To worry about my child being born around Xmas

[hnbnb]

I am pregnant and due right in between Xmas and NYE, so a baby born between let’s say 23 Dec and 2 Jan is looking like a very real possibility. I know how due dates work, I know baby might come November or might stay in till later in Jan but… likely scenario is those dates.

for those born on Xmas Eve / Day or Boxing Day or NYE / NY Day, or perhaps if you know people well born on those dates, how bad is it? Is it an issue at all? What did you like or dislike about it as a child? Adult?

I just worry that the baby (once they’re no longer a baby, obviously) will dislike that their bday party will always be far from actual birthday, that it’ll inevitably mean less presents as people will clump bday and Xmas gifts as one, or that people are never really celebrating their birthday, more celebrating Xmas or NYE if they’re born on 25 or 31st.

A boy in my son's class is a Christmas Day birthday and he loves it!

They do Christmas in the morning, then it's birthday cake / cards / decorations / small presents in the afternoon.

They they celebrate his half birthday on 25th June with a big party, presents from family and friends (so presents / new toys are spread evenly through the year) and he thinks it's great as he gets two birthdays.

Don't stress about it OP.

I was due on around Christmas but was born on the 15th January. My mum always held birthday parties for me in the summer. Because she explained why, I was totally okay with it (according to her, anyway).

Honestly as long as you explain to your child why you're throwing a party in the summer instead of the winter, they'll understand. But, you can always throw a party on or around their actual birthday and just have it indoors!

YABU to worry because what are you realistically going to do about it? Cross your legs until mid-Jan?

Their birthday will be when it is and once they're old enough to have a view you can manage it in a way that solves any problems.

My ds was born in between Christmas and new year. He was actually due 28th January. Anyway it's fine. He's always had separate presents for his birthday and Christmas and we always do something to celebrate his birthday as we would for anyone else's birthday.

As a person with a similar date birthday I dont know any better so that’s the reality for anyone born then. What I will say is I wish there had been half birthdays then- maybe a family small celebration at real birthday time with a half birthday mid year for friends and to get some mid year presents as it’s a long time to wait otherwise if your birthday is near Xmas!

DS1’s birthday is 30th December.
DS2’s due date was 31st December.
We were less concerned about a birthday close to Christmas and NYE than 2 birthdays a day apart, luckily DS2 arrived in mid-January.

For what it’s worth, neither DS cares. Both get gifts during Christmas and their birthdays - the stint between those occasions is like an extended festive season for them.

My last baby was due Christmas Day but came 3 weeks early. However he still loves his birthday being in the Christmas month, insists on having the Christmas tree up for it and has had a Christmas themed birthday party every year. My nephew is also just a few days before Christmas and has never had any issues. The only thing I would say is to pick up their birthday cards and wrapping paper at the end of August/September as once Christmas starts appearing it’s not as easy to pick up the fun wrapping paper or such a choice in cards.

Friend is inbetween the 2, upshot is his sector always close down between the 2 so never has to work on his birthday.

I don't think joint presents are that bad tbh I ask for these as an adult as can be put towards things more, saved up a couple years for big things

I think if your a NYE baby it's what you make of it you could be the life and soul of the party and host fun bashes or even better spend each NYE in a different city travelling the world

It's what you make of it

Just means birthday parties as a kid might be more expensive than summer borns (park parties)

My birthday is between these two dates. It isn’t the best birthday, undeniably, but it isn’t the worst. You’re off school as a child and off work as an adult. You get fewer birthday presents but better Christmas presents (or the other way round, if people want to get them in the sales).

The only thing I would think about now (not worry, just consider) is the potential for hospitals to be slightly short staffed over the holiday period. I would not want to have a home birth on Boxing Day, for example. (Actually, I would never want to, but the possibility of fewer ambulances etc would worry me.) Your child has a higher chance of dying on their day of birth than any other day during your lifetime (well, before they’re about 85 — probably the same thing) and I suspect it is marginally more dangerous to be born when most of the senior consultants are at home enjoying the holidays.

My daughter is Jan 3rd. It’s ok. We normally have a family thing or go away around her birthday weekend and do a party for friends the weekend after. It’s literally the most popular weekend of the year for class parties. As all the lateDecember birthdays are doing it too. So get it booked in and the invites out early. She also likes a day out shopping the Jan sales with her birthday money. And I get her a special summer present which she loves thinking about.

My birthday is Xmas Eve and I loved it as a child and still love it. Everything is already festive and family are gathering. The only bit my parents did was to have a half birthday with a party for me in June to spread my presents across the year and make it easier for school friends to attend

It’s just a birthday OP. What will be will
be.

