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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To stop TTC in March to avoid a Christmas baby?

109 replies

PuffPants · 19/03/2012 11:24

According to the due date calculator on MN, my next due date (if we were to conceve this month) would be 23rd December.

We started trying for DC2 a couple of months ago and agreed we'd have a break in March. I feel a Christmas birthday must be a bit rubbish for a child. But then I do want a baby as early in the academic year as possible. Also, once you're on the ttc train, it seems a bit weird to get off for a month...

WWYD?

OP posts:
Skillbo · 19/03/2012 16:50

I agree with easilybored in that the.only downside to a December baby is the bugs and lurgys ... Ds born last December (28th) and has been permanently bunged ever since. Being heavily pregnant on xmas day was also a bit annoying...

However, it didn't even occur to us about dates and i don't think i would've stopped but i wanted my baby so much, the thought of missing what could have been permanentlythe month would have been unthinkable!

Good luck whatever you choose to do

Greenshirt · 19/03/2012 17:06

What a load of tosh! I have a b'day a week before Xmas and it's always been fine because my family have always made the effort to make the distinction between the two celebrations.I love having the lights and decorations up as well! My eldest two kids are Summer babies and I will admit that it's been better re toys as they have had at least six months between each avalanche of presents!

EasilyBored · 19/03/2012 17:23

The only thing that annoyed me was having to miss Christmas Dinner. But I got gas and air and diamorphine instead so I shouldn't really complain!

Napdamnyou · 19/03/2012 17:23

I don't think you can plan these things in too much detail...

My baby was born mid December. I love the fact that his birthday month will always be a time of sparkling lights and parties...

shewhowines · 19/03/2012 18:12

YANBU

Half the fun of both birthdays and christmas is the thrill of anticipation. Whilst it may be exciting to have separate birthday parties and christmas in Dec, you only have one period of excitement compared to others who have two.

For a child, a year is forever to wait until the next celebration. I remember it was bad enough waiting for 6 months! Smile

Trills · 19/03/2012 18:13

YAB a little silly.

What if you wait a month then get pregnant v quickly and have your baby early? You'll still have a "Christmas" baby. So do you have to wait for 2 cycles?

tumbleweedblowing · 19/03/2012 18:16

DD1 was due 25/12.... 5 weeks early sorted that one out!

nappymaestro · 19/03/2012 18:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FamiliesShareGerms · 19/03/2012 18:26

My "Xmas baby" (due 18th Dec, first one's always late they said....) came in early Nov....

MarthasHarbour · 19/03/2012 18:52

aw napdamnyou i loved that post about the sparkliness Smile

tbh it has never occurred to me even as a child to be bothered that my birthday was end of Jan, i never got jealous of my summer birthday friends. i just had a birthday party end of jan - that was that, it was fine

CrunchyFrog · 19/03/2012 18:56

DS2 was due 15th Dec, eventually turned up on New Year's Day.

He's only 3 but so far everyone has been great with keeping them separate.

IndridCold · 19/03/2012 19:03

We didn't have nearly so much foresight and DS was born on 23 December! DS (now 13) says he loves his birthday, regardless of the date, but I really don't think it's an ideal time.

We live in Cornwall and if he had been born in 2010 or 2009 we would have been snowed in and unable to reach hospital!

YANBU to consider postponing IMO. Good luck for April though Wink.

cocoachannel · 19/03/2012 19:10

I'd go for it- the law of sod probably means you will conceive!

Threeprinces · 19/03/2012 19:19

YABU, ds1 was born on 23/12 and is now 11. He hasn't yet received any joint presents and always has a party after school breaks up and before Christmas proper starts. We make sure it is as special as DS2's beat which is in Feb. I wouldn't worry about it.

Ps Xmas in hospital was actually lovely as only Jose that needed to be there were in, we had loads of staff who went to a very big effort for us all to have a nice time and it was stilly very jolly indeed!

BagofHolly · 19/03/2012 19:21

Christmas birthdays rock! Look at the gear Baby Jesus got!

