Whether or not you are insured, or if you are pregnant or have a child younger than 6 years old, you can receive free services from the Protection Maternelle et Infantile (PMI) organization in France. The French believe that everyone has a right to access medical care, whether rich or poor, legal or illegal, and especially if you are pregnant or with young children.
The PMI is gaining in popularity with French mothers of the middle and upper class, even if they have full insurance coverage. Advantages of going to a PMI are that appointments are usually not necessary and all professionals needed for pregnancies and young children are located under one roof. This means less running around and being able to work in appointments around a busy schedule.
Originated in November 1945, the PMI’s original mission was to counter the high infant mortality rate. It is staffed by puériculturices, psychologists, doctors, midwifes, and social assistants. Over the years, it has expanded its services. This expansion of services has also made running PMI more expensive, so large budgetary cuts have been made during the recession. Adjustments must be made in order for the PMI to continue, making me curious to see how the new president Francois Hollande plans to keep it running.
Services for Children Under 6 Years Old & Their Parents
Besides offering health services to children, the PMI provides health education, birth control information and family planning consultations. It also offers social and medical surveillance of pregnant woman through prenatal tests, post-natal consultations and in-home care for pregnant women. Families considered “vulnerable,” can have a puéricultrice or midwife come to their homes.
While services may vary from location to location, here is a list of typical services you can find at a PMI:
- Monitor child growth and development
- Mandatory and recommended vaccinations
- Detection of possible disturbances in motor and psychomotor, sensory, visual or auditory
- Childcare advice
- Nursery
- Counseling on child care (lifestyles of children, food …) and educational benchmarks provided by a pediatric nurse or a childcare assistant.
- Discuss any family or educational difficulties with a psychologist.
- Breastfeeding support to new mothers.
- Visit your home to help you and advise you after birth.
- Participate in enrichment activities (awakening of the infant, parent-child workshops, psychomotor activities).
- Join discussion groups and exchanges between parents.
The PMI also provides guidance to parents of children who have disabilities and/or chronic illness. The goal is to facilitate and assist in their care and/or integration. Through the service of the PMI, parents can benefit from close relationships with:
- Pediatric wards of hospitals
- Private medicine
- Action centers early medico-social
- The community mental health centers (CMP) and medical and educational psychology (CMPP)
- The school health service
- Social services
- Services of child psychiatry and adult psychiatry
- Specialized associations
- The places of parent-child
- Host institutions of early childhood
My Experience with the PMI
So far I have visited two different PMI locations – Cruelly (Normandy) and Forcalquier (Provence) – and I’m extremely satisfied with the level of care given to my daughter. It is hard to believe that everything is free. The first time we went was only to weigh my daughter because we had to monitor her weight after taking her home. The PMI was five minutes away, whereas the nearest pediatrician was a 30 minute drive.
After weighing my daughter, the puéricultrice asked me how I was doing. Not just conversational, she wanted to know if I mentally adjusted to the role of being a parent and needed psychological support. She was the first medical professional to really want to know how I was handling everything, and it felt good to finally tell someone that I was having a hard time. She told me that if I need anything at all, or needed someone to talk to, for me to return. I really wanted to return but I was not confident in my language skills and always so tired with the new baby, but there was something comforting about knowing help was within reach.
It is very common to have postpartum depression, so the PMI is a great place to meet with someone to discuss your emotions, or you can join the group sessions with other new mothers. Group meetings give mothers a chance to ask questions and receive personal support. I would have liked to have gone to one of those meetings, and wish that I did take the time. Since I moved there during my third trimester, I did not have a chance to meet other women in the area and this would have been an excellent opportunity for me to not feel so alone. We were living in the middle of nowhere, without commerce within easy reach – oh, how I missed walking to a café and chatting with locals.
After moving to Banon, we found out that that there is only one pediatrician serving the entire region. This pediatrician was booked for 2 months and we needed to see someone quickly to give Juliana her monthly exam. My husband called the PMI in Forcalquier, 20 minutes away, and found out that they had someone on staff that is able to conduct this examination. Luckily, we were able to come within two weeks. This medical professional is only in the office on the first Wednesday each month. One of the great things about living in the middle of lavender fields, well, besides being surrounded by lavender.
The doctor at the PMI was very personable and thorough, and I couldn’t have been happier with our appointment. Juliana’s exam was more complete than when we took her to our general doctor in Normandy. She told us that our daughter is healthy and slightly underweight, but not to be concerned. It is common for breastfed babies to be lean so this was expected.
If you are unable to find a pediatrician or need some extra support, I recommend you finding the closest PMI. It truly is a wonderful service they provide, and it is unbelievable that it is completely free for everyone – whether you are legal, illegal, rich, or poor.
Resources:
Perinat France
Conseil Général du Nord
Maire de Paris
Image by C. Wait
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