...to want my baby born in September (not August)?

[chickpea1982]

I'd be really interested to hear other Mumsnetters' experiences on this question.

I'm currently pregnant with DC3, who is due on 31 August. My plan was to try to hold on until 1 September (unless the baby decides otherwise!) so DC3 is born in September and so is the oldest/one of the oldest in her year. It feels to me like it could make such a big difference to her life - either the oldest in her year, or the absolute youngest. Or am I overthinking things?

The doctors want to induce at 39 weeks as I have gestational diabetes, but I'm not completely convinced it's necessary, or that waiting a few extra days will make much difference.

Looking forward to receiving your wisdom!

This. I would go for August born and then you have the option for deferring for a year if you choose to.

It isn’t worth risking health over. There might be almost a whole year age difference between the eldest and youngest in a class, but there will be just a few months or weeks age difference between many of the others. It’s not that big a deal.

My Mid-September due baby arrived in the middle of August so was the youngest in her school year. I would say it affected her socially but not academically in Reception and some of year One. After that, not at all. She is a teacher herself now and finds the same with summer-born children.
I have an August birthday myself, and had no problems academically, although struggled socially, and still do!

My DD is August born.
It was noticeable when she was little i.e. reception age. But now she's just going into year 7 you really can't tell and she did well in her SATs.
She finds it annoying though, she's still 10 and some of her friends are almost 12! I feel for her but there's nothing much to be done about it now!!
I can't actually imagine her just going into year 6, she's definitely ready for high school, that's the cohort she's in.

My daughter's four besties are all August born. Two would have benefited enormously from another year in nursery, the other two were more than ready 🤷🏻‍♀️

I dont actually think there's any disadvantage to being one of the youngest. I know loads of people with summer birthdays who are successful. Also an August baby will save you a year of childcare!

All that being said I wouldn't use any of those reasons to make my decision about induction. Just do what's best for yours and babys health.

My son is born 11.06pm on the 31st August and I've deferred him. He starts reception this year at 5. With less than an hour to go until he would have been a september baby there was no way I was sending him to school in the correct year group. He was also not ready emotionally at all.

I've had plenty of conversations with people who have sent their August born children in the correct year group and they have thrived. I am a September baby and wouldn't say I did any better than my peers by being one of the oldest.

My SIL was induced on the 31st august and I felt like if I was in that situation and safely had the choice I would have waited until the 1st. She naturally wanted baby out at that point.

Please don't stress it. Let baby come when he's intended to and start thinking about it when he's 3-4 years old. You will absolutely no if your child is ready or not x

I totally understand! I have an August baby who sat all his GCSEs aged 15 and has completed 2 years of Uni still only aged 19. He’s still much younger than most of his peers (and girlfriend). Couldn’t learn to drive until for ages. If it works out that your baby can be born safely from 1st September onwards then I would see it as a positive.

I have a June and a July baby and if my daughter was born six weeks later she would have been a September baby and would have been in nursery or pre school for another year. she was more than ready to go to school in the September after she turned 4 she was so inquisitive and full of questions that if I had her home for another year I wouldn't have been able to stimulate her- I have friends who have September/October babies and love the fact they will be the oldest in the year but say that final year of nursery is hard because they are almost 5 and have outgrown what nursery provides.

It makes no difference through school life especially the mid years 3/4/5 etc. However my DD did struggle a little at age 15/16 as alot of her peers born in September/October were far more confident than she was because they were much older she was only just 16 when some of her friends were nearly 17. She is also one of the last to learn to drive and will be one of the last to legally drink.

It does have its pros and cons but I think when they are little it isn't such an issue as when they are older.

Not always, only if the school head agrees. Ours never did.

I'm not sure how it works in England but here in Scotland deferring children born later is totally normal. Is this something you could look into?

Our cut off is end of Feb and in local schools the children born Jan/Feb generally seem to be deferred.

If this is possible for you, having an August birthday might then mean you get the choice over school year depending on how ready you child seems to be?

Saves you a whole year of childcare fees with a August baby.

Speaking as a teacher, I'd still take an August baby despite the summer born thing.

If you're bright and you read with your children, they'll do fine. August burns save literally thousands in childcare fees by going to school a year younger.

I myself was a summer born. In my year six classroom, I can't tell you without looking at my list who was born in summer. It all evens out.

I was born in late July and I feel like I always had a huge life advantage because I was almost a year younger than my contemporaries at every stage of life especially at university and post-grad education.

When you start working in your early years especially this can be a big deal because you are almost a years experience ahead by the same age + you get the uplift that goes with people being impressed at your youth.

I went into a profession and being the youngest/ young really gave me a lot of benefit. Plus I enjoyed it.

If I could pick being the oldest in a year, or being the youngest, I would pick youngest every time.

*borns not burns, obviously

What if you risk your baby's health by hanging on till Sept 1st? If they're born with disabilities as a result, being a smug mother of the oldest child in the school year will be the least of your worries. Get your priorities right.

I have a September and an August daughters so both ends of the spectrum! My September birthday was more than ready for school. My August birthday did struggle socially but not academically. I could have deferred her but chose not to as friendships would have been formed and I wanted her to be there at the beginning and not to enter the class at a later date. She did struggle a bit with cleaning herself after going to the toilet and was very clingy on dropping her off. After the first year she was settled and no different to the elder ones of the class. She has just graduated on a first so academically she has done better than her sister who is a September birthday!

It's worth bearing in mind a Sept baby means an extra year of childcare to pay for, and one less term of free hours.

Me - Aug birthday- mythical MN 6 figure earner ie it didn’t hold me back

DS1 - late Aug birthday (due Sept but had other ideas) in a RG Uni doing STEM

DS2 - also Aug doing well and predicted decent GCSEs (fingers crossed)

DNephew - also Aug also doing STEM degree at a RG Uni

So please please don’t let the due date issue cause you stress or lead you to risk your health.

I'm born late August, absolutely loved starting school and did very well academically. I can't say I remember being less mature than my classmates in Primary school.

I'm guessing deferring wasn't an option when I was little, but it's always an option for your DC if they don't seem ready when the time comes (though, fwiw, I've never heard of anyone doing this outside of MN).

OP must have a reason why she doesn’t agree with her current medical team and I doubt it’s just because of a date.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions OP including if something is standard procedure or this is based on the information about you and your baby. Inductions also carry more risks and interventions when they’re done unnecessarily for both mum and baby. If the baby is large, it can be safer to have a planned c-section than go through an induction and possibly end up in an emergency c-section.

I'm not a parent so am prepared to be told I'm wrong....but if the baby comes on August 31st it gives more options....you can either defer until the next year, or you save a year's worth of child care by starting at the 'normal ' time. Win, win I would have thought but as I said I maybe wrong.

Do you honestly think a doctor would allow this to happen? Risk her career and risk being sued just to entertain a pregnant woman’s “preference” for a September baby?

I know the NHS is shit, but I don’t think standards have dropped that low yet.

I'd do whatever my obstruction said was best for baby and me. I'd trust their judgement. Years ago it made a big difference if born early September or end of August. Now no difference as summer born babies can join reception a year later.

This has got to be one of the most stupid things I've read here. Gestational diabetes is not merely an inconvenience ffs.