Physical and psychological symptoms complained of by parents or exhibited by newborns can be treated medically, but they can also be placed in the subjective context of each individual birth story and worked on simultaneously medically and psychoanalytically. Therefore, these symptoms can be considered as transgenerational signs to be decoded. In the analytical sense, suffering is always suffering waiting for the word. Whether it is the body or the soul, it is always symbolic suffering. The need for speech is so real that even the body can be damaged in its organization, functioning, and integrity. Since language is expressed through a symptom, analytic listening is possible from the first moments of life, provided, however, that the analyst can work in the maternity ward. I work in the maternity ward with newborns and their parents. Psychoanalytic work after childbirth must first of all take into account the specifics of the functioning of the hospital, which involves the analyst's work outside the office. It is difficult, but nevertheless necessary to create a framework that allows patients to express their request. For this, I needed to provide a protocol of close cooperation between the analyst and the medical team. Working in the office, the analyst is freed from the need to search for a request, because people turn to him with their request, even if it still needs to be worked on. This is also possible in a hospital with the help of medical staff. Their function as a mediator appears in a combination of understanding and sensitivity to context, which allows the analyst to avoid the position of one who himself makes the request or insists on such work. This is what allows us to follow Jacques Lacan when he writes: "The importance of maintaining the place of desire in the analysis requires that this place be oriented in accordance with the consequences of inquiry, which are based on the principle of the effect of analysis." Of course, we are not talking about psychoanalytic analysis in the classical sense of the term. At the same time, the work of a psychoanalyst, even "in the fields", cannot be recognized as psychoanalytic work outside of these concepts. However, the concept of analysis remains in question when the application of psychoanalysis concerns the newborn, whose request is heard very early by means of a sign, listening to which a decision to intervene can be made. Work in the maternity ward takes place at a time when the question of filiation becomes relevant for the mother, father and child. This gives a special touch to analytical meetings. They take place in an extremely favorable climate for the emergence of conscious and especially unconscious words that appear as if from the surface. This openness to conversation, which we see in these moments in parents, requires a certain rigor from us. Only respect for an analytical type setting based on the recognition of a request can make it possible to contain the consequences of such a request. Mediation by the medical team reveals the need for the word, as well as the grammar of the situation or its context. In this way, conditions are created that can be characterized as placental - a place of exchange. This makes it possible to circulate the symbolic word in its entirety. In the hospital, the word is often locked in the medical system, sometimes remaining a prisoner there, and such a system maintains its immobility. Only a psychoanalytic hearing can set him free. When contacting patients, based on clinical symptoms, somatic or functional pathology, refusal to breastfeed, or coded data such as an abnormal weight curve, the medical staff can offer a consultation and refer the request to an analyst. In order for a person to feel like a person, a bill, a cut, the so-called umbilical castration, must have an effect in the symbolic. We can talk about history, prehistory, or even protohistory, describing a word that is outside the child and beyond its existence. The birth of a child illustrates this story as the child accepts her with her quirks. But, at the same time, it can be said that the child takes a distance from her, because he talks about her, thinks about her. This dimension is a specifically human dimension. Any analyst working with children seeks to make sense between the child's discourse (symptoms, behavior during the session) and the discourse of his parents or, in their absence, the discourse of a person who cares for the child and can testify to his story. Meanwhile, the postpartum period is very important for the possibility of work. During the postpartum period, most women experience what is called the baby blues or early postpartum depression. This condition, the etiology of which does not seem to be clear to the women who suffer from it, is related to the mutual recognition of the child and its mother. On about the third day, the child already exists, but this presence has yet to be materially and socially registered. Psychoanalysts since Freud have called this real aftereffect. In this case, we are talking about the after-effect of childbirth, which is embodied in the child's body. Parents manifest this in language, in the symbolic order of language. From the perspective of the mother's unconscious, the baby blues can be understood as a re-actualization of the unsymbolized losses and separations in her history. It was as if the doors of all the chambers where the corpses were were opened at the same time. The affective charge associated with these segments, with this often unconscious unsaid, provokes a kind of psychic longing for the child who comes to take his place as a being of language (it is during this period - on the third or fourth day, it is usually said that the newborn begins express themselves). Since then, he can enter his historicity, but history is always behind. Three to four days after birth constitute a transitional period for the newborn between intrauterine life and its symbolic appearance. This is the period in which he finds himself between his birth and active participation in the aerial world which has become his own. I call this period "limbo". This is the time when the child is waiting for words