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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

The best time of year to have a baby is...

72 replies

Robbie · 29/10/2001 11:57

What do you think the best time of year to have a baby is? Early summer seems to me to be the perfect time. You get your maternity leave in the good weather, plus it's nice in the early days when often all you can do to appease them is to push them around in the pram, all their parties will be in the nice weather too. I know you can't always plan it but if you could, don't you agree that May/June is optimum? I'm thinking about this particularly at the moment as my twins are about to have their birthday party and it would all be so much easier if I could bung them all outside in the garden - but chances are it'll be cold and miserable.

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Wendym · 29/10/2001 12:40

Not March - its the peak month for births so the staff in maternity units are more stretched. Not September, because you'll be overheating terribly in the last month. Problem with May/June is that they'll be very young when they start school. How about October? When the weather's bad you may get more visitors and they'll be old enough to lie on the grass in the summer.

Pamina · 29/10/2001 12:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Emmam · 29/10/2001 13:56

April! Spring is coming, daffodils, lighter days, Easter holidays. Pregnancy is over winter - big jumpers, not getting too hot, anxiety over slipping over though. More than halfway there by Christmas so you can have a couple of drinks. Going to hospital, no frosts, fog or snow to battle with, hospital heating bearable. No winter colds or flu for a newborn to contend with. By May the weather can be lovely, long walks with your new pushchair - baby doesn't need to be bundled up anymore. June/July long lazy maternity leave days.

By the following year baby may be up on his/her feet ready to enjoy the garden in the summer. Birthday presents a good distance from Christmas, but not too long to wait either!

I'd love another April baby!

Rhiannon · 29/10/2001 17:32

I wouldn't recommend July or August, I was an August baby, always the youngest in the class. Everyone was on holiday when it was time for my party, sob sob! Some of the children in my class were 11 months older than me. I purposely planned not to have summer babies. I have one November (not brilliant) and one March (pretty good).

Bossykate · 29/10/2001 17:52

I wouldn't recommend July. Took my maternity leave starting mid May, anticipating enjoying the last few weeks of my pregnancy in the sunshine and happily enjoying blissful summer picnics with ds...

...the reality was during the last days of pregnancy hot weather made my ankles the size of footballs so could not walk anywhere much and also on the really hot days could not even bear to be outside!

After the birth, it was six weeks before up to going anywhere v. exciting on a regular basis - by then it was practically autumn! I'll be aiming for March/April next time!

Chairmum · 29/10/2001 18:01

February and August are bad times to be in hospital as that is when they change their medics rotations, so if you need a Dr you could end up with a rookie!!

Jodee · 29/10/2001 19:32

Agree with Pamina - I had all of my maternity leave through the spring and summer months and could wear big and baggies through the winter when I was feeling fat and frumpy - then give everyone a surprise by producing a baby when the neighbours didn't have a clue I was pregnant due to the winter jumpers and coats!

Eulalia · 29/10/2001 20:20

I had my son in July and really loved it. Fortunately I was not big and didn't suffer from swollen ankles or being too hot. I had my maternity leave from mid June and the weather was lovely. After the birth it was a hot summer too and I had him in his carrycot out in the garden with just a vest on and didn't have to fuss on with lots of clothes which made the constant changing easier. Also breastfeeding was easy with just a loose top on. I didn't have to worry about heating his bedroom and he got heaps of fresh air in those first few months.

It is great having summer parties - apart from the weather being nice and sitting outside you can have all the mess out there too.

I was born in August and I never noticed being the youngest in the class.

My next baby is due in April and I am also quite looking forward to this time of year. Summer is definately my first choice (May/June ideally as Robbie states) but Spring as my next choice. I'd have a baby any time between March - September as I am definatley not a winter person and the idea of getting up to feed a newborn in the dark cold nights fills me with horror. I get depressed in the winter so it wouldn't be a good idea to have a baby for me then.

I liked wearing loose breezy summer maternity dresses and feel that I wear enough big bulky clothes in the winter anyway without a bump to contend with.

One thing about having a Spring/early summer baby is that you can take them away on holiday for free over 2 years on most flights (you could even possibly squeeze in 3 years).

Lizzer · 29/10/2001 22:08

I'll tell you the worst timimg of all and that's the 23rd December, which I so gracelessly managed to have dd on! I was 15 days overdue, but managed to escape the maternity ward on Christmas eve (there was a mass exodus actually, it was really comical!)But it's such a shame that she won't have any presents at any other time of the year and everyone else in the family are summer birthdays, so I'm considering having a 'half birthday' for her in June (when she's old enough to know she missing out.) Has anyone else done this, or does anyone think I'm being a sucker for commercialism and that she should just deal with it as a 'life' experience???!!

Bloss · 30/10/2001 02:17

Message withdrawn

Fairy · 30/10/2001 08:03

MM6` coming up to his third birthday, and I have to say it seems to be a good time of the year for it on many different levels, and our next one is due in 3 weeks time! So you can tell we like this time of the year!!

We were told that the worst time of the year to have a baby was September as that is when the maternity units are most busy, after effects of Christmas and New Year!

Also looking ahead we have experienced through friends the problems with having a summer baby when it comes to starting school. Our nephew was only just 4 when he had to start, and he really was not ready, and he is not the only one I know either.

Also alot of peple don't have a choice, just when it happens, if you can plan it I think you have to consider yourself lucky!

