Having a Baby in France

This Information page exists to guide you through the legislation and administrative details of having a baby in France - the more personal decisions on how, where and who are, just that, personal.

As soon as you think you are pregnant

Visit a Gynaecologist for blood tests, urine tests and confirmation of pregnancy. Your doctor will issue you with a document to declare your pregnancy Déclaration de Grossesse.

This must be sent to the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales CAF (insurance and family benefits). This must be done within 14 weeks of the initial medical examination, or else you risk loosing benefits allowed.

The Carnet de Maternité

You will be sent a Carnet de Maternité, the notebook of maternity, by CAF. This notebook has two principal functions:

• It documents every medical procedure throughout pregnancy and acts as the "bond" between the medical personnel and you.
• It also provides a document for administrative follow up.

You must take this book to every medical consultation. The book is composed of detachable layers corresponding with the various stages of your pregnancy. It states the point at which you need what examination, and where to go and where to send documents. 

Every examination or process by a doctor or a midwife will be filled in. This entitles you to 100% reimbursement on expenses. This document is confidential, although a doctor has the right to inform the father of the baby on details, if it is considered necessary.

If your paperwork is in order will be entitled to benefits from the fifth month of pregnancy until the third birthday of the child. The amount allowed is based on a sliding, increasing scale.

In the case of an unmarried couple, you will need to decide and declare who will receive the benefits - be the "allocatee".

Antenatal classes are also subsidised by your Securité Sociale. 

You must also submit records of your medical examinations to you medical insurer.

You will be issued with a pass by CAF, which gives you permission, as a pregnant woman, to go to the front of the queue in public places, and demand that someone gives up their seat to you in a public place or on public transport.

Employment protection

Pregnant, employed or self-employed women receive a great many benefits and much job protection. Details can be found on the Service-Public website 

Women are allowed 16 weeks maternity leave in France. You will receive an allowance during maternity off time. This time can be split to before or after birth as you choose. You must notify your employer by registered letter with delivery acknowledgement enclosing the proof of pregnancy and expected due date. If any problems are anticipated, the employer should be notified if you expect to be away from work for an extended period. By law, your job must be kept available to you. Maternity leave is also allowed to fathers.

If you do not fulfil the conditions of examination as laid out in the carnet de maternité your rights to refunds and employment allowance will be jeopardised.

If your paperwork is in order will be entitled to benefits from the fifth month of pregnancy until the third birthday of the child. The amount allowed is based on a sliding, increasing scale. If your income is very low you may be entitled to the Allocation de Jeune Enfant from the sixth month of pregnancy until the third birthday of the child. Parents with only one child are not entitled to family allowance. After the birth of a second child, a family allowance is paid regardless of the level of your family income.

Parental leave

If you choose to stop work or work part time after your maternity leave you are entitled to a parental leave (congé parental d'éducation). If you have more than one child and have worked for two out of the last five years you are entitled to an Allocation parentale d'enfant. The congé can be renewed until the third birthday of your child.

Obligatory antenatal medical examinations

You are obliged to undergo seven antenatal examinations, which will be fully refunded. The first visit must take place before the end of the third month of pregnancy. After this examination, you must go monthly from the forth month.
If you are not immune to toxoplasmosis you will have your blood tested at a laboratory, monthly. Generally, you will have three sonograms, échographie, during your pregnancy.

The Birth

Generally delivery takes place in a maternity hospital and usually by mid-wife, sage femme. You should find and reserve your hospital place long in advance. If you choose a private hospital or clinic, you may not be fully reimbursed by the Sécurité Sociale. Generally, a hospital stay lasts three days. Epidurals, péridurale, are happily given.

Home births

Home and natural births are not common in France, which maintains a fairly "anti" stance on the subject, although they can be arranged. It is difficult as a result of various administrative and insurance reasons: the health and security of the baby and mother are of primary importance, and even though statistics show that there is little difference in the mortality rate between home and hospital births, there is the chance of prosecution for those in attendance if something goes wrong in a home birth. This is under the legal responsibility of non-assistance à une personne en danger meaning that someone not helping a person in danger and will face prosecution - this is a serious offence in France.

Even so, home births are becoming more sought after, so things could change in the future. It would be worth discussing this with your gynaecologist. A home birth is reimbursed by social security, but not at the rate of 100% as in a hospital or clinic birth.

EU Nationals

New legislation allows that if you are an EU citizen and  holder of a valid French Carte de Séjour, and have French medical insurance, you may have the delivery in your EU home country. The Sécurité Sociale will reimburse the national health insurance of your home country.

Registration of the Birth

The Déclaration de Naissance or birth registration is obligatory for any child, whether legitimate (born into marriage) or natural (born to un-married parents). It must be made within three days of the birth (although allowance is made for weekends). The registration is free.

