Beginning of pregnancy to the 3rd month
The pregnancy declaration must be carried out before the end of the 3rd month of pregnancy (i.e. up to 14 weeks). It is carried out during the first prenatal examination confirmed by a general practitioner, a midwife, or a gynecologist. This professional can then forward the declaration to the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA), with your agreement. You can also submit the three-part form yourself, which the healthcare professional will have given you.
This declaration opens the right to coverage of medical costs related to maternity.
It is recommended that you contact your complementary health insurance to check the specific cover provided during pregnancy.
If you don’t have one, you can run a simulation to see if you could benefit from the CSS (Complementary Solidarity Health Insurance), free or at reduced cost (click here to simulate your rights).
It is essential to update your Vitale card to ensure proper reimbursement of medical expenses. This update can be done at a multi-service kiosk in pharmacies, in certain healthcare facilities, or at the MSA reception desks, by following the on-screen instructions. At pharmacies, the pharmacist can perform the update for you.
It is not mandatory to inform your employer as soon as you find out about your pregnancy, but it must be done before the birth, otherwise the absence will be considered unjustified and there will be no maternity leave. The information can be given in writing or verbally with a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy. This allows you to benefit from rights such as protection against dismissal, increased medical monitoring, job adjustments (for example in the event of risk or night work), and authorisations for absence for mandatory medical examinations. There will be no impact on your salary in these cases and you will receive a daily allowance during your maternity leave.
In the public sector, a reduction in working hours a reduction of working hours from the third month of pregnancy is provided on presentation of a medical certificate.
In the private sector, it is important to look at the collective agreement to see if it provides for a reduction in working hours. To look for the collective agreement that applies to you, you can click here.
4th et 5th month
From the 4th month of pregnancy until the baby’s 6th month, the expectant mother can benefit from MT’ Dents.
If financial, family, geographical distance or health difficulties arise, it is possible to benefit from financial support or personalized assistance from the 4th month by calling the MSA social services.
Female farmers are eligible for a replacement on their farm for 16 weeks (equivalent to 4 months). A replacement request must be submitted at least 30 days before the start of maternity leave. If the replacement service does not respond within 15 days of the request, you will then have to find a replacement yourself.
6th month
You must send a declaration of situation and resources from your personnal online space before the 7th month to be eligible to receive the PN (Birth Bonus) or the AB (Basic Allowance).
It is essential to update your Vitale card to ensure proper reimbursement of medical expenses. This update can be done at a multi-service kiosk in pharmacies, in certain healthcare facilities, or at Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA) reception desks, by following the on-screen instructions. At pharmacies, the pharmacist can perform the update for you.
7th & 8th month
Childbirth preparation is accompanied by medical monitoring of the pregnancy, carried out by a doctor or midwife, the costs of which are fully covered. They generally begin around the 7th month of pregnancy. For more information on childbirth preparation sessions, click here.
The PN is paid in a single payment during the 7th month of pregnancy. It depends on the household’s resources, which determine eligibility based on the limits in force. To receive it, you must also have declared your pregnancy to the MSA.
To benefit from materntiy leave (prenatal and postnatal periods), the employee must notify her employer at least one month in advance by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. This letter must state the reason for the absence and the expected start and end dates of the leave. Its duration depends on the number of dependent children and the nature of the pregnancy (single or multiple). Collective agreements may provide for different durations. This leave cannot be refused by the employer.
It is possible to beneficiate from a replacement allowance for the entire duration of maternity leave. This allowance is intended to cover the costs incurred by replacing you in agricultural work when it is not possible to carry it out due to maternity. The spouse can also receive a paternity replacement allowance during their paternity leave, under the same conditions of allocation.
9th month
If the future parents are not married, filiation is not automatic and therefore, the spouse can make an advance recognition of paternity at a town hall. Proof of identity and proof of address of less than 3 months must be presented. A copy of the certificate will then be issued, which must be presented when declaring the birth.