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Original poster

Question for those born in December & January!

125 replies

IVF20233 · 10/01/2023 13:49

Do you like your birthday being in December or January (and around Christmas time)?

We are at the beginning stages of going through fertility treatment. I’m not sure if i’m over thinking things but i’ve been wondering whether it would be best to continue as planned or avoid TTC during the two months which will most likely mean I give birth during December/January.

i’m not even sure it’s ethically or morally ok to avoid certain months! Please let me know your thoughts

OP posts:
Flockameanie · 10/01/2023 17:30

Stepuptowardsinfinity · 10/01/2023 14:12

I hate it. My birthday is early Jan. Everyone is broke, doesn't want to meet up, doing dry January and really doesn't want to do anything. I feel lonely and unloved every year.

Same same. Even I don’t want to do anything on my birthday (v early Jan). I hate it so much that I consciously timed ttc accordingly.

But we didn’t have problems conceiving. If we had I probably wouldn’t have considered it at all.

BridieConvert · 10/01/2023 17:47

MoonahSton · 10/01/2023 14:12

I have a January birthday and it's rubbish. No one wants to do anything because they're skint after Christmas. And it's cold and dark which limits what you can do anyway (unless you live in the S. Hemisphere!)

But as someone who went through several (unsuccessful) rounds of fertility treatment and is now coming to terms with never being a parent, I'd say the birth month doesn't fucking matter if you get the outcome you're hoping for. Don't wait, just go for it. Good luck.

Agreed on the January birthday comment! I always feel like a burden trying to arrange something for my birthday so a lot of the time I don't bother and then feel sad. BUT as a child there was never a problem!
Plus people can buy gifts in the sales (if they wanted to buy a gift of course!) so you can get a nice gift and know that people have managed to save some money on it too!

Spanielsarepainless · 10/01/2023 17:56

Mine's mid-December and I love it. All the decorations and lights. Think it's given me a Messiah complex!

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BloodAndFire · 10/01/2023 17:58

It's not ideal, but I think you may have a rose-tinted view of assisted conception.

mrshenny · 10/01/2023 18:06

I have a December birthday and I didn't like it growing up, now I don't mind as it's in the week where my husband takes off work for Christmas so he's always off for it. But that's just adult me, kid me hated it, I'd always get Christmas birthday cards and Christmas wrapping paper, joint Christmas and birthday presents and nothing was open to go do things, as a teenager I hated it because everyone was skint and 'saving money for new years Eve'.

As I said now I don't care, it would be uneventful whatever time of year it was 🤣

When we were trying I considered skipping the December month but chose not to, didn't conceive that month and tbh I'm kind of relieved. Really depends on your situation though, when I was actively trying I was just desperate for a baby anytime.

CatherinedeBourgh · 10/01/2023 18:11

DC1 is near xmas, dc 2 is very jealous because he says we always take a lot of time off for dc1's birthday, and not for his (april)

bellinisurge · 10/01/2023 18:11

January birthday here. I love it. Everyone else might be feeling a bit grim but I love it.
My dh, in the early days of our relationship, asked if I wanted a joint Christmas/birthday present. I said no effing way and he's never asked again.
It's been a bit sad since my Mum died because I've lost that connection. But that would happen anyway.
January birthdays are the best.

OneSugar1 · 10/01/2023 18:17

A birthday in early Jan is shit character building.

catsonahottinroof · 10/01/2023 18:17

Have a December birthday and don't mind at all. There was never any problem with parties etc growing up. I can see how a birthday very close to Christmas could be a problem but I wouldn't overthink it - like others have said there are so many factors you can't control.

ButtonMoonMrsSpoon · 10/01/2023 18:20

Nope, end of January but before most people get paid so everyone is always broke. Normally miserable weather and cold.
I've decided to become like the queen and have another birthday. I'm going for the summer 😁

whydoesitalwayshappentome · 10/01/2023 18:35

My birthday is in the week leading up to Christmas and I think the worst birthday was my 30th when I had a party and very few came. I won't be doing a party again.

Generally though I love it. My Christmas tree is always up for it (mum used to put it up on my birthday) I don't mind presents in Christmas paper or a birthday/Christmas card and I have a friend who does that to make me laugh.

