Throughout your pregnancy, you will have medical appointments once a month to check your own health and your baby's health.

• On the first month, you have a first appointment to have a blood test and to check that you are in good health.
• On the third month, you have your first ultrasound. The ultrasound is a device allowing you to see your baby inside your belly. It allows you to date your pregnancy and check that everything is going well. During this appointment, you also register at the maternity ward.
• On the 4th month, you have an appointment to discuss your pregnancy with your doctor. They will listen to you and give you advice.
• On the 5th month, you have a second ultrasound to check that the baby is growing well. You also have a dental exam.
• On the 6th month, you are screened for gestational diabetes. It is a disease that can appear during pregnancy.
• On the 7th month, you can have a third ultrasound, which is not mandatory. It is meant to check the baby's position in your belly.
• On the 8th month, you have an appointment with an anesthesiologist, who will be present during the childbirth.
• On the 9th month, you have a final appointment to prepare for the childbirth.

You can book 7 prenatal appointments. These appointments can be done alone with the doctor, or in a small group. Their aim is to:

• Understand the stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and what happens after childbirth
• Learn relaxation and breathing exercises and the gestures that will relieve your pain during pregnancy and childbirth
• Understand the role of the different doctors who will help you during your pregnancy
• Learn how to care for your baby after birth and prepare for your return home with your baby.

Maternity leave is a period of time during which you can rest before and after giving birth, while keep to receiving a portion of your salary. If you are unemployed, you can also receive compensation.

In order to be on maternity leave, you must send a letter to your employer, with a medical certificate from your doctor.

When a child is born in France, you must declare its birth.

The declaration must be made at a civil registry office. There are some in hospitals and town halls. The birth certificate is drawn up immediately by a registrar.

You must bring these documents:

• identity documents for both parents
• certificate of the doctor or midwife

You must ask Social Security to have the child linked to both parents' health cards.

To do this, you can:

• call 3646,
• or go to your ameli.fr account in the "My procedures" section > "Declare a change of situation" > "Newborn declaration"

Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Having a Vitale card"

Declaring your child's birth to the CAF allows you to receive specific social assistance.

To do this, log in to your CAF account , in the section "My Account" > "My procedures" > "Declare a change" > "Declare a birth".

Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Register and request assistance from the CAF"

If you have a private health insurance, you must also declare the birth of your child to them.

If present with you, the child's second parent is entitled to paid leave days to help you welcome your child.

After these 3 days, the second parent can take paternity leave, which can last:

• between 4 days and 25 days (if you give birth to 1 child)
• or between 4 days and 32 days (if you give birth to 2 or more children).

Within 60 days after the birth, you must declare the birth to the tax authorities to adjust the amount you pay to the number of people in your household.

To do this, you must log on to the website impots.gouv.fr, in the section "Manage my withholding tax" > "Declare a change"

Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Declare income and pay taxes"