Hi fanny I'm 32 weeks pregnant, English and living in France (Nantes). This is my first pregnancy but as I travel backwards and forward tot he UK quite a bit for work I've been under an English midwife and my French doctor so I know that things are done rather differently over here. Anyway here's how it was for me. - it's rather long!
Like you I went to the GP as soon as I was pregnant. You're next step is to fill out a "declaration de grossesse" to send to the Caisse d'Allocations Familliale (CAF) which basically gets you into the system - which you'll need to do if you're going to get any maternaty pay. You ge the form off your GP but send it off yourself. (worth keeping a photocopy of everything you send). I think you need to get this off to them BY the 12 week mark.
My GP also recommended that I get some private health insurance (mutuelle)- dunno if you've got any already - otherwise you'll be shelling out quite a lot of cash for all the tests you'll have as they're not covered totally by the state until you 7th month. I now pay about 25 Euros a month for a basic pacage which will cover teh baby too once it's born.
Rather than do everything through your midwife, as you would in England, most people stay under the supervision of their GP until the 8th month. You'll go and see your GP once a month. They'll feel the baby, (press down on your tummy) and do an internal to check your cervix is hard and closed. The GP will write you a prescription to go and get your bloods tested, which will be every month if you're not immune to toxoplasmosis. They'll also do tests for sugar in your wee etc.
After your 8th month you'll come under the care of an Obstetritian or Gynacologist at the hostpital where you'll be having the baby. - dunno what it's like where you are but it's hospitals all the way up here, home birth really wasn't an option that was ever offered to me.
You need to decide which hospital you want to have the baby in and go and register at that hospital and (if it's private) pick an Obstetritian off the list that work there. People tend to do this early on in the pregnancy becuase, if there's a choice of hospitals, places seem to fill up pretty quick. Once you've picked the hospital they will register you with a mid wife (a sage femme) attached to the hospital and you'll start to see them pretty regularly, every couple of weeks for anti natel classes etc.
You're GP (if you stay under her care) will advise you about getting scans, (ecography) and give you alist of places you can get them done (which with no private health you'll need to pay for). It's your responsibility to call them up and book them. You'll have 3 scans 12 weeks, 20 weeks and 32. And 2 meetings with the obstetrician one at 8 months and one at 9 months.
errrrrrrrrrr thats all I can think of at the mo. But feel free to ask anything specific. It seemed rather daunting at first and with my french being pretty pants I considered having the baby back in the UK, but decided in the end not to and now I'm looking forward to the whole process. I'm assuming that you have a carte vital? - (ie that your paying tax in France and so are entitled to public healthcare) - as if not that could make it all a bit more tricky.
Oh and big congratulations.