Winter Babies...?

[amicus]

This little news blurb caught my attention as two of my children were born in January.

On the irony side, many births are attributed to either Spring Break, or Senior Proms and Graduation ceremonies.

Many mammals have reproductive 'seasons' to coincide with Spring births, milder weather, food availability, part of our evolutionary nature...

http://www.canada.com/business/winter+babies+frozen/1123046/story.html

A large body of research suggests that, on average, winter babies grow up to be less educated, less intelligent, less healthy and lower paid than people born in the spring, summer or fall. Scientists have blamed the winter babies' woes on everything from the weather to age cutoffs for school.

There are a ton of links under "winter babies" theory, the keywords I searched, go figure why I chose a Canadian one?

Are you a winter baby? Any of your kids? Fit the profile?

Amicus

 

[lance gt]

I'm a product of a really great Valentine's day night for Mom and Dad. So, do holidays count as well? Is that why Scorpios are the rulers of sex, because it was a day of sex and love, there abouts.

 

[_Lynn_]

My son is December. A real go-getter. Journeyman's card in tool & die. Realtor. Property owner.

My daughter is October. A Masters degree. Working in a factory. Has nothing, and not using her degree.

 

[amicus]

My two January girls don't seem to fit the profile either; one has a Master's the other dropped out with her associates degree to travel the world before returning when she decides what to major in.

Go figure....


ami

 

[vrosej10]

This little news blurb caught my attention as two of my children were born in January.

On the irony side, many births are attributed to either Spring Break, or Senior Proms and Graduation ceremonies.

Many mammals have reproductive 'seasons' to coincide with Spring births, milder weather, food availability, part of our evolutionary nature...

http://www.canada.com/business/winter+babies+frozen/1123046/story.html



There are a ton of links under "winter babies" theory, the keywords I searched, go figure why I chose a Canadian one?

Are you a winter baby? Any of your kids? Fit the profile?

Amicus

My son is born in August, during the Australia winter, and he's a little rocket scientist. In Australia though, having winter babies is preferred. It is so hot here that newborns often struggle with it and I had seizures (being a november baby) from the heat as a young baby. It is also extraordinarily unpleasant to be pregnant during summer here.

 

[TE999]

Our daughter was born in May...graduated college...is a corporate accountant...and is married with a son.

I wasn't aware of this phenomena.

 

[JamesSD]

I'm October, both my siblings are April. My older brother and I were carefully planned to avoid overlap with either Thanksgiving/Christmas, or each other. My little sister was planned to be a summer birth, but my parents got pregnant slightly before planned.

I imagine the statistics of "winter births" correlate mostly with planned vs. unplanned pregnancies. Planned pregnancies usually come from more stable parents in better financial situations. People usually don't plan to give birth in the winter months. In my acestral homeland of the frigid midwest, being 8 months pregnant or driving to the hospital in December would be a nightmare. Not to mention the holiday season... really, anything outside of Nov-Feb seems far superior on paper from a convenience point of view.

I could look up some statistics to see if they correlate with my theory, but I feel lazy.

 

[amicus]

Interesting....it was a new idea to me too, thus the thread...but it made some sense, assuming a northern hemisphere birth...at the time; but, JamesSD, planned versus unplanned...that is a relatively new occurence for most and for those morally opposed to birth control.

I tend to look for more 'naturalistic' origins of things to try to comprehend some of the things modern humans do.

Dunno...

Amicus

 

[JamesSD]

Even those morally opposed to birth control can use the "pull out and pray" method if they want to try to delay conception. It's not a great long term strategy, but it's pretty tried and true for keeping down the number of kids in a catholic family without depending on the pill or condoms.

Still, those opposed to birth control are not all that statistically significant of a group. I did a quick websearch on birth control usage rates and found that most surveys only find that 4-11% of women 15-44 both have had sex in the past 3 months and didn't use some form of birth control. I assume they don't count the "rythym method".

Interestingly, in the US July, August and September are the biggest months for giving birth, which would put fertilyzation in October-December. Perhaps people feel sentimental over the holidays and decide to add to their families? Also, many women are teachers, and giving birth in summer is easier for them (which would also be planning).

There may be some seasonal and physiological component at play here, but I agree with the original article you posted that the education level of the mother probably explains the seasonal differences. If you take a woman, the actual month she gives birth probably won't have much of an effect (although Birth Order will).

 

[sereneone4u]

I am January born.

I have a bachelor degree in Social Work and am working towards going for my master degree. I maintained a 4.0 for the most part and graduated with honors.

I have had for the most part excellent health other than Spring allergies (hah!).

