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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:
CCSS15 · 17/03/2021 15:32

May was best for mine - good weather for line drying washing, sunshine is good for bleaching poo stains, early mornings aren't so bad when you can watch the sun rise

Hovverry · 17/03/2021 20:24

Spring is best. All summer ahead with sunshine and fresh air. Future birthday picnics and outdoor treats. Neither very old or very young starting school.

Ilovechoc12 · 17/03/2021 22:22

End of April always a heatwave on my sons b day. Plus all the nice picnics in the park for 6 months

I love the sun - fond memories x

(I’ve got other children’s b day in sept, dec and jan but April the best) x

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TheVanguardSix · 17/03/2021 22:26

Mine are the end of Feb, just as the daffodils come out, early April, and the end of May. Though two of them have half-term birthdays and my April baby always has birthdays during Easter holidays. It's not a big deal at all though.

MeadowHay · 17/03/2021 22:32

I agree Sept-Dec for school advantages however I think November onwards would be pretty grim as a new parent with the weather. Also the advantage of May-August is the weather and you can potentially have your child start reception the term after they turn 5 anyway which is what we plan to do with our summer baby, so they don't have that summer born disadvantage. I guess on that basis I would actually say summer baby is easier but it's not easy to secure agreement to school entry like that in all parts of the UK as it's a postcode lottery.

JustAddCoffee91 · 17/03/2021 22:35

Mine are both December babies 23rd and Christmas Day... if I could choose I'd say June/July birthdays for them would be so much nicer to have parties outside in the sunshine and Id have much longer to slowly hide their birthday toys in their bedrooms before Christmas toys take over again, Christmas & birthdays for me is 3 days of absolute carnage!! (Xmas day baby has his birthday gifts Xmas eve but we do his cake on his actual birthday)

Sh05 · 17/03/2021 22:43

September as they're the eldest in the class and better able to deal with full days at school. I have 2 September born, one December, one march and one may.

IndigoApple · 17/03/2021 23:37

@thebabewiththepower

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.
Move to Scotland as 2nd Jan is a bank holiday here!

DD was due in Jan but born in Feb, I’ve always been glad she hung on for payday and everyone’s always been desperate for a party/night out by early Feb. Also being in Scotland meant we could decide whether she went to school at 4.5 or 5.5.

MouseholeCat · 18/03/2021 01:03

I've always wanted a Sept or Oct baby, and I'm pregnant with a late October one. Mainly because of the school year.

I'm in the US so September or January would have been great as I'll only get 12 weeks FMLA, but my office closes for 2 weeks at Christmas so I could have snuck 2 extra in. But alas, they'll be folded into my mat leave now and I'll be returning at the busiest time of the year.

GinaJaffacake · 18/03/2021 11:01

@MeadowHay, whilst you can legally start your child the term after they’re 5, you’d be starting them straight into Y1 meaning they’ve missed the whole of the very vital YR. It is exceptionally difficult to get a LA to agree to hold a child back a year simply because they’re summer born. If I had a summer born child I’d rather the didn’t miss joining Reception class as it’s just so important for socialisation and getting used to school routine.

MeadowHay · 18/03/2021 11:04

[quote GinaJaffacake]@MeadowHay, whilst you can legally start your child the term after they’re 5, you’d be starting them straight into Y1 meaning they’ve missed the whole of the very vital YR. It is exceptionally difficult to get a LA to agree to hold a child back a year simply because they’re summer born. If I had a summer born child I’d rather the didn’t miss joining Reception class as it’s just so important for socialisation and getting used to school routine.[/quote]
With respect, this is incorrect information. It is perfectly possible to start a summer born 5 year old in reception and many LAs have a policy of guaranteed acceptance of the request to do so (mine do).

wendz86 · 18/03/2021 11:05

Mine were April and June and i found it helped the days being lighter so it didn't feel like night all the time.

Authenticchicken · 18/03/2021 11:07

I tried to avoid August, got a perfect August baby, and I have such lovely memories of summer holiday days out for his birthday. I am sure I'd feel the same whenever he had been born though.

Authenticchicken · 18/03/2021 11:08

It is perfectly possible to start a summer born 5 year old in reception and many LAs have a policy of guaranteed acceptance of the request to do so (mine do).

Yes mine too. And we did this.

RedcurrantPuff · 18/03/2021 11:10

I had one in April and one in November.

Much preferred April as a time of year to give birth. Not so cold and dark getting up in the night. Nice weather and lots of daylight. We are in Scotland so he’s one of the oldest in his year at school.

Wouldn’t pick November as a time to give birth again if I had a choice. It was nice having a tiny baby at Christmas (he was 6 weeks) but that was pretty much the only good thing.

But then I’ve always loved spring and disliked winter

Lockdownbear · 18/03/2021 11:12

Another good thing about a spring baby is it's a good time to get outdoor toys for birthday.

RedcurrantPuff · 18/03/2021 11:15

My November born is also amongst the youngest in his school year. The difference between him and his April born brother when they started school was massive.

AlexaStop · 18/03/2021 11:18

I've had June and July babies and I got really stressed out at keeping them cool as newborns when we had heatwaves.

Motherwaffles · 18/03/2021 11:19

My 3 were born November, June and July. I think summer birthday's are the best because there is more stuff to do eg BBQ's, trips out. Plus they are off school for the summer holidays.

My eldest hates her birthday being in November because it's cold and a lot of places like zoo's etc shut in them months. I also struggle buying her Xmas presents because she gets the things she wanted on her birthday.

My birthday is on Xmas eve and I've always hated it. My mum did the best she could to make it special but I wasn't able to have parties, days out as it was so close to Xmas. Now as an adult my birthday is just another day because I'm too busy getting things ready for Xmas. I keep telling friends and family I'm going to celebrate my birthday in July.Grin

Defmy · 18/03/2021 13:40

My November born is also amongst the youngest in his school year. The difference between him and his April born brother when they started school was massive.

You're not in the UK, are you?

Defmy · 18/03/2021 13:41

It is perfectly possible to start a summer born 5 year old in reception and many LAs have a policy of guaranteed acceptance of the request to do so (mine do).

Not at all. It depends where you live. Also, even if you do get to start late, you may have to enter the same year you'd be in if you'd entered early.

MeadowHay · 18/03/2021 13:52

Confused I did say it depends on the LA. As I've said, my LA's policy is guaranteed acceptance of any request for summer born children to start reception at 5. It does depend where you live, but in many LAs it's not a problem at all, like in mine.

ancientgran · 18/03/2021 13:56

I've got 2 with January birthdays, people said how awful depths of winter, can't enjoy walks with the pram etc. Actually it was lovely by the time the warmer weather came they were sitting up and enjoying looking around on walks. I've got one spring and one autumn, ultimately they were all fine, just annoying that 3 were overdue and had to have two inductions.

BellamyBells · 18/03/2021 16:24

@DrCoconut

April was best as you (in theory at least) get good weather for the peak of your maternity leave. It's miserable being shut indoors due to cold and dark nights.
I found the opposite! You feel like rubbish and just want to be inside, so can do all those fun winter things
firstimemamma · 18/03/2021 16:27

Spring is ideal for us. Autumn and winter = a ton of birthdays in our friends and family. Ds is a summer baby and I don't wish to repeat the experience of third trimester in the blazing heat!