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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Did you try to plan your pregnancy aiming for your child to be one of the eldest in their class?

58 replies

LittleMissBliss · 29/02/2008 20:34

I'm already planning another baby!
Ds was born in November, I would like the next baby to be born between Sept and Jan so planning to start TTC around Christmas.

Just wondering if this is common or did you instead try for a summer baby? Or were you just happy to be pregnant regardless of due date?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

smartiejake · 01/03/2008 23:22

No didn't try for it but kept my legs crossed for a week before dd2 was born as didn't want her born at end of Aug. Breathed a sigh of relief when I got past the 1st Sept. (SHe was born on 7th)

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 01/03/2008 23:26

lol! I did that as i did not want ds born on the 13th - he came on 14th!

Vinegar · 02/03/2008 09:27

I didn't plan, as I didn't know how long it would take to get pregnant. Have a Dec born and the second will be born in August. However, I can see the advantages on having a Sept-Dec born child. Most of the July/Aug children seem so young and struggle with either the academic or social(or both) side of things. Anyway, for most people don't think it's possible to plan when you are going to conceive, it will happen when it happens!

barbamama · 02/03/2008 09:44

i didnt really plan the conception but I really really tried not to go into labour on my babys due date of 31st August and spent that entire day on tenderhooks trying to ignore all the shows, massive braxton hicks, ignoring attempts to induce me etc etc. In the end my waters broke the next day 1st sept. I was very relieved. The hospital was absoutely full on the 1st and the midwives said it happens every year becasue of all the women trying to get into the next school year psychologically hanging on and then letting go once they get to midnight on the 31st August which does have an effect. I remember being pissed off when I worked out my due date would be 31st August but was confident could hold on into September.

So I have a sept and a dec baby now which is great for the school year thing. However, having a newborn/young baby over the winter is a pain in the arse with dressing, ilnesses etc. I wonder whether a spring baby would be ideal - nice evenin walks without an hour of layerimg up and constantly checking whether they are too cold!

BearMama · 02/03/2008 14:30

I'm not sure I understand. Why would you want to give birth in September? So that LO will be oldest in class? Why is this important? Feeling very clueless here

LiegeAndLief · 02/03/2008 14:36

Didn't actively try but was pleased when ds was conceived with a due date in september - unfortunately he was six weeks early so will now be one of the youngest in his year. So even if you manage to conceive on cue things don't always go to plan!

Mercy · 02/03/2008 14:37

As a September born baby I can honestly say it has had no impact on my life that I am aware of.

Btw, I didn't even think about it when I had my 2 (just thought I was lucky to even be pregnant at my old age)

allgonebellyup · 02/03/2008 14:39

my dd was born early sept so is oldest in class.
Definitely not planned!!!
(why would you plan it??)
Though i have to say she is prob the brightest in her class cos of her age.

Miggsie · 02/03/2008 14:40

DH was worried when we got the due date of 1st Sept as he did not want DC to be the oldest in class, I was weeks late and he was a bit grumpy, I couldn't have cared less.
Now we find September girls achieve best so he's really smug.
I ask you!

No planning.

2 friends are doctors and planned endlessly for spring/summer babies and got 2 September babies and then a december one which shows it's a waste of time and angst putting yourself through it.

Mum2b2BabyRoo · 02/03/2008 14:48

Nope no real planning as such besides planning to have one! In fact this sort of thing never occurred to me!

fym · 02/03/2008 14:54

I did and got a December baby. Just trying again and no joy so far.... but still some time to go - I'm not going to stop though to avoid a summer baby....

I just think the evidence suggests the older kids in a school year have an easier time learning in the early years.... The evidence also points to kids who struggle in primary school (which tends to be the younger ones in a year) giving up with education as they find it too hard at the start. This is what is thought to give rise the 25% reduction in university entrance between the 'older' and 'younger' kids in every year...

mom2latinoboys · 02/03/2008 15:44

I like planning for the spring and summer. ds1 born beginning of August, and ds2 end of May. I like that when I bring them home the sun is shining especially days I don't feel so great, it helps to get on with the day if it's sunny and warm and can go sit outside for a while.

MadamePlatypus · 02/03/2008 15:46

No. Have 2 autumn babies, and would love to have summer birthday parties.

sweetkitty · 02/03/2008 15:55

I did we are in Scotland so it's March-Feb up here, didn't want a Jan or Feb baby as DD2 is a Jan baby and goes to school at 4 1/2 and only gets 1 1/3 years at nursery whereas DD1 (July) gets 2 years.

