Is anything good about giving birth in January?

[m00ngirl]

Like lots of us here I'll now be TTC this month for a January baby...

Is there anything good about giving birth in January?

I really do want to start a family, been trying for ages and soon to have first fertility clinic appointment as well. But I generally hate January and find it quite depressing.

It's not a winter thing. I'd have loved giving birth in November or December when things are Christmassy and fun and cosy.

But I get terrible January blues for some reason - and I'm finding it hard to get excited about this cycle. I'm not being shallow, I really do want a baby and will be delighted just to have a pregnancy if I ever do manage to and would cherish them at any time of year, I'm just worried about January blues making late pregnancy/birth/those first weeks harder...

Has anyone given birth in January?! Any pros and cons?!

You’ll have a baby?

Won’t be heavily pregnant in a heatwave.

something to look forward to after Christmas etc.

hibernate away in your 4th trimester while it’s cold and dark ready to properly enjoy the spring when you and baby are more sorted for being out.

still among the older part of the year group for school.

and you’ll have a baby. And they’re wonderful whenever they come.

signed the person who was adamant she wouldn’t have a summer baby, now proud mother of 2 of the things.

January is such a good time to have a baby. You can have a lovely cuddly time in the coldest months. The baby will be crawling around summertime which is perfect for that stage. It’s also a great time for the school year. I had a January baby and it was fantastic. My second was in August and boy do I regret that timing as my second child is the youngest in the class.

I had a late January baby and you have the advantage of being slap bang in the middle of the school year like pp have said.
One suggestion from me is that you think hard before buying a lie flat pram. If you aren't the type to be going out on walks on very cold days, you aren't going to suddenly jump up after giving birth to try it out. I didn't manage to emerge before April and I used the sling/car seat attachment much, much more than the big pram. I could have done with a lie flat stroller instead.

No heatwave, less busy maternity ward, something to look forward to in one of the darkest months. Cheaper birthday parties at venues like trampoline parks. No pressue to be out with the baby in the early days.

I ended up with a Christmas Day baby 🤦‍♀️ BUT the timing is lovely.

• you’re not pregnant when it’s boiling hot.
• summer for the second trimester so people know and you can enjoy all the alcohol free drinks in the sun
• baggy jumpers and maternity leggings for the third trimester is super easy
• the newborn bubble when you’re not really leaving the house the weather is crap anyway.
• not worried about your newborn overheating
• once they’re 3 months old the weather is turning nice just as you’re feeling more confident and wanting to get out and about
• good presents as people will buy in the sales
• something to look forward to after Xmas!

If you live in Scotland your child will be the oldest in their year, which is a big advantage.

and your child’s birthday parties will brighten up a dreary month for years to come.

I should have said - it’s ok though - as it did happen in the end! Just not my perfect timing… 😝

Yes, all going well.

Snuggling up under a blanket breastfeeding my baby boy with a nice cup of tea exactly a month after Christmas was far preferable to the early June heatwave newborn days with my DD. She was literally stuck to me! The hardest thing was not being able to overeat to my usual extent at Christmas that year 🤣

I've given birth in January it never even crossed my mind that it was notable. I wanted to call my DD January actually! Love that name.

Thanks for all the good points, reading some of these posts was just what I needed to try to feel positive again about this long and v difficult ttc journey... it's really helpful to try and picture light at the end of the tunnel ❤️🙏

You won’t have to labour in the middle of a heatwave like I did!

the first few weeks pass by in a blur, once you are more on your feet and able to get out the weather will be getting nicer.

Baby will probably sleep better as the light and birds won't wake them. Also, you'll get to experience spring just as parenting starts to get easier around the 2 month mark, which is lovely. I had mine in summer and kind of barely noticed it was summer!

I had a baby in January, it didn’t occur to me that it was a bad thing. I found it far better than my July baby, I found breastfeeding in the heat really really hard. With my January baby we just sat on the sofa watching cooking programmes on TV for a few weeks while the older 2 were at school/nursery. It was fine!

You can buy in the January sales for birthday presents.

You know the birthday party will definitely be an indoor event. There's no false hope for nice weather like if you had a summer birthday.

If you normally get Jaunary blues then celebrating your childs birthday in January each year might be great for lifting those blues

Plus as others have said its a great time to be pregnant. You miss the heatwaves when you are heavily pregnant, get to spend the fourth trimester snuggled up together hibernating and then when you are ready to emerge the world is waking back up ready for you and your child to explore

It will give you something positive every single year in January, something to look forward to. Honestly, you're overthinking it.

Weather will be brightening up right as you’re starting to come out of the newborn bubble and wanting to do things. Nice pram walks in the spring with a 3/4 month old baby. Summer picnics with a chubby 8 month old

My twins were born late January.

It is nice to have another family occasion to look forward to after Christmas.

We often when they were older would go to a show in London as a family which was a good treat for us all.

One of mine is a January birthday, I've honestly never thought about the timing of it! He was a rainbow baby.
Yes it is quite close to Christmas (less than a month) but birthdays need to be saved for no matter when they are.

I hate my Jan birthday tbh, everyone is over celebrating by Jan.
I have a mid Dec baby though, a Winter baby is nice. Lovely to hunker down and snuggle with a newborn.

two of my sons are January, it’s great because when people are bemoaning how grey January is we’re putting up banners and eating cake!!!

I have a DC with a Feb birthday. I liked being heavily pregnant in the winter (keeps you warm!). I found it easier to go to bed early when it was dark early e.g. 8pm bed seemed OK in winter but odd in June! It's nice to have something to plan and celebrate when there is not much else happening.

I gave birth in December and July - so a little off track but useful for comparing and contrasting. I’d say what better than to fill the usual challenges of January than with the joy of a newborn. Waiting in hospital with a newborn as it nears Christmas is not fun. It’s so much easier to snuggle a newborn warm than keep them cool in the heat. Just as they are getting bigger, the weather is improving. Summer at six months is a joy. When you have children the details are taken out of your control anyway - just learn to enjoy rolling with it.

Yes. The must have toys that you can’t get for love nor money for Christmas, you can usually mop up in the sales in time for their birthday