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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think having a baby in September is maybe the worst time?

103 replies

worldso · 02/07/2025 17:59

I’m a September birthday but neither of my children are.

But I was thinking … heavily pregnant in a hot summer and an extra years childcare to pay for.

I know September births have an academic advantage but on balance I think my least preferred month!

OP posts:
pambeesleyhalpert · 02/07/2025 22:05

Oh another plus for a winter baby is I could nap at any time of the day and it would be fairly dark. I loved it! I hate the summer tho

RosesAndHellebores · 02/07/2025 22:29

CloverPyramid · 02/07/2025 20:25

I liked being heavily pregnant over summer, as it meant I could wear fewer clothes and they were all floaty and comfortable. Lots of sitting in the garden and soaking my feet in a paddling pool. I’m a sweaty mess in summer pregnant or not, so that bit didn’t phase me. I can’t imagine having to squeeze into winter clothes and coats when that pregnant. Or risking falling over on the ice etc.

I also liked having a three month old at Christmas, so many cute outfits and activities we did together. And I liked baby being old enough to be fun by the time the next summer rolled around, and not being terrified of a tiny baby overheating in a heatwave.

I’m a former teacher and the academic benefits are clear to see even towards late primary. He’s quite clever and big for his age anyway so it won’t matter as much, but I wanted to give him that benefit in case it did. I also love having an extra year before he starts school to spend time with him.

Edited

I disagree entirely about the academic benefits beyond KS1. DS (Dec) and DD (May) were both reading when they started reception.

DH (August), DS (Dec), DD (May)
Two firsts from Oxford; one from Cambridge. I am July and it didn't hold me back.

Oaktree1952 · 02/07/2025 22:30

I loved having my September baby. It’s much easier to warn a baby up than to cool one down during their early months. Having a 9 month old in the hottest part of the year was much less worrying than a month old.
my youngest is January and by far the worst month to have a birthday. No money, no one wants a party and nothing is open!

AvidJadeShaker · 02/07/2025 22:32

I think August and December are the worst months to have a baby.

TwoLeggedGrooveMachine · 02/07/2025 22:37

Try having a late August baby. Youngest in the year and no one is around for your birthday. And the pity for having the most academically disadvantaged child due to my carelessness with delivery date.

Tiddlywinkly · 02/07/2025 22:43

I've had September and January babies. I preferred the latter from a pregnancy viewpoint as I had my own internal heating system and it moved into spring when I was feeling a bit more settled and ready to head out more.

Still, there's pros and cons for all seasons. I'm an August baby - bouncy castle parties, but very young in the year. My mum hated being heavily pregnant in summer. I did too. I had terrible varicose veins and had to wear leggings to hide them.

Highfivemum · 02/07/2025 22:47

January is the worse I think. No one got any money and all parties out. One of my DC is born January and organising a party is a nightmare. If I send invites out before Christmas most will forget. If I wait until they return it is too soon. Never know what to hit them either as they already have enough from Christmas. Plus the tribe that will insist on a Christmas/ birthday present. Nightmare.

PurpleChrayn · 03/07/2025 05:12

September is great - oldest in the year makes a huge difference. My DD is streets ahead of the August borns she’s going into reception with.

Zanatdy · 03/07/2025 05:21

I would say December is the worst time (I’m a Dec baby). I was due 28th Aug DS2 (unplanned). I was worried all pregnancy we would need to pay another year childcare. I was relieved on 14th Aug when my waters went. Never affected him being the youngest of the year educationally, top grades at GCSE and A level, and hopefully a 1st class honours degree confirmed tomorrow. One thing though he didn’t start going to pubs until just before Uni, so he certainly suffered a bit first year of uni with managing alcohol levels. He doesn’t drink much thankfully.

Zanatdy · 03/07/2025 05:22

PurpleChrayn · 03/07/2025 05:12

September is great - oldest in the year makes a huge difference. My DD is streets ahead of the August borns she’s going into reception with.

That will adjust over the coming years. My August born DS was always top of the class, maybe from year 3-4 onwards. He was more prepared than some children starting school as he had always been in full time nursery.

Zanatdy · 03/07/2025 05:26

worldso · 02/07/2025 18:29

Yes, it is different for Scotland, sorry. I did that annoying thing of assuming everyone’s based in England or wales!

Surprised at the December hate though; my eldest is a December baby. I loved it!

Show quote history

Probably the December born children who hate it more than the parents. I have moaned to my parents for years (tongue in cheek) about my rubbish birthday (30 Dec). Who plans a baby around Christmas?! It’s pretty rubbish.

gannett · 03/07/2025 06:54

As an August baby who was top of my classes throughout school I'm always mystified by the MN belief that being the youngest in the year is a disadvantage. My closest "rival" academically was also an August baby and even younger.

I was one of the smallest in the year but I would have been one of the smallest in the year below too!

As for December babies, one of my friends was born on Xmas Eve and hated it as a kid. So when she was 20 she took matters into her own hands and has simply celebrated her half-birthday every June instead. After 20 years of doing that she often forgets about her actual birthday herself.

ruralmural · 03/07/2025 06:56

Samas · 02/07/2025 18:11

I loved it. I spent the whole of August lying in a hammock in my garden watching my older two play. It was the summer holidays and it meant I was so well rested when DD was born in early September

Edited

Why are you well rested in summer holidays? Are you a teacher?

