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Original poster

When is the best time of year to have a baby?

182 replies

daisyoranges · 16/03/2021 19:40

This is meant as a fairly light hearted chatty thread, I know many people don’t have the luxury of choice and I know many babies don’t arrive on time! However, if you could choose, what month would you say is the best to have a baby in? Ds was a December baby. It was so lovely having him before Christmas and very cosy but January in lockdown was hard!

OP posts:

VisionsofJohanna · 17/03/2021 03:08

I have April and May babies. The light and warmth were lovely when they were newborns (although I panicked about overheating during heatwave summers!) and we were able to get out straight away for fresh air and pram walks without worrying about rain/wrapping up warmly etc. Also neither of them had a cold until they were 6m + which was great.

I am a July born Oxbridge baby by the way, so I worry less about the age in year thing than a lot of people I know. I don’t remember feeling or being smaller or behind my peers socially/academically at any point. And now in my mid 30s it’s nice to get older ‘last’ in my group of friends from school and college

20viona · 17/03/2021 03:09

My daughter is a July baby and it was great. Night feeds didn't seem so bad because it got light around 4:30am so lots of daylight. Nice dry sunny days to take the baby out and encouraged us to get out of the house with her.

Piccalily19 · 17/03/2021 04:12

Ive just had my first baby this Feb, pregnancy wise it was ideal.
-Didn’t have to buy many maternity clothes as I lived in my baggy jumpers. Also meant a lot of people didn’t even notice I was pregnant

-Cosy lazy winter nights in when I was at my biggest
-good excuse for a chilled Christmas, plus extra time off work towards the end for Christmas
-never got hot heavily pregnant
-it was nice having a few cosy weeks in with baby at the start while finding our feet, now it’s nice looking toward spring/summer for the bulk of my maternity

hospital was quiet for birth

I do feel bad he won’t ever get a sunny birthday but it’ll be nice that he’s in the middle of birthdays in the school year, especially when he’s late teens and won’t be the first/last learning to drive/going out drinking etc If I have another id aim for March-may but wouldn’t mind Feb or June

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FolkSongSweet · 17/03/2021 04:36

I had my first in April which was ideal imo. Conceived in summer so not heavily pregnant then, lovely spring weather with days getting longer for the night feeds, not the youngest in the year.

We planned the second for the autumn as weren’t ready to try at the time for them to be a spring baby, and actively avoided summer baby as statistically they are more likely to be at a disadvantage at school. Got an early Nov baby and the miserable weather has made the early months pretty hard, though lockdown hasn’t helped either!

Onedropbeat · 17/03/2021 06:29

From a child’s perspective I was always jealous of June and July bien friends who always had garden parties with water toys and bikes for gifts when it was their birthday

I was winter born which I love as an adult but hates it when I was young as the bike I always wanted when bought for my birthday was not able to be used much

I felt very hard done by as a young child

Now I love my winter birthday, it’s not too close to Christmas that it’s overshadowed

My own children are spring / summer born and they will benefit from garden parties and garden toys for birthdays ,

I don’t think it made a huge difference to maternity leave as you’re off with them over both summer and winter anyway

I absolutely hated giving birth in summer in a stifling hot hospital though

thebabewiththepower · 17/03/2021 06:43

Not the 2nd January, my DS’s birthday. Everyone forgets, often the first day back at work. Awful weather, presents (if any) wrapped in left over Christmas paper or even unwanted Christmas presents. Parties (when young) almost impossible to organise as can’t hand out invites and if they’re handed out before Christmas, everyone loses them. No one wants to party now he’s older as it’s all new year’s resolutions and those that would party have just had Christmas and new year’s Eve/day. Now he’s older, he still hates it. I actually think it may be the worst date for a birthday in the year.

DinosApple · 17/03/2021 06:44

I had one in August and then one in January. August was a harder labour, and I lived in a new area so by the time I was up and running the nights were pulling in. I found that quite bleak and lonely. Lovely after that first year though.

January was great because within a few weeks - certainly by the time I'd got to grips with having two, it was spring, and the year was full of promise. And it gives you something to look forward to each year after Christmas, then it's almost spring again.

ChocOrange1 · 17/03/2021 06:45

End of March

They're in the middle of the school year.
Weather is usually half decent for birthdays, and will fall in the Easter holidays about 50% of the time.
You have a small baby in Summer when you can take them out and about, also don't have to take a million layers on and off to keep them warm.
3 years funding kicks in 1st April (babies born in April have to wait until September for free hours)

RevolvingPivot · 17/03/2021 06:50

I planned both of mine. BUT stupidly didn't plan on when they would be born.

I have May and August. Both of their birthdays are in the school holidays which is good although that also means some of their friends are away for their parties.

Eldest is second youngest in the year.

Christmas is the other end of the year though so presents are spaced out.

It's usually warm on their birthday.

MotorwayDiva · 17/03/2021 06:50

Spring or early summer so can by outdoor gifts.

RevolvingPivot · 17/03/2021 06:56

Why do people want their kid to be oldest in the year?