SachaF · 19/03/2012 19:23

I've just asked my son and he says:
'it is nice having a birthday on Christmas Day. I like it because it is sometimes snowy.' (no, that's never happened on his birthday!)
We have a summer (half) party for him. He asked this year (aged 5) if he could have a party for his birthday. I explained that then he couldn't have a summer party as well. He decided on the summer party option. Sensible boy!
If you do have a baby on Christmas Day, and you don't have to stay in hospital, my advice would be DON'T eat the hospital Christmas lunch, no matter how appealing it seems at the time. It's a poor substitute. Wait until you can have a family Christmas lunch! (obviously cooked by someone else....)

toobreathless · 19/03/2012 19:33

We wanted to avoid a December due date & a july or august due date. I fell pregnant after missing one pill just before DH went away. The due date was 24th December. Sadly it ended in a very traumatic ectopic pregnancy & I had my left tube removed while DH was in Afghanistan.

When he got home we had a think and decided that we wanted a healthy baby & it didn't matter when it was born. DD was conceived that month & arrived on St. George's Day.

YANBU to try & avoid a December due date but you sound like the kind of parents who will make sure your child isn't disadvantaged by being born in any particular month anyway. In the grand scheme of things how much does it really matter?

swlmum · 19/03/2012 19:40

DS was due in the middle of feb and was born on jan 4th - sometimes its best not to over think things Smile

beatofthedrum · 19/03/2012 22:46

The first March we ttc I remember thinking 'what bad luck if it happens this month' (though still tried!) By the following March there was nothing I wanted more and couldn't have cared less about birth dates. Sure enough we got our BFP and when our ds arrived in early Jan there was def no complaining!!

sensuallettuce · 19/03/2012 22:52

YANBU - We have 6 kids between us DSD1 bday is boxing day ( vvvv crap for her esp as she gets shit loads of presses anyway being part of a "blended" family and none for the rest of the yr) and DSD2 is early Jan is a bloody nightmare.

skybluepearl · 19/03/2012 23:42

No I'd keep trying despite any festive due date. Would try for an early/mid academic year child though if fertility wasn't an issue.

TheMightyLois · 19/03/2012 23:52

We did that last year.

Still not pregnant :(

marriedinwhite · 19/03/2012 23:58

It doesn't work out how you plan it. DS was due on 25th January 1995. Oddly enough he decided to arrive on 25th December 1994. It was the only year he didn't get any birthday presents!

The maternity ward was empty because there were no routine admissions and we had brilliant care. The registrar popped in to see the birth, the consultant popped in on Xmas morning because it was a bit of a tradition.

DS is 17 now and although it is a bit of a tricky birthday we have always made it very special for him - he does after all share it with Jesus!

It has made his birthday a bit more special in my opinion - always got a mention in church when he was little - and now he is big his mates ring him on Xmas day and it's a great excuse for them to escape and pop round for an hour.

As a special concession - we have already booked the venue for his 18th birthday - we are having it on New Year's eve Grin.

As a footnote - DS2 was due mid September. He was born in June Sad

Doitnicelyplease · 20/03/2012 00:39

My DH has a Christmas birthday (couple of days before xmas) and hates it he was adamant we would not inflict the same on any DC. When TTC DD we did stop for March.

However when trying to conceive DC2 we had already had two miscarriages and were not so bothered about their possible birthdate at that point!

Goolash · 20/03/2012 01:01

When is a good time to be borm?

A friend of mine, who had a xmas birthday, said it was crap when she was young but a Very good excuse for celebration when she was a young adult.
As teens we all gathered at a pub in her name ;)

My eldest is one of the youngest in the year, with all the usual probs. If only Id have seeked advice. He has one mate who is younger and always has a birthday in the summer hols. No one is around for that birthday! My Feb born son? Well his birthday is always in Feb half term. I always put him off a party and encourage him on a family day!

I was born in September. We'd only just got back for our family holiday, started school, then FECK. I forget my own birthday.