So got pregnant in June for my March baby and lost it

Am pregnant again another July baby

Goes to show you cannot plan for these things.

Sassylou · 02/03/2008 16:44

My DD2 was born 17th August (by luck not design) so definately one of the youngest in the class. For us this has worked out for the best. She was certainly ready for school when she started even though she was only 4 and a couple of weeks old.

That being said I was worried she would be overwhelmed by "big school" but she took to it like a duck to water and her school reports have been glowing. She has got stuck in and is now matching the older ones in the class in all aspects.

I think she would have got really frustrated waiting another year before starting. I guess it all depends on the child.

VirginiaWoolf · 02/03/2008 16:54

Gosh, it's a different world.
I'm probably one of loads of women reading this quizzically, having found it really hard to get/stay pregnant in the first place. Don't want to sound grumpy about it, but because of my own experiences I find it incredible that so many people have/think they have that level of control over when they conceive.
Ooh, and my DC are both summer babies, including an August boy. We're just relieved to have them at all.

lollipopmother · 02/03/2008 17:19

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article2013397.ece

We first started trying when it would coincide with a September baby just on the off-chance and was lucky enough to conceive in the first month, but can't say we were really that bothered, just did it on the off-chance really.

barbamama · 02/03/2008 19:35

It's not a different world Virginia, it's the same world you live in. I have experienced both infertility and lost a baby so I would never be anything other than grateful to be pregnant and would never avoid a cycle to influence due dates (hence my ds1 being a christmas baby - not a fun time to be in hospital). However, the care you have for your children doesn't stop when they are born and as others have pointed out, the research suggests that children, , particularly boys, do better academically if they are nearer the older end of the class initially. So I don't think it is unreasonable to be aware of the significance of August/September babies if such things are important to you, as they are to me. You can't do anything about it but it might influence choice of school etc or be useful to avoid problems if you have an August baby (it's only statistics of course).

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 02/03/2008 19:35

yes saaylou my fist born was end of august

academically - although slow off the mark he has flown. he work damn hard and exceeds targets and expectations all the time - he learned young to TRY

dd and ds2 are october born . toddled into school reception streets ahead of their peers now ( dd particularly) idle and unable to accept that at 13 she is not top on everything wihtout trying

next to babies mid yearers i am yet to see

next one will be summer and i am GLAD

plus that final pre school year with a nearly 5 year old was TORTURE for me!

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 02/03/2008 19:37

sorry (sassylou and first)

cass66 · 02/03/2008 20:39

my oldest is a july girl and is absolutely fine at school and acheiving everything she should.

if anything, surely summer children have MORE schooling, as they go to school as soon as they are 4, whereas autumn kids have to wait nearly a full year to go to school, ie the sept after they are 4. at least it's like that here in yorkshire.

I think they all catch up in the end. for me I wanted this bump to be in the same school year as my friends babies (3 born in oct, 3 due in july!) if poss, but it did take 6 months to conceive, after falling preg straight away with the first 2.

interesting thread, as I'd never thought it was an advantage.

Hulababy · 02/03/2008 20:49

Never even occured to me. We just continued TTC until I finally was pregnant, timing and dates neevr came into it at all. After so long of TTC I was just happy to be pregnant! DD was born in April and started school aged 4y5m and loved it from day one, and has not struggled at all yet.

marina · 02/03/2008 20:58

The only person I know who will admit to doing this has developed a really upsetting obsession with the fact that her second child had the audacity to turn up a week early, right at the end of August. She is already fretting about how disadvantaged it will be academically and has even quizzed some of us with summer children who are already of school age, as to "how far behind they are" and what kind of problems are you encountering". Which frankly makes her the sort of person you actively avoid in social situations.
Regardless of the whole ttc and gratefulness to be pregnant issue, I would honestly be exceptionally wary of making this too much of a priority, in case it all goes awry.
Ds is a June child and academically and socially very capable. Dd is an August child and keeping pace perfectly fine with children in her class almost a year older.

cheerfulvicky · 02/03/2008 23:38

I would never have thought of doing this, but then, I'm so keen on my child NOT going to school while very young that I may home educate them anyway. And I will be having a mid to late August baby

BearMama · 03/03/2008 00:02

My little girl is due in the next couple of weeks so will be a real spring baby. I def didnt think that far ahead, but then I was just glad to have met someone who would be a good father, and then to get pg at 37.
Plus I would just have been a worry wart about such things so in my case ignorance was bliss.

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