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Respect for the rhythms of mother and baby, “sidecar” cradle to promote breastfeeding and early links, alternative medicine, physiological childbirth… In this Verdun maternity hospital which wants to make people forget the hell of the trenches, everything is made to surround parents and their infants.
Verdun: a heavy name to bear
The inscription is a little eaten away by time: “Here, on February 21, 1916, at 8:30 am, fell the first shell of a bombardment which was to last thirty-three months”. This plaque still adorns one of the old buildings of the Verdun hospital. But, at the end of the alley, backing onto the Meuse, a brand new building seems to be making the nick of this cumbersome past, to the hell of the trenches and its too many sacrifices: it’s motherhood. Despite his new clothes, it was difficult to get rid of his still stubborn scraps of memory. Under its foundations, the ghosts of bloody battles still lurk and two steps away, in the emergency room, it happens that there is still a wounded person hit by a shell from the Great War. Married to a soldier stationed here, Pauline has just given birth to a little Filipina and she admits bluntly: “Verdun is a word that still resonates with too many negative things. So, for the birth of my baby, I preferred to register at the maternity hospital in Royan, near my parents’ place in Charente-Maritime. Only, the little one arrived early … “Fabienne Galley, the midwife responsible for the mother-child center knows this only too well:” When you say that you work at the Verdun maternity, it makes you laugh. It must sound incongruous. Or, someone shouts at you in a sarcastic tone: “But here, you are going to bury yourself…” You have to believe that for some, it is still difficult to imagine Verdun as a place where life is also born. “
Welcoming young parents and their newborns at the center of concerns
And yet, today, in the maternity ward, the fight has definitely changed. And if we fight there on each floor, it is good to break this fatal image, even if it led France to victory. It is now a question of improving again and again the reception of young parents and their newborns in order to restore the image of motherhood, which fears desertions. On the ground floor, behind a double-leaf door, the birth rooms stretch along a corridor bathed by a large bay window that opens onto the tumultuous waters of the Meuse. In a work room with subdued light, Catherine relaxes in a spacious bathtub, while a cascade of lukewarm water massages the back of his neck. She is just over eight months pregnant, and her baby already looks like it wants to point the tip of her nose. The future mother salutes the analgesic virtues of water on her contractions. She knows the formula well. Her last two were born here, and for her and her husband, a farmer from the region: “There’s really no photo! “Her two grown-ups were born in a large maternity hospital in Seine-et-Marne where” I was left alone for most of the work. Everything went well, but it was really not great! Here, she continues, it is quite the opposite. We support you, we pamper you, we are really supported. Nothing to do with a “baby factory”.
Priority to physiology
It must be said that in recent years, the team of this level 2 maternity unit, with less than 900 births per year, has adopted a new approach which gives pride of place to listening to future parents. During childbirth, premium is given to physiology, to the natural process in a way, but within the limits of course that security imposes. In the spa room, a few accessories illustrate this desire. The “giraffe”, a portico with a fabric to which one can hang, seems to promote the dilation of the collar and the descent of the baby, just like the big colored balloons on which one can swing, relax and which, icing on the cake , would have an analgesic effect. Floor mat and birthing stool complete this range. Corn it is the support of midwives that makes the main. “The team is trained in the different birthing positions. If the obstetrical situation allows it, we can constantly adapt to the wishes of mothers, ”says Fabienne Galley. On the side, on all fours, standing, semi-seated… In the end, only 11% of patients give birth on their backs, their feet in the stirrups. But here, no ostracism: “The best position is the one where the woman feels best”, insists the midwife manager. With or without an epidural, there is no difference in treatment. In any case, this freedom of movement seems to influence the episiotomy rate: from 47% in 2000, this figure has dropped to 14% today (for all vaginal births).
Respect everyone’s rhythms
Here, alternative medicines also have their place, especially for mothers who do without epidurals: they are about 35%. On the menu, acupuncture and homeopathy with granules of Ignatia 15 CH and Actea Racemosa 9 CH, supposed to promote work and reduce stress, a source of pain. The massage of the back and the sacrum by the midwife or the future dad also helps to release tension and helps loosen the neck. In the birth room with lilac and cream walls, Yann is still quite intimidated. At 25, he has just discovered his little Eglantine. He was the one who cut the cord. Audrey, the young mother, tenderly keeps her baby wrapped up in the hollow of her chest. Skin to skin that will last two hours, during which the trio will be able to get to know each other in complete privacy. Eglantine weighs almost 3,6 kg and everything is fine. The midwife will return later for a more detailed examination of the baby. Respecting each other’s rhythms and promoting proximity to establish early links between the child and his parents is one of the mottos of this motherhood.
