going back to the UK from france to give birth

[elydoll]

Hi all
Because of work, I have been living in france for over a year whereas my husband has been living in the UK. Until my pregnancy this was never an issue as we travel quite a lot and used to spend most weekends and sometimes weeks together travelling backwards and forwards between london and paris.
I am working for a french company and thus am under french law and the french national health system (which I have to say has been great) and have been followed by a french gyn/obs for the past 29 weeks! But I have now been signed off until my maternity leave starts. I plan to go back to the UK for my maternity leave and give birth so as to be close to my husband, but I dont seem to be able to get any information from french securite social (Nathional Health) regarding my legal rights - by going back to UK for maternity leave and birth I wont be able to have the usual paperwork for my employeur and the securite sociale so that I get paid my maternity leave for example..!!
Has anyone else done this? Can you please let me know how you managed with your employer and/or securite social?!
Im getting increasingly worried as now that I have been signed off and wish to return to the UK asap to be with my husband.

Thanks for any info/help on this
xxx

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hi. thanks for the info, I did try the CAF and CPAM, I speak fluent french.
I keep getting passed off from one person to another and they all have slightly different variations and interpretations! typical french bureaucracy!
Not sure what the NCT MESSAGE is you refer to? Have you got a website or info on that?
Thanks again!
And if anyone has actually lived through this please let me know!!! xxx

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ggg is definitely right about how to go forward,

Thought I would add though that I do know someone this happened to unexpectedly (very sadly she lost the baby very late in pregnancy and was in the UK at the time it all happened). I really don't feel I can ask her any details about it, I'm afraid, as it is all too recent, but can say that I know that she has had her maternity leave period in France and everything has been fine in terms of social security and so on.

I'm also preg, living in France and heading back to the UK to have the baby, but work in the UK and am not yet in the French tax system so don't have to deal with it all. Would really like to know how it works, though. I'm not planning to head back to blighty until 37 weeks, so I could be in the opposite position of unexpectedly having the baby in France.

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now that does sound good ggg (although I fear we are some years too late for getting my figure back), but I've gone all lentil weavy about it and am going for indie birth centre in the UK. no telly, but we'll have our own room (may have to fight off the aromatherapy candles and whale music though).

unless the baby is early, of course, in which case I'll be necking the roughest red wine i can find as it definitely helps my french.

www.messageparis.org

Lummox, this is a bit off the topic but have you checked when you can travel until? I found out by accident in my last pg that ferries have similar time restrictions to plane, ie about 36 weeks. Would hate it if they didn't take you!! Don't know what the situation on the Eurostar is though.

Thanks for the thought, Olihan. I haven't checked but I travelled until pretty late last time. We always go in the Eurotunnel, and I don't think anyone would be in a position to see how pregnant I was as you stay in the car for customs, etc. Will have a quick look on the website though, and maybe check (anonymously) on the phone.

This two country thing is soo complicated!

oh, and elydoll - sorry for highjacking your thread

no worries! actually the eurostar/ferries thing is an interesting point.
I work in aviation and know that from week 28 you need a birth cert and from week 36 its a no go because of the risk of premature births being highr and flight conditions (air pressure, space...) being all too easily conductive to bringing on a premature baby.
I have been told I cannot fly anymore nor do any long distances in a car(im 29 and a bit weeks and have been signed off due to a thinning cervix and early contractions) but that I can take the eurostar (train) as I would get any other normal train as you can get up and walk about a bit and it has no pressure changes as such like on a plane and can do emergency stops if required!!! However you must warn your travel insurance people and for the sake of avoiding hassle get a certificat to travel from your doctor if doing any long distances. Now Ive gone off subject on my own threaad! thanks again for the info so far though! please keep it coming! xxx

I just came through the eurotunnel (in a car) at 37 weeks, no probs. I have heard that eurostar has no limit, but best to check.

For the paperwork, I would try to use whatever paperwork you've been given in France showing you're preg etc.

I'm the opposite way round, as I work in Kazakhstan, came back to the UK for mat leave, then have just come over to Belgium to give birth, but I've found in general health care professionals have been pretty accommodating (e..g UK midwife dealing with the Belgian notes, Belgian doctor dealing with the Kazakhstan notes).

Best of luck!

I found out a tiny bit about this when trying to decide whether to have my birth in the UK or in France (having it in France in the end), and while I don't have a whole lot of detail about it I do know that as part of the EU arrangements you are entitled to go back to the UK for the birth, without having an impact on your benefits in France. Maybe try calling the DWP's international service?

Hi everyone!
Have some answers at last!
For the maternity leave I only need to let the securite sociale know by collecting an E112 form from the CPAM and giving them a fitness to travel certificate from my doctor.
However If you are signed off sick pre the maternity and want to leave france then you have to go the CPAM's local head office (per town) and go to the "service relations internationals" with a certificat from Doctor confirming that you should go home to be close to family (rapprochement familiale) and are fit enought to travel to the destination, the CPAM's doctor will then decide if OK and give you an E112 again. VOILA!
So I'm off to the CPAM office to get my forms!
Thanks again everyone for your info
xxx

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