Smew · 30/10/2001 09:58

Don't panic about new doctors at certian times of year. It used to be the case that jobs changed in Feb and Aug but there has been a new system in place for a few years whereby doctors training in O&G (termed specialist registrars) are now on a 5 year rotation in one place and could therefore start at any time. The more junior SHOs tend to start in Feb and Aug still but they are often GP trainees and may be quite experienced too. I would say however that general medical and surgical wards are quite scary in Aug and Feb when the newly qualified HOs arrive but all the doctors in obstetrics will be more experienced than that.

Eulalia · 30/10/2001 10:36

Hopefully you won't need a doctor anyway. I didn't see one at all when I had my baby as I was in the Midwives Unit. In fact during the latter part of the labour there was only the three of us the whole time (me, husband and midwife).

Caroly · 30/10/2001 10:43

My son is coming up for his first birthday in December. I think his timing was perfect. I wasn;t pregnant over a festive season, when my bump started to get big I was starting into autumn and winter clothes (big jumpers - marvellous) and when he came along I could indulge myself by wrapping him up in cute fleecies with ears and not have to worry about his new skin being exposed to the sun.
On the minus side, we have no heating in our house apart from an aga and a coal fire so I did get paranoid about keeping him warm and I got eight bouts of mastitis during breast feeding. Looking back, I think it was because of the cold.

Bron · 30/10/2001 10:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sis · 30/10/2001 11:10

Robbie, I may be getting a bit ahead of myself here but as s/he gets older, a May/June child will have birthdays in the "exam season" - if s/he goes on to further education that's an awful lot of birthdays spoiled by revision and exams!

Also agree with Rhiannon about being an August baby - not much fun.

Jona · 30/10/2001 11:38

Here's my vote for winter babies! I had my son in December and have such fond memories of snuggling up on the settee with him, watching films and being looked after. By the time Spring arrived, he was at an age to be looking around and enjoying walks in the park. I guess it's true that December becomes a very dear do! and for him, he has to wait all year to get any presents!

Tigermoth · 30/10/2001 12:13

I know you're going to tell me it's a load of old rubbish, but it was my son's possible star signs that most obsessed me, especially with one son born two weeks early and the other born two weeks late. I have ended up with a stubborn bull and a proud lion in the house - but I could easily have had a fiery ram and a cool virgin.

Azzie · 30/10/2001 12:54

Mine are September and November, which means that both will be among the oldest when they go to school (especially good for boys, I'm told). Also their friends are likely to be around for their parties, rather than away on their summer holidays. The November baby was timed so that I didn't have to miss out on a drink or two at Xmas!

The worst time (for the child) has to be too near Xmas. My birthday is 28th December - I always had a very long wait for presents because they all came at once, and friends were always away for Xmas and could never come to parties (in the end my parents settled on having an 'official' birthday for me in June). It still stinks, because my birthday falls into the no-mans-land between Xmas and New Year when everyone seems to want a breather from the festivities (either that or I'm more unpopular than I thought..... ).

Emmam · 30/10/2001 13:06

Oh Tigermoth - yes! I don't think its rubbish! We've got 2 Leos and an Aries in our house - all fire signs! Fortunately, according to a book I have, Leos and Arians have a harmonious relationship. Apparently Leos and Taureans can be 'difficult' together. And God help you if you've got a Leo and a Capricorn, or Pisces in the house - my book says you can expect a turbulent relationship!

Ariel · 30/10/2001 13:06

The only thing i didn,t like about having a early november baby was,we cannot give him a outdoor birthday party,whilst most of his friends have bouncy castles or BBQ partys ,my son allways has to have it indoors,which most of the time means hireing a hall or similar which does cost alot more.I do think there are advantages and disadvanages what ever time of the year you have a baby,and its all down to personal choice.

Tigermoth · 30/10/2001 13:39

So, Leos and Taureans can be difficult together. Yikes, Emmam, that's what I've got! Expect I'll be posting on that sibling rivalry thread again soon.....

Hedgehog · 30/10/2001 13:49

Mine are Cancer (July) Aries (April) Sagittarius (December) and Virgo (September). So far they all get on very well together but the virgo, adorable as he is, can drive pe potty with his pickiness. (I'm a Sagittarian).

Birthday parties in December are a pain as you can't just fling them all out into the garden. The April birthday always seems to be in the Easter holidays, the July birthday in the summer holidays and the September birthday just at the start of term.

Enid · 30/10/2001 14:25

Lizzer - my dd was born on 20 Dec so I'm in a similar situation! I really love it actually, I love this time of year and having her birthday AND Christmas to arrange is just my idea of heaven. Mind you, she's only 2 so maybe she'll resent it later in life. At the moment, its just one long present fest from the 20-25. I always say I'm going to keep some back for her for later in the year but never quite manage it.

I don't really agree with moving their birthdays to the summer, I feel that she was born on the 20 Dec, it was really special for me and it should be special for her too. When she's older I'm planning to have a summer party for no particular reason, but just one that all her friends can come along too, at no fixed date, just a good date in the summer term. No presents required, just good fun to be had by all.

Emmam - how fascinating! Dh and I are both virgos and our dd is a Sagittarius - what does your book say about that????

Lizzer · 30/10/2001 15:22

Enid, that sounds pretty sensible to me about having a summer party, I think I may do the same, thanks for the tip!

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