Moving to Toulouse and having a baby. Help!

Hi,

I'm moving to Toulouse soon for a new job but I've recently discovered I'm pregnant. I'll be 14 weeks when we arrive and I know I'm supposed to register the pregnancy with CAF or something before then. So, my immediate concern is to get a doctor in Toulouse. I won't have a permanent address for a while but I will have my contract from work. I wonder if this is enough to get the process of registering for stuff started?

Does anyone have any recommendations for doctors or clinics in Toulouse? Or how to find/choose a doctor there? I would like to make an appointment as soon as possible so that I can go there when I arrive.
I don't know what area we'll be living in but I'm thinking of looking somewhere just outside the city like St Cyprien when we get there.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks :-)

hi niamhb,

Assurance Maladie CPAM (French NHS)
if you are a brit moving to france and will be working and paying into the french social security system, you should bring an E104 with you along with the income from employment and unemployments figures for the last three years.
Along with birth certificates for you and your entire family in FRENCH translated by an approved translator.
A bill from EDF electricity to prove your address.
Save copies of everything and drop off in person or recorded delivery, they are reowned for loosing files!

you can only have your rights approved once you have worked 200+ hours in a 3 month period.  You will get a social security number (starts with a 1 for men and 2 for women), you will be sent a 'Carte Vital' card application to be filled in asap and delivered by hand back to the CPAM along with a photo, then ameli.fr is your friend for all you documentation needs. You then have to declare your doctor to CPAM and the doctors declaration is on this site along with approved doctors and clinics, dentists, etc.

Assurance Complémentaire (Top up insurance)
Once you have your CPAM approved, you will need to quickly gain a top up medical insurance with a company like generation (generation.fr/View/Assure/AccueilAssure.aspx) or groupama (groupama.fr/en?axis=particulier) this site is in English.  Be careful, choosing a the right cover is a mine field as there are so many 'plans' available due to the fact that CPAM pays so little back on your medical expenses.  So, choose a standard plan and see how you go from there.

CAF (family benefits agency)

you will need those birth certificates and EDF proof of address and maybe your tenancy agreement for you CAF application.  Note that child benefit is only paid for MORE than 1 child.  APL (housing benefit) can be applied for at the CAF.


for your question regarding pregnancy, I believe the declaration has to be made during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and the amount paid at birth (total is 907€) depends on your income in 2009, for example;

for 1 child (yet to be born)

income limit for a couple with a single income
33.765 €

income limit single person or for a couple with two incomes
44.621 € 


for 2 children

income limit for a couple with a single income
40.518 €

income limit single person or for a couple with two incomes
51.374 € 

for 3 children

income limit for a couple with a single income
48.622 €

income limit single person or for a couple with two incomes
59.478 € 


for each additional child

income limit for a couple with a single income
8.104 €

income limit single person or for a couple with two incomes
8.104 € 

for more details look at: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2550.xhtml#N100E4 (in french)


Doctor

don't wait, on arrival, goto your local GP and register your pregnancy.  As soon as you have your number or 'carte vital' you can declare this with the local CAF or even online with your CAF login details on the CAF website at (https://www.caf.fr/wps/portal/login/!ut … BIS9nQSEh/).

all the best

John

Thanks John,

All the info is really helpful. I arrived this week and am going to see the local GP today. It's over 14 weeks now but hopefully it will work out ok.

Hi,

I just read your note and guess that by now you have settled all the administrative stuff. I've had 3 kids in Toulouse and found the level of care excellent. I gave birth at Paule de Viguier Hospital, which is part of CHU Purpan. It has the advantage of being connected with the children's hospital in case of complications... The rooms are great, the staff excellent. The disadvantage: the staff does not always speak English well.I also know a lot of expats who go to the private clinique at Ambroise Paré where the staff is used to English-speaking patients. I have lived in Belgium, South Africa and England and find the health care in France the best. So you will  be well looked after.

Lots of luck for your pregnancy. Sybille

I just had a baby. I went to a clinic in st cyprien. call me at 0667697581 when you arrive and if I can help, I will

Denise

Hi... If you need help in Toulouse then u can send me mail [email protected]

i can help you as much as i can, like i can show u hospital, doctor, caf, pole Employ ext: ext:

Thanks & Tace care
Bye

Hi

I can recommend a great obstretrician not that far from St Cyprien, if that's where you end up. He's based at Clinique Ambroise Paré which has already been referred to in this thread. I had my three children there and it's absolutely true, the level of care is excellent over here. His name is Guillaume Kobuch and he speaks fluent English. Don't worry about calling to make the appointment either coz it'll either be him or his secretary, and she is also a fluent English speaker.
There are a couple of good sites which would be really useful to you -  mumsandtotstoulouse.org (now known as Tots and Co) and france.mumabroad.com (in fact, there's a interview with yours truly on there in which I bang on about how wonderful Kobuch is, so you can read more of my ramblings about him and other birth related stuff if you want!!)

Best of luck with it all and feel free to contact me directly if you'd like his phone number.

Emma

Hi!

I recently moved to Toulouse and I am 7 months pregnant! I am desperate to find a gynecologist ASAP that possibly works at Purpan Hospital as I am thinking to deliver my baby there. Has anybody had any experience at Purpan? Is it a good Hospital?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi there. Purpan has an excellent reputation for kids ... not sure about giving birth but I'm sure it's great, as most of them are. I would always recommend Ambroise Paré (see above) as it's what I know. There another gyny there who comes highly recommended - Dr Landmann. Speaks good English. The two hospitals are quite near each other. If you want more info about this you'll find it on Facebook. There's a very useful group called 'Toulouse Area English Speaking Forum'. You get more advice from a wider group of people there than you do here. It's a 'must' really for any English speaker moving to Toulouse. Best of luck! Emma

Hi Emma,

thank you very much for your response much appreciated.
I just signed up the facebook group...it sounds great!

Thanks

Dany

Hi Sybille,

I just read your message regarding Paule de Viguier Hospital. Could you be so kind to explain me how do I manage to be referred at Purpan Hospital for my pregnancy and to book myself for delivery? Is it the GP who has to do it?
I looked on CHU website but I could not find any sort of info or contact.

Thank you very much for any help you can provide.

Dany

Hi, I'm English, and just discovered I'm pregnant (got a positive clearblue result on Sunday). :)  I am yet to sort out an appointment with a gynecolgist here in Toulouse, but will keep you updated.  Can I ask how far gone you are now?

Alyson

hello!

I also recently moved to toulouse with my husband and 3year old boy. I am also pregnant and wanted to check if you had all the info you needed? Also would you be interested in meeting up?

Hope you setlled in well and hope to hear from you soon,

pauline

Hi Pauline,

I'm 8 moths pregnant and currently on bedrest (for the next 2 weeks) but I'd love to hang out after that (so probably after the baby is born and once I'll start leaving the house again...) if you're interested...

you can email me at studzinna on gmail

:-)