From what I've seen at my kids school those are the ones that seem more grown up / snobbish / all are only children too so that could be it. Not sure to be honest but you can definitely tell.

yearinyearout · 17/03/2021 06:57

Late Spring/early summer. Having a small baby up at all hours when it's dark and freezing cold for so many hours is grim.

ChocOrange1 · 17/03/2021 06:58

Why do people want their kid to be oldest in the year?
I think it is preferable to being the youngest in the year, however surely somewhere in the middle is best.
Oldest in the year might be getting restless by the end of preschool, over-ready for school and getting used to throwing their weight around.

SmednotaSmoo · 17/03/2021 07:01

May was a great time to have a baby; when they spend many birthdays on a trot in the midst of exam season I think they’ll object.

I’m glad I didn’t have a baby near Christmas. The first year we were trying (when I was naive and thought we could have some control over events) I avoided ttc in March.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/03/2021 07:03

@RevolvingPivot

Why do people want their kid to be oldest in the year?

From what I've seen at my kids school those are the ones that seem more grown up / snobbish / all are only children too so that could be it. Not sure to be honest but you can definitely tell.

Nice sweeping generalisations about only children. Rude.

WalkingMeAway · 17/03/2021 07:09

I have one DC born towards the end of Spring and it was lovely. Gorgeous dry, sunny weather which personally instantly lifts my mood. Could go for daily walks easily.
Not freezing cold when having to get up in the night !
Birthdays are mainly spent in the garden.

My second DC was born in the Winter. Yes lovely and cosy staying in warm but I did find it a bit stifling, couldn’t just on a whim pop out for a walk if baby was unsettled as was either pissing down with rain, freezing cold or it felt like there was a tornado happening (exaggerating obvs). Birthdays have spent stuck inside cramming people in to front rooms or soft plays. Yuk.

My third is due early Summer and I really pleased.

I’m not worried about them being younger in the School year at all. Never has crossed my mind !

KeeefBurtain · 17/03/2021 07:17

I have March, May, June and October born babies and whether or not it was because she was my first, I liked the coziness of October, no pressure to be out and about all the time, could just sit in the warm snuggling all day if we wanted. Then spring/summer she was more alert and could go on the swings at the park and sit up at picnics in the garden etc.

littlegold · 17/03/2021 07:20

I have an October baby and i really struggled with pregnancy during the summer months as my ankles were always swollen and uncomfortable.
I'm due my second baby end of April and I haven't had any of that this time which has been nice. I'm looking forward to lots of nice walks with the pram during summer, too!

Thirtyrock39 · 17/03/2021 07:28

February was nice as could just hibernate at hone the first six weeks and by the time things were a bit easier abs in a bit of a routine the weather was nicer. Also the first six months or so lighter and longer days which makes me naturally less exhausted than the dark winther months so helps when sleep deprived
Summer newborn - horrible ,too hot
Autumn- first six months dominated by dark winter months
I am someone who finds the baby phase tough so need warmer and lighter weather to help my well-being though

Thirtyrock39 · 17/03/2021 07:29

Also good for being right in the middle of the school year so no worries about then being too young or too old compared to peers ( this becomes a bit noticeable fro about 3 or when they go to ore school )

Tumbleweed101 · 17/03/2021 07:45

I’ve got children in Jan, May, July and August. Of those the Jan baby faired better in schooling and was easier to have an older baby through the summer when just crawling etc. Her birthdays can be a bit overlooked though as often too cold to do much.

May is lovely for birthday as we often have our family holiday half term week and not too bad with school.

The July and August were a bit hot with a newborn and also end of school year isn’t great if they are slightly less ready to start at just four. The other thing is child benefit and tax credits end of school year and if you have an August baby you only get a run on for a week or two but a September baby will get nearly an extra year of this.

Sprockerdilerock · 17/03/2021 07:53

Oh dear I shouldn't have read this thread. My first baby is due this August

Yuddiesorno · 17/03/2021 08:00

@Sprockerdilerock - please don't worry. Both my DC are August born, both the youngest in their class! Both now happy teenagers (as far as teenagers can be)! and both mature and academically able. They also had many birthday parties with lots of friends. I stupidly assumed that lots of their friends wouldn't be able to make their birthdays (and secretly hoped we could get away with smaller parties) but more often than not everyone who was invited was able to make it). Having a small baby in August was great for me because there were a good few months to get your head around things and feel vaguely like you knew what you were doing before the days got shorter.

Good luck

Genevive123 · 17/03/2021 08:15

@Tumbleweed101 you're the only one I've seen on here with a Jan baby, what I'm hoping for but of course not too fussy x

Thirtyrock39 · 17/03/2021 08:16

Summer babies I would say that with school you notice it a bit in the preschool and early years - some of the kids in nursery could be better at things like toileting being older etc and then I noticed it in reception at school but by year one it wasn't an issue at all. Possibly harder with my September born who was so bored the year before reception at home and seemed a lot older than her year group.

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