summer or winter pregnancy good and bad points??

[Feliena]

i gave birth end september after the hottest summer on record found it horrific being preg in such heat and vowed to have a winter baby next time - any downsides to a winter pregnancy??

I gave birth on 22nd Dec, it had snowed so there was a combination of worried women in early labour turning up at hospital and a shortage of midwives which meant the hospital maternity unit was very crowded!

I had a Winter baby and a late Spring baby,I would have hated being huge in high Summer,I hate hot weather.Winter preg also much better for clothes,you can wear a massive coat and borrow the husband's jumpers.

I was thinking about this earlier.

I am due in Oct and my main concern is not being able to go on any rides when we go to the beach in the summer!

You cannot shall we say 'embrace' all the food and drink you like at Christmas as obviously your not 'allowed' to eat and drink certain things and New years eve can be a bit boring watching everyone get drunk ( was 30 weeks on nye) and getting about in snow/ice was a bit scary! Other than that being big in winter is great extra warmth!!

Had my Ds in Aug 98 and was scorching hot, very uncomfortable. Had Dd on boxing day 06, freezing cold and uncomfortable. Hmmmmmmm!!! pattern there then.

I am due in mid September and am worried that I feel like I did when I was overweight- hot and sweaty.

With Aug due you have the best of both jemsy, no drinking at Christmas and being huge all summer!

Downsides to winter babies: its chaos with your appointments if it snows, a fear you may not reach hospital if it snows and most annoying being huge and pg with pavements like skating rinks. People can't tell you are pg in the winter either so they wonder why you are walking so slowly and taking up so much room, then if you live where I do they bump into you and get cross. It's so dark when you have to get up early. You have to buy more maternity clothes.

I've done both as well, last summer here would have been a killer though.

I've vowed never to be very pregnant in summer again. I would rather be freezing cold and careful than absolutely incapable of regulating my body temperature. I am very relaxed about medical appointments though so assuming I were to be low risk again I wouldn't mind being a bit flexible on appointments. The only thing is that a Sept-Dec birth would cause schooling issues later on!

In summer you can wear flip flops which is far easier than socks and shoes, you don't need as many mat clothes, as dresses are good.

In the early days it's warmer at night so you can breed easily without it feeling like the middle of the cold night everytime you wake.

Also by the time the dc's sleeping patterns have settled it getting dark earlier so you don't need a black out blind.

When they are coming up to around 10 months the weather improves so you can loose the grow bag, as they are harder to get in bigger sizes and get them used to a blanket without it affecting them too much if they wriggle out of it.

In the early days after the birth in the summer you can take them on lots of walks and there's not as many layers to bfeed through.

A summer baby saves you shed loads in childcare.

Can you tell I'm trying to make myself feel better about having a second child this summer!

Late spring baby would be an ideal. However conception isn't usually so predictable.

DS was born late sept and am due late October.

They will be oldest in school year but would have loved the saving in childcare!

I've had one of each.

Winter pros: cold weather is lovely with a big, hot body. Winter food very comforting. Friends & family less likely to mind if you don't come out much. Nausea was easier to cope with in the cold (no baking hot car journeys). Less swelling. No heatrash. No pressure to shave legs!

Winter cons- hard to find a coat to fit & when you do, no-one can tell that you're pregnant - I agree with the poster who said people more likely to knock into you/ not give you a seat. Clothes in general more expensive and less flattering (jeans and jumpers in blacks & browns, blah.) ice & snow travel problems. Christmas shopping. Actually Christmas in general- everyone wants to see the pregnant lady, which is lovely but can be draining, plus no wine & cheese like everyone else.

I have had a January baby and a late July baby (but we had a roasting summer that year) I found winter hard after I had the baby as overnight when all the milk and sweat leaks out it was freezing. But I would prefer a winter baby to be honest.

Had a summer baby.

Pros - When I was in my first trimester and feeling absolutley knackered, it was great that I could snuggle up on the couch in the evening and have an early night without feeling like I was stuck in the house (if it had been nice summery nights, iyswim). Also, the Christmas holidays came at just the right time and I did nothing but rest and sleep. WHen I was big I could wear just a zip up hoody rather than having to go and buy a maternity winter coat. When I was getting up for night feeds/early morning feeds it didn't feel quite so bad as it was getting light already outside.

Cons - Missing out on Christmas parties because I was knackered and didn't want to arouse suspicions if I wasn't drinking. Feeling really hot when I was heavily pregnant. Stifling postnatal ward at the hospital. Autumn and nights drawing in as baby is getting older and I'm finally getting the hang of things and getting out house. Maternity leave over winter.

Late Sept, late March & mid April. #4 due late July so my first summer baby.

Sept 97 was at the end of a terribly hot summer - v uncomfortable but you can then cover up in jumpers etc whilst you're still trying to shed a few lbs. A crawling baby is lovely in the summer in the garden.

March/April is nice as you get warmer nights to b/f in. Also longer days just lift you if you're feeling a little blue and worn down.

TBH, I'm looking forward to putting the baby into a vest and then parking the pram in the garden this time. Probably means it'll pee down all summer

Oh, and I have no intention of having another so I'll never find out what a winter baby is like

everyone keeps saying how many clothes I will need but it due in August, it can live in a nappy and vest! oh, and a hat. I am learning :) my nan was excited as then I can have summer birthday parties in the garden

I'm due next week and have found (weather wise at least) this pregnancy was perfectly manageable. In summer (July/Aug/Sept my first trimester) I was ill but weather didn't contribute. Then my second trimester which ran to around Christmas was manageable since I was still quite stable on my feet, my winter clothes tend to be looser anyway so still fit and I had a nice hot water bottle attached to my abdomen at all times keeping me that little bit warmer, only down side was the extra layers I needed just around my boobs which would really hurt in the cold. Luckily we have had a mild January to March so far so while I've had the problems with being less steady on my feet I haven't had to do this in the snow. I also can be quite confident that if labour starts I'll have no problems getting to the hospital rather than worrying about being snowed in. In saying that, it was only 2 years ago we had that terrible snow in March when I managed to crash my car :(