Manon van Damme-Draijer

My name is Manon van Damme-Draijer (1984), married to Remco and mother of two sons: Sjoerd and Lars.

From an early age, it was my dream to become a midwife. I took the course at the Amsterdam Midwifery Academy and after being sworn in I started working as a locum in Lelystad, Heerhugowaard and Almere, among others. I have been working at ‘De Eerste Stap’ since 2009 and joined the partnership on 1 April 2010. I've known Angela and Dagmar since 2005, and alongside being colleagues, we're also good friends. We have some clear personality traits in common, and at the same time we have our own unique personalities.

I believe a personal touch is important in my midwifery care, because there is nothing more special than pregnancy, labour and the time after childbirth. I also try to respect the preferences of the (prospective) parents as much as possible and to include this in my support. In this way, I hope to make a good contribution to this special time.

In addition to my work as a midwife, I provide coaching and EMDR trauma therapy to mothers and pregnant women who need extra support. I find this extension of my work extremely valuable. Each time a pregnant woman or mother goes into motherhood with more peace of mind, relaxation and confidence, it is a gift.

I wish everyone a beautiful and happy pregnancy, childbirth and maternity leave!