IButtleSir · 03/07/2025 07:19

FuzzyPuffling · 02/07/2025 18:08

Nah, December or January are worse. A lifetime of misery!

Bit dramatic... I'm a very happy January-born person!

IButtleSir · 03/07/2025 07:21

ruralmural · 03/07/2025 06:56

Why are you well rested in summer holidays? Are you a teacher?

Show quote history

😂Did you mean that to sound quite so accusatory?!

Shenmen · 03/07/2025 07:22

worldso · 02/07/2025 18:29

Yes, it is different for Scotland, sorry. I did that annoying thing of assuming everyone’s based in England or wales!

Surprised at the December hate though; my eldest is a December baby. I loved it!

Show quote history

How old are they? All my December birthday friends hate it as everyone is so busy with Xmas.

Rankandfile · 03/07/2025 07:25

I have a 1st and an 18th Sept. We moved back to the UK from overseas when my eldest (1 Sept) went into year 7, so that worked really well as then he didn’t have to struggle too much to adjust to the UK curriculum. The only thing is - birthday parties need to be organised before summer term ends … at least dates blocked! I like that both of mine have birthdays in the same month, means one big effort of organising birthday palaver and done for the year. And not too close to Christmas.

MoserRothOrangeandAlmond · 03/07/2025 07:31

@FuzzyPufflingas a December baby I agree. Everyone is so busy preparing for Christmas, Christmas parties etc they just forget.

My daughter is a July baby. I loved having a newborn in the summer. It was so easy to get out and about with the weather being better etc! But when she started school I felt a little robbed as she just turned 4 and went. (she was totally ready for school but i wasn’t!)

Whatshesaid96 · 03/07/2025 07:41

I've heard September, October and November are the busiest months due to Christmas and Valentines day. Both of mine are April babies. It was nice not being pregnant in the summer but the week before both were born was hot. Not the recent temperatures we've had but unseasonal for spring. I don't like them being spring babies as Easter falls across either of their birthdays each year and it's a PITA organising parties as everyone goes away or does something for it

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 03/07/2025 07:52

I’m a September baby, and it was a heatwave (mum said it was hot from may until I was born) AND I was 9.5 pounds. Mum said she cried most nights. 😞

dontcomeatme · 03/07/2025 07:54

This is exactly why I planned for April babies. They're just the middle of the year, not the oldest, not the youngest, start as normal when 3, and I was pregnant in the cold rather than hot.

CantFollowInstructions · 03/07/2025 07:55

IVFlife · 02/07/2025 20:33

Not in Scotland. I'm 27 weeks now. It's hot at times but not unbearable. And our school year intake is from Feb not September so no difference.

This is an ivf baby so just delighted to be preg at anytime.

I do worry about the dark cold days/nights when baby very little though. Esp January/Feb. When germs rife indoors but hard to get outside much. But will cross that bridge when comes.

I'm also 27 weeks (as of yesterday) with an IVF baby. I'm always mystified by people who try to plan when their babies will be born. I obviously knew when my due date would be as soon as I got the transfer date but I didn't expect it to actually work this quickly - it took 8 transfers to have my three year old! This time they gave me the same advance treatment as with my daughter and it took first time. I'm happy to be pregnant in a heatwave if it means I get to take home a baby in any month. I would even have taken a Christmas day baby if that's how it ended up working out (my personal idea of the worst possible birthday).

JaninaDuszejko · 03/07/2025 08:16

I planned for DC3 to be an autumn baby (got pregnant first month of trying with each DC), he was due in October but came early so was born the first week of September. I was very happy he had an extra year of nursery, he was not ready for school the year before. My elder two were a winter baby and a summer baby, the extra six months made a massive difference to how they coped in school as small children although at secondary the summer born child did very well. I'd say being a summer born baby is the worst educationally, I live in the north so didn't have issues with the heat.

dragonfliesanddandelions · 03/07/2025 08:20

gannett · 03/07/2025 06:54

As an August baby who was top of my classes throughout school I'm always mystified by the MN belief that being the youngest in the year is a disadvantage. My closest "rival" academically was also an August baby and even younger.

I was one of the smallest in the year but I would have been one of the smallest in the year below too!

As for December babies, one of my friends was born on Xmas Eve and hated it as a kid. So when she was 20 she took matters into her own hands and has simply celebrated her half-birthday every June instead. After 20 years of doing that she often forgets about her actual birthday herself.

I'm always mystified when people think they can generalise to the entire population based on the experience of one or two people. The youngest being disadvantaged is well researched and well established. It is not just a MN belief. Of course there will be exceptions and some kids will do well regardless of age. That doesn't change the facts for the vast majority.

Mortima · 03/07/2025 08:27

Definitely pros and cons to any birthday timing...I was due in August, but baby born 1st September. I don't remember any excessive heatwaves in that year luckily, and as DH is a teacher it meant that we could spend the whole of August together, preparing and resting and really enjoying the last period of just being 'us'.

From a maternity leave perspective, it also generally worked out I think - I took a year and was so grateful that the last few months were in the spring/summer, as that's when DS was obviously much more alert, needing more stimulation, wanting to crawl around everywhere and explore. We could just go to the park every day with a picnic blanket, snacks and toys and he was content for ages. I think I would have struggled to entertain him every day in that awkward pre-walking stage, there's only so much soft play you can do!

However, it did mean that the 4-month sleep regression hit in January, which always feels like a depressing month anyway, and that was a bit of a low point.