19/08/2020
Written by Florence BABUCHON, Head of Maternity, Polyclinique Inkermann (Niort).
Declaration of pregnancy (Déclaration de grossesse)
As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you’ll need to make an appointment with a doctor (GP or gynaecologist) or a midwife for a dating scan. Don’t forget to bring any previous test results with you, and to note the date of your last period. Remember to declare your pregnancy to your local health insurance office (caisse d’assurance maladie) before the end of the 14th week of pregnancy (or before the end of the 16th week of amenorrhea); i.e. before the end of month three. Your primary caregiver will prepare the declaration for your local health insurance office (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie, “CPAM”) and family allowance fund (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales, “CAF”).
Preparing the Declaration of pregnancy
Once your pregnancy has been confirmed, you’ll undergo a first antenatal examination, performed by your doctor (GP or gynaecologist) or your midwife. After this examination, they’ll prepare the Declaration of pregnancy, either online or on paper.
If the declaration is made online, there’s nothing else for you to do. Using your updated health insurance card (carte vitale), your primary caregiver will complete the declaration directly on a computer and send it digitally to the CPAM and the CAF.
If the declaration is filled out on paper, you’ll be given a form entitled Premier examen médical prenatal (First antenatal examination). After having completed your information, you’ll need to send:
- The 1st and 2nd sheets (blue) to your CAF or Mutualité Sociale Agricole (“MSA”), if you depend on the French agricultural regime
- The 3rd sheet (pink) to your CPAM.
When the organisation in question receives your Declaration of pregnancy (online or the paper version), you’ll be sent a document outlining your rights. You’ll also be told if you’re eligible to defer your social security contributions. If this is the case, note that this will only be done at your request.
Why do I have to declare my pregnancy before the end of the third month?
Declaring your pregnancy before the end of the third month means that you can benefit as soon as possible from maternity coverage (insurance and maternity leave).
Announcing my pregnancy to my employer
Great, you’ve finally announced the good news to your loved ones! Now, it’s time to tell your employer. Dreading this bit? Materniteam can provide valuable advice for making this step go as smoothly as possible.
When should I tell my employer I’m pregnant?
No need to rush to your boss’s office straight away; the French Labour Code simply states that you must inform your employer, in writing or orally, before you go on maternity leave. There’s no set deadline.
However, it’s better to tell your employer sooner rather than later so that the necessary arrangements can be made (e.g. recruiting maternity cover, if need be). Once the first twelve weeks have passed (along with any real risk of miscarriage), you can announce the happy news to your employer.
Similarly, we would recommend you tell your employer so you can take advantage of any legal benefits, or collective agreement benefits (if they exist), such as authorised absences for antenatal check-ups, protection against dismissal or reduction in daily working hours, for example.
How do I pick the right moment, and what’s the best way to tell my employer?
As with any major announcement, it’s important to pick the right moment to let your employer know. Ask for an appointment, even a short one, rather than slipping your news in hurriedly between meetings, and use this time to announce your pregnancy in person. Take this opportunity to work out any administrative details: you could, for example, give your employer a sheet to sign, indicating your expected due date and the start and end dates of your maternity leave. You could also include a copy of the medical certificate attesting to your pregnancy, given to you by your primary caregiver.
What about my colleagues?
Once you’ve told your employer, it’s time to share the good news with your colleagues. Isn’t it said that happiness grows when it’s shared?!
Registering with a maternity hospital
You’ve chosen the clinic where you want to give birth and now you’re wondering how to register. Registration conditions can differ significantly from one clinic to the next, but once you’ve made your decision, don’t take too long to find out about any formalities that must be completed, so you don’t lose out on your place…
Do I have to register with a maternity hospital?
There’s no legal obligation to register at a specific maternity hospital – any establishment is obliged to accept you on the day your baby’s due, whether or not you’ve registered with them. In fact, if they don’t, they risk being accused of failure to assist a person in danger.
That said, registering at a maternity hospital is definitely recommended. As well as helping reassure you, you’ll be able to take advantage of the services and benefits offered by the clinic during your pregnancy. In addition, you won’t have to deal with any administrative formalities on the day itself or during your stay.
How should I choose a maternity hospital?
It’s important to specify that in France maternity hospitals aren’t sector-based. In other words, you can choose to give birth in the clinic of your choice, and it’s up to you to decide what’s important to you when making your final choice.
Choosing a clinic close to where you live can be more convenient. If you want your own gynaecologist-obstetrician or midwife to deliver your baby, you’ll have to register at the maternity hospital where they practice (even if their availability on the day itself can’t be guaranteed).
You should also find out how much your private health insurance covers, both in terms of potential fee overruns and personal comfort during your stay in the clinic. Lastly, if your pregnancy is considered high risk, ask your primary caregiver to recommend the clinic best suited to your situation.
When should I register?
Most maternity hospitals recommend that you register as soon as possible, from the end of the third month or the beginning of the fourth month. Indeed, especially in cities where birth rates are high, clinics can rapidly fill up and have no vacancies left.
What documents do I need?
Start by contacting the maternity hospital of your choice by phone to find out what documents you’ll need to bring in order to register.
During the call, have your Social Security number ready. You’ll also be asked for your contact details, the date of your last period for calculating your expected due date, and the name of the healthcare professional who’s monitoring your pregnancy.
