As debates begin on the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) and the closure of small maternity wards takes center stage, a new Ifop survey commissioned by the National Council of the Order of Midwives gives a voice to those most directly affected. Conducted from August 19 to 24, 2026, among 2,000 women aged 15 and older, it updates the indicators tracked since 2017 and 2021.
Among the women surveyed, 64% had already given birth. Overall, the feedback is very positive, as 92% of them feel they received good support during their pregnancy, and 91% feel they benefited from coordinated care throughout. For 65% of them, healthcare professionals provided the most useful information. However, these professionals proved to be less accessible after childbirth. Thirty percent of women who gave birth reported encountering at least one difficulty (psychological or related to postpartum care), the same proportion as five years ago. These challenges are mentioned more frequently by younger mothers (54% of those aged 18–24) than by their older counterparts (38% of those aged 35–49). The breakdown of the taboo surrounding the challenges of motherhood and postpartum depression among younger generations largely explains this disparity.
At the same time, the survey reveals that childbirth is no longer automatically associated with a hospital setting. Although public maternity hospitals remain the top choice among French women (cited by 40% of them), they face competition from private maternity facilities (34%) and the maternity facility where the independent midwife they consulted during their pregnancy works (33%). The main criteria are proximity to the location (the primary reason for 66% of women who gave birth) and the quality of care before and after childbirth, especially among younger women. 89% of women aged 18–24 believe it is important to make it easier for those who wish to do so to give birth outside a maternity hospital while still being accompanied by a healthcare professional. Among women who have never given birth, independent midwives (39%) are now on par with public and private maternity hospitals (38% each).
Finally, figures regarding gynecological care have been declining since 2021. 77% of French women have received such care in the past twelve months, which is 7 percentage points lower than five years ago. This decline is attributable to a decrease in care provided by general practitioners (61% versus 74%), while the use of midwives has increased (16% versus 11%). The rate of care peaks among women of childbearing age (83% among those aged 25–34) and then drops to 70% among those aged 65 and older, even though screening for gynecological cancers and menopause care would justify continuing such care. 31% of women cite the perceived uselessness of gynecological consultations when facing health issues: this is the main reason given. The lack of follow-up also has a social dimension: women from working-class backgrounds and those with the lowest levels of education are the most likely to report not having received follow-up care (30% of those with no formal education, 25% of blue-collar workers).
