I'm expecting a child

Are you expecting a child? The city of Montpellier advises you on what to do, before and after the birth, in the areas of health, your rights, civil status, employment.

The city has also published a practical guide for Montpellier parents and parents-to-be to accompany the first 1,000 days of their child.

Steps to take before the birth of your child

Declare your pregnancy: remember to declare your pregnancy within the first 3 months to Social Security, the CAF and your employer.
Register at the maternity hospital: when pregnancy is confirmed, registration at a maternity hospital should be done as soon as possible.
Find out about the compulsory medical examinations to be carried out during pregnancy.

For unmarried couples, it is possible to acknowledge the child before birth upon presentation of proof of identity and proof of residence less than 3 months old.
Find out about rights and assistance from the CAF to prepare for the birth of your child.

Find out about maternity and paternity leave:the duration of maternity leave depends on the number of dependent children. To find out about the duration and compensation of your maternity or paternity leave, it's important to contact your Caisse d'Assurance maladie.
Start the process of registering for childcare: it's advisable to register your child as soon as possible after announcing your pregnancy. For municipal crèches, you can start the pre-registration process as early as the 4th month of pregnancy.

Steps to take after the birth of my child

Choosing your child's first and last names: within 5 days of birth, your child's first and last names must be declared.
If the parents are married
They can choose their child's surname by joint declaration.They fill in a form given to the registrar when the birth is declared. In the absence of a choice by the parents, the child will take the father's name.
If the parents have kept their unmarried names after marriage, they choose at the conclusion of their marriage the name to be borne by their children. The name chosen at the time of the first child's birth is then attributed to all their future joint children.
If the parents are not married
For unmarried couples, the family name may be the mother's name, the father's name or both.The child bears the name of whichever of his or her parents first recognized him or her. If the parents recognize him/her together, he/she bears his/her father's name.
In summary, the choice of surname depends on the parents' marital status and their agreement at the time of the birth declaration.
Declaring the birth of your child: after choosing the first name and surname, the birth declaration must also be made at the town hall within 5 days of the birth. You'll need to provide the doctor's or midwife's certificate and the parents' identity cards.
Declare the birth of your child to public bodies: CAF, taxes, health insurance, complementary health.

Requesting birth leave: every employee is entitled to 3 days' leave for any birth or adoption in their household.
Requesting paternity leave: paternity leave is 25 days, to be taken in one or more instalments within 6 months of the birth of your child. The request must be made to the employer at least 1 month before the start date of the leave by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

Carte des établissements d'accueil de la Petite Enfance

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