what time of year to have a baby?

jbbonce

I misread another thread title thinking it was a discussion of what time of year is best to have a baby, and i was actually a bit disappointed when i realised it wasn't, so i thought i'd start one.

my baby is due on the 16th of december, but as it's my first, i'm aware it might be a bit late and could possibly arrive around christmas, which my husband thought was awful until he realised that it meant he could have a whole month off work at christmas because of paternity leave.

I am bit worried that it will be so cold that the baby will suffer compared to spring and summer, and also that our tight relatives will only get smurf one set of presents (sounds unbeliveable, but my dad has already said smurf will get birthday presents instead of me from now on. I'm only 24! surely that's extremely mean in anyone's book)

so, in your experience, what are the pros and cons of giving birth/being pregnant in any given season?

Agutka

I wanted to have a baby in March. To be pregnant over the winter months and have baby out and about in the lovely weather of the summer.
Mother nature didn't listen to me however and made me pregnant in January. It is only low twenties on the thermometer and already I am too hot. No idea how I'll cope with the next four months in the heat. And then, just as I will need sunshine to help me cope with all the hormones, or lack thereof, it will be winter and I will have to take the little one out in the rain and sleet... Definitely not what I would have gone for.
But, it saves on maternity clothes (wear less in summer) and baby will be crawling and walking in the sun next year.
At the end of the day, you can't really plan it.

car25

Mine arrived in December.

Negatives

the joint xmas pressie thing, so we have decided our LO will also have a birthday in the summer, same day as mine!

it was cold at night, but my LO used to wear gloves in bed to keep her hands warm.

Pros are (in the future)

One of the older ones in class at school
Get nursery funding as soon as the January term starts when they are 3.

code-a-holic

My 2n son was born dec 14th (due 23rd of Dec). I wouldnt worry about the cold aspect unless you live in a tent! We were close - a caravan/chalet. Have lots of fleecey blankets ready and use socks as mittens at night, a skull cap for night too. I put a fleecey blanket under the sheet in the moses basket to help a bit. He survived!
My 1 st son was born in July. in comparison my winter baby followed a much more comfortable pregnancy as it was cooler. With my first i was So hot!
My 3rd child (daughter) was 24th of Nov. They are all 1, 2 and 4 now and have not had much experience of winter birthdays, but, I found that people do merge the birthdays and xmas, Even for my daughter who is a full month before christmas. I even had people merging both their birthdays and xmas in to 1 gift! I am considering the idea of summer birthdays for them when they are older- see how it goes!

Spendless

Both mine are March babies. My wedding anniversary is June . I've only been in the first stages of pregnancy over the summer months. We are in England and this makes them the middle of the school year. I also got funding for them at nursery/pre-school the easter following their 3rd birthday. if DD had been 1 day later and had an April birthday I wouldn't have got it till September.
Disadvantages sons birthday at beg of March is too cold for an outdoors party, so it's either have them in your house or pay for them to go somewhere. DD usually gets nicer weather for her birthday, but it frequently falls in Easter hols, so we don't see her chums to invite, or people are away.

If we'd been in Scotland I believe their school year starts in March, so both mine would be the eldest but I'd have had them at home for another year. :eek:
March is an expensive month for my family, as well as my 2 kids, my sister has twins that had a May due date, but were delivered 7 weeks early, so they have March birthdays, plus my nans birthday and frequently mothers day falls in it.
BTW- My birthday is September considered the best to some (eldest of school year) and I don't like it.At school I disliked it being assummed I would be the cleverest cos I was the eldest (I wasn't) and I still don't like hitting milestone birthdays before all my former school friends. so I don't believe ther is an 'ideal' month.

jbbonce

Spendless wrote: »

Both mine are March babies. My wedding anniversary is June . I've only been in the first stages of pregnancy over the summer months. We are in England and this makes them the middle of the school year. I also got funding for them at nursery/pre-school the easter following their 3rd birthday. if DD had been 1 day later and had an April birthday I wouldn't have got it till September. Disadvantages sons birthday at beg of March is too cold for an outdoors party, so it's either have them in your house or pay for them to go somewhere. DD usually gets nicer weather for her birthday, but it frequently falls in Easter hols, so we don't see her chums to invite, or people are away. If we'd been in Scotland I believe their school year starts in March, so both mine would be the eldest but I'd have had them at home for another year. :eek:
March is an expensive month for my family, as well as my 2 kids, my sister has twins that had a May due date, but were delivered 7 weeks early, so they have March birthdays, plus my nans birthday and frequently mothers day falls in it.
BTW- My birthday is September considered the best to some (eldest of school year) and I don't like it.At school I disliked it being assummed I would be the cleverest cos I was the eldest (I wasn't) and I still don't like hitting milestone birthdays before all my former school friends.

i'm also a september baby and i didn't like it either. kids who were less than one week older than me were in the year above me at school, and i had to stay back a year because the cut off date changed while i was at school.

Spendless

jbbonce wrote: »

i'm also a september baby and i didn't like it either. kids who were less than one week older than me were in the year above me at school, and i had to stay back a year because the cut off date changed while i was at school.

what dates your birthday and whereabouts in the country are you? I'd always thought the cut-off date was 31st Aug, new school year Sept 1st.

Christmasshopper

Me - a Christmas baby. Advantage - if anyone does get me a joint birthday / Christamas present it is usually a good one. And I get to keep my birthday cards up until 6th January.
DH - August baby. Advantage - he never has to work on his birthday because we are always on holiday.
DS - February baby. Advantage - always gets fabulous birthday presents because we get more for our money in the January sales.
DD - July baby. Advantage - has fabulous birthday parties because the weather is nice enough to have the party outside.

Always look on the bright side...

Ishtar

My daughter was born on 11 December, so only two weeks between her birthday and Christmas. She'll be 3 this year, but so far no-one has merged her presents together...we have said, though that if anyone does, then we'll do the same to them (even if their birthday is in June!!).

She's my only child at the moment and I quite enjoyed being pregnant during the summer...even if it was extremely hot! I remember there being a lot of thunderstorms though, which meant it was quite interesting to watch my bump...

D.

angel_eyes_3

My DD1 is a christmas baby and it has worked out well birthday party wise. Becuse it's so close to Christmas we don't have birthday parties as such, we have family birthday tea (grandparents and whichever aunts/ uncles/ cousins happen to be about).

Then in the summer when the weather forecast is good we have a party in the garden, invite whoever happens to be around at time. It also means that the actual date changes depending on what else is on (end of term date/ other parties/ school fairs/ Noddy appearing locally!). The only downside is, as it's not her actual birthday, I do put on the invites no presents, (however most people still bring them ;-) ).

I assume that no-one wants to go to a birthday party 2 days before Christmas when you have difficulty buying a birthday card! It means we don't have to invite the entire class or decide which friend we want over another. As it's "just a get together in the garden", just her good friends come and no seems to be offended that I've not invited the world and his wife!

We may run into difficulties when she is older, she's 4 at mo and it still seems to work fine.

Broken_hearted

i've had a summer baby and a winter baby. Next one will be planned to arrive late spring.