My friend has a child born on Christmas Eve and one born on Boxing Day and 2 others not around Xmas neither seem to miss out at all, albeit they often have birthday parties (with school friends alittle early or late) but always in December/early Jan. Their parties are no different to any other winter born child (Nov-Feb) always indoor events. They get presents for Birthday at some point during the day that are separate to Christmas.

My husbands birthday is 23/12. My SIL is 19/12, my MIL is 2/1, my ds is 15/1.

growing up my MIL was insistent the kids birthdays were separate and would go so far as to give back birthday presents that weee wrapped in Christmas paper so they could be properly wrapped for a birthday. Sometimes the kids had a joint birthday the week before they broke up from school other times in January due to everyone being busy.

We now as a family just start our Christmas celebrations first with my husbands birthday- and carry on through to Boxing Day with left over Birthday cake as one of our Christmas puddings.

Ds was born Christmas Day and has always loved it. We always said how special it was when he was little and made a point of keeping the two separate - birthday cards and presents and balloons etc separate from Christmas stuff.

He always had plenty of friends at his party, usually the day before Christmas Eve and we have birthday cake for dessert on Christmas Day!

Even now as an adult he thinks it’s a nice day to have been born and says at least he’ll probably always be on holiday on his birthday!

I am a Xmas eve baby. Tbh I love it!

I get a calendar countdown. Birthday decorations. The build up to Xmas is also the build up to my birthday. It’s a whole vibe. Special menus. Party season. I have never had to organise my own bday party. Never have to work on my birthday. Always managed to skip ques for the Xmas eve pubs. There’s such an energy. Everyone is happy on Xmas eve. There’s no other day like it really. Anticipation. No one’s yet tired or fatigued. It is electric and magical.

I do feel for all the other bdays around Xmas. I do think Xmas eve is the exception.

My (now adult) kids are October and March born and have often asked for a combined birthday/Christmas present if they want something really big!

On the other hand I'm a December baby and my parents always made sure the celebrations and gifts were very much separate.

You can set up some family traditions around parties and gifts to make it work, and that will become their norm.

@hopsalongim a little confused / concerned, what do you mean about them having a higher chance of dying on their day of birth than any other day? Because they’re born around Xmas? Because deaths generally spike around Xmas? Surely they’d have an equally high chance of death around Xmas if they’re summer born, or no?

My birthday is just before Christmas, I was always given seperate gifts and my birthday was always treated like a birthday, still had parties etc.

Would I change it if I could, yes? Does it really bother me though, no.

There is no point worrying about it as you can't do anything about it anyway.

DH is an xmas day birthday.
We do Christmas presents and then his birthday presents. He gets separate and always has from his family. They made a point of having both Christmas presents and birthday presents and expect family members to do the same.
At work he takes treats in in June as a 'half ' birthday. Loads of people are interested when they find out, which makes it feel really special.
Just let people know in advance that you dont want them getting a joint gift, and the importance of celebrating their birthday how everyone else gets to celebrate theirs!

My dd was the middle too . It is a bit awkward but only as she got older as friends would rather wait until NYE to go out . But as a kid most friends were happy to have a party to go to after Xmas . And parents were too , we had most parties at an activity place booked well in advance . Everyone home to deliver invitations . And easy to buy for as we often got accessories for her main Xmas present ie like more Barbies or clothes

Is this really something to worry about?

@hnbnbDidn’t mean to worry you unduly — sorry! No, we all have a higher chance of dying on the day we’re born than any other day until we’re pretty old (assuming no first day of the Somme or similar intervenes in a population-wide way). In other words, being born is a pretty scary and big deal. I don’t have proof that it’s more dangerous to be born between Christmas and Jan 2. It’s possible that the opposite is true. But these are relatively rare birthdays in the US (https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/business/20leonhardt-table.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare) where a lot of births are scheduled in advance. And anyone who has been in an NHS hospital in mid December knows that they like to clear the wards out a bit before the holidays and potential staffing issues.

i wouldn’t worry AT ALL about the long-term impact of the birthday. Your child will be relatively old for their academic year, and will never have to go to school or work on their birthday. That’s a big win! But think about playing it a little more cautiously in terms of arriving at hospital earlier, perhaps, and not trying (your first, so I’m sure it doesn’t apply) for a home birth.

Really it's fine. My son was due before Christmas, arrived NYE. He's fine with it. He never has to go to school on his birthday. And we can always do something nice on the day (like Legoland or we go away), and it always ends with fireworks in London on TV.

DPs best friend is a christmas day birthday.
Which means that he doesnt get extra presents from his family, but he does get the excuse to take himself off for a beer with his friends ehich they do all love as the excuse is its his birthday!!
I had another friend growing up who was NYE birthday and when we were teens it was a great excuse for an extra good celebration.
My son is late december, we give him a second summer birthday treat, so he has summer birthday where we go out for the day when the weather is nicer. But we do do a winter birthday too.