that will bring meaning to his life. It seems to me that this is a symbolic moment of the umbilical castration described by Françoise Dolto, which actually appears in the second stage after birth. The birth of a baby is a change, a revolution, even an ecological change, according to some neonatologists, but, strictly speaking, it is not a separation. And yet at this moment there really is a separation with what surrounds the baby, is a part of him. From a purely embryological point of view, the division is internal to the unity of the egg. The placenta is its outstanding symbol. The baby is separated from the placenta and appendages, which will function as remnants. These are the biological bases for the first natural castrations, which will only become symbolic after birth, when the mother goes through the baby blues, and then gradually with the various castrations, during which the object will be created, as a detached from reality, an imagined response to the unbearableness of castrations . In the fetus, we can say that the issues of desire and need are initially mixed, their separation will occur only after birth, under the influence of speech and language. Psychoanalysis functions on the basis of Freud's concept of "consequence". The conversation about separation most often occurs through the reading of the Oedipus complex. Oedipus is the structure upon which all failed separations will stumble, which in the aftermath will serve to reveal what has failed in the primary castrations in a symbolic function. Meanwhile, if we remember these physiological sections at the beginning of placental and umbilical castration in the aftermath of birth - we will talk about them again - they certainly determine the loss, but what object, what outline or imprint in the ethological sense of this term? Words, in most cases, are said unconsciously, around the baby or to him by parents, family and others. However, it sometimes happens that when symptoms appear, specialized intervention is required. We will mention the cases of early separation of mother and child, when they are in the hospital in different places. Therefore, as a preventive measure, it is important that the parent or someone else takes responsibility for giving the child separated from the family the words that define his identity and the meaning of what he lives, so that this does not lead to a violation of further the course of her psychological development. A number of disorders observed over a more or less long-term period in premature infants have their origin in the violence of these non-verbal separations. We can also mention the intimate difficulties often observed in adopted children who have to deal with symbolic holes in their existence. In the maternity ward, the localization of the symptom is threefold. It can be at the level of a child, mother or father. Analytical listening can take place precisely in this staging of a family bond that can be described as unbreakable. It happens that this makes it possible to settle certain conflicts that, to a greater or lesser extent, burden the course of this period and the subsequent psychological and relational balance of one or another. This is the time when women cry, their children echoing them, beginning to vigorously demand recognition and food. Their cries contribute to an increase in the amount of milk, which partially satisfies them and ends the limbo period. The kid will force his mother to arrange a place for him in relation to the couple, and everyone in the family will have to squeeze. This change has far-reaching consequences, as it will affect ancestors and descendants. It is necessary to change your place according to the new arrival. The unconscious content that will have to be mobilized sometimes complicates this operation. This can cause all kinds of symptoms, the carrier of which can sometimes become a child and remain in this role throughout life. Newborns are especially sensitive to attention. Man speaks, and this dimension specific to him allows him from birth to enter into this privileged mode of communication with another, which is the word. We must use it when addressing other people who are destined for the word, but whose evolutionary stage has not yet reached maturity, because the psychoanalytic clinic shows us that the true word, as conceptualized by psychoanalysts, affects the subject child before and to some extent, which allows it to restore harmonious functioning in the universe to which it belongs. This ease of access to meaning, which occurs in the early postpartum period through the spontaneous emergence of associations during analytic conversation, is observed only during a very limited period. Indeed, it is interesting that "after a time, it is no longer a time", because this access to unknown content is very temporary. After a few days, everything closes, and the processes of displacement come into play again. It is as if this openness had the function of establishing the form of transmission of signifiers of family history from parents to children. Considering the influence of interpretations on the condition of newborns, it seems to me that they are extremely sensitive to this legacy, more or less difficult for different subjects, and seek to accept it in turn according to their capabilities. Baby blues is a fundamental linguistic moment that occurs in the aftermath of birth, this moment is absolutely specific. However, it takes on the appearance of true depression with dysthymia, tears, feelings of inadequacy, fear of the future, anxiety, fatigue, etc. However, professionals do not consider this condition from a psychiatric perspective, whereas under other circumstances mood disorders of this type would be the subject of antidepressants. The labile aspect of baby blues symptoms is known, and instead of antidepressants, women often hear: "It's okay, it will pass, it's all about hormones." "Maybe," I would answer, "but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it!". It would be better to give them the opportunity to express themselves, they sometimes need it terribly and do not always find someone who is ready for it. The words that are spoken about