If your guardian is calm enough to knit, your body knows it is safe enough to open. This is the thread I carry into every birth space I quietly enter.

My name is Maike, and I offer you my undivided, steady presence. My practice integrates over fifteen years of midwifery background and out-of-hospital birth experience, a deep psychological understanding of human emotion, and the tender intuition of a mother. Whether you are navigating pregnancy, the intensity of labor, or the soft and unique days of postpartum, I stand as your shield of calm protection, allowing you to unfold into maternity and parenthood on your own terms.

Because of my background I speak English, Dutch, German, Italian, French, Portuguese, and a little Spanish.

Read more about my journey
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Smiling woman with a hair bun wearing a floral patterned yellow shirt on a cobblestone street.
Smiling woman with a hair bun wearing a floral patterned yellow shirt on a cobblestone street.

The Knitting Birthkeeper

THE OPTIONS

Where I Protect And Care

From early pregnancy through the tender postpartum weeks, I weave my care around your family's unique rhythm.

Pregnancy

Labor & Birth

Postpartum

When present during labor and birth, I guard your space, offer profound protection, and ensure that the physiological process can unfold.

During prenatal visits I focus on giving space to your feelings, thoughts and hopes, addressing your fears, and preparing your nest with wisdom and gentle care.

During unhurried home visits, I nurture you with a warm, caring presence so your postpartum period can be soft, slow, and protected.

Discover the options
baby's hand on mother and father palms
baby's hand on mother and father palms
Read more about the fund
MUTUAL AID

The Community Nest

Well accompanied pregnancy, protected birth and nurtured postpartum should be accessible to everyone. Through the community-spun fund, donations from near and far help subsidize birthkeeper and doula care for parents facing financial hardship.