The next day, early in the morning, a good smell of coffee floats in the corridors of the 1st floor. Like every day, a mini-buffet has been set up for breakfast. “It’s an open bar open until 9:30 am,” corrects a childcare assistant with a smile. Yann looks a little crumpled, but he is beaming with happiness. He was able to stay that night with his partner and his baby. A cot turns in effect in the maternity ward for dads who wish to stay during the stay. He helps himself a coffee, grabs a little bread and butter, and says: “I’ll come back later.” Audrey is still sleeping. A rich idea is this self that allows mothers to sleep in. “It’s almost like at home, we respect our rhythms,” adds Yann delighted. And for over-tired moms, the staff bring breakfast to bed.
The toilet: a moment of complicity
A little further on, we are already busy at the nursery. Nearly ten babies have been born in recent days and mothers will soon follow one another to wash their babies. Elisabeth Bazard, nicknamed BZ, is leading the little ritual this morning. This childcare assistant assists mothers when they need it. Encourage them, when they are afraid of doing wrong. She also shows them, for later, gentle massage techniques to establish a soothing and relaxing relationship with their baby and then, she explains more prosaically, “When he is constipated, better a little massage than a suppo. with glycerin! BZ also talks to infants. She knows how to reassure them with a few sweet words and caresses. BZ has been working here for a long time and measures all the changes that have taken place in recent years. “Now, we no longer wash babies after birth, we wait 48 hours. That way, we leave them in peace with their mom. And then, protected by their vernix, they thus have less risk of
cool. Once absorbed, it is also very good for their skin. “
well paced days
In room 122, Audrey has now finished her breakfast. The nursing assistants have just installed him a small side-car bed. In fact, a sort of transparent cradle in the shape of a half moon, hanging from his bed. Audrey decided to breastfeed Eglantine, as do nearly 65% of mothers who give birth here. “Having my baby in bed bothers me a bit and above all I’m afraid of crushing him. There he is next to me, but is not afraid. I can breastfeed her on demand or take her with me without having to get up every time. It’s really practical. The lactation counselor should come by later to make sure everything is going well and give the new mother some advice if necessary. The morning goes quickly. The babywearing workshop is scheduled for mid-afternoon and Audrey, who has already bought a sling, seems impatient to discover the “single cross” and the “double cross” to nest her baby soon. At almost the same time, Séverine, the mother of Evy, 2 months old, has an appointment for her postnatal consultation. Everything is going for the best, but she confides that she suffers from time to time in the back. Fred, the midwife, then offers to “close her pelvis”. “It’s not really osteopathy,” she says, “because we don’t manipulate. We only apply very light pressures known as “lump of butter” on the young mother’s pelvis, as well as slight rotational movements to put everything back in line after childbirth. »At the end of the session, Séverine seems totally convinced.
Next challenge: the “Baby Friendly” label
The afternoon is already well advanced. For Marie, the time to leave the maternity ward is approaching. The pediatrician still has to come by to see little Augustin and issue him his discharge voucher. The young mother carefully removes the onesie from her baby, who groans a little and wriggles on his changing table. “He’s making his star! », Laughs Marie. It must be said that Augustine already has quite a number of achievements: born January 2 at 4:29 am, he was recognized by the local press as “First baby of the year”. Dr Abraham Mounzer walks in and smiles. He begins by asking mom a few questions. Then he speaks very gently to the infant, before successively wrapping his small head with his large hand, then delicately grasping his handcuff to put it in his mouth. The effect is almost magical. Augustin no longer squirms, absorbed in greedily sucking his fist. “Before examining the children, we try to recreate a safe climate. A kind of bubble where you must never let go of contact because they need to be enveloped, contained. “Dr Mounzer, trained in haptonomy, is very concerned about the well-being of his little patients:” Before a blood test or a painful examination, the baby is given his mother’s finger to suckle, if the latter breastfeeding, or a pacifier, otherwise. And both are pre-soaked in a sucrose solution. Studies have shown that this process reduces stress and pain. ”Responsible for the neonatal department on the 3rd floor, even Dr. Mounzer applies this attention to the most fragile.
Night has now fallen. Warmly dressed, Pauline comes out of the elevator and crosses the hall, her little Filipina huddled against her in her nest. Charles, her husband, a tank pilot in a regiment based here, brings them home. The young mother has a smile. ” Finally, we quickly forget that we are in Verdun. Either way, whatever. What matters is the support and the team. “A satisfaction Fabienne Galley does not want to be satisfied with:” There is still so much to do. We must continue to fight, to move forward. In 1916, the Voie Sacrée made it possible to relentlessly supply the French troops battling on the front. To lead them to victory. Almost a hundred years later, the Verdun maternity hospital wanted to take the same path. With one hope: tomorrow pinning his Merit Cross to his pediment: the “Amie des bébé” label.