the child resonate with certain information that is accumulated during intrauterine life in sensory form. If this information entered in the form of perception outside of language, it is nevertheless associated with events and temporality, often imbued with meaning that can be passed down through several generations. Words associate this meaning with remembered perceptions that can sometimes disorganize the body and its functions. Nelson THRONG On the third day after birth, Nelson cried all day. His cries worried the midwife, who advised his mother to speak to me as the baby was difficult to comfort. When I enter the room, Nelson is at my chest, his mother is sitting in a chair. She explains to me that Nelson cries all the time and she can't soothe him. She tells: Nelson is actually her second son. Three years ago, she gave birth to a boy, Kevin. On the third day, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. It was a terrible shock, but at first Ms. Trong was determined to accept it. But the child's father immediately offered to adopt their baby. The child was temporarily placed in a nursery until the parents decide. Mr. Trong told his wife that he would respect her choice, whatever it was. Two months later, they left Kevin. Very quickly, the couple wanted another child. However, pregnancy did not occur, and infertility lasted for many months. It wasn't until they found out about Kevin's adoption that Ms. Trong became pregnant again. During this story, Nelson became agitated, stopped sucking his breast. Then I turned to Nelson, “Nelson, you were born on a Monday, this reminds your parents of the birth of your older brother, Kevin, who was also born on a Monday. But you are not your brother. Kevin was different, he had Down syndrome, an incurable disease, and because of this, your parents didn't feel capable of raising him and thought it best to find another family that could take good care of him. You don't have Down syndrome and your parents know they can take care of you, they're not going to leave you. You can stop being afraid.” Ms. Trong then says that her husband was also adopted at a few months old, but he doesn't know why. His father burned all the documents related to his adoption and now he suffers from a severe mental disorder that makes any investigation impossible. Nelson goes back to sucking, calmly this time. There were no more screams. One might think that Mr. Trong, by abandoning Kevin, sought to legitimize his own story. Wasn't this how Nelson celebrated Down Syndrome Awareness Day? On the third day, haunted by his parents' memories of the still painful separation, he embodies the birth, which has the difficult mission of healing this wound, made even more difficult by the fact that this scenario has been repeated for two generations. ELIAS Mr. and Mrs. M. contact me by e-mail. I was recommended to them by Ms. M.'s sister, who lives in the USA, where she heard about my work. (publication Talking to babies, Ed. Beacon Press). They insist on the urgency of the situation. Since a place has become available in my consultation, I accept them in the maternity ward of the hospital where I work. They come with 11-month-old Elias, their third son. He stopped gaining weight at the age of 5 months when there was an attempt to diversify the diet. The family is of African origin, but the mother was born in France, she is the penultimate in a large family consisting mostly of girls. She lost her father three years ago, a week before the birth of her second son. Elias is fed exclusively with breast milk and less and less. He sleeps little, and besides, in his parents' bed, his night awakenings are numerous. Currently, his condition is deteriorating. He was hospitalized twice. Two weeks with mom, then another two weeks without her. A diagnosis was made: infant anorexia. Tried everything: various therapies, forced weaning, forced feeding and infusions, but without success. His parents decided to discharge him from the hospital against the doctor's advice. They make an appointment with me, waiting for a consultation at a specialized pediatric center in three days. I tell them that in three days I will not have time to work with their son, and if there are indications for a new hospitalization, and if he is hospitalized, I will not be allowed to work with him in the department. We agree that they will contact me again after this consultation. They call me first to let me know that the head pediatrician at the hospital treating Elias has prescribed a gastrotomy to allow him to feed directly through his stomach for a while. He believes that he no longer has enough reserves to fight a possible intercurrent infection. He is hospitalized for observation pending surgery. Then they call me again and say that the doctor predicted correctly: Elias has chicken pox. Interventions are postponed, waiting for his recovery. Parents can take him home during this time and take the opportunity to make an appointment with me. I receive them in my office and talk to the child about his situation, based on the parents' story. “Your dad is happy you were born a boy, your mom would like a girl and your parents want more children after you, but that doesn't mean there's no place for you as you are. You don't need to remain small and a baby, you can grow like other children in the family, there is also a place for you to grow up. To do this, you must agree to eat and play with your brothers and sleep in your place, not in the bed people who need to be together. You cannot take your father's place at your mother's side. It is forbidden, and not only to you, but also to your brothers. » Elias asks for a breast. He drinks a lot, in 3-4 approaches he empties both breasts. I advise you to put him to sleep in his bed, but for now in his parents' room, feed him on demand, but like a newborn, giving him time for breaks, calmly, without rushing. It's about letting him regress to start the story from scratch. In the next session, Elias asks for breasts when he comes to the office. Drinks for a long time, empties both breasts. I tell the mother that her milk is good and plentiful, and that this nourishment will save her son. Even