There are many factors that can come into play when deciding to have a baby. Although it may not be possible to choose exactly when a baby comes, there are definite advantages to certain seasons. Here are five factors that might help a husband and wife determine the best time and month to conceive, enjoy pregnancy, and bring home a bundle of joy.
Weather and Location
Without a doubt, the weather can be a big factor. Many women find being pregnant over the summer very unappealing, especially if the summer occurs during the third trimester. For that reason, many women prefer to have a spring baby. With a spring baby, a woman completely avoids being pregnant during the summer. The third trimester occurs during the winter, a much more ideal time for being “great with child”. Which months are considered spring will vary depending on location, but March and April can be great months if avoiding pregnancy in the summer is a high priority.
Health Related Concerns
Another advantage to a spring baby is the fact that the most intense cold and flu season is generally over by mid to late spring. This is helpful in keeping an infant healthy during those early months especially with concerns about rotavirus. It also means mom doesn’t have to be quite as cautious about keeping baby away from public places where germs abound.
The mother’s health can also play a role in choosing. For example, a woman who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and experiences depression each winter would do well to think twice about having a newborn during the same time when sleep deprivation will only make it worse.
Family Holidays
Some people might find it fun to have everyone’s birthday in the same month. Other families prefer that everyone have their own special time each year. So one factor to consider might be whether or not the family already has a birthday in a particular month.
Related to this is the occurrence of other holidays celebrated by the family. Some families might prefer to not have a birthday during the holiday rush in November and December. Depending on the religious holidays observed by the family, other months may be more or less appealing.
Work Obligations
Vocation can play a significant role in selecting the best month to have a baby. A tax accountant probably wouldn’t choose March or April. August and September wouldn’t be the best months for a teacher. A wedding planner would likely avoid May and June. Some professions might necessitate increased travel during certain busy seasons. Each family should consider if there is a better or worse season in terms of work obligations.
Unique Family Situations
Lastly, there are all of the little situations that make each family unique. If Grandpa and Grandma down the street in Maine spend four months in Florida every winter, then a winter baby might not be appealing. If traveling every year for a wedding anniversary is important, then having a baby that month might not be the best long term choice. Each family has its own set of months that are better or worse for welcoming a new member of the family.
Welcoming a baby into the family is such a joyous event. By carefully considering how different aspects of life might impact everyone, it is possible to eliminate some potential trouble spots and maximize the chances for a smooth transition. So plan accordingly and begin thinking about choosing just the right baby name!
For us, the down side of having spring babies has been much lower insurance coverage: having the prenatal care and birth span two calendar years means that we have to pay our deductibles twice for the pregnancy, instead of once as we would for a fall/early winter baby. I think this partly depends on the maternity care provider, and how they bill insurance…our midwives have been out-of-network, they bill prenatal visits as office visits, and then have a fee for attending the birth. Anyway, this is worth asking both your insurance provider and maternity care provider about ahead of time.
I have a couple of other thoughts on this. My five were born in mid-September, mid-April, mid-August, early January and late February, respectively. We live in a climate where summer temperatures run from 100-115 for the most part. Though it was definitely uncomfortable at times being pregnant in the summer, I think it was easier than having a nursing young baby in the summer. Having someone plastered up against you outwardly is even worse than the extra weight of baby inside, IMO. Also, with the winter/spring babies, I needed winter maternity clothes so had to buy more than with the summer babies (where I was newly pregnant in winter). And as the commenter above mentioned, the spring/summer babies affected our insurance more (our deductibles start over October 1st). Anyway, everyone has their own different set of circumstances by which to determine the best time for them. And some are just so happy to have a baby at all that they could care less about the timing (we struggled with primary and then secondary infertility with our first three, oddly enough). So this is just more food for thought. Funny the things we think of in relation to this!