Newborn family support
Fourth Trimester Program
Your nonprofit, neighborhood support system in the first months postpartum. Expert-led discussions and curated socials with local newborn parents to help you transition with confidence to new parenthood.
The Fourth Trimester Program cuts through the noise of overwhelming, conflicting advice to focus on what matters: a healthy, calm, and confident transition to newborn parenthood for your whole family.
When support from your kraamzorg and midwife ends, we step in to bridge the gap between professional expertise and peer support — because "best practices" come from both science and shared experience.
Expert guidance
Regular 'Ask Me Anything' sessions with local postpartum experts, covering newborn development and common experiences.
Local socials
Planned meetups at curated, newborn-friendly spots in your area and around the city. We handle the logistics; you just show up with your baby!
Moderated chat
Peer support with safety built in: a private, psychotherapist-moderated chat with a close-knit group of local parents with newborns.
Your family's transition to newborn parenthood
Save your family's spot
Up to 8 weeks after birth
Pay the €25 reservation fee to join the program. We’ll begin matching you with other families with similar due dates and neighborhoods to build a cohort.
The cohort starts
4-8 weeks after birth
When your midwife support ends, our program begins! Participate in expert-led AMAs, moderated peer discussions, and local socials.
Continuous connection
4 months after birth, and beyond
After the program ends, your local expert network and cohort chat remain active. Your Amsterdam support system is there for your family's ever-evolving needs 🫶🏻
Expert curriculum
We've all heard the phrase "It takes a village." For all new parents — especially expats becoming parents abroad — the village doesn't come without effort. But where to start? We cover local Dutch postpartum care and end with an exercise on finding and filling gaps in support.
What we cover
- Overview of local Dutch systems: baby care, medical, and mental health
- Experiental exercise on to build a supportive network that actually works for your family's needs
Expert content by:
You've got the basics of breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding down. Now you're wondering: "How can we possibly keep doing this for the next 6 months?" Learn our inclusive approach to feeding that grows with you and your baby — so that mom, dad/partner, and baby all get what they need in this special yet intense time.
What we cover
- Actionable feeding strategies focused on health and wellness for you and your baby
- Evidence-based insight into common feeding scenarios
- Short, impactful exercises for you and your partner
- Easy-to-digest local resource reference sheet
Expert content by:
Birth and postpartum change both parents' bodies and minds forever. We'll learn precisely why "get back to the way things were before the baby" isn't possible, and ways to handle the melting pot of changes to your new self, using psychotherapy techniques.
What we cover
- Overview of permanent physical changes that can happen after birth
- How to navigate your new body and mind: for both partners
- Resources to help within the English-speaking Dutch system
Expert content by:
Learning to parent with the person you love is more difficult than many couples anticipate. From intimacy changes to discovering that childhood cultures lead to different parenting practices, there's a lot to figure out as you evolve your (shared) identities as parents. We identify common challenges and exercises that help new parents navigate them together.
What we cover
- Common postpartum partner relationship challenges: like communication, sex drive, emotional intimacy, and more
- Raising a baby with two, three, or more different cultures
- Expert exercises to help you and your partner get on the same page as new parents
Expert content by:
Let's talk about what happens when the newborn bubble pops. We cover the transition back to work and life post-newborn: joys, challenges, and techniques to manage mental load and reduce parental/professional burnout — so you can feel confident and capable growing as a parent alongside your growing baby.
What we cover
- Mental load: what it is, why it matters
- Review equal parenting and how to address imbalance
- Learn to identify early signs of burnout and where to find help
Expert content by:
Program fees
Your program fees include:
- 3 months of access for your whole family: all parents included
- 4 expert-led discussions tailored to your newborn’s growth — and your own
- 5 digital guides providing evidence-based context for early parenthood
- 5 curated socials at baby-friendly Amsterdam spots, plus ad-hoc meetups
- A private WhatsApp group moderated by a psychotherapist
- A vetted shortlist of local & online resources from our network
All prices include 21% BTW (VAT). The €25 reservation fee will be deducted from this total when you complete registration.
Where your program fees go:
One of our core values is transparency. Each cohort costs €966 to run. We first cover costs, then use the remainder to support program development and other community initiatives.
Get started: Find your cohort
March-May 2026
For Jan-Feb 2026 babies
Once you've secured your spot, you'll receive a welcome email with a brief intake form. We use this to match you with other families in your neighborhood with similar due dates.