The notification must be made at the local Mairie of the birth, by a qualified person, officier d'état civil. Any person who has attended the birth may make the statement but they must take the signed birth certificate extrait d'act de naissance and proof of your residence. You will be given a carnet de naissance de l'enfant - a health record for your baby.

A request for a birth certificate must include:

• the full name of the baby at the time of birth
• the date and place of birth
• father's full name
• mother's full name, including maiden name

French Nationality: Any child born to at least one parent who is French national parent has automatic French nationality (whether born in France or abroad). 

Any child born in France, where neither parent is French may receive French nationality (by request) at age 18 years if they are resident in France. If a child has lived in France for at least five years from the age 11 onwards, it may received French nationality (by request) at age 18 years.

Registration of birth at your Embassy

It would be wise to register the birth of your baby through your home Consulate in France and apply for the passport. See Consulates in the AngloFILE.

The health record of the child

The carnet de naissance de l'enfant, or health record of your child, can be delivered to you or to your attending doctor by the Mairie.

This notebook must be taken to every medical consultation your child has until they are 18 years of age. The medical examiner will enter the details of any procedure and this acts as a record of full medical history.

Postnatal

The postnatal period, période post-natale, involves examinations for both you and your baby. Your baby has an examination in the first week and then nine further times in the first year, three during second, and two during each of the next years up to the sixth birthday. Of these exams, three contribute to a "certificate of good health" - the first week, ninth month and 24th month.

Your gynaecologist will examine you and the baby at eight weeks after delivery.

Local health care centres for the Protection Maternelle et Infantile (PMI) is a clinic for mother and child. Services are free if you provide your "health carnets". The staff perform the basic postnatal checks, provide advice and help on issues such as nutrition and breast feeding. They are also permitted to administer the vaccinations.

You will also be prescribed and reimbursed for postnatal physical therapy.

Vaccinations

The health record (see above) also acts as a certificate of vaccinations carnet médical peut servir de certificat de vaccinations. Your doctor or the clinic will sign, date and declare the vaccinations given. You can expect your child to receive the following: 

• First month 
  BCG for tuberculosis (obligatory)
• Between 2 and 3 months
  Vaccin Pentavalent: First in a course of 3 injections at monthly intervals for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Whooping cough (coqueluche) and Haemophilus b.
  Note: 1 further booster injection is due when the child is between 16 and 18 months of age.
  Vaccin Antihépatite B: the Hepatitis B vaccine. The first in a course of 3 injections with the third given 6 months after the first.
  Note: The Vaccin Hepatique vaccination is now very rarely given to children due to a recent health scare. Some doctors believe there is a link between this vaccination and the development of multiple sclerosis.
• From 1 year of age
  ROR Rougeole/Oreillons/Rubéole): First inoculation against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles). Booster recommended between ages 3 and 6.

Naming the child

If you have been married in France or been issued with a Livret de Famille, family record book, you must return to the Marie with the birth certificate signed by the doctor or midwife, so that the child can be entered. For any information, contact the Marie of the birthplace.

Further Information 

There are branches of these organisations below throughout France. Search in the French White Pages for your closest branch. 

• Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF), family benefits
• Protection Maternelle et Infantile (PMI). mother and infant welfare (can be reached through your local Conseil Général)
• Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM), primary case of sickness insurance

The Conseil Général of your department will have further information on local bodies that are there to help:

Ain (01)

• Conseil Général de l'Ain
  At: Hôtel du département, 45 avenue Alsace-Lorraine, 01000 Bourg-en-Bresse
  Tel: 04 74 32 32 32
  Website

Hautes-Alpes (05)

• Conseil Général des Hautes-Alpes
  At: Hôtel du département, Place Saint-Arnoux, BP 159, 05008 Gap cedex
  Tel: 04 92 40 38 00
  Fax: 04 92 40 38 01
  e-mail   
  Website

Isère (38)

• Conseil Général de l'Isère
  At: Hôtel du Département, 7 rue Fantin-Latour, BP 1096, 38022 Grenoble
  Tel: 04 76 00 38 38
  Website

Savoie (73)

• Conseil Général de la Savoie
  At: Hôtel du Département, Château des Ducs de Savoie, BP 1802, 73018 Chambéry
  Tel: 04 79 96 73 73
  Website

Haute-Savoie (74)

• Conseil Général de Haute-Savoie
  At: 1 Avenue d'Albigny, 74041 Annecy Cedex
  Tel: 04 50 33 50 00
  Fax: 04 50 45 23 30
  e-mail  
  Website

Useful Web links

• Medical Terminology on AngloINFO
• French Government Service-Public website
• Baby France French website
• Familles: Active Web forum for parents and parents to be (French)
• Info Femmes: National Centre for legal rights of women including employment and maternity (French)