if he will not eat anything else, the large amount of milk will not let him die. It seems important to me to re-establish her narcissism and motherhood after a hospital stay where psychologists blamed the mother for the merger, made her responsible for the situation, and prescribed divorce and separation. Then Elias plays with me. I bring the mother into the game as a third person. At first he is incredulous, but then he takes great pleasure in it: a spoon for Mrs. Seiger, this for Mom, this for Elias. I advise not to feed Elias at night and to interfere with his awakening as little as possible. When Elias returns, he has gained 120 grams! He asks for the breast immediately when he comes. Drinks a lot, makes 4 approaches. While he drinks, his mother tells. She is the penultimate of 5 girls and 1 boy. She was the first to be born in France. Her mother was suffering from severe depression when she was born because she missed her grandmother who had stayed in the country. She never recovered and was forced to take psychotropic drugs all her life. Mrs. M tells me about a very difficult period after her father's death, in which the joy of birth was mixed with the pain of mourning. She was afraid of falling into depression like her mother. The birth of Elias renewed all these emotions associated with previous births. After Elias has had his fill and listened to all of this, he plays with the two of us and then tries to pull the lamppost wire. I tell him, “If your father was here, he would say no,” just to remind him that he is also part of the paternal line. The father told us that he himself was breastfed until he was 6 years old. Sometimes his mother fed him, sometimes his grandmother, which made his wife laugh a lot. These are cultural practices that are sometimes still active in their country of origin, traditions that should be distinguished from the long-term breastfeeding recommendations of extended motherhood activists that now exist in Western countries. The situation is improving, Elias comes back very smiling and happy to see me again. The mother is shining. They smell like spicy food. He first plays with us, and then asks to suck. He says, "Mommy, he sleeps in his bed and wakes up only once a night." It's his birthday. He is a year old. Why does my mother tell me about his birth. Then she painfully tells me about Elias' hospitalization. “They tried everything, even crazy things. They even wanted to separate me from me! She laughs, noticing her eloquent deception. Elias has yet to be recognized as different. She then tells me how she was discharged from the hospital and forced to wean her baby by the medical staff. She resisted by expressing milk at home with a breast pump she bought. for lactation support because she did not believe in the effectiveness of their approach, which she describes as violent and cruel. The analysis continues. Elias regained his complexion and tone. The pediatrician advised postponing hospitalization and continuing therapy. He explores my cabinet of crabs with pleasure and curiosity, then divides his cookies between the three of us. He tries to crawl between the chair and the bookcase, but he can't. I tell him: "You stroked, you will not pass. "Instead of giving up, he tries to push himself until he can push the chair and succeed. Then I think he can tell me about his birth. I continue the story addressed to him as a voice-over: "when were you born..etc"; Then he crawls over to his mother, who is sitting on the floor, and she goes back to certain elements of my story. She talks about the incubator in which he was placed from birth and which she was not allowed to open. Elias then asks for the breast and begins to suck for a long time, as if re-enacting the traumatic scene, repairing the damage, thus celebrating his birthday. Before leaving, Mrs. M. told me that her husband asked her how my work differs from the work of hospital psychologists. I ask her what she said. "I said that you work mainly with Elias. In the hospital, they were only interested in my words, but they didn't pay attention to him." I tell her that it is Elias who is undergoing her analysis, that she is fine and does not need an a priori analysis. Elias ends the session with a feeding to show me that the session is his favorite restaurant! The analysis continued for some time, and Elias was able to completely get rid of the difficulties. In this excerpt from the analysis, we can see how the issue of separation can play out over several generations through bereavement and birth. The infant may express a symptom, the decoding of which requires analytic listening and establishing the setting of the analysis, which will allow the child to reproduce the missing words in the transference in the parade of parental signifiers and put them back in place. Mrs. M. repressed the question about her father's mourning after the birth of her second son, and Elias asked the question with his symptom. Babusia on her mother's side suffered from separation from her own mother all her life, this suffering appeared after the birth of Elias's mother and never went away. Mrs. M. managed to protect herself from the effects of her mother's depression even during the death of her father, during the birth of her second son, but Elias, who was born later, became a carrier of the symptom. He almost died from it. His body, wrapped in the family unconscious, became a place of pleasure. If the mother had been able to talk to someone in the days following his birth, instead of again using all her energy to push out like she did during previous births and engage her defense mechanisms, Elias probably wouldn't have needed to put himself in danger. to get the word out. When a parent makes a request or accepts help, an analytical approach can allow everyone to best fill their place. To do this, it is always desirable to intervene as soon as possible, sometimes even before the appearance of symptoms, and thus open a little-studied area of prevention. Psychoanalysts know very well that it takes several generations to create psychopathology, in any case they always start late! Published with the permission of the association La Cause des bébés.