--- title: "Postpartum in France: the support you’re entitled to" url: "https://alicedoula.fr/en/postpartum-support-france/" description: "Home visits, the obligatory postnatal check, ten funded pelvic floor sessions: what French postpartum care gives you, what it costs, and where the gaps are." updated: "2026-11-06" --- - 6 November 2026 - 4 mins. read # Postpartum in France: the support you’re entitled to - [Postpartum](https://alicedoula.fr/en/category/postpartum/) The French postpartum system is more generous than most new parents realise — and almost none of it is explained in English. Home visits from a midwife, an obligatory postnatal check, fully reimbursed pelvic floor rehabilitation when needed: all of it exists, much of it is free, and a great deal of it is missed simply because nobody mentioned it at the right moment. Here’s what’s actually available after you give birth in France, what it costs, and where the gaps are. ## The first days at home Through a programme called **PRADO**, the French health insurance system can help arrange visits from a self-employed midwife after an early discharge from maternity care. But here’s something worth knowing: you don’t need to be enrolled in PRADO to receive postnatal home visits. A midwife can visit you at home to check your recovery, monitor your baby’s health, help with feeding and answer the questions that inevitably arise once you’re home. These visits are covered at 100% by Assurance Maladie until the twelfth day after birth, within the standard reimbursement rates. Ideally, arrange your first appointment before leaving the maternity unit. If nobody has mentioned home visits, ask your maternity team or contact a local *sage-femme libérale* directly. ## The appointments that are covered ### The early postnatal interview An *entretien postnatal précoce* is offered between the fourth and eighth week after birth, particularly after a first baby. It exists to talk about how you’re doing — not the baby, you. It’s a good place to raise exhaustion, anxiety or a birth that didn’t go as you’d hoped. ### The postnatal consultation A *consultation postnatale* is obligatory between six and eight weeks after birth. It’s reimbursed in full, and it’s where your perineal recovery is assessed and any further care is prescribed. ### Pelvic floor rehabilitation This surprises many English speakers: **rééducation périnéale**, or pelvic floor rehabilitation, is an established part of postpartum care in France. At your postnatal consultation, your midwife or doctor will assess whether you would benefit from rehabilitation. It isn’t compulsory or automatically necessary for everyone, but it can be recommended after a vaginal birth or a caesarean. Sessions can be carried out by a midwife or physiotherapist and are covered at 100% of the standard Assurance Maladie tariff when prescribed after childbirth. Additional fees may apply. Abdominal rehabilitation can also be prescribed if needed, usually as a separate stage of recovery. ## What isn’t covered The French healthcare system provides substantial medical follow-up after childbirth. But medical appointments aren’t the same as having someone beside you through the everyday realities of life with a newborn. There is some practical support available. Depending on your circumstances, the CAF may help fund temporary assistance at home through an *aide et accompagnement à domicile* service. Your midwife and local PMI can also offer guidance on feeding, recovery and your baby’s wellbeing. But the kind of continuous, personalised presence a doula provides — someone who knows your story, listens without rushing, helps you rest and supports you in your own language — isn’t routinely funded by Assurance Maladie. Doula support, postnatal massage and rebozo treatments are generally paid for privately. Some complementary insurance policies or employers may offer additional benefits, so it’s worth checking. ## Where a doula fits A doula provides non-medical support: emotional, practical and informational. She doesn’t replace your midwife, and she doesn’t carry out medical care. What she offers is continuity and presence — one familiar person, in your own language, who knows your story. In practice, in the weeks after birth, that looks like: - **Someone to talk to** about the birth, in your own words, for as long as you need; - **Help making sense of the system** — which appointments matter, what’s being offered, what to ask; - **Practical help at home**, so you can sleep, eat or shower; - **Body care** — postnatal massage, or the rebozo ritual that traditionally closes the chapter of birth. If you’re still pregnant, my guide to [giving birth in France as an English speaker](/en/english-speaking-doula-paris/) covers the months before. ## Words you’ll hear **Suites de couches**The postpartum period**Sortie de maternité**Discharge from the maternity unit**Rééducation périnéale**Pelvic floor rehabilitation**Consultation postnatale**The routine medical check-up, generally 6–8 weeks after birth.**Entretien postnatal précoce**Early postnatal interview, 4–8 weeks**Sage-femme libérale**Self-employed midwife, who can visit you at home**PMI**Free local maternal and child health service**Baby blues**Used in French too, a temporary emotional dip in the first days after birth, usually resolving within two weeks.**Devis**Written cost estimate, worth asking for## If you’re struggling The early weeks are hard for most people, and harder when you’re far from home. A dip in mood in the first fortnight is common. But if it deepens, persists beyond a few weeks, or you stop feeling like yourself, speak to your midwife, your GP or the PMI. Postnatal depression is common and treatable, and in France it’s taken seriously — the early postnatal interview exists partly for this. This isn’t something a doula can treat, and I’d always point you towards medical support. What I can do is notice, and make sure you’re not navigating it alone. ## Support in English, in Paris and Saint-Maur I’m Alice, a British doula based in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés. I support families in Paris, Saint-Maur and the surrounding area through the postpartum weeks — with presence, practical help, and body care at home. See [my services and rates](/en/services/). --- ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does the midwife come to my home? Under PRADO, visits begin the day after you leave the maternity unit. They’re fully covered until the twelfth day, then at 70% up to the fourteenth week. The number of visits depends on medical need rather than a fixed allowance. PRADO isn’t required to access midwife home visits ### Is pelvic floor rehabilitation compulsory? No, but it’s strongly encouraged and routinely prescribed. Ten sessions is the standard prescription, renewable if needed. You can do them with a midwife or a physiotherapist. ### When does it start? Usually after the postnatal consultation at six to eight weeks, which is where it’s assessed and prescribed. ### Is doula support reimbursed? No. Doula support isn’t covered by the *Assurance maladie*. My rates are listed on the [Services](/en/services/) page. ### Can I be seen in English? Some midwives and doctors in and around Paris work in English, though it isn’t guaranteed and is worth asking about early. I work in both English and French. --- **Expecting, or in the thick of it already?** Tell me where you’re at, and we’ll work out what would actually help. [**→ Get in touch with Alice**](/en/contact/) Share this article on [Alice](https://alicedoula.fr/en/author/awhitewalker/)