I do get paid less, but that is because of the profession I have chosen.

I think children that start school later because of their birthdates do better. They are more mature and better able to handle school on various levels. I have had teachers tell me this too. My children have mainly been born in the fall and started school later-Sept, November, October, October, October and the eldest was born in April and seemed to struggle more than the others.

I forgot I wanted to comment on wanting to not be pregnant in the winter months. I preferred to be pregnant in the cooler months and not in the heat of damn summer....and for some reason it seems like I become extremely amourous and impregnanted in February, lol.

 

[amicus]

Mentioning two daughters born in January, just reminded me of an old poem I penned sometime ago, something on the order of, "April, Not the Cruelest Month Afterall", as dating back from January determines April or Springtime, was the time they were conceived.

It made some sense at the time, the natural renewal of nature after a winter's dormancy and perhaps the folklore that spring brings about that particular yearning...

But then I am a hopeless Romantic.

Further...the artificiality of urban or metropolitan existence of the past half century or so, has no doubt dulled whatever natural inclinations city dwellers might have.

So many possible variables involved...such as a lower amount of stimuli for the new infant in the deep winter months of being confined in doors; the use of television as a babysitter, how many babies grow up in front of a cartoon channel?

Just thoughts...

Amicus

 

[Liar]

Not to pat ourselves on the back too much , but I if there's a statistic showing that winter kind have less smarts, I don't think looking for them om a writers' forum will confirm it.

 

[vrosej10]

I forgot I wanted to comment on wanting to not be pregnant in the winter months. I preferred to be pregnant in the cooler months and not in the heat of damn summer....and for some reason it seems like I become extremely amourous and impregnanted in February, lol.

Where I live the heat seems to have a negative effct on the outcome of the pregnancies. I have notice more pre-term births and high bp in women slogging it in the heat...

I have this theory that humans have their own natural mating seasons. I think it varies from individual to individual. I base this on hving met a lot of families with births occurring in the same month. It's just a theory...My husband does tend to chase me around more in spring and autumn, particularly september and april and his first son was born in June...

 

[Nirvanadragones]

Interesting thread. It's something I've thought about quite often before.

My daughter was born in April, in South Africa, which is towards the end of autumn/ start of winter. I personally feel it's the best month, because as a newborn, there are winter months ahead, with nurturing, and "nesting" at home. The most important needs of a newborn - food, love, warmth, and sleep can be given in abundance without the distractions of summer and hot weather. And as she became more active at 6 months, and older, it was spring, and the perfect time to start going out with her more, and giving her the space, opportunity and experience of being more physically active outside.

In terms of children being born in the UK, there's the whole debate over when they start school.. Kids that are born during Sept - December, generally get an additional 4 months of their first year at school - reception year. And at the age of 4 going on 5, that's a lot of time. It's also been said that even in later years - Year 3 - 6, when that phenomena should have averaged out, the children who started in Sept, compared to the children who started in Jan of the next year, have a clear advantage, and do better in their work than others.

 

[Lady_Fiona]

I am a May baby as is my son (4 days and summat odd years apart) he was a honeymoon baby

My sister is a Nov baby and SO totally opposite me its not true...way more angsty, less laid back and everything is a drama....who knows?

We do play the 'when was this one concieved' game at work. Working for the ambulance service we notice trends and at the moment we are overrun with Christmas babies. We had world cup babies, easter babies, summer holiday babies. Have to admit though have never put any of them down to being an 'in season' baby

 

[neonlyte]

As a patissiere for ten years, I can tell you there are patterns in making birthday cakes. Valentines Day conceptions were the bane of my life, a demand for cakes in the build up to Christmas was not exactly welcome Early Easter conceptions, resulting in a near Christmas birth were usually refused as there simply wasn't time in the Christmas Season to give the birthday cake the attention it deserved.

On a professional note, you know the birthday is coming, order the damn cake the month before, don't order the day before!

 

[JamesSD]

I think children that start school later because of their birthdates do better. They are more mature and better able to handle school on various levels. I have had teachers tell me this too. My children have mainly been born in the fall and started school later-Sept, November, October, October, October and the eldest was born in April and seemed to struggle more than the others.

Excellent point. My younger sister (April) wasn't a bad student, but being 3-6 months younger than a lot of her peers probably didn't help her in school, and may have contributed to her apathy towards math, along with the standard disservice society gives teen girls in that regard.

On a professional note, you know the birthday is coming, order the damn cake the month before, don't order the day before!

Too true. I feel like if you haven't ordered a cake a day before, you just need to go to the grocery store, buy a cake, and decorate it your damn self.