A trip from The Netherlands to Whidbey Island to give birth may seem extreme, but for Jessica Uhl, it’s just another trip to the hospital.

Uhl wanted the best possible care for the birth of her third child, after having experienced childbirth in Houston, Texas and Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

“I’ve had mixed experiences with other births,” she said. “Other places are very chaotic, this is very peaceful, people have the time and energy to take care of you.”

Uhl’s friend, Whidbey General Hospital Nurse Barbara Read, recommended the hospital to her. Read told Uhl that she would be treated like a princess there.

“That sounded good to me,” Uhl laughed.

Uhl, assisted by a birthing team of Pat Meyers, RNC, Pat Stanwood, CRNA, Barbara Lett, RNC, Robert Burnett, MD, and Linda Spencer, RN, gave birth to son Isaac Kershaw Payne on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 7:48 a.m. Uhl said the experience was a positive one.

The rooms are beautiful and the food was good,” she said of Whidbey General. “I’d recommend Whidbey General to anybody.”

In Holland, it is required that pregnant women take four weeks off from work for paid maternity leave and 12 weeks following the due date, Uhl said.

“You can fly up to one month before your due date, so five weeks before mine we took off and flew over,” she said.

Uhl, husband Michael Payne, daughter Malou, 5, and son Lucas, 3, are visiting Payne’s parents, Helen and Martin Payne of Langley. It is becoming a yearly tradition to visit Whidbey Island, Uhl said.

Both Malou and Lucas participated in the Dragonfly camp at Full Moon Rising Farm in Langley, and the Whidbey Children’s Theater. For now, Uhl and Payne will wait until Isaac’s passport is ready and continue to enjoy Whidbey Island.