Martine Chauvière
Maternity, a public health priority 
Midwife Martine Chauvière is senior health care executive for the Gynaecology-Obstetrics Unit at the René Pleven hospital in Dinan in the Côtes d’Armor territorial department.
Is Portuguese hospital maternity care different from that in France?
I was most impressed not only by the very efficient technical and medical care, but in addition, the healthcare givers’ listening skills. The psychological aspect of maternity is very much encouraged; the attention given reassures and calms patients. This can be seen in antenatal classes as well as in neonatology units. Moreover, the healthcare team takes care of the children whilst involving the parents, listening to them, and accompanying them, including in neonatology.
Furthermore, breastfeeding is very much promoted. In France, even if, in theory, everyone supports breastfeeding, in practice, it can be complicated. During our visit to the Directorate-General for Health, it seemed that maternity represents a public health priority in Portugal.
I did not notice any major differences with France with regards to clinical practices – Caesarean rate, length of stay in the maternity hospital.
What information did you gather from your visit to the Nossa Senhora do Rosário public hospital in Barreiro?
This is without a doubt a “baby-friendly” hospital! All professionals placed children at the centre of interest and they are considered people in their own right. The child is given fully personalised care. For example, there are no set stereotyped schedules for bathing or feeding.
What is the status of Portuguese midwives?
It seems to me that there are fewer midwives in hospital units than in France; in maternity wards, for example, there seems to be more nurses. I also got the feeling that midwives are seen more as specialised nurses than part of a medical profession with limited skills, like their French colleagues.
I must add that in the eyes of the midwives who took part in this research trip, the star of the show was the tiny and very manageable cradle present in all of the units we visited. This cradle can be adjusted at will, is easy to handle, and lets the team carry out routine technical gestures with ease. For example in France, in order to measure blood oxygen levels, the child needs to be placed in an incubator. This is stressful for the parents. With the crib we discovered in Portugal, the baby remains comfortably settled and the parents close to their child. In short, this piece of equipment ensures excellent medical monitoring and great flexibility from a relationship point of view. We have already started the ball rolling to purchase them in France!
