What's in the doctor's bag of… Loïs Witmond: midwife and doula

1. Hi Loïs! Let's jump right in: what's in your VanVeer?

Lots and lots of gloves, haha!

2. How did the design of your VanVeer come about?

Vera and I designed this gorgeous bag together. I went with a Vintage Brown base, an orange body and a Leopard detail on the hinge. My bag also has a big side compartment: the Outer Flap.

The color really stands out and is completely in my brand colors. It doesn't get more personal than that. I'm still in love with it every (work) day!

3. Which new VanVeer product do you think should absolutely exist?

The big emergency bag, but make it fancy!

4. Now about you. Can you introduce yourself?

I'm Loïs, a midwife and doula. I work caseload and run my own practice. I love being there for my clients every single day! I live with Jessica, the love of my life and a birth photographer. Together we have a little boy, Winter (2023), whom I carried myself. Becoming a mother brought a deeper layer to me as a midwife, because it's all so beautiful and special!

5. You're not only a midwife, but also a hypnobirthing teacher, doula, entrepreneur, and you offer courses under the name ‘Oerkracht’. Can you tell us how Oerkracht came about?

It grew out of my role as a midwife, as my responsibilities kept expanding. I even stayed with my client all the way into the operating room, so I started going deeper into motivating, massaging and breathing techniques. That way I could offer her everything she needed in terms of guidance and support.

After that, I wanted to offer the same to women who didn't have me as their midwife. As a solo practitioner, I can only support a limited number of people each month. So I came up with the idea of pouring all my knowledge and skills into a course, to support even more people. I love working this broadly. Being just a midwife is honestly kind of boring!

6. How can a midwife bring more ‘oerkracht’ (aka innate strength) into their daily work?

By truly listening to the woman, and daring to have open, honest conversations with the hospital. We're all equals, we just have different roles. Together, we make sure the woman feels heard and supported.

7. If you could change one thing in healthcare, what would it be?

I'd love to see hospitals become much warmer, more personal and more positive. Why is everything so white and cold… Who wants to be there?!

8. Is there one thing that instantly makes your day better?

Coffee, for sure!

9. What future plans are still tucked away in the drawer?

My practice will soon be based at home. I'm really looking forward to that.

Loïs Witmond is a midwife and doula under the name Oerkracht Verloskundige. She also teaches hypnobirthing and courses. Because just being a midwife? That's too boring for Loïs!

She designed her VanVeer doctor's bag in orange: eye-catching and completely in the colors of her brand. It doesn't get more personal than that!

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