Pregnancy scans and appointments in France
French pregnancy care runs on seven compulsory consultations and three ultrasounds, all covered at 100% by the Assurance Maladie from the moment the pregnancy is declared. There is also an appointment most people have never heard of — the entretien prénatal précoce, which is a conversation rather than an examination, and is compulsory too. Checked 22 September 2026.
First prenatal consultation (première consultation prénatale)
French pregnancy care runs on seven compulsory prenatal consultations, and this is the first of them. It has to happen before the end of the third month, and it is the appointment at which the pregnancy is normally declared. Checked against ameli.fr on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 6 and week 13 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · ameli.fr
Early prenatal interview (entretien prénatal précoce)
A long appointment that is not a medical examination: it is a conversation, usually with a midwife, about how the pregnancy is going for you — at home, at work, in your head. It is compulsory and covered at 100%, and it is the one most people have never heard of. Checked against ameli.fr on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 14 and week 18 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · ameli.fr
First ultrasound (échographie de datation)
The first of the three ultrasounds offered during a French pregnancy, usually between 11 and 13 weeks. It dates the pregnancy, checks how many babies there are, and includes the nuchal measurement used in first-trimester screening. Checked against ameli.fr on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 11 and week 14 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · ameli.fr
Second ultrasound (échographie morphologique)
The detailed anatomy scan, usually around 22 weeks. It goes through the baby's organs, growth and the position of the placenta. Checked against ameli.fr on 21 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 20 and week 23 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · ameli.fr
Third ultrasound (échographie du troisième trimestre)
The last of the three, usually around 32 weeks. It checks growth, the baby's position and the placenta, and it is what the maternity unit uses to plan the birth. Checked against ameli.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 30 and week 33 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · ameli.fr
Monthly prenatal consultations (consultations prénatales mensuelles)
From the fourth month there is one compulsory consultation a month until the birth — seven in total across the pregnancy, counting the first. They can be with a midwife, a GP or a gynaecologist, and they are covered at 100% from the moment the pregnancy is declared. Checked against ameli.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this from around week 14 of the pregnancy until the birth. What this step involves · ameli.fr
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