I'm expecting a child

Verified 01 September 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

As my pregnancy is confirmed by a doctor, I have to take certain steps before and after the birth of my child, in particular to establish filiation and obtain certain aids. Here's what these steps are and how to do them.

We ask you several questions. The answers you provide help identify your situation. These questions are optional. You can access the information without answering it.

What applies to you ?

As soon as my pregnancy is confirmed by my doctor, I have to take certain steps.

I register with a maternity or nursing home
I transmit my declaration of pregnancy to my health insurance fund and my family allowance fund (Caf or MSA) and I inquire about the birth premium and the basic allowance for the early childhood care benefit (EYCB)
I do the mandatory medical examinations
I'm entitled to absence permissions to get there, as well as no one i live with as a couple
I'm inquiring about the coverage of health expenditure
I ask home help, if I am facing medical or social and financial difficulties
I can, starting at 1^re medical consultation of pregnancy and at the latest before the end of the 5^e month of pregnancy declare a referral midwife.
This midwife accompanies me from pregnancy to maternity. This declaration is made with the Health Insurance and remains valid 14 weeks after delivery.

The father can recognize the child from pregnancy, when the parents of the unborn child are not married.

If it's 1^er as a child of the couple, the parents choose the surname that the child will bear.

He can carry :

The mother's name
The name of the father
Or those two names.

This choice must be indicated at the time of declaration of birth.

FYI

If you are a couple of women, you have to go through a early joint recognition.

My rights vary depending on whether or not I have a job:

Employment

I can report my pregnancy to my employerwhich allows me to ask him:

Accommodations for pregnant women in my workplace
Examples: reduction of my working hours (if possible in my company) and absence permissions to get to the mandatory medical exams
A temporary reclassification when my work is incompatible with my pregnancy (examples: night shift, one position exposed to certain risks, my state of health requires it).

Please note

The no one i live with as a couple may obtain from his employer a leave of absence to accompany me to the compulsory medical examinations.

During my pregnancy:

I benefit from a protection against dismissal
I can quit my job without having to give notice or pay a termination fee.

I ask about the length of maternity leave of an employee or of an official or contractor.

Before I go on maternity leave, I have to tell my employer.

Unemployed

I can declare my pregnancy to France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)
I'm inquiring about the maternity leave
I have to notify France Travail before I go on maternity leave.

Please note

The no one i live with as a couple may obtain from his employer a leave of absence to accompany me to the compulsory medical examinations.

Aid

I can apply for various aids:

Family allowances
Active Solidarity Income (SSA), under certain conditions
Tax credit for out-of-home childcare expenses
Tax Credit or Tax Reduction for Home Child Care
If I take a job again or enter training and raise my child alone, I can ask France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) for a childcare assistance
If my child has an illness or disability or is the victim of a serious accident, I can apply for parental leave. The approach to do varies depending on who I am employee or that I am civil servant or contract).

If I have at least 3 children, I can ask for the large family card.

Adoption

If I want my child to be adopted by the person with whom i live as a couple, I'm inquiring about the special procedure planned in this case.

Means of guard

I may be entitled to the free choice of childcare supplement (CMG) if I go through a childcare facility (organization, micro-nursery or family nursery) or I myself employ a childminder or home childcare.

Employment-Labor

If I work and want more time to take care of my child, I find out according to my situation:

If I am an employee, on parental leave at full-time or to part-time
If I'm a public official, on the parental leave, or on part-time work as official or contractor.

FYI

This choice can be made by the person with whom i live as a couple.

I choose the first name and the name of the child
If it's 1^er as a child of the couple, the parents choose the child's surname. It can be the mother's name, the father's name or those two names. This choice must be indicated at the time of declaration of birth
I have the birth declared or i declare it of my child.

My child's father or the person with whom i live as a couple can get a minimum of 3 days of legal leave for birth, regardless of whether he or she is

I inform the organizations that manage various benefits concerning me of the birth:

Family Allowance Fund (Caf or MSA)
Health insurance fund
Complementary health (example: my health insurance).

I inform the taxes in order to adapt my withholding tax on my space "impots.gouv.fr" (Manage my withholding at source, then Declare a change and choose birth by adding my child to dependants):

Taxes: access to your space Private

If I am a tenant of a social housing, I inform the social landlord of the birth:

To obtain, if necessary, a solidarity rent reduction
To obtain a reduction in the solidarity rent supplement (SLS), if I pay it.

My child's father or the person with whom i live as a couple may apply for paternity or foster leave for the child if he or she is:

employee
or public official (civil servant or contractor)
or self-employed, or collaborating spouse, or medical practitioner or auxiliary.

If it's my 3^e as a child and as an employee, i can ask for the early release of all or part of my employee savings (or the other parent of my child).