Which is the Best Month to Have a Baby?

Which month is best to have a baby? From seasonal health to school age, there’s a lot to consider. Here, we explain everything.
Let’s be honest. Pregnancy is a rollercoaster, whatever the time of year.

Nothing is going to make it less special (or less challenging) and, if you’ve been TTC for a while, you’d probably say ‘yes’ to a baby born on any day of the year.

But while pregnancy nausea, fatigue, and the excitement of watching your bump grow are pretty much guaranteed, there are some things about the experience of being pregnant (or being a new mama) that might be more fun in one month compared to another.

So let’s check out the factors you might think about if you’re trying to pick the best month to have a baby.

(This article has been medically reviewed by embryologist and fertility expert, Navya Muralidhar.)

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Which are the best months to be pregnant?

There are hundreds of pregnancy symptoms that affect mamas-to-be in different ways.

Some of them can be more (or less) manageable at other times of the year.

Here’s what you might want to think about:

Pregnancy can make allergies more unpleasant

Allergies and sinus congestion are often exacerbated by a condition called pregnancy rhinitis.

If you suffer a lot from allergies and hay fever, being heavily pregnant in the spring months might make your congestion worse than in a normal year.

To make matters worse, only some of your go-to antihistamines might be recommended during pregnancy.

Pregnancy messes with your immune system

Even if allergies aren’t typically a problem for you, pregnancy can make your natural defenses temporarily weaker.

So if you have a medical condition that means your immune system is already compromised, or you’re especially vulnerable to winter illnesses like the flu, you might want to time your pregnancy to avoid the winter months (or at least speak to your doctor about a flu vaccination).

Pregnancy can impact your mental health

Another reason for trying to avoid a winter pregnancy is your mental health, especially if you suffer from depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Pregnancy hormones can affect your mood at any time of the year.

If the darker, colder days are a challenge for you, you might prefer to time the majority of your pregnancy for the warmer, lighter spring and summer months.

Other things to consider

As well as the changing of the seasons, many women take their work schedule into account when they’re TTC.

The main concerns are usually the risk of fatigue and nausea in the first trimester and the discomfort and renewed exhaustion of the third trimester.

In an ideal world, you’d probably want to time your pregnancy to avoid big projects, changes at work, or periods of extra responsibilities in other areas of your life.

These things are hard enough without also having to worry about running for the bathroom for the tenth time that day or finding the time to schedule all your doctor’s appointments.

Which is the best month for a baby to be born in?

Spring and summer babies

Many people say that spring and summer are the best times for a baby to be born when it comes to thinking about your experience of those first few months.

The weather isn’t too bad.

You’ve gone through your final stages of pregnancy wrapped up in knits rather than sweating in the summer heat.

You won’t have to worry about wrestling a cranky newborn into a snowsuit every time you need to go to the grocery store, and you’ll be taking your maternity or shared parental leave in lovely weather.

That being said, you might find yourself stressing about keeping them out of the sun, and feeding a baby in a heatwave can get sweaty and uncomfortable for everyone involved.

Winter babies

Babies born in the winter months will arrive in the middle of flu season, and keeping them warm enough but not too warm is a constant balancing act.

On the flip side, winter is a wonderful time to hibernate with your new arrival.

As you get used to a new sleep schedule, and the all-around gear change of being a parent, you can do it in the knowledge that you’re not missing out on beautiful summer days outside.

And then, just as your little one starts getting curious about the world, boom!

The world is waking up.

Which is the best month for a baby to be born statistically?

If you’re thinking further ahead, and are more focused on timing your little one’s arrival to maximize their chances in school, you’ll probably want to aim to fall pregnant in the winter and give birth in autumn.

This would mean your little one would arrive in September or October, making them one of the oldest in their school year.

If this is important to you, though, it’s worth researching your local school “cutoff dates” before you start TTC.

In some countries and states, it’s September 1st, and in others, September 30th.

So if your little one arrives even a couple of weeks off their due date, they could be the youngest in their year instead of the oldest.

Birth month and the relative age effect

Studies have shown that, for the oldest children in a school year, the extra time they’ve had to develop their language skills and concentration can sometimes give them an advantage in the classroom.

The additional months of physical growth also mean that this can extend to the sports field.

But for all the academic studies that say older children have the advantage, others have found that younger children can flourish for the opposite reason because they’re surrounded by more mature classmates.

So, if you’re expecting your little peanut in July or August, there’s no need to stress.

Your love and support are by far the most important things for them.

What is the best month to conceive a boy or a girl?

While it may be more to do with the month they’re conceived, rather than the specific month in which a baby is born, several studies have shown a link between the sex of a newborn and the time of year they’re born.

There are more than a few holes in the science here, but, according to some stats, if you want a boy, your chances might be higher if you’re pregnant for most of the spring.

By contrast, if you are hoping for a little girl, your chances might be higher if the main period of your pregnancy coincides with the more extreme temperatures of winter or summer.

But we’ll say it again: the science doesn’t show an exact fit.

The best month to give birth: final thoughts

The best month to have a baby depends on the things that matter most to you.

But like many of us already know, those all-important BFPs don’t always appear on schedule.

At the end of the day, their birthday doesn’t matter half as much as the joy they’ll bring into your life.