On the day of registration, you’ll need to bring your carte vitale, your Social Security attestation to prove that your rights are up to date, your complementary health insurance card and all your pregnancy documents (ultrasounds, tests, blood tests, etc.).
Also, check with your maternity hospital, as some offer online registration.
Establishing paternity and Recognition
If you’re not married, you should be aware that a child’s parentage is established differently for the father and the mother. While it’s enough that the mother’s name appear on the birth certificate for maternity to be established, the father must recognise the child for paternity to be established. Recognition can be done either before birth, at birth or after birth.
Before birth
Like the mother, the father can request legal recognition of the child before birth. If you want your baby to take the father’s name from birth, this is the option for you.
Recognition before birth can be done in any town hall (mairie) on presentation of the following documents (by appointment only in certain town halls):
- Proof of identity
- Proof of domicile (or residence) dated less than 3 months.
If you have these two documents in your possession, the civil registrar will immediately deliver the Recognition of parentage (Acte de reconnaissance). This legal document cites the surnames and first names of the parents but not those of the child. The requesting parent will be asked to sign the document and will be given a copy. This copy must be presented at the time the birth is registered (Déclaration de naissance).
At birth
Maternal filiation is automatically established once the mother’s name appears on the child’s birth certificate. If this is the case, the mother has no steps to take.
To do so, the father must contact the town hall of the place of birth of the child and present the following documents:
- Proof of identity
- Proof of domicile (or residence) dated less than 3 months
- The document issued by the midwife after the birth.
After birth
After the birth, the father can request legal recognition at any town hall on presentation of:
- Proof of identity
- Proof of domicile (or residence) dated less than 3 months
- The child’s birth certificate or the family record book (livret de famille), if available.
Legal recognition here will not be inserted in the child’s birth certificate. However, the town hall of the place of birth will cite it on the birth certificate and in the family record book.
Antenatal appointments
There are seven antenatal appointments that will set the pace of your pregnancy and help monitor your health and your baby’s health. When should you book these appointments and what will happen during them? Find out what to expect here.
1st appointment before the end of the 3rd month (before 15 weeks of amenorrhea)
During your first antenatal appointment, the doctor or midwife will prepare the birth registration document (Déclaration de naissance), perform a thorough physical examination and prescribe the following tests:
- Determination of blood group and rhesus factor
- Blood and platelet count
- Urine analysis
- Screening for certain diseases (rubella, hepatitis B, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, etc.)
- 1st ultrasound (dating scan) to accurately pinpoint the beginning of the pregnancy and detect a potential multiple pregnancy
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) screening
- Cervical uterine smear, if you’re not up to date
- Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) test, if offered.
2nd appointment during the 4th month of pregnancy
During this appointment, your doctor will perform a physical examination (blood pressure, weight measurement, vaginal examination, etc.) and give you the opportunity to ask questions and express any concerns or difficulties you may be experiencing. If you haven’t been vaccinated against toxoplasmosis, you’ll be prescribed a monthly blood test to check that you haven’t contracted it. You should bring to this appointment any tests previously prescribed by your primary caregiver (doctor or midwife).
During the fourth month, you’ll also begin your first session of preparing for childbirth and parenthood. This usually takes the form of an information session, the “early antenatal interview” (l’entretien prénatal précoce). Subsequent sessions will take place during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy.
3rd appointment during the 5th month of pregnancy
During the third appointment, your primary caregiver will perform a physical examination (gynaecological and general) and monitor your prescribed test results.
During the fifth month, a second ultrasound (a morphology scan to assess the physical development of your baby) should be performed to:
- Check that your baby’s developing correctly
- Find out your baby’s sex, if you want to.
4th appointment during the 6th month of pregnancy
As for the three previous antenatal appointments, your primary caregiver will physically examine you and check the results of the various tests prescribed. They will measure fundal height to assess how your baby is growing and check the heartbeat, letting you listen too!
5th appointment during the 7th month of pregnancy
During the fifth appointment, your primary caregiver will perform a gynaecological and general examination and follow up on the results of the various tests prescribed. They will check that you and the baby are doing well and that there’s no risk of premature birth.
In the seventh month, you can also start benefiting from your seven childbirth and parenthood preparation classes. These sessions can by carried out by your doctor or midwife, and can be either one-on-one or in a group.
6th appointment during the 8th month of pregnancy
We recommend you make your sixth antenatal appointment during the first two weeks of the eighth month of pregnancy. During your routine physical examination, your primary caregiver will make sure your cervix is properly closed and that your baby is developing correctly. They’ll also check how your baby is presenting for delivery and examine you to make sure you’re in good overall health (blood pressure, weight measurement, etc.).
It’s also at the beginning of the eighth month that you’ll be given an ultrasound to:
- Specify the location of the placenta and the position of your baby in the uterus
- Check how your baby’s developing.
During the eighth month, you should also book a pre-anaesthetic consultation, even if you’re planning to give birth without an epidural.
7th and last appointment during the 9th month of pregnancy
Your last antenatal appointment will take place during the final month of pregnancy. Again, you’ll be given a routine physical examination and your test results will be monitored.
In specific cases, it’s possible that your primary caregiver will request a pelvic X-ray to measure the size of your pelvis, and if it’s too small, they may recommend you opt for a C-section (caesarean section).
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