Mistymountain · 10/01/2023 18:56

My birthday's in December, it does get overshadowed a bit.

But if my parents had been trying to avoid having a December baby then I wouldn't exist! So can't complain really.

Babies conceived at different times are different potential people.

GreenShadow · 10/01/2023 19:18

Awful.

Would never choose it and we did make a concerted effort to avoid conceiving in the spring.

DH has a December birthday and mine is November. It's no fun.

Original poster
IVF20233 · 10/01/2023 19:18

@BloodAndFire what makes you say that? Genuinely curious. From my perspective, i’m looking at the bigger picture - not just the fact I want a baby NOW.

OP posts:
OnNaturesCourse · 10/01/2023 19:22

When we were TTC our first we made the decision not to try in the month that would lead to a December birth. Luckily I fell the month before and we now have a mid November birthday.

The thought never crossed my mind with my second as we were TTC in late spring so knew it wouldn't be a Xmas baby.

Talks of TTC #3 and we will make a point of avoiding December / another winter baby.

downnew · 10/01/2023 19:28

My December birthday means that I never had to go to school on my birthday and have also never been to work! (I appreciate that's job dependent!)

Emmamoo89 · 10/01/2023 19:29

December here and I love it

Raspberry290 · 10/01/2023 19:30

You’re really overthinking. You don’t even know that you can get pregnant. Just start your treatment and hope for the best

Sugarfree23 · 10/01/2023 19:37

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 10/01/2023 14:31

As a child I always liked the fact that at my birthday parties when it came to cake time which would probably be about 5pm, all the lights would be turned off and the cake with lighted candles would be carried in and placed on the table in front of me, then Happy Birthday would be sung by candlelight before I blew the candles out. My summer born friends would try to do the same by drawing all the curtains but it would still be too light to get the same affect. I believed this made my parties superior over theirs.

Aha haha!
I've never ever thought about that one.
My entire family and friendship group are winter birthdays.
DH has a nephew with a summer birthday which is normally held outside in the afternoon.

Eggybod · 10/01/2023 19:42

I personally wouldn’t let this hold back your chances of conceiving, because it’s not always something you can control. My son has a January birthday because he arrived 6 weeks early - you just don’t know how things will turn out. Good luck on your journey.

KillingLoneliness · 10/01/2023 19:49

Myself and my parents all have birthdays in December and January and honestly it’s not very nice.
The weather is always rubbish, the December birthdays get glazed over due to Christmas, the January birthday can get forgotten whilst everyone is in recovery mode. Gifts usually get combined due to lack of finances and there’s not much to do as it’s usually wet, dark and cold.
My parents always tried to make sure I had a good birthday as a child due to their own experiences but it was still difficult to arrange anything as no one can afford much and there not a lot of option’s available.
My eldest has a summer birthday and it’s absolutely wonderful as we can do so much more for her and there’s no big holidays taking priority.

Twix42 · 10/01/2023 19:53

Dd birthday 30th December. I always feel sorry for her, but she LOVES it. Not sure she'll love it when she's 18 and wants to celebrate, but all her friends are skint/waiting for NYE !
She was a long awaited baby who came when she wanted to ❤️
Good luck OP!

been and done it. · 10/01/2023 19:57

Hate it too...I'm a couple of days after Christmas and all my children within 2 weeks the other side.
As a child I always missed out on cards and presents and general birthday excitement and celebrations. Having said that my childhood wasn't exactly normal.

dextrek · 10/01/2023 19:59

My youngest's birthday is 2nd Jan (due date was 28th Dec) and he absolutely hates it. Extended family always seem to forget his birthday, he gets cards days or weeks later... for the first couple of years even we were a bit disorganised and ended up rushing out on New Years Eve to buy presents!!
Parties are so hard to organise due to it always falling during the holidays. He hates having Christmas decs up, and he hates the fact he gets everything at once whether that be presents, money etc, and then nothing for 51 weeks. He always says he wishes he was born in June.
In short, he doesn't have a good word to say about it. If I had my time over again I would avoid TTC at that time, but I was at the time actively trying to avoid conceiving in June as I already had two March kids!!!

PetitPorpoise · 10/01/2023 20:04

Not me but my husband has a birthday around New Year and hates it. Can be quite touchy about it if he feels it's an afterthought.

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