Your €25 reservation fee is applied as a credit toward total program costs once your cohort begins. If we are unable to form a cohort for you, you will be fully refunded your reservation fee.
Cohort schedule
Our schedule is designed to reduce FOMO! Whether you're traveling or just can't get out of bed, you can join our expert discussions online. If your baby is being fussy that morning, you're welcome to come late to one of our socials. Come as you are; we're here to meet you.
| Intro Call: Building Your Village Discussion - Online | Sat, 7 Mar10:00-11:15 |
| Walk in Vondelpark Social - Groot Melkhuis | Thu, 12 Mar10:00-11:30 |
| Newborn Feeding Strategies Discussion - Online | Sat, 21 Mar10:00-11:15 |
| Newborn Play at Papote Cafe Social - Papote Cafe | Thu, 26 Mar10:00-11:30 |
| Family Reading Time Social - OBA | Thu, 9 Apr10:00-11:30 |
| Postpartum Transformation Discussion - Online | Sat, 11 Apr10:00-11:15 |
| Parenting with your People Discussion - Online | Sat, 18 Apr10:00-11:15 |
| Private Rijksmuseum Family Tour Social - Rijksmuseum | Thu, 21 May10:00-11:30 |
| Postpartum Return Discussion - Online | Sat, 23 May10:00-11:15 |
| Closing Reflections Social - Online | Sat, 30 May10:00-11:15 |
Please note: The schedule may change before the start of the cohort.
May-July 2026
For Mar-Apr 2026 babies
Once you've secured your spot, you'll receive a welcome email with a brief intake form. We use this to match you with other families in your neighborhood with similar due dates.
Your €25 reservation fee is applied as a credit toward total program costs once your cohort begins. If we are unable to form a cohort for you, you will be fully refunded your reservation fee.
Cohort schedule
Our schedule is designed to reduce FOMO! Whether you're traveling or just can't get out of bed, you can join our expert discussions online. If your baby is being fussy that morning, you're welcome to come late to one of our socials. Come as you are; we're here to meet you.
| Intro Call: Building Your Village Discussion - Online | Sat, 9 May10:00-11:15 |
| Walk in Vondelpark Social - Groot Melkhuis | Wed, 13 May10:00-11:30 |
| Newborn Feeding Strategies Discussion - Online | Sat, 23 May10:00-11:15 |
| Newborn Play at Papote Cafe Social - Papote Cafe | Thu, 4 Jun10:00-11:30 |
| Postpartum Transformation Discussion - Online | Sat, 13 Jun10:00-11:15 |
| Private Rijksmuseum Family Tour Social - Rijksmuseum | Thu, 25 Jun10:00-11:30 |
| Parenting with your People Discussion - Online | Sat, 4 Jul10:00-11:15 |
| Family Reading Time Social - OBA | Thu, 9 Jul10:00-11:30 |
| Postpartum Return Discussion - Online | Sat, 18 Jul10:00-11:15 |
| Closing Reflections Social - Online | Sat, 25 Jul10:00-11:30 |
Please note: The schedule may change before the start of the cohort.
July-September 2026
For May-Jun 2026 babies
Once you've secured your spot, you'll receive a welcome email with a brief intake form. We use this to match you with other families in your neighborhood with similar due dates.
Your €25 reservation fee is applied as a credit toward total program costs once your cohort begins. If we are unable to form a cohort for you, you will be fully refunded your reservation fee.
September-November 2026
For Jul-Aug 2026 babies
Once you've secured your spot, you'll receive a welcome email with a brief intake form. We use this to match you with other families in your neighborhood with similar due dates.
Your €25 reservation fee is applied as a credit toward total program costs once your cohort begins. If we are unable to form a cohort for you, you will be fully refunded your reservation fee.
Don’t see your due date? Join the general interest list to be the first to know when new cohorts are released.
Common questions
How does the reservation and payment process work?
Are partners welcome to attend?
Why do I need structured postpartum support? Can't I get this for free myself?
I’m not an expat. Can I still join?
What's different about the Fourth Trimester Program?
Parents — especially expats — have complex needs that current programs often miss:
- Timing: Answers when you actually have the questions
- Sources: Accredited experts, not random blogs
- Proximity: Matching you with neighbors, not just anyone in the city
- Language: Removing the Dutch-language mental overhead
We haven't found a program in the Netherlands that hits all these marks. We built